Balladeer’s Blog’s annual end-of-year retrospective continues with August’s best.
THE BIONIC BOY (1977) – BAD MOVIE REVIEW – I reviewed this Asian film about a boy who survives a car accident thanks to bionic replacements for some of his body parts. He seeks revenge on the gangsters who killed his parents. Read it HERE.
ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION – THE AIR WAR: A VISION OF THE FUTURE (1859) – Astonishingly ahead of its time, this daring, controversial tale was set in 6900 A.D. when people of color run the planet and white people are slaves. A global war breaks out between black people who want to end slavery for all time and black people who want to keep white people in chains.
This novel never goes where you think it’s going to. Click HERE.
BUFFALO SOLDIERS – A Frontierado celebration of the famed African-American soldiers of the 1800s west. Click HERE.
CITIZEN SOLDIER (1956-1957) – This Forgotten Television item depicted actual heroes of World War Two action playing themselves in reenactments of their battlefield heroics. You can find it HERE.
RUDOLPH VALENTINO’S SILENT FILMS – I reviewed the movies of the big screen’s 1920s heart-throb and the man Susanna Hoffs sang about “kissing by a crystal-blue Italian stream.” Click HERE.
1790: THE FIRST AMERICAN SHIP TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE GLOBE – Read about it HERE.
ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: IN THE DEEP OF TIME (1897) – A very imaginative look at life in 2190 A.D. There are “Sun Telephones”, tripod-like vehicles for personal travel, all manner of futuristic technology for everyday life and much, much more. This work deserves far more fame. Click HERE.
TONY ORLANDO & DAWN: THEIR TELEVISION SERIES (1974-1976) – I reviewed the singing trio’s variety show which featured plenty of guest stars. Click HERE.
THE MICRONAUTS – A look at several of their 1980s crossover stories with Marvel characters like Nick Fury & S.H.I.E.L.D., the Fantastic Four, Ant-Man and others. Plus Baron Karza returns. Click HERE.
FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH (1980) – One of the most hilariously bad kung fu movies ever made. Believe it or not, the great black actor ADOLPH CAESAR co-starred. Click HERE. Continue reading
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1914) – This British production was directed by Harold M. Shaw and runs a bit over 22 minutes. Charles Rock starred as Ebenezer Scrooge and he delivered a very good performance, diminished only by the brief running time. 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS fought it out with the defending champs – the KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS. Grand View U. led 7-0 to end the 1st Quarter and 21-7 come Halftime. The Vikings shut out Keiser the rest of the way, leading 28-7 in the 3rd Quarter before winning the game 35-7. * THE VIKINGS ARE 2024 NAIA CHAMPIONS * 
MERZAH THE MYSTIC 
SHOTGUN JOHN COLLINS: NEGLECTED GUNSLINGER – A look at his real-life experiences and encounters with Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Johnny Ringo, Bat Masterson and others. Click 
RIN TIN TIN: HIS SILENT FILMS – I examined the real-life original Rin Tin Tin from his adoption as a puppy by American troops during World War One. From 1918 to 1928 the canine superstar became an international sensation who had more endorsement deals than some human actors. Click 
THE BLACK SOLDIERS OF THE CHASSEURS DE SAINT-DOMINGUE DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR – I examined the often overlooked soldiers of color fighting on America’s side during the war. Click 
SILENT FILMS ABOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR – I reviewed silent films about that war made in 1914, 1916, 1917, 1922 and 1924. Plus, an infamous court ruling on one of them. Click 
DEADWOOD DICK (1877) – The very first adventure of this gunslinging Dime Novel character. Click 
JUDGE ROY BEAN: HIS REAL-LIFE SAGA – A look at the stranger than fiction adventures of this old west gunslinger and judge. Click 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Last night the HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS did battle with the IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS. A 14-0 Reivers lead in the 1st Quarter became 17-7 by Halftime. The Blue Dragons shut out Iowa Western in the 3rd Quarter while adding 21 points for themselves. The 4th Quarter saw Hutchinson College hold on for a 28-23 victory. * THE BLUE DRAGONS ARE 2024 CHAMPIONS * 
This is one of the perennial staples of Christmastime viewing for many people. Readers are often surprised that it took me so long to review this one even though it’s one of my favorites. No special reason, it’s just that so many excellent reviews have already covered this Carol that I wanted to hit the more obscure versions first.
THE SWAMP FOX (1959-1961) – The forgotten television series about a young Leslie Nielsen portraying Francis Marion, the guerrilla leader known as the Swamp Fox during the Revolutionary War. Click 
ANNA MARIA LANE (left) AND SALLY ST. CLAIR (far left): REVOLUTIONARY WAR HEROINES – A look at two heroines from the American Revolution. Click 
BLACKE’S MAGIC (1986) – A Father’s Day look at the series which featured Hal Linden and Harry Morgan as a father-son team of stage magicians who solved seemingly impossible murders and other crimes on the side. Click 
THE BLACK COAT – My look at this comic book series about a costumed Revolutionary War hero. Click 
CHRISTMAS IN THE YEAR 2000 (1895) – This was written by Edward Bellamy as one of the additions he made to the lore surrounding his look at the world of the “future” year 2000 AD in Looking Backward (1888). 
SCROOGE, OR MARLEY’S GHOST (1901) – This big-screen Christmas Carol adaptation was the first-ever cinematic depiction of the Charles Dickens classic. The criminally neglected British silent film pioneer R.W. Paul produced the movie and fellow trailblazer Walter R. Booth directed. 
Back to this 1901 production. Scrooge was originally just over 6 minutes long but like so many movies from the silent era it suffered damage in the decades ahead. About 5 minutes have survived and the film bears a few similarities to the 13-minute Edison Films Christmas Carol from 1910.
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