Unlikely American Idols
This Tormentos clip by mod*mom got me reminiscing about erstwhile matinee-idol-wannabe, Arch Hall Jr. With his beady, squinty eyes, chubby cheeks, snub nose, beetle brows, and huge, greasy pompadour, it's surprising that Arch Jr. would ever have been considered teen idol material, but apparently someone (Arch Hall Sr.) did, and he was cast in a string of gawdawful drive-in exploitation and horror flicks like, The Choppers, Wild Guitar, and the MST3K classic, Eegah! Several of these Z-grade gems were directed by the inimitable Ray Dennis Steckler, who the world will be forever grateful to for giving us those cinematic masterpieces, Rat Pfink a Boo Boo and The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-up Zombies.
Arch was also a guitar player, and along with his band, The Archers, he churned out a string of singles that were about as mediocre as his acting skills, and as if listening to him weren't excruciating enough, he also sang and performed in most of his films.
Jr. finally redeemed himself as a serious actor by playing a demented, psychopathic killer in the 1963 cult classic, The Sadist. He appeared in a couple of minor roles after that, then became an airline pilot.
Watch out for snakes!
Update: Max Sparber corrects my misapprehensions regarding Arch Jr.'s lack of musical talent by pointing me to Konga Joe, an excellent tune with a rockin' beat, nonsensical lyrics, and a chorus of hooting gibbons. You can read about the song's provenance here at the too-long-on-hiatus, Essential Ghoul's Record Shelf.
[Link: Arch Hall Jr. Wikipedia Entry]
[Link: Ray Dennis Steckler interview]
[Link: Trailer for Wild Guitar [7.6MB .avi file)]
[Link: Eegah! tribute website]
