Psychotronic Movie of the Week: THE HEAD (1959)

THE HEAD 
1959 
Trans-Lux 
West Germany

Produced by Wolfgang Hartwig
Directed by Victor Trivas 

Michael J Weldon writes in The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film:

"Amazing but true - the same year that The Brain That Wouldn't Die was produced, some Germans were making this similar decapitation epic. Michel Simon (a famous French actor who had seen better days) has invented serum Z. He uses it to keep a dog's head alive. His new co-worker, Dr. Ood (Horst Frank), cuts off Simon's chubby head and keeps it alive with the serum. Not wanting to be upstaged by the American counterpart, the director also has Ood put the pretty head of a crippled nurse on the perfect body of a stripper. The nurse/stripper falls in love with the stripper's boyfriend, who recognizes the nurse, but not the body! Incredible, to say the least, and the special effects are pathetic."

The Girth Of Rock & Roll

Via the Jet magazine archives, 1959.

The Lovely Jewel Brynner

Singer Jewel Brynner (yes, her name was a nod to chrome-domed actor Yul Brynner) is shown here in early 1959, performing at Pittsburgh's Hi-Top Lounge with Wee Walkin' Willie.  Via the Jet archives.  Photo by Clarence Pennywell Jr.

Sharkskin Louis Jordan

"Giving the impression of an unwanted backstage "John," bubble-eyed bandleader Louis Jordan is about to be expelled by resolute dancing twins, Joyce and Jean Spencer, as trio hams it up between performances at the Tivoli Theater in Chicago."  Jet magazine, 1959.

Heartaches By The Number

Ray Price  -  Heartaches By The Number

Kissing Your Picture (MP3)

Ray Price - Kissing Your Picture (2:41)

From 1959, here's Ray Price achieving honky-tonk perfection with a song written by Wayne Walker and Mel Tillis.

In the photo: Ray strikes a pose with his fiddle player, Shorty Lavender (on the left) and his manager, Hubert Long (on the right).

The Lombardo Twins

   According to the back of this wallet-sized photo, they were on "A" Records of 14 Jefferson Street, Elizabeth, NJ.

I can't tell you much else about them, except that their one record that I know of is great. I'll let "DJ Little Danny" show you his copy. He might even let you hear it, if you say "please". Here's what Billboard had to say about them.