Sirki’s Summons – November 13: Let’s Get Technical

Greetings from beyond the veil. Today we’re more behind the camera as opposed to those in front of it.

Maury Gertsman was a senior Cinematographer with Universal. The first major work he put his mark on was JUNGLE CAPTIVE (1945) He also lensed the final two Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films TERROR BY NIGHT (1946) and DRESSED TO KILL (1946). He did SHE-WOLF OF LONDON (1946) and THE BRUTE MAN (1946) that same year. His final Universal Imagi-Movie work came in the form of THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956). For AIP he lensed HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958) and then INVISIBLE INVADERS (1959) and FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE (1960), for United Artists. In 1964, he somehow got tricked into working on the infamous CREEPING TERROR, which has been called the walking carpet monster. After that, he primarily worked on TV, notably for Lucille Ball on both her sitcoms, HERE’S LUCY & THE LUCY SHOW and MR. ED.

A British director, known primarily for his Imagi-Movie work, especially the seminal epic Jason and the Argonauts (1963), the cult classic One Million Years B.C. (1966), The Viking Queen (1967) and Creatures the World Forgot (1970). For Disney, he directed The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964) and Pete’s Dragon (1977). His final film was C.H.O.M.P.S (1979), about a robot dog starring Wesley Eure (TV’s LAND OF THE LOST) & Valerie Bertinelli. The gentleman I speak of is Don Chaffey. He also directed episodes of classic British shows THE PRISONER, DANGER MAN (SECRET AGENT in the USA) and THE AVENGERS.