Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters (1965)

The adventures of the Lemon Grove Kids in this Bowery Boys inspired kiddie film.

Directors:

Ted Roter, Ray Dennis Steckler

Writers:

Jim Harmon (segment), Ron Haydock (segment)

Stars:

Ray Dennis Steckler, Mike Kannon, Bart Carsell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ray Dennis Steckler	...	Gopher (as Cash Flagg)
Mike Kannon	...	Slug (segments "The Lemon Grove Kids" and "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Green Grasshopper and the Vampire Lady From Outer Space")
Bart Carsell	...	Duke Mazaratti (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids")
Coleman Francis	...	"Big Ed" Narzak (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids") / Mr. Miller (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Green Grasshopper and the Vampire Lady From Outer Space")
Larry Pearson	...	Larry (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids")
Mary Morgan	...	Ma (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids") / Reporter #2 (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids Go Hollywood!)
Rox Anne	...	Roxy (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids")
Herb Robins	...	Killer Krump (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids" and "The Lemon Grove Kids Go Hollywood!") / Chooper #1 (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Green Grasshopper and the Vampire Lady From Outer Space")
Kirk Kirksey	...	Kirk (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids")
Jim Plunkett	...	Stretch (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids")
Ed McWatters	...	The Saboteur (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids")
Bob Burns	...	Kogar the Gorilla / The Mad Mummy (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids") (as Kogar)
Keith A. Wester	...	Marvin-Marvin (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Green Grasshopper and the Vampire Lady From Outer Space" and "The Lemon Grove Kids Go Hollywood!") / Man Shaving ("The Lemon Grove Kids")
John Williams	...	Skinny (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Green Grasshopper and the Vampire Lady From Outer Space") (as J. Jay Hartford)
Kedric Wolfe	...	Jocko (segment "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Green Grasshopper and the Vampire Lady From Outer Space")

Storyline

The adventures of the Lemon Grove Kids in this Bowery Boys inspired kiddie film.

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Plot Keywords:

adult as child | gang fight | zoo | flying saucer | movie star | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lemon Grove Kids Go Hollywood

Company Credits

Production Co:

Morgan-Steckler Productions, Steckler-Wester Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer/cinematographer/editor Keith A. Wester's debut film. He went on to receive six Academy Award nominations for sound mixing.

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Quotes

Gopher: [in "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Green Grasshopper and the Vampire Lady From Outer Space" segment] How would you like it if I bit YOU? You stupid vampire!

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Connections

Featured in The Incredibly Strange Film Show: Ray Dennis Steckler (1988)

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Soundtracks

The Lemon Grove Kids
Lyrics and Music by Don Snyder and The Little Lemon Grove Kids

User Reviews

equal parts Sesame Street and Scooby-Doo

Most of Ray Dennis Steckler's films are so energetic that even if they aren't very good (which is usually the case), they manage to entertain on that same odd level Edward D. Wood, Jr. established a few years before. That being said, "The Lemon Grove Kids" is a surprisingly entertaining anthology (three episodes) aimed at a young audience, but I must say I found a lot of it amusing myself (and I'm 22); Steckler has a real repoire with his actors, as they bumble about in traditional Scooby-Doo fashion, as they encounter space aliens, mummies, and kidnappers (they don't show any signs of humiliation at the sheer wackiness of the material). The first episode has the Lemon Grove Kids cleaning up an eccentric old man's ("Red Zone Cuba" auter Coleman Francis!) house, only to find it's been invaded by a grasshopper alien and a Vampira look-alike (played by Carolyn Brandt!); the second episode has the Kids cleaning the mansion (also used in "The Thrill Killers") of a washed-up Hollywood starlet (Brandt again), who is accosted by a dim-witted duo looking to score a ransom; and the third (and weakest) episode has two rival gangs competing in a cross-country (but more like cross-town) marathon. In general, this is moderately entertaining stuff for kids of any age (sure beats "Barney"), and makes me wonder why Mr. Steckler didn't do more of this type of thing.

5.5/10