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WE BELONG DEAD FEARBOOK Covers by David Brooks Inside Back Cover ‘Bride of McNaughtonstein’ starring Eric McNaughton & Oxana Timanovskaya! by Woody Welch

Published by Buzzy-Krotik Productions All artwork and articles are copyright their authors.

Articles and artwork always welcome on horror fi lms from the silents to the 1970’s.

Editor Eric McNaughton Design and Layout Steve Kirkham - Tree Frog Communication 01245 445377 Typeset by Oxana Timanovskaya Printed by Print Services, Seaford

We Belong Dead 28 Rugby Road, . BN1 6EB. East Sussex. UK [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/106038226186628/

We are such stuff as dreams are made of.

Contributors to the Fearbook: Darrell Buxton * Darren Allison * Daniel Auty * Gary Sherratt Neil Ogley * Garry McKenzie * Tim Greaves * Dan Gale * David Whitehead Andy Giblin * David Brooks * Gary Holmes * Neil Barrow

Artwork by Dave Brooks * Woody Welch * Richard Williams Photos/Illustrations Courtesy of Steve Kirkham

This issue is dedicated to all the wonderful artists and writers, past and present, that make We Belong Dead the fantastic magazine now is. As I started to trawl through those back issues to chose the articles I soon realised that even with 120 pages there wasn’t going to be enough room to include everything. I have Welcome... tried to select an ecleectic mix of articles, some in depth, some short capsules; some serious, some silly. am delighted to welcome all you fans of the classic age of horror It was a hard decision as to what to include and inevitably some wonderful to this first ever We Belong Dead Fearbook! Since its return pieces had to be left out - Neil I from the dead in March 2013, after an absence of some Ogley’s look at the career 16 years, WBD has proved very popular with fans. Many of , Darrell were with us during our original incarnation between Buxton’s in depth 1993 and 1997, but for most people issue 9 was look at the horror their first encounter with the mag. As a result i films of RKO, Gary get a lot of requests for those first, long out of Holme’s in-depth print issues. And this is where the idea of a look at Universal’s Invisible Man Fearbook comes in! What you have here is a series of films, collection of some of the best articles from Neil Barrow’s those original 8 issues. coverage of Curse of the and so,so much more. We could easily have doubled the page count! If the Fearbook sells well, who knows we may yet see a Fearbook 2 next year! In it’s 5 year incarnation WBD went from an amateur, shoddily printed zine to a slick, professional looking mag. It was indeed a learning curve, but along the way we assembled a most talented group of writers and artists, many of whom still contribute to the 21st century WBD. If you look at issue 1 almost the entire issue was written by myself, but that soon changed from WBD 2 onwards as our popularity grew. The production of the zine was very old school, remember these were the days before internet and email! I would have to type up ALL the articles which were mailed to me, do all the page layout by hand literally using scissors and glue! I remember my delight when I finally managed to get an electronic typewriter to put together issue 7! How the world has changed!

So, why did I start WBD in the first place. The honest answer to that is nostalgia. Like many readers I grew up in the 70s. I’d be hard pushed to pinpoint my first memory but it was one of three things - discovering ’s wonderful Pictorial History of Horror Movies book; accidentally stumbling across the first issue of Monster Mag in the comic book rack of our local newsagents and persuading my mum

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 3 to buy it for me; and seeing the box for when the ressurection of WBD was still (Wickerman, DHRFTG, Chaney’s the Aurora Glow in the Dark model just a pipedream); to Steve Kirkham )! I attempted some humour kit of Phantom of the Opera. These who, as always has done a fantastic job with a look at Jess Franco’s El Conde three things all intermingle now with of design and layout (a million miles (a real missed opportunity - the passage of time. The newsagents away from my amateurish scissor and the film and my humour!). But I think and Gussies model shop are long gone paste efforts of years gone by!); to my favourite was my in-depth of course, but the memories remain. David Brooks our hugely talented artist look at what Hammer films were I wanted to recapture that sense of who supplied so much brilliant artwork available on VHS (yes there was a time wonder and excitement I felt every for those early issues (and indeed still before and blu ray!). Saturday when I took the train to does - he is responsible for all but two the local town and discovered new covers and for the amazing cover of WBD 2 delights such as the Alan Frank books this Fearboook); and to my wonderful Bride of cover by Gary or Marvel’s of the Movies, or wife Oxana, it’s no overstatement Fellows. The Penalty. The my all time favourite World of Horror to say that this Fearbook would not Lovers by Gary Sherratt. The Good magazine. have been possible without her. Old Days. . By the 90s these wonders were had to sit and type up every one of by Peter Benassi. Freaks. long gone, replaced by endless mags these articles, no mean feat when you Reviews. . Mask of Satan and books dedicated to gore and are not that interested in the subject by Steve Langton. Poe on the Cheap. slasher films. Of course that was simply and it’s not your first language! But Voices of the Dead. a reflection of the genre itself. But I she did the most fantastic job and Brux took a break from cover longed for a mag covering the classic without her constant love and support duties this time round, to be replaced age of horror and since no one was this Fearbook would not have been by Gary Fellows and his stunning producing one I decided to give it a go possible. So clutch your crucifix and portrait of Karloff from Bride. This myself. A word here about ‘the classic wolfbane and enter if you dare! Enjoy! issue saw our first letters page, age of horror’. I made a completely unimaginatively titled ‘Voices of the arbitry decision that WBD would cover Eric Dead’. I am a big fan of letters pages films from the silents to the 70s. It was and they are often the first thing I turn a purely personal definition and one WBD 1 to in mags. I am trying to keep the that I stick to with todays WBD. But it Cover of as Dracula. letters page going in the new WBD, is not set in stone and I would be the Paul Benton looks at Atmospheric but who writes letters anymore in first to admit there have been many Horror. Analysis of Dawn of the Dead the age of the internet? I thoroughly wonderful horror films made since the by Jocelyn Munkelt. Dracula Has Risen enjoyed writing The Good Old Days end of the 70s, some of them deserving from the Grave. Story of a Collector. for this issue and I think the article is of the term ‘classic’ themselves. The Wickerman. View. Quiz. as relevant today as it was then. We had a pretty good 5 year Phantom of the Opera. ’s run of the original We Belong Dead, . Hammer on Video. WBD 3 even if our publishing schedule was a A great Brux cover for our first Grimsdyke cover by Brux. Short Sharp little erratic! But then things like life, issue. Apart from 2 articles, I wrote the Shocks. Late Night Horror. Hammer’s losing ones job and a painful break entire issue! Basically I just covered Cornish Chillers by Eric McNaughton. up did intervene from time to time some of my all time favourite horrors Silent Screams: The Golem. Why to disrupt things! But we weathered ? By Simon Flynn. the storm and are still here! And I am Making of Vampyre and Fangs by Bruce delighted to bring you this collection Hallenbeck. Picture of Dorian Gray by of some of the best from those 5 years. Steve Langton. Reviews. Voices of the Below you will find the full contents Dead. Vampyres. Captain Clegg by Keith of those early issues and I hope you Dudley. Books. I Was an enjoy the delights we have assembled Underage Horror Fan by Peter Benassi. here for you. I have kept the articles Atmospheric Horror of . as they were for the most part, Films of by Steven even if they are not that relevant West. Witchfinder General by Jocelyn to today (the taping films off TV Munkelt. onto video springs to mind) or the Now here’s a real oddity. WBD writer is talking about someone in was printed in 2 versions - an A4 with the present who subsequently died a black, green and white cover, and an (ie Ingrid Pitt, ) but A5 size with black on red cover. As far think of them as little time capsules as I can recall we had a new printing if you like. machine installed where I worked and And finally a huge I decided to try it out with a few thankyou to all the writers smaller size copies. Issue 3 is and artists who made We probably the rarest of them all in Belong Dead the successs it either format! The centrepiece was (and still is of course!). of this issue was Neil Ogley’s Special thanks to Richard Late Night Horror, a listing of the Gladman who first put the idea BBC’s 70s double bills. It has been of a Fearbook into my head while done to death now, but back then having a cup of tea in the park in it was the first time anyone had Brighton in October 2012 (at a time actually compiled a list of the films

Page 4 We Belong Dead Fearbook Them and Us. Leakey. Gary Holmes did a fantastic Jnr job researching Universal’s Invisible 20th Anniversary Man films. Added to this a huge article by Neil Ogley. on the making of ’s The Wolfman by Frankenstein and Darrell’s fabulous Gary Holmes. look at the genre output of RKO and Men Behind the you had the finest issue to date. And Monsters by Neil of course another great Brux cover Ogley. Voices of which I laid out in the style of an old the Dead. Dance EC comic. My own personal copy of of the . this issue is another treasured item, Revenge of being signed by Catriona MacColl, Frankenstein by , Valerie Leon and Barbara Noel McGowan. Shelley. William Castle by Darren Allison. WBD 8 Reviews. Cover painting of the cyclops from 7th shown. It is far and away the most After a long absence following Voyage of Sinbad. Curse of the Werewolf popular piece we ever published issue 4 (and a change of job for me) by Neil Barrow. Them! by Eric WBD bounced back with this double McNaughton. Fantasy Worlds of Ray WBD 4 issue again featuring a wonderful Brux Harryhausen by Neil Barrow. Nights Dracula Has Risen From the Grave cover. This issue was dedicated to of the Living Dead. Celluloid Horrors. cover by Gary Fellows. King Kong and Peter Cushing who Dracula Prince of Darkness. Horror in by Neil Ogley. Fandom Focus by had sadly died in the period between Manchester by Gary Holmes. I Was Tim Greaves. Dracula Prisoner of issues. This issue included one of a Teenage Moth Creature. The Cat Frankenstein. Seasons of Fear:Horror my proudest items, a postcard from People by Neil Ogley. Phantom of the on TV by Paul Durkan. Films of Peter Peter Cushing thanking me for the Opera. Teenage Terrors. Tigon Terrors. Cushing by Steven West. Legend of the copy of WBD I had sent him. WBD Evil of Frankenstein by Tris Thompson. 7 Golden Vampires by Colin Bayliss. 5/6 also saw a change of format to Reviews. It’s Sweeping the Country Quoth the Raven - Quiz.WBD A5, a change which proved popular by George Gaadi. My Horror Top Ten readers poll. Reviews. The Haunting and which we have stuck to right by Peter Benassi. Vincent Price Quiz. by Steve Langton. Universal Horrors up to today The range of articles WBD Crossword. by Neil Ogley. Phil Leaky Obituary. was growing and in the pre-internet WBD 8 is undoubtedly the apex Lugosi’s Dracula by Keith Small. Silent days the research was astounding. of the original run. Professionally Screams: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Story The centrepiece of the double issue typeset (by then I had gotten myself of a Collector by Gary Sherratt. Devil was a tribute to Lon Chaney Jnr on an AppleMac computer), printed Rides Out by Gary Holmes. the 20th anniversary of his death, on gloss paper and for the first time at Monogram by Neil Ogley. Paul complemented by an in depth look at with a full colour cover, things were Naschy. The Wolfman. looking good. Gary Holmes’ Horror in Gary Fellows gave us the second Manchester was an entertaining look of two covers for WBD, a wonderful WBD 7 at the annual Festival of Fantastic drawing of Lee and . Here’s Looking at You by Gary Films of which I was a regular attendee This issue included a pull out in Holmes. Greasepaint and Gore by Neil back in the day. It seemed as if WBD the centre of a poster for Chaney’s Ogley. Dark and Disturbing. Blood on was going from strength to strength Phantom of the Opera. WBD 4 had a Satan’s Claw by Steven West. It’s Alive but it was not to be. I my job and very diverse range of articles and we by Darren Allison. Voices of the Dead. went travelling in South America, were starting to see a team of regulars Hounds, Hunchbacks, Hauntings and finally settling in for ten years… who would give the mag a distinctive Horrors by Darrell Buxton. A Tibetan but sixteen years on and WBD is back style. Paul Durkan’s article Seasons of Werewolf in . Vincent Price by with a vengeance! Fear was a follow up of sorts to Neil George Gaadi. Reviews. The . Ogley’s BBC Double Bill article of Lon Chaney by the previous issue, this time looking Darren Allison. at the various horror seasons on the The Thing by independent TV channels. Janet Brandon. With issue WBD 5/6 7 the articles Classic Monsters cover by Brux. just got better Lionel Atwill by Neil Ogley. Taste and more in the and Scars of depth. Neil Dracula by Gary Sherratt. Dark Eyes Ogley conducted of London. Quatermass and Hammer a fascinating by Steven West. interview with by Nick Grayson. It Happened Late Bruce Sachs One Night. Phibes the Abominable about his book Showman by Darrell Buxton. Fall of and exhibition of the House of by Darren Allison. the works of Roy Theatre of Blood by Steven West. Ashton and Phil

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 5 Directed by Jess Franco 1970 Cast: Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Martin Rohm, by Eric McNaughton

his film may be a lot of things but it certainly is NOT Bram Stokers’s Dracula. About the only part that T remains faithful to the original is the opening section set in .

Although for a change Christopher attack, although in the version Lee does actually portray I saw this wasn’t explained as Stoker described him, grey hair, till later, leaving me with the moustache and all. And he has more impression that was to say in this film than in all seven the biggest lunatic of all! Hammer Dracula’s put together. After his heart attack Once the film moves away from he ends up in a wheel chair, Dracula’s castle it goes downhill though after a couple of scenes and becomes very bizarre indeed. this is quickly discarded when For example, , last he can miraculously walk again. seen leaping out of ’s At one point Van Helsing windows, wakes up in Van Helsing’s even enlists the support of the mental asylum (!) in London. He asks Home Secretary. Now I know Dr Seward how he got there, to which that government ministers are Seward replies that Harker was found all complete idiots, but surely in a stream near Budapest! What are no Home Secretary would ever we to deduce from this? That Harker believe that the country was floated back to ?! And why is under threat from a vampire! he in a mental hospital? (Try to ignore In a film full of bizarre scenes, the fact that most of the characters act the weirdest of all occur when Harker, bloody slow that I was tempted to like they belong there). Seward and (yes at watch the whole film in fast forward. The late Klaus Kinski plays last a Dracula film featuring Quincey If you love Stoker’s novel keep , wildly chewing up the Morris) track the Count to Carfax well away from this film and stick to scenery and coming across as about Abbey. They are suddenly confronted Hammer’s Dracula movies, which at the sanest person in the entire film. by a room full of stuffed animals (I kid least were fun. And Herbert Lom is completely you not) that suddenly start swaying wasted as Van Helsing. He never goes to and fro accompanied by anywhere and ends up having a heart a soundtrack that sounds like radio interference. Just what the hell these stuffed animals are going to do is anyone’s guess. There’s even a stuffed ostrich! Now I ask you seriously, what fearless is going to be scared by a stuffed ostrich? Jess Franco seems to be obsessed with zooming his camera in and out of scenes, and everybody moves so

Page 6 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Eric McNaughton

hen I was about 13 years old my mum and dad W bought me an old second hand silent 8mm film projector. I remember vividly the first (and only!) film I bought was a 200 foot silent black & white extract from War of the Colossal Beast. And it was pure magic! To actually have a real film I could watch again and again! (The idea of and dvd’s was something unimagineable back in the days of 1974!)

I can’t remember how many times I watched that little film. I made my parents sit through it; my sisters sit through it; any visiting relatives or neighbours had to have a dose; and I think every kid in the area got to see that film! That old projector had seen better days and it finally gave up the and packed in, but not before burning my precious film. And that was that for 20 odd years. During those intervening years it the other videos had come into being and by way round (Super 8 then I owned hundreds of films from first, then 16mm), but the classics to obscure films I never what the hell, it was a thought I’d get to see. But still at projector and you do the back of my mind there was the get a better quality of thought of that old projector and the picture from a 16mm. fun filled summer of 1974 when our I was also lucky front room had become a mini cinema. enough to get two So back in 1996 I decided to take great 1600 foot reels of the plunge and buy myself a projector. film that day – a Marx Of course, in the intervening years Brothers compilation they had gone out of fashion, as had and the final reel of the films you could once buy so easily Hammer’s Countess from the likes of Dixons and camera Dracula. shops. So the first thing I had to do As you can was try and track down a projector. imagine, as soon as I This was easier said than done as I had got home I had the no idea where to start. Every week I projector set up in the was a little harder to track down and scoured the local newspapers and Ad- front room and was watching Countess invariably a lot more expensive (80 to Mags until one day I spotted an ad for Dracula. How that magic came 300 pounds for a second hand feature, projectors for sale. flooding back! It was like Cinema depending on the title). Bizarrely if And so I ended up buying a Paradiso in ! you fancied titles like The History beautiful Elf 16mm projector. I ended The biggest problem I faced of the Trumpet or Wheatgrowing in up with a 16mm machine as the guy with a 16mm was actually finding in the you were spoilt I bought it off had sold all his Super 8 films. While there were hundreds of for choice!! projectors! Film enthusiasts usually do shorts and titles on Super 8, 16mm Hence my decision to buy a

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 7 Super 8 projector as well. Again this proved harder to track down than I had thought. But eventually I was the proud owner of a Super 8 machine. And then every Film Fair was paradise – grabbing whatever 200 and 400 foot extracts I could and slowly built up my collection. Although the coming of video sounded the death knell for Super 8, Hammer horrors were still being regularly released in brand new prints on Super 8. And the upside of the death of Super 8 was you could usually pick up some real bargains on the huge second hand market. (For example I picked up 4 x 400 foot reels of The Devil Rides Out in colour and sound for only 30 pounds!). Thanks to the generosity and help of the late Harry Nadler I started a series of fi lm shows with the Vincent Price fi lmThe Last Man on Earth. A great time was had by one and all and it became a regular fi xture, screening, among others Them! And Hannah Queen of the Vampires. At its height my Super 8 collection included everything from Bride of Frankenstein and Laughton’s Hunchback of to Witchfi nder General and Jaws. Though I never did manage to fi nd War of the Colossal Beast! In the years since I’ve traveled and lived all over the world and my collection was dispersed to the four winds. But I’m seriously considering starting all over again! There really is no thrill like it. Threading the fi lm, hearing the whirl of the projector, turning down the lights and seeing your favourite monsters projected onto a silver screen. Pure magic!

Page 8 We Belong Dead Fearbook Giant ants and titanic tarantulas! All those horrible creepy crawlies magnified a hundred fold. Dan Gale looks at the many legged beasties we all love to hate.

et’s face it. Insects are horrible! Remember the days when you sequences in the film has Gwenn had to get a grown up to fish that huge hairy blob out of your wafting a jar of formic (ant) acid L bedroom before you dared get to sleep? Perhaps you’re doing the under the nose of a young girl, thrown fishing yourself now? It’s a task you wouldn’t sentence your worst into shock after her first encounter enemy to. Yep, it’s a worldwide fear.....creepy crawlies are the pits. with the as yet unidentified insect menaces, to see if he can break her So why are all those old giant insect movies so damn good? hypnotic stare. The acid smell brings back the memories all too quickly It all started about 1953. The re- radiation film of the 50s, so Them! and the girl’s eyes widen in terror as release of King Kong (1933) had whilst it may seem cliched today, was she scrambles about the room yelling created a new interest in America actually quite original for its time. “Them! Them!” Along with the huge for the monster movie. The Beast None the less, the excellent cast footprint cast taken from the sand From 20,000 Fathoms had recently led by the likeable tough guy James outside the girl’s wrecked home, the stomped across the theatres, leaving Whitmore with support from James scientist and his daughter (played many young, impressionable children Arness (who played The by Joan Weldon) scarred (and scared) for life, wanting Thing From Another World more and more of the same. Warner in 1951) and the obligatory Brothers knew they had a hit on scientist/ant expert role their hands - the monster movie was going to Edmund Gwenn, popular again. Slightly larger and have a field day fighting for more reptilian perhaps in flavour than attention from the audience Karloff and Lugosi, but still as evil! So, who are far too busy Warners decided to invest in a giant watching the incredible monster epic to improve profits and Oscar-nominated special their work was repaid when their next effects by Ralph Ayers film, Them! (1954) became a massive (who built full sized 12 success. Part of the winning formula foot ants, maneuvered by of the release of Them! was a timely wires and pulleys). One heatwave that had struck America in of the many startling the spring of 1954, causing thousands of desert road homes to be invaded by the most annoying insect in the world...ANTS!!! Small ants of course. But Them! offered more than just a few larder pests to the sweltering masses. The story was by George Yates, writer of such 50’s classics as It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955) and War of the Colossal Beast (1958). He wanted the film to be set entirely in , with huge ants, enlarged by exposure to radiation during A Bomb tests, living in the New York subway system. This was altered slightly by hired writer Ted Sherdman who developed the (popular) idea of placing the rampaging monster in the desert, only to have it/them move to the city in reel. In short, this plot describes virtually every monster-enlarged-by-

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 9 soon find that their suspicions of the quite a new idea in 1955!) along with size, sits on Mara Corday’s house (!) emergence of super ants are correct! Leo G. Carroll (Mr Waverley in The whilst she is undressing for a shower. Of course, as any Man from U.N.C.L.E.) when one of It peers in through the window, fan will tell you, a huge cinema success the injected creatures (the spider) watching her peel off her clothes, doesn’t just vanish without either a escapes into the desert after a furious almost slobbering at the sight. Most sequel or a rip-off. And to say Them! fightscene between Carroll and his of us check under our bed for spiders was ripped-off is like saying outer assistant (played by Eddie Parker, the before sleeping....from now on you space is a large place! famous monster stunt man) who had should also check your roof too! In The quickest of the rip-offs been injected, but deformed instead of the end the arachnid is dispatched by came from Universal, who, with their enlarged, when its cage is smashed. (A a few napalm bombs dropped onto it Creature From the Black Lagoon raking pity...the animals in the cage scenes, as it approaches a small desert town. it in at the 3D flicks the previous with gigantic guinea pigs and rats the (A previous attempt to dynamite year, had plenty of plans for a monster size of Alsatians, are some of the best it failed, and as we all know, rifles follow up. They took Creature’s special effects in the film) It picks off do nothing to any monster). The director () and producer the occasional farmer or cow, leaving pilot who dropped the napalm was () and said “Make behind a sticky poison on the grass. newcomer , in a tiny us a creepy hit with lots of legs!” Of The effects through most of the film role. Some newspapers or TV guides course, the first thing that came to were pretty good considering the have mistaken him for the star of mind was the most hideous of ’s limitations of using a real tarantula the film, but he only appears for creations - the Tarantula (1955) - and (they become languid and drowsy around 10 seconds uttering 20 words. that was to be the menace of the story. when placed under film lights). For Eastwood appeared the same year in John Agar (star of the later Brain close-ups, a large mock-up spider Arnold’s as a From Planet Arous and Mole People) was made, but a rather unfortunately lab technician who had mislaid a lab and the gorgeous Mara Corday (as comical ‘face’ was added to the model mouse, only to find it sitting in his a scientist named Steve - short for at the last minute, which does spoil coat pocket! Though it has appeared Stephanie) get involved with the it a bit. The best scene in this film over the years on ‘Worst of Hollywood’ genetic-mutation-serum-that-causes- is the awfully suspenseful sequence style seasons on Channel Four, animals-to-grow-in-size plot (again when the spider, by now colossal in Tarantula is a superb film (crying out for a remake!), worth checking out. The same can be said for Warner Brother’s follow up to Them!, The Black Scorpion (1957). In fact, there isn’t just one, but hundreds of giant black scorpions, released from their happy go lucky existence at the centre of the earth by a violent volcanic eruption in . Local villagers are torn apart and people go missing, so Richard Denning (from Creature From the Black Lagoon) and Carlos Rivas (from the awful -monster movie Beast of Hollow Mountain) go looking for survivors and discover a nest of scorpions, and (perhaps more amazingly) Mara Corday (again!). As the nest is blown to pieces in the middle of the film, blocking the scorpions only way out to the city, we are treated to lots of horribly smoochy Denning-dating-Corday scenes, that seem straight out of another film. Fortunately, as they drive towards the local make-out spot, the radio says that the scorpions have dug their way out and have wrecked an express train, killing everyone on board. Eyewitnesses say that a HUGE black scorpion came out of nowhere and killed off all the little ‘uns (a helpful budget lowerer from scriptwriter David Duncan). If you can get over that rather absurd idea, you’ll find this a rewarding movie, with superb stop- motion animation by Pete Peterson and Willis (King Kong) O’Brien. The scene inside the nest is by far the best part of the film, featuring smooth

Page 10 We Belong Dead Fearbook like a banshee in pain. Most spider like! Another strange idea was to have a poster that featured a spider chasing some kids with a human skull in place of its head. As the 50s rolled on, the creature feature started to die out, but before the gothic horror revival was in full swing, we were still forced to watch the likes of the following: The Deadly Mantis(1957) which was directed by (aka Nathan Hertz if he was making a turkey) whose directing talent wandered wildly: one year he’d give us 7th Voyage of Sinbad, the next he’d give us Attack of the 50 Foot Woman! This particular insect found its sleep in an iceberg (where most giant mantises are found!) disturbed by an A-bomb; Monster From the Green Hell (1957), a poor scifi about a group of giant wasps, which is most noticeable for the strange stop-motion that alternates from very good to downright awful, and an extremely out of place animation and top-notch model work. was Bert I. Gordon’s The Spider (1958) colour end sequence; The Monster Some of the best moments come from also known as Earth Vs the Spider (a That Challenged the World (1957), a a six-legged spider that chases the deliberate cash in on the title of the submersible caterpillar who, with its hero across the nest floor. First time Harryhausen classic Earth Vs the Flying family of giant familiars, popped up to viewers may like to know that for the Saucers). The effects, surprisingly snap up the odd fisherman. An egg is last ten minutes of the film (except for an AIP movie, were rather good, found and is incubated while scientists the terrific climax inside a stadium) especially scenes of the spider, another study it, but one night a little girl the black scorpion was nothing more enlarged tarantula who had lived in a accidently turns up the heat on the than an empty travelling matte (a cave for most of its life eating cavers, egg and it hatches sooner and larger space cut into the film to be filled by roams down the street - window than expected! The creature, called a the stop-motion model at a later date) shopping if you like. At the end, in snail in the film (though it resembles because the medium budget had run a truly inspired scene (not copied a caterpillar) is also referred to as a out! This results in an undetailed from The Thing at all!) the creature is Kraken, the legendary sea monster scorpion shadow chasing people fought off with two giant electrodes also seen in Clash of the Titans (1981). around Mexico City! Very scary. lowered into its cave by the army/ The main monster was a huge mock- In the following years, more scientists/teenage heroes who have all up, built in the studio and operated by cash-ins came along, some were made been taking it far too seriously. One hydraulics, rather like the dinosaurs quicker than the time it took to make rather bizarre element of the film is you’d see at theme parks in the USA. the models of the bugs in the earlier the spider’s “voice”. It is often seen It’s a quite forbidden looking beast and films! An obvious cash-in on Tarantula inching toward the camera, screaming its strange appearance helps the film

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 11 for so long. The spice of comedy that runs through the film makes it even more stomachable, but don’t let that fool you, the characters are in real danger throughout, and people do get eaten! Universal made the film and though it’s been a while since they made a decent monster movie, it’s with this that they topped the lot. The monster worms (or ‘things’ as they’re called in the film - these people have more important things to do than name monsters!) are truly grotesque. They have huge mouths, they have three tongues and each tongue has three little mouths! They grab your legs and pull you under...”That’s how they get ya” says at one point, “They’re under the ground!” There’s not one bad special effects shot in the entire film, and it’s completely believable that these things do exist, and Universal have trained them to act!! I wouldn’t want to ruin this film for anyone...if you enjoyed the atmosphere of Them! or the outrageousness of Beginning of the End, then you’ll love . As for the ultimate in desert to be a bit creepy at times, and though As a homage to these glorious monster scenes, you’ll find it hard to many have tried and failed, this film films, and perhaps to The Fly (1958), top the opening sequence in Tarantula, contains a genuine ‘jump’ scare...you Gremlins director (who even before the credits appear. The know how you leap during the head has never let his love of these films camera pans the landscape. It’s scene in Jaws? Well...... stay hidden) made MATINEE, a completely silent except for the soft Of course good old Bert Gordon, film about the comings and goings howl of the wind. The camera stops, creator of The Amazing Colossal Man of a 50s cinema boss (played by John and in the distance, we see a figure and The Spider could not resist having Goodman) and the silly gimmicky stumbling around in the desert. As another go, and in 1957 he produced pranks he uses to attract the the figure gets nearer, he drops to the the cult classic baddie Beginning of the patrons. His big money spinner is ground in exhaustion, dead. The figure End, starring Peter Graves. Everyone the (fictitious) movie Mant! (“half rolls over and we see it’s the deformed has seen clips from this one at some man, half ant, all terror!”). Of course face of the lab assistant who was point in their lives. The most amazing Dante had to film segments of Mant! injected, but was deformed by mistake. thing about the film is that to produce to use in the film and he hams it up It’s a perfect opening that makes us the scenes of giant grasshoppers brilliantly. want to see more of one of the best big climbing a skyscraper, Bert (who also But without a doubt, the most bug movies of all time. did the special effects...if you can call amazing ‘It came from the desert’ Next time you can’t sleep because them that) simply filmed a photograph type movie of the century has to be of that huge hairy shape on the wall, of a building with bugs crawling all the unbelievable Tremors (1990), don’t squash it with your slipper. over. This works fine until one of directed by Ron Underwood, who Shake its hand and say “Thanks for the bugs gets adventurous and starts later did . The plot reeks being so creepy Mr Spider. Without walking across the sky!! But that’s of Tarantula and Them! and all the you we wouldn’t have so many classic the editors fault as much as Bert’s for cliches are there, but they seem fresh movies!” leaving the scene in the finished film! and surprising after laying dormant THEN you can kill it...!

Page 12 We Belong Dead Fearbook by David Whitehead

can’t really was fated to become a landmark remember how in his career, initially Naschy had I I first came no intention of appearing in the to discover the film, but after several actors had many horror films tested unsuccessfully for the part of of Paul Naschy; it the principal character, Waldemar is, after all, about Daninsky (a Polish werewolf clearly twenty years ago inspired by Lon Chaney Jr’s immortal Lawrence Talbot), Naschy himself was now. Every time I bought a drafted in by director Enrique Eguiluz. new book on horror films for In fact it was here that the actor first of the 1940’s, House of Frankenstein my collection, his name just uses his Paul Naschy at (1944) and (1945). kept cropping up. That this the request of the distributors who In the film Daninsky is really just a prolific Spanish film-maker had didn’t want the film’s star to sound too supporting player sharing screen time a genuine interest - and indeed Spanish. with Dracula, Frankenstein’s creature love of - the old Universal La Marca Del Hombre Lobo, and a mummy, although he does play horrors of the 1940’s, soon which has since masqueraded as a pivotal role in finally destroying Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, Hells the aliens who plan to rule the world became apparent. Eventually Creature, The Vampire of Dr Dracula with the help of the aforementioned he piqued my curiosity, for and even The Werewolf of Count resurrected monsters. As with many of few indeed are the actors who Dracula, swiftly became one of the the films which followed, the special almost constantly write, produce biggest grossing Spanish films of all effects were handled by Naschy’s and later direct their films. Who time. And certainly no expense was brother Antonio Molina. then was this unsung king of the spared when shooting finally got (The horror film? underway. The film, in its original Werewolf’s Shadow 1970), the fourth version, lasts a formidable 133 of his werewolf films is perhaps Paul Naschy (real name Jacinto minutes, and was shot in 70mm and Naschy’s only one of the period that is Molina Alvarez) was born in Madrid 3D. Today, considerably cut versions still widely available. It is, like all his in either 1936 or 1938. Although of the film dilute its impact, but it still films, both confused and confusing, he studied to be an architect, and has its moments, although it is not most probably because it attempts indeed received a bachelor’s degree by any means the best of the ten film to blend two plots; the search for a in architecture, he preferred to lead sequence. hidden tomb of a female vampire, a more bohemian existence, and The film’s success throughout and Waldemar’s constant search for a his early years were spent variously Europe and - once dubbed into way in which to end his lycanthropic as a trapeze artist, weight lifter, English - in the United States, led existence. There are one or two professional wrestler, comic book swiftly to La Noches Del Hombre Lobo moments that work well however. artist and novelist. He had always (Nights of the Werewolf 1968) in which Though many critics deride the scene been interested in breaking into the Daninsky enlists a film business, and old just that with deranged scientist a couple of spaghetti westerns made to help cure him sometime around 1967/68. His first of his lycanthropy. horror film - actually more of a police Naschy’s procedural - was Agonizando En El next film, El Crimen (Agony in Crime 1968). In Hombre Que addition to a featured role as the Vino De Ummo detective trying to bring a (The Man Who to justice, Naschy also wrote the Came From screenplay. Ummo 1969) was It was around this time that clearly inspired Naschy also wrote a horror film by the Universal entitled La Marca Del Hombre Lobo monster (Mark of the Wolfman 1967), which compendiums

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 13 in which the vampire Wandessa rises from her tomb rather like a Jack-in- the-Box, I personally think it is quite effective. The scene at the end of the film, where chains used to imprison Waldemar’s lady love and her fiance magically fall from the dungeon walls in slow motion is another neat touch. Though by no means great horror cinema the film is at least watchable. While Naschy had no intention of only continuing to play the oft- resurrected Waldemar, however, he was quite content to remain within the confines of the horror genre. In Jack El Distrapador De Londres ( of London 1971) he played a suspect in the hunt for the infamous serial killer. In fact the early 70’s were Naschy’s most prolific period, and he certainly enjoyed his greatest popularity at this time, due in no small part to a whole string of graphic shockers. Over the next couple of years he appeared in some 15 Spanish horror films, nearly all of which he either wrote or co-wrote under his own name or the pseudonym ‘Jack Moll’. They included two zombie movies, La Rebellion De Las Muertas (Vengeance of the Zombies 1972) and La Orgia De Los Muertos (Dracula and the Terror of the Living Dead also 1972) and La Venganza De La Momia (’s Vengeance 1973) in which he appeared as both the shady Arab who brings the mummy back to life

Page 14 We Belong Dead Fearbook and, yes, you guessed it, the short and to reaffirm his viability at the box frankly rather tubby Latin mummy office, and his first film of 1975 was La himself. Crimson (1973), a bemusing, Maledicion De La Bestia (The Werewolf badly-dubbed and terribly dated and the ) a surprisingly atmospheric brain-swap story, was more science high adventure in which Waldemar fiction than horror. In this one Naschy joins an expedition to Tibet, is bitten and that information on them is sparse plays a crook who has to undergo by a female werewolf and, after a at best, there exists much confusion a life saving experimental operation fight with bandits and, ultimately, an as to which Spanish films Naschy when he is shot in the head. Problems abominable snowman, is eventually actually appeared in. La Messa Nera set in when the brains used in the cured. A reasonable budget and good Della Contessa Dracula (1971) and Las procedure turns out to have come sets make this possibly the best film Retes No Duermon De Noche (1973) from a vicious gangster known as of the series. In time he also tried his for example, as well as numerous other The Sadist. Like so many of his films hand at comedy with El Caminante titles, often appear on his filmography, there is something oddly appealing in (1979) in which he played Satan but I have never been able to confirm its simplistic storyline and cardboard himself. one way of the other if this very busy characterisations. As the 1970’s worked slowly horror star actually appeared in them Naschy even attempted to towards the 1980’s Naschy’s output or not, or indeed, whether the films capitalise on the success of The fell dramatically. My own researches themselves were ever made. Exorcist (1973) with Exorcismo (1974) have only brought to light four films Naschy very nearly got to fulfil in which he took the role of the in four years, although there are one of his ambitions in 1980 when exorcist. But though his popularity certainly more. Inevitably, given he appeared in the little seen Peter was on the wane by this time he could that so many of his films have been Cushing fantasy Mystery On Monster always rely on his Waldemar character released under more than one title, Island, but although he was billed as

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 15 was at his peak. To be perfectly honest his fi lms seldom match expectation. They are uniquely Spanish, and tend not to travel particularly well. Often they can be downright distasteful. The onscreen slaughter of a pig in his 1973 psychological thriller Los Ojos Azules De La Muneca Rota (The Blue Eyes of the Doll) is at once gratuitous and totally unnecessary. As much as one might dislike rats, the sight of so many of them being burned alive in his award winning El Jorobada De La a guest star, he was productions. The Morgue (The Hunchback of the Morgue actually blown up results were variable. 1972) is pitiful. in the pre-credits El Carnaval De Las And yet, by turns, there is sequence and never Bestias (The Beasts something curiously engaging in many managed to share a Carnival 1980) was of this stocky Spaniards fi lms, and scene with one of his an unsuccessful provided the viewer does not expect idols! In fact you have attempt to cash in too much from his product, they will to look carefully to on the cannibal rarely be disappointed. Naschy’s fi lms actually be sure that sub-genre, while may be crude, sometimes perverse, the barrel chested Latidos Panice pornographic and unintentionally Indian beneath the (Panic Beats 1983) funny, but these ingredients are really bushy beard and again attempted all part of their appeal. Watching turban really is him. to combine two a Paul Naschy movie is rather like Naschy’s last elements - a ghost watching the attempts of a well entirely-Spanish story and a zombie intentioned friend to make his own horror fi lm was El story. La Bestia Y horror fi lm; in some scenes he may Retorno Del Hombre La Espada Magica succeed in what he set out to do; in Lobo (Return of the Wolfman 1980), (The Beast and the Magic Sword 1983) others the action may become tedious a routine and occasionally heavy fi nally and perhaps prophetically and prolonged. handed revenge movie in which saw Naschy’s most famous creation His contribution to the genre is Waldemar is joined by the notorious Waldemar, being dispatched once and open to debate. That he is probably Countess Bathory. It proved to be a for all by a Japanese woman wielding a the last movie star who will ever box offi ce disaster. silver Samurai sword. specialise in making horror fi lms is With the Spanish horror market Naschy’s name continued to almost certain. It still remains to be fi nally running out of stream in the crop up from time to time, although seen if he can engineer some sort of early 1980’s Naschy moved to Japan these days it is usually in reference comeback, and recapture his glory and embarked upon a series of co- to the horror fi lms he made when he days of twenty years ago.

Page 16 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Garry McKenzie

obert Louis Stevenson’s classic had long been a staple of the silent cinema. Many R companies had released their own small scale versions before the first notable production in 1911 starring James Cruze. This Thanhouser short like many before it was based as much on Richard Mansfield’s 1887 stage play as the original novel. While earlier versions employed the old theatrical trick of the subject clutching his throat before ducking under a table; and then suddenly appearing with different make-up, director Lucius Henderson used a number of dissolves in the transformation scenes. Silver haired Cruze turned into a dark haired, fanged Hyde (actually played by a different actor - Henry Benham). After murdering his fiance’s father, the local vicar, Jekyll/Hyde drinks some poison and commits suicide just before the police break in. Universal made their first version two years later starring King Baggott in the dual role. When Paramount announced in 1920 that they were shooting a big budget remake of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde no one was too surprised to find the ‘greatest actor of his time’, was perfect for the part, although appearing calm and professional on stage and screen, he was prone to mood swings and sought solace in alcohol, which was to become his downfall. Dr Henry Jekyll (Barrymore) in his laboratory conversing with his colleague Dr Lanyon (Charles Lane) is interrupted by his butler Poole () who informs him that the time has come to visit his clinic. Dr Jekyll has set up the clinic for London’s poor unfortunates with his own fees. This introduction to shows him up as a thoughtful and caring person. At night Jekyll attends a dinner party hosted by the real villain of the piece - Sir George Carew (played by Brandon Hurst). Carew is a womaniser and a man who sees himself above the law. It is Carew who

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 17 first plants the seeds of doubt he can to stop Hyde. in Jekyll’s mind about his That night while asleep, own morality. In contrast, his Henry imagines a giant spider daughter Millicent (Martha crawling at the bottom of his Mansfield) is very much in love bed. The spider climbs on top with Henry and sympathetic of the sheets and becomes when he tells her that he has Hyde. Hyde has now become been attending to his patients the dominating force who can and apologises for being late. appear at will. Without his drug After dinner Sir George Jekyll despairingly sends Poole takes Henry to a local out to find some. Millicent to prove his theory that man has tries to get Henry to leave the two selves - a strong and week laboratory out only when he one. There Jekyll is struck by has changed into Hyde does he the beauty of the Italian dancer unlock the door. Horrified, she Gina (Nita Naldi) and almost only just manages to escape from yields to temptation as Carew his clutches. Hyde collapses and said he would. Henry makes Lanyon looks on as the murder his exit and returns home. changes into the young doctor. Now obsessed with separating On his finger is Gina’s ring; the the two natures within man, poison inside is gone. Henry has Jekyll spends days and nights taken his own life in one last in his laboratory until one attempt to rid himself of Hyde. night he succeeds. Barrymore’s Although slow moving in first transformation into Hyde times, and suffering from flat has justly become famous for direction by John S. Robertson, the actor’s lack of make-up in the film is worth watching for the scene. By contorting his Barrymore’s tour-de-force in body and glaring maniacally the dual role. In fact, the ‘Great he changes into the hideous Profile’s’ Jekyll/Hyde is second Edward Hyde (as the film only to Frederic March’s Oscar progressed Barrymore did end up throwing them away in disgust. He has winning performance in Rouben wearing make-up, a thick dark wig and now become as conceited as Carew in Mamoulian’s marvellous 1932 film. false nails to suggest the evil in Hyde’s his attitude to others. The story may be over familiar by persona and how uglier he becomes). Lanyon and Crew, passing Jekyll’s now but this remains the definitive The next scene sees Jekyll/Hyde house, view the horrifying sight of a version of Mansfield’s play rather drinking his potion in an attempt to dark figure knocking over and then than Stevenson’s novel. The film reverse the process and Barrymore standing on a young boy who got in also seemed to borrow much from overacting as he writes on the floor his way. They rush over to apprehend Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ in pain before returning to his normal the man: it is Edward Hyde. In an with it’s attack on Victorian morality. state. Hyde in then given authority by attempt to silence the crowd that has At the end Lanyon tries to cover up Jekyll to be allowed to come and go now gathered, Hyde makes his way Jekyll’s experiment by telling everyone as he likes and also gives access to the to Jekyll’s house and returns with a that Hyde had killed Jekyll and good doctor’s finances. cheque signed in the doctor’s hand escaped when he knows exactly what After finding lodgings in a dingy writing for the boy’s father. happened. In many ways Lanyon’s old house in the London slums, Hyde Later at his laboratory, Jekyll outdated morality is no better than next visits the music hall to do, as changes to Hyde before Carew’s Carew’s life-is-cheap philosophy. Due the subtitle tells us, ‘what he as Jekyll eyes. This sequence is much like to in which the picture could not do’. He asks the dancer earlier film versions with Barrymore was made the sexual and bestial Gina over for a drink. At first repelled appearing in all his hideous glory with undertones were only hinted at. The by his appearance, Gina gradually one quick dissolve. Hyde has now scenes with Gina, and the prostitutes surrenders to his advances. She has become demented and chases Carew at the opium den are brief and we a ring on her finger which she tells out into the street before beating him are never really allowed to learn contains poison. repeatedly with a club even after he more about these characters. This As Hyde’s power begins to take is dead. When his servants appear he theme was made much more overt in over, Jekyll makes out a new will, leaving makes a quick exit and scuttles off Mamoulian’s version. everything to his new ‘friend’, much to into the darkness of the night. Lanyon There are two other Dr Jekyll Dr Lanyon and Utterson the lawyer’s and Utterson, summoned by Poole, and Mr Hyde films made in 1920. One disbelief. Henry tries to keep his viscous examine Carew’s body while the police produced by Louis B Mayer, founder other self under control but when he rush off to Hyde’s lodging house in of MGM starred Sheldon Lewis in fails Hyde seems to become much Soho. They find his room empty the title role while the other was stronger. Becoming bored with Gina, he for he has returned to Jekyll’s home. filmed in Germany by F. W. Murnau throws her out of his lodgings and once Meanwhile, Millicent, informed of as Der Januskopf (The Head) again roams the streets on the look out her father’s murder has arrived on the with Conrad Veidt. Also featured in for more victims to feed his insatiable scene outside. Jekyll, transformed once the latter movie in a small role as the lust. At a local opium den, Hyde grabs again unlocks the door and comforts butler was a then unknown Hungarian two prostitutes by the throat before her, vowing that he will do everything actor - Bela Lugosi.

Page 18 We Belong Dead Fearbook Directed by 1932 US 64 minutes. Starring Harry Eagles, Olga Baclanova, Wallace Ford, Lelia Hymas

inner beauty of the malformed as compared to the greed and conceit of by Daniel Aunty the physically resplendent is clear, and neatly summed up when Hans curses GM never knew what hit them when in 1932 Tod Cleopatra hence: “Dirty slimy freak!”. Browning delivered Freaks to them - despite its status now While the freaks seem M as an unequivocal masterpiece of horror and Browning’s individually weak, with Frieda confiding her problems pitifully to reputation for such other classics as Dracula (1931) and The her ‘normal’ friend Venus (Leila Unholy Three (1925), the film virtually finished his career in that Hyams), there is another prominent never again would studio allow him free rein to direct the movies theme, that of their strength as a he wanted; he forever lived under the iron hand of his producers, family, as a unit. Solidarity is hinted at with the result that later pictures like The Devil Doll (1936) were when the sideshow host in the film’s considerably lighter in tone than he wished. MGM themselves ‘lost’ introduction declares “Offend one Freaks in their vaults until 1938, and it was more than 30 years and you offend them all”, and brought until the studio finally did attempt to release it. vividly to life in the terrifying climax where the freaks pursue Cleopatra and through a thunderstorm; Freaks tells the tale of life among Board of that time showed themselves crawling on their bellies in the mud the performers at a travelling circus, to be more prejudiced than anyone. to exact their revenge. Hercules is or more specifically the group of The humanity of the freaks is killed with a knife in the stomach, ‘freaks’ who work there, and their augmented be revealing the cruelty whilst Cleopatra is transformed into relationship with the other characters. possible by the ‘beautiful’ people of a bird-like creature. Quite how such Even though their number includes the world, here represented by greedy a transformation is achieved is not such diversities as ‘The Living young trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga explained, but neither is it of much Torso’, ‘Armless Girl’, and ‘Human Baclanova) and her strongman lover importance, for it is the final irony Skeleton’, they have been largely Hercules (Henry Victor) who exploit that the freaks that she so despised accepted by most of their more the freaks at every turn. While the so turn her into one of their kind ‘normal’ colleagues, who certainly majority of the performers may laugh as a form of punishment. However, perceive them as different, but have but direct no real malice towards her abnormality goes far beyond no qualms about working or talking the freaks, this pair are callous to the more natural deformities of the with them. Browning likewise refrains the extent that a cruel joke upon central freaks; this is shown by the from exploring the real life freaks by midget Hans (Harry Earles) soon films introduction and coda where the not dwelling on their deformities; turns to attempts at full murder. mutated Cleopatra is seen as a caged instead his camera films them only as Cleopatra’s mock flirting with Hans attraction in another sideshow. Her he does every other character. This lures him away from his fiance imprisonment is far worse than any complete lack of voyeuristic intent Freida (Dasy Earles) who matches other in the film. “They did not ask makes the movie’s banning in this him in size and innocence, and to be brought into the world”, and country quite bewildering - if nothing, once she discovers that Hans has while this is certainly true, neither Freaks is anti-prejudice and likely to in fact recently inherited a fortune, did anyone in Freaks, and in the end help the viewer desist from perceiving she sets about marrying and slowly the eponymous characters emerge as life’s abnormalities as ‘unnatural’. By poisoning him so as to claim his the most human individuals in the outlawing the picture the Censorship wealth. Browning’s theme of the entire film.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 19 By Eric McNaughton ow well I remember that Saturday afternoon in 1974 when my Mum popped into our local newsagents to get the daily H newspaper. I went over to look at the DC and on their stand to see if there was a new issue of House of Mystery or The Witching Hour. Suddenly I was confronted by a huge colour photo of Christopher Lee as Dracula, red eyes blazing, staring out at me from the cover of a new poster magazine. Since it was marked “For Adults Only”, I somehow persuaded my mum to hand over the sum of 20p and I hurried home to savour the delights of Monster Mag number 1. From that day I was hooked! I was soon scouring the local comic shops for anything on horror movies. My next discovery was a wonderful magazine called World of Horror. Both World of Horror and eventually bit the dust with issue 30 Monster Mag were printed on glossy in 1984. paper with full colour photos, much On the American side, the superior in quality to their American granddaddy of them all, Famous counterparts. Monsters of Filmland finally finished its Although Monster Mag had very Quasimodo’s Monster Magazine, original run with issue 191 after Forry little text it didn’t seem to matter as Legend Horror Classics, the superb Ackerman left . In the photos were brilliant. Even today but short lived Monsters of the Movies the long period before the resurrection I can’t help watching a Hammer film from Marvel, Mad Monsters, Castle of of the classic horror film magazine without recognising a scene or two Frankenstein et al. ruled supreme. But I’m sure that featured in Monster Mag. The Perhaps one of the best of the I wasn’t the only one yearning for magazine lasted for 17 issues before lot was which first those great covers of Karloff, Cushing, it suddenly stopped appearing at our appeared on the scene in October Kong et al. newsagents. 1976. Published by Top Sellers and Many years have passed World of Horror was a lot more edited by , the people who since that 12 year old boy was first informative with once again some brought out Monster Mag, it took introduced to the delights of monster great photos. Only fellow addicts can a whole new approach by having a movie magazines. A lot has happened understand the thrill of finding a new comic strip adaption of a Hammer since then. But there I am, still monster magazine, or better still an film every issue. After issue 18 the scouring the comic shops and film old one. magazine changed its title to House of fairs, searching for that old issue of One of my best friends in those Horror, but after two further issues it Famous Monsters or Monsters of the days was our postman! I’d eagerly suffered another title change to Halls Movies that I still need. Still eagerly await the latest package full of old of Horror. The magazine disappeared waiting for the postman to deliver Famous Monsters of Filmland or for ages after number 23 but was the latest package of delights. There Monster World that I’d bought from eventually relaunched by Quality really is no thrill like it. May I have contacts all over the country. My Communication who dropped the many more years collecting to look collection grew by leaps and bounds: Hammer comic strip adaptions. It forward to!

Page 20 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Darrel Buxton

rior to his long running collaboration with Tod Browning, whose string of freakish characters helped P Chaney to become the world’s top male box office attraction, Lon had already shown himself to be a master of mime, make-up and monstrosity in such roles as the tortured Quasimodo (also for Worsley) and the fake cripple of The Miracle Man. An early Sam Goldwyn production, The Penalty, offers a strong indication of Chaney’s developing genius for grotesquerie, and although it’s more gangland drama than gothic frightener, Lon’s character simply oozes malevolence - at least, until the final reel’s staggering ‘redemption’ plot twist!

pose for the doc’s sculptor daughter as the fitting model for her current Directed by work- Starring Lon Chaney, Claire in-progress, a statue depicting Adams, Kenneth Harlan ‘Satan after the fall’! For it’s era, the revelation of the kingpin’s city takeover ploy is Chaney plays San Franciscan cinematically sophisticated and must crimelord ‘Blizzard’ whom, as a boy, have wowed contemporary audiences had his legs needlessly amputated by - as Chaney announced his scheme, a hasty surgeon following an accident. to employ a ten thousand strong The medical blunder may have force of imported labourers to cause crippled Blizzard’s body, but focuses his havoc in the suburbs, thus luring the mind upon his all consuming ambition army of the city leaving it free for Lon to rise to a position of power in his to assume control, these predicted home city. Chaney cut a terrifying events are actually DEPICTED before figure as the evil crime boss, lurching our eyes, with a triumphant Blizzard about on wooden crutches, hauling imagining himself - complete with legs his torso and iron clad stumps through - leading the mob to their dark victory. agonising arcs whenever he moves, The more personal aspect and even at one point scuttling up a of Blizzard’s evil plot sees him aware from previous examinations rope ladder like a human arachnid, all kidnapping the aforementioned that his former patient has a contusion the time barking orders at his minions doctor and his young assistant, his causing pressure on his brain, and or sneering disdainfully at those intention being that the junior medic’s that this growth is largely responsible unfortunate enough to be his enemies. own lower limbs be surgically removed for turning the criminal’s mind of evil The print of the film that I and transplanted to Blizzard’s body! deeds! So Lon is cured, gets the girl saw ran for 71 break-neck minutes, Chaney revels in this gloatingly and settles down to live happily ever seemingly barely sufficient to contain sadistic element of the story, often after - but, this being the movies, he all of the busy scripts activity and commenting (via the subtitles; but must atone for past crimes, and an conceits - for not only is Blizzard with relish in his astonishing facial assassin’s bullet guns him down before plotting the total overthrow and expressions) on how magnificent the the closing titles, leaving the satanic domination of San Francisco, but unwilling potential donor’s legs appear sculpture as posterity’s sole reminder he also intends to take a personal to him! In an amazing plot turn, of San Francisco’s would be king. The revenge on the doctor responsible however, the doctor operates not on penalty for a lifetime of evil can only for his invalidity, AND finds time to Blizzard’s stumps, but on his cranium, be death.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 21 By Eric McNaughton

f the 140-plus fi lms made, Bob Clark’s 1978 fi lm is by far the most intelligent and O entertaining outing of Baker Street’s famous sleuth.

The idea of mixing Conan Doyle’s Solution because the fi lm is much fi ctional detective with the historical more than that. It takes Knight’s fi gures and events of that Autumn theories, the Ripper murder facts of Terror of 1888 is an intriguing and Sherlock Holmes’ superior proposition. Of course it had been intellect, blends them all together done before in 1965’s A Study in and produces an exciting and Terror; where Murder by Decree differs entertaining fi lm. is that to a large extent it is based on The fi lm itself opens with the historical fact and pays close attention Ripper’s third murder. This is not a to the details of the Ripper murders. fi lm about the Ripper per se. There As any Ripperologist knows, there are is a second level at work in the fi lm a hundred and one so called solutions and that is a study of the explosive Charles Warren as to the identity of Jack the Ripper. political and radical feelings of the (played in the fi lm by Anthony All have their fl aws. Murder by Decree time. Ironic and hideous though it Quayle). Warren had earned this uses the work of the late Stephen sounds, many believe that the Ripper hatred the previous year by sending in Knight for its plot emphasis. Basically did more for London’s poor and mounted police to break up a peaceful Knight’s argument was that the dispossessed than decades of good demonstration in Trafalgar Square, murders involved a conspiracy by the work by reformers. The Ripper laid the ensuing battle costing the lives of Freemasons and implied complicity bare the dark underside of Victorian a number of demonstrators. Into this at the highest level of Government London. The cheapness of life, seething cauldron of discontent and and into the very heart of the Royal prostitution, paedophilia, and the poverty strode the ghastly fi gure of Family itself. utter hopelessness of life in the slums, the Ripper. In the real-life fi gure of the all of which are refl ected in the fi lm. The Masonic thread of the Ripper it seems that Holmes has an There was also a strong anti-royal mystery runs throughout the fi lm. adversary as cunning and intelligent feeling, especially among the working From a very early stage Holmes is as himself. But it would be wrong classes, and radical and socialist convinced there is a conspiracy to assume that Murder by Decree is groups were fl ourishing. In addition involving people in very high places. merely a cinematic version of Stephen there was a real hatred of the police At one point Holmes realises “We are Knight’s Jack The Ripper - The Final - in particular the Commissioner Sir being exploited by the very people

Page 22 We Belong Dead Fearbook we are searching for”. women are slaughtered Sir Charles Warren’s according to Masonic complicity is revealed in ritual. the scene where writing As Holmes, is discovered on the Christopher Plummer wall close to a Ripper shines in perhaps his murder site reading “The greatest performance and Juwes are the men that in my opinion equals, if not will not be blamed for betters any other portrayal nothing”. Warren has the of Holmes - yes, even those message removed on the of and grounds that it will stir- Peter Cushing! Plummer’s up anti-Semitism. Many detective isn’t merely a Ripperologists believe cold calculating fi gure, that the message was but can show real anger the genuine handiwork and emotion (not a trait of the Ripper. The City usually connected with of London police, in the character) as in the whose area the message scene where he fi nally was discovered, wanted tracks down Annie Crook to wait until dawn to photograph king had an affair with an ordinary (played by Geneviève Bujold) in an the writing. Warren, woken from his working class girl called Annie insane asylum. The supporting cast sleep, had raced across London to Crook. This affair led to a secret too are superb. James Mason, who the scene (where in theory he had no wedding and the birth of a child. The was so often wasted in his later fi lms, jurisdiction) and ordered the message Government, under the premiership plays Watson as an equal to Holmes. erased. He refused to even allow of Lord Salisbury (played by John Far too many fi lms have portrayed a copy to be made and personally Gielgud), reacted in horror, fearing Watson merely as Holmes’ sidekick rubbed out the message himself. The the already widespread resentment at best, or a bumbling idiot at worst. fi lm has a dark reason for Warren of the Royals would break out Holmes would not have put up with out the message. Holmes has into open Republicanism, riot and anyone who was intellectually inferior, discovered that Warren is a mason rebellion. So a conspiracy is hatched. and here Mason’s portrayal lives up and believes that the message and its The marriage is nullifi ed and Annie to what I think Conan Doyle would reference to ‘Juwes’ refers not to the Crook is condemned to a life in an have wanted. Jewish people but to the ritual death insane asylum which is where Holmes One of the outstanding features of the men who murdered the Grand eventually fi nds her and learns of the fi lm are its impressive sets. You Master, the builder of Solomon’s with horror and outrage what has can readily believe this is what the temple. Their deaths were proscribed happened. But others had become streets of Whitechapel must have as having their throats cut, “...the party to Annie Crook’s secret. It is looked like in that autumn of 1888 left breast torn open, the heart and these fi ve women who are to become as the Ripper went about his savage other organs thrown over the left the Ripper’s victims. The task of work. In a fi lm full of stunning visuals, shoulder”, very similar in fact to the destroying the women goes to the the scariest scene is where Holmes disembowelments being performed by royal physician John Gull, Assistant fi nally fi nds the fl at of Mary Kelly, the the Ripper. Commissioner of the Metropolitan fi nal victim. The scene is genuinely Holmes discovers the truth police, Sir Robert Anderson and disturbing as the two killers mutilate about the horrors stalking the streets John Nettley, a coachman. Both Mary Kelly by the red fl ickering light of Whitechapel. It seems that the Gull and Anderson, like Warren and of the fi re, a scene which then Duke of Clarence and future Lord Salisbury are Masons and so the Holmes stumbles upon. The biggest problem with this superb fi lm has to be the ending, which is to put it bluntly, a cop out. Having uncovered the conspiracy being carried out by those in power, including the barbaric slaughter of these women, Holmes agrees to keep quiet about the whole sordid affair in order to protect Annie Crook’s baby. It stretches credibility to breaking point to ask us to believe that after everything that has gone before and bearing in mind Holmes’ outrage and downright anger at the conspiracy that he would meekly go along with things at the very end, effectively becoming party to the conspiracy himself. However, despite reservations about the ending, Murder by Decree is wholeheartedly recommended.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 23 IT HAPPENED, LATE ONE NIGHT! FALLING ASLEEP by Dan Gale

ou can be perfectly honest with me, I won’t tell anyone! Let’s No problem. I’ll make it. Must be half face it; if TV stations insist on only putting horror films on so way through by now. Y late at night, we’re bound to do it occasionally. Of course, without you realizing it, this person has changed location You start off, all eager and pleased... that symbol! The plane, the globe, by now and is still rambling. You don’t BBC2 are screening a major horror that wonderful music! DAA DAA realise until he’s stopped that you just classic that you’ve heard of for years DAAAA! No mistaking, it’s a closed your eyes for yet another ten but never tracked down (for example, Universal picture! The music dies, but seconds and have missed something. let’s say it’s the first showing in ten is replaced with the title, It’s only a loud scream from the lady years of Ghost of Frankenstein). It’s THE GHOST OF on screen that wakes you up! “Oh, it’s just gone midnight. Everyone else FRANKENSTEIN alright, I only missed a minute or two. is upstairs, asleep. All the lights “Yea-ha!” you think, “At last! I’ll make it.” are off, the sofa is pushed right up, I have it on tape!” The film begins Of course, you don’t. You dare dangerously close to the TV screen, and you celebrate by popping in some yourself. “I’m tired,” you think, “It you’re surrounded by flasks of hot- pop­corn (just a mouthful, you must won’t hurt if I shut my eyes for just chocolate and buckets of pop-corn crunch too loudly...you’ll miss some one minute, will it? I’ll listen to what’s and you’ve even rushed outside to get dialogue!). The film is underway, the happening on screen. I promise 1’ll the cat in so he doesn’t disturb you cat’s asleep, you are happy. But most open my eyes in a minute from now.” half way through the film, meowing at importantly, you are AWAKE! But you don’t. You’ve gone! You’ve the door (like they do). Now we all know these films fallen completely! There’s no stopping The last programme, a boring are quite short. About 70 minutes is you now. Completely against your will, documentary on the lives and social average, maybe 90 at most. Universal you drift away into the land of nod, rights of Eskimo fisherman and their didn’t go into making the Dances with missing the film (and the weather place in society, has just finished. A Wolves of the 40’s, only quickies. So report after it, and the 1.30 am close trailer for an upcoming Radio Three you’ll have no problem watching it all. down) and it’s only the hideous stare concert appears, with the announcer, This is what you think to yourself, isn’t of the white noise and the fuzzy screen tired and annoyed he’s the only man it, you foolish viewer, you! You know that awakens you. left in the building, trying to make you won’t make it! It’s now 3.45 am. Straight away, sense of all the complicated German First of all, the day flashes you look at the VCR. It’s stopped! composer’s names. “Come on!” you through your mind. You’ve had a hell Then it must have run out of tape think to yourself, “Get on with it! of a day. Thinking about the movie all and rewound itself. Up you leap, Show the film!” Your finger is poised week, only to completely forget about flinging the cat through the air, over on the VCR remote control. it the day it comes on, and at the last to the light switch, back to the floor Suddenly...the BBC2 logo minute you remember to stay up for it. and the lifesaving VCR. You press appears. It’s that good one, the one But you’re taping it, so no matter how eject...and nothing happens. You with the splashing green paint! tired you are; you know it’ll be safe. press on/off. Nothing happens. It’s Your favourite! Now! Press pause! So, with that in mind, you start only then that it hits you that the The VCR whirs into life as the man to blink. tape has chewed up and it’s stuck says something like: “Now here on Heavily. in the machine. Not only have you Tw o , dirty work is at foot in Castle Only briefly at first. missed the film, you’ve chewed the Frankenstein as Bela Lugosi and Lon You put the pop­corn down, and tape up and ruined the video recorder Chaney Jr. battle with, The Ghost get comfortable. Not too comfortable, and terrified the cat, all in one night. of Frankenstein.” (The announcers you don’t want to fall asleep, do you? You’re only hope is your friend who are dumb. They always get it wrong, Do you? NO! Of course not! Whilst said he’d tape it, but probably hasn’t. don’t they?) Then it appears, you are thinking this, you notice you A horrible thought of the same have your eyes shut and cannot see situation taking place all over the the film. country passes through your head. Oh oh! Open your eyes! No­-one has taped it! Quick! And now you have to wait Whew, you only missed another ten years until it’s on again! about ten seconds there. Then On Channel Four! someone comes onto the With commercials to cut out! screen, someone who has DAMN! Well, at least you have a nice more dialogue in their only bed waiting for you upstairs. So off you appearance than Lugosi go with the cat, up to bed. And can has in the entire film. They you get to sleep? start to ramble. You blink. Like HELL you can....!

Page 24 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Gary W Sherratt

he Queen of Hammer, Ingrid Pitt was born Ingoushka Petrov, her birth taking place at a time of real horror, on a T train taking Polish prisoners to one of Hitler’s horrendous concentration camps during the latter stages of World War 2. She spent three years there with her mother until the wars end in 1945. However this was not to be her only brush with danger, with her daughter and her first role in from which she would survive many times… a born survivor. In a film came to her in a very strange 1947 she undertook a search for her father in displaced persons way when she was photographed at camps and she walked from Warsaw to Berlin in her quest and a bullfight crying for the slaughtered her search came to a happy end when the Red Cross re-united the animal. The photo appeared in family in West Berlin. the press the next day and Spanish director Ana Marscal spotted the Ingrid became interested in acting American Indian Today. She also took picture and proffered Ingrid the role in the 1950’s and in 1959 she moved on another jobs as a Flamenco dancer, in his next film of a tourist who falls to East Berlin where she joined the a model and a cook. in love with a bullfighter. The film was Bertold Brecht Ensemble appearing In 1964 she moved to entitled The Splendour of Andulucia, in many stage plays, and although not a most notably the role box office hit, it got of the girl Kattrin her noticed and led to in Brecht’s Mother other roles, including Courage. At this time her first genre film The she also undertook Prehistoric Sound (1965). some basic training Ingrid stayed in Spain at the D.E.F.A. Film for four more years and School. Ingrid became she also did stage work outspoken in her there at the Theatro political beliefs against Nacional de Espana the communists of East in Madrid. Ingrid also Berlin which would appeared briefly in Dr eventually bring her Zhivago, and worked trouble. In November on her own tv show. 1962 she was tipped She was later forced to off that she was to return to America due be arrested after the to Union problems, evenings performance and there she was and she left theatre just to appear in Dundee in time and escaped to and the Culhane and the West by swimming the popular (on both across the River Spree. sides of the Atlantic) Ingrid then made Ironside. At the time her way to America she took the lead role where her daughter in the little known The Stephanie was born. Omegans, a science In 1963 she joined the fiction pot boiler shot in Pasadena Playhouse the Phillipines. and toured as Blanch Her next movie, de Boiis in A Streetcar Where Eagles Dare Named Desire She also (1969), a World visited native American War 2 adventure tribes of Sioux and outing, gave her more Navajo to help her exposure to cinema in research for two goers starring opposite books, one entitled The and

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 25 Page 26 We Belong Dead Fearbook Clint Eastwood. Shortly afterwards she moved to England and here she worked for short time as a waitress because of hard times in supporting her daughter. However her fortunes took a turn for the better when she met James Carreras at a party. Ingrid asked him if there were any films that she would appear in and Carreras offered her three films (but only starred in two) and her first film was to become a classic Gothic horror. (1970) is the highlight of Ingrid’s career, bringing to the role of Camilla Karnstein a highly convincing portrayal of the bi-sexual vampire and bringing to the viewer an aura of evil and sexuality, especially during the seduction of her female victims. Ingrid was not to appear in the 1971 follow up . She turned down the role which had made her famous due to her not wanting to be stereotyped as a sex vampire. At the time she was offered many scripts; the vast majority of which were very dire and required much nudity. Although not against doing nude scenes, she would only do them in a tasteful meaner and where it was necessary to the plot. Indeed her Vampire Lovers nude scenes are all tastefully but erotically conveyed. The Vampire Lovers proved to be a great success at the box office and led to her next Hammer role as (1971), based upon the bloody exploits of Elizabeth Bathory, a 16th Century Countess who bathed in the blood of virgins to keep herself young. Although the film is popular with the fans, it is far from perfect in its editing and script departments, however Ingrid copes quite well with these inadequacies. Of interest is the fact that Ingrid, along with Christopher Lee, visited the ruins of Bathory Castle in Romania, even making a visit there late at night (rather you than me Ingrid!) to the area where Elizabeth was walled up, and where locals say her screams can still be heard at the dead of the night. After completing her final Hammer role, Ingrid moved onto Amicus studios and her first role was in the fourth segment of the analogy film The House That Dripped Blood (1971). The segment was entitled The Cloak and she turned it a great performance as Carla, a female vampire in a film within a film context about a famous horror actor (superbly played by John Pertwee), who became a real vampire when he wears an authentic cloak. A very underrated film as a whole and it should be

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 27 Movie Memories, Unity, Artemis and Smileys People. Her next major film came in 1982 in Who Dares Win, a rather weak film based upon the SAS assault on the Iranian Embassy. Ingrid began to concentrate more on her writing. Her first book was based on her unproduced TV series The Cuckoo Run, a female version of James Bond and the novel was published by Futura. She wrote a follow up to the book but it failed to appear due to Futura being sold to MacDonald at that time. She also regarded with more admiration for cut from a powerful two hours to a wrote a number of childrens books its style, and it is also one of Ingrid’s very slaughtered eighty three minutes. for charity, Bertie the Bus and Bertie favourite films. Ingrid and her husband Tony to the Rescue. After that she wrote a At this time she also appeared Rudlin formed their own production story based upon her mother’s survival regularly on TV guesting in shows company TRIP (Tony Rudlin, Ingrid in the concentration camp entitled such as Jason King, The Zoo Gang, Pitt) and together they produced Katrina. Ingrid still found time to Ski Boy, Thriller, Dr Who and The a number of plays. In 1974 they appear in a number of TV shows like Adventurer, and also as a panelist moved to where they were Bulman and A Comedy of Errors on the talent show New Faces. Her involved in a number of films, one of and a few films such as Wild Geese 2, next film has become a real rarity them being El Lobo (1975) in which Parker, Underworld and Hanna’s War. to fans, a sex comedy set within the Ingrid played beautiful bemoan who Ingrid and husband Tony film industry. She played a fading attempts to corrupt the soul of a young have recently formed another film sex symbol whose alcoholic ways boy. At this time she also became fond production company with plenty of cause mayhem on the film set. By of writing stories, eventually producing projects lined up, one of which is all accounts the film should be best a book on the Perons in 1982. Ingrid entitled Dracula Who?, a comedy forgotten, but should be interesting to and Tony were later forced to return portraying good old Dracula as a view none the less. to England due to a revolution at vegetarian! She has also written a In 1973 Ingrid appeared in a film an awkward time when they were script for the proposed second series which would become a cult classic, planning a film entitled El Ultimo of the Hammer TV series, an episode The Wicker Man, an erotic tale of Enegimo and the TV series called The which she will star in. Let’s hope that paeanistic rituals on a remote Scottish Cuckoo Run. she does, it will surely be a great treat island. Ingrid plays a nymphomaniac On her return to England she for all her fans who, like myself, still librarian in the film which was to be appeared n a number of tv roles in think of her as the Queen of Hammer.

Page 28 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Neil Ogley

ntil 1960, the name American International Pictures was torture device was brought into play. almost entirely associated with cheap drive-in movies, usually Haller removed catwalks and ran his U motorcycle gang adventures which were quickly filmed, sets up tp the ceiling of the soundstage sometimes in less than a week. The company was owned by two to give the illusion of enormous clever and hardworking men, Samuel Z. Arkoff and James H. depth and height, and on top of that Nicholson, and after eight years of producing these movies, both photographer ’s creative were keen to move into production of better quality movies. use of lenses made the sets appear to Meanwhile, Roger Corman had been a messenger boy at 20th be even larger. Even more expensive looking than Usher, Pit managed Century Fox. Rising through the ranks, between 1955 and 1960 to raise Price further in the horror he had directed more than twenty feature film, including westerns genre and AIP into an important () and genre titles like film company. On release, British (1956), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) and distributors offered £10,000 to anyone (1959). Corman, who, like AIP was used to working with tight who died of fright while watching budgets, was known for being a very hard driver and one who knew the film. how to cut corners mercilessly. In 1962 AIP signed Price to a new three year contract and his first When AIP and Corman got together, claustrophobic feeling. film was , a compendium a combination was formed which The success at the box-office of three of Poe’s short stories which would prove to be successful for both of Usher paved the way for further pre-dated the first of Amicus’ multi- parties and would provide many happy Corman-Poe adaptions, and indeed story films by two years. Richard hours for horror movie audiences the only a few moths later, Price, Corman, Matheson adapted the three tales: The world over. These movies, made in Haller and Matheson were back with Cask of Amontillado, and The the sixties on absurdly small budgets The Pit and the Pendulum (1961). Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, and are perhaps the best adaptation of Joining them was former Rank Charm besides Price the cast also featured the work of Edgar Allen Poe ever School girl Barbara Steele as Price’s Basil Rathbone and . produced. faithless wife, buried alive and left to In the first story Price appeared The first appeared in 1960 and die in a dungeon. Shock values went as the winetaster Fortunato, who was The Fall of the House of Usher. further this time as every possible lusts after Lorre’s wife and ends up It starred Vincent Price in the role of Roderick Usher and co-starred and . The story concerns the strange madness that affects all the Ushers and that Roderick is determined shall die with him and his sister, the last in the family. From Price’s first entrance, Corman relentlessly builds up the tension whilst Price himself is never anything less than magnificent. The sets were impressively designed by Daniel Haller and the highly literate adaption of Poe’s story was by Richards Matheson. Made in colour and on a budget of only $175,000. Corman, who clearly had an eye to Hammer’s recent gothic successes, seceded in making the film look like a million dollars. Indeed the small budget which forced him to shoot ‘tight’ on a small sound stage gave the house a suitably

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 29 Page 30 We Belong Dead Fearbook Though not strictly a Poe story (it was an adaption of H. P. Lovecraft’s The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward), AIP decided it would be more commercial if it were publicised under Poe’s name in the epilogue and final quotation, rather than that of a then, lesser “Quoth the raven, ”, known writer. beautifully spoken by Price. Richard Set in a strange New England Matheson’s script was a gem of wit village of Arkham that appears to be from start to finish and the only inhabited by deformed half humans, being entombed behind a wall by poor performance came from Jack Price plays the dual role of a warlock Lorre. In MORELLA, Price is an Nicholson who seemed wooden and who is burned at the stake and his alcoholic recluse who mourns over the unaware of what was going on around great grandson, who returns to the mummified corpse of his wife, and in him. village with his wife one hundred the third story Rathbone co-stars as a Karloff appeared as Dr Scarabus, years later. mesmerist who places Price in a trance first turning Lorre’s Dr Bedloe into Good production values all to keep him from dying. a raven and then into a pool of round from the usual technical The atmosphere, setting and raspberry jam during a duel of magic team combined to make an effective mood of the film hold up well, with Price. Lorre was excellent as shocker that captured the essence of especially under Corman’s direction, the bad tempered warlock and the Lovecraft’s brand of horror. It was also even though the film was not one film marked the first time Karloff and good to see Chaney back in a small of his best. Good performances by Price appeared together since Tower of role as Price’s aide. Price, Rathbone and Lorre were London in 1939. The last two Corman-Poe films complimented as ever by Daniel Corman was never a film maker are perhaps the best known and Haller’s sets and Floyd Crosby’s to waste time or money and so using most critically acclaimed of the series cinematography. the sets of The Raven, and the last two and were the first two to be made in With The Raven (1963) Corman days of Karloff’s contract, he quickly Britain by both Price and AIP. sent up his Poe adaption with a wrote and shot a story called The In The Masque of the Red Death delightfully funny film which brought Terror. His next Poe adaption however (1964) Price is on fine form as Prince Price and Lorre back together with was and this time Prospero, despot and devil worship . All that remains of Poe he teamed Price with Lon Chaney Jnr. ping ruler of a palace who believes he

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 31 is above everything, even God. The film is filled with fine images of horror and is brilliantly photographed by Nicolas Roeg. Price’s performance was contrasting the evil in his character with the goodness in it. Corman Basil Rathbone, Debra lengthened Paget, . his usually Dir./Prod. Roger short shooting Corman; Sc. Richard schedule to Matheson; Photogr. make what is Floyd Crosby; Art undoubtedly Dir. Daniel Haller; his fines film. Sp. Effects Pat Dinga; He does over Music . reach himself slightly, as in The Raven (1963) the final dans AIP/ALTA VISTA 86 macabre of the afflicted mins. guests which strives for Starring: Vincent Price, Ingmar Bergman (one Boris Karloff, Peter of Corman’s idols). The Lorre, , scenes of devil worship , Oliver were too much for the Sturges. British censor who ordered Dir./Prod. Roger that they should be Corman; Sc. Richard removed from the print. Matheson; Photogr. Corman’s final Floyd Crosby; Art association with Price Dir. Daniel Haller; and Poe was Tomb of Sp. Effects Pat Dinga; Ligea (1965). Drug Music Les Baxter. addiction and a strange team he gathered together of Haller, power from his wife’s grave haunt Corsby and Matheson and casts which The Haunted Palace (1963) Verden Fell (Price). When he marries included Price, Lorre, Karloff and AIP 85 mins. Lady Rowena Trevanion (Elizabeth Rathbone, Corman showed how to Starring: Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Shepherd), she is terrified by a series make a special kind of horror film on Jnr, Debra Paget, Elisha Cook Jnr, Leo of incidents where saucers of milk a low budget that would appeal to Gordon. and dead foxes appear and disappear audiences the world over. Dir./Prod. Roger Corman; Sc. Charles and dreams come to life. As the film Beaumont; Art Dir. Daniel Haller; progresses she becomes possessed FILMOGRAPHY Photogr. Floyd Crosby; Music Ronald by Ligea (the first wife) until she Stein; Make-up Ted Coodley. finally turns into a feline form of The Fall of the House of Usher (1960) Ligea. The only difficulty for Corman AIP/ALTA VISTA 85 mins. The Masque of the Red Death (1964) was to try and better his previous Starring: Vincent Price, Mark Damon, AIP 86 mins. masterpiece, which was pretty much Myrtha Fahey, Harry Ellerbe. Starring: Vincent Price, Hazel Court, impossible, however Tomb of Ligea was Dir./Prod. Roger Corman; Sc. Richard Jane Asher, , Skip nevertheless an effective shocker that Matheson; Art Dir. Daniel Haller; Martin, Nigel Green. offered good performances from the Photogr. Floyd Crosby; Sp. Effects Pat Dir. Roger Corman; Prod. George lead players. Dinga; Music Les Baxter. Willoughby; Sc. Charles Beaumont, Following these movies Price R. Wright Campbell; Photogr. Nicolas went on to make classic films for The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) Roeg; Music David Lee; Art Dir. AIP: Witchfinder General (1967), AIP/ALTA VISTA 85 mins. Robert Jones. The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971), Starring: Vincent Price, Barbara Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972) , his Steele, John Kerr. The Tomb of Ligea (1965) collaboration with Corman, Poe and Dir./Prod. Roger Corman; Sc. Richard AIP 81 mins AIP leading to world wide recognition Matheson; Photogr. Floyd Crosby; Starring: Vincent Price, Elizabeth and a place among the top horror Art Dir. Daniel Haller; Sp. Effects Pat Shepherd, Richard Vernon, Derek stars. Corman, feeling that he had Dinga; Music Les Baxter. Francis, John Westbrook. nowhere to go with the series, exited Dir. Roger Corman; Prod. Pat Green; the genre and returned to his youth Tales of Terror (1962) Sc. Robert Townel; Photogr. Arthur oriented films, none to be remembered AIP 90 mins. Grant; Art Dir. Colin Southcott; as much as the Poe classics. With the Starring: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Music Kenneth V. Jones.

Page 32 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Dan Gale

ave you ever had the misfortune to have sat through a ‘horror’ elephant’s-arse of a film. A highlight movie, drunk or otherwise, and the moment it ended, you’ve is a rip-off of the staking scene in H said to your TV, “that was awful! I could do better than that?” Hammer’s classics Dracula (1958) or a Yes? Well, 8/10 times, you were watching a Jess Franco film. This is similar scene in The the infamous Spanish director who seems to have a cult following, (1960). In this one, Dr. Seward (John or Emmanuel Seward, in this film he’s judging from letters in certain fanzines, of people who actually called both!) takes an excitingly film enjoy his films. He is not to be confused with Jesus Franco, an (!) stage coach to Castle Dracula, Italian who is really better known as Franco Prosperi. This could in muttering “Hurgh!” to his horses. fact be the reason have in the past admitted liking Jess’ work…they He enters the castle (as he does so, thought he was someone else. the door starts to close on him, so he patiently waits for it to close, then In issue 1, we saw how Franco took as two years before, another crap tries again, as anyone would.) and a classic story and turned it into film was released with a similar title, finds Dracula asleep, eyes open, in mindless schmuck as only he can Dracula Vs Frankenstein (no ‘Dr.’ in a coffin. Seward takes a formidable do - Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula the title.) This is better known as looking twig, and with a tiny, rounded (1970). Let’s take a few moments They’re Coming to Get You or even toffee-hammer, starts to tap the twig to ponder over what on earth could Blood of Frankenstein. But let’s not into the vampire. Evidently Dracula is have possibly motivated Franco to depress the subject. There are so made of thin air, as the twig bounces make a sequel. It’s title should tell many examples of bad directing, one on every stroke - almost as if he’s not you something - Dracula - Prisoner does not know where to start. The really there… - then suddenly, the of Frankenstein (1971). Those who film begins with footage have lived through this crap, without shot whilst Franco was resorting to drugs or suicide, are aware evidently showing off of how precious life really is, and why how fast he could pull this man must be caught and hung the zoom lever on the before another day… camera. Soon, his camera The film has 3 titles - the above, op. catches on, and we’re The Screaming Dead and Dracula vs Dr zoomed in and out of Frankenstein. Again, more confusion, the gloomy landscapes like a horizontal yo-yo. I would kill to hear the instructions Franco gave his camera op., because there are so many instances of blatant ‘ad-libbing’ on his behalf. Literally, the camera op. points the lens where he wants to. Certain scenes go mysteriously out of focus and in other cases zooms miss their by the length of the room, only to be terribly adjusted moments later. But camera work is only a flea on this great

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 33 back of her neck. (Note the necessary close ups of Drac’s wrinkled forehead in this scene.) Another bit that deserved an Academy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Crap Cinema is a scene when Frankenstein’s helper (a mute, deformed ‘Ygor’ type) stops off at a local inn to ask directions to Castle Dracula. He enters (from the toilets, I think!) and says to the barman, “Murmmph grumpph!” The barman sees he’s mute and writes on a napkin the Spanish equivalent for “Are you lost?” “Mmmph!” nods Ygor. “You’re looking for Castle Dracula?” writes the barman. “Murmmhp!” nods Ygor excitedly. Then, WITHOUT directions, Ygor wanders off out the door… Also classically shown in this masterpiece are SOLID rubber bats (that rock back and forth and even spin on their single strings), Ygor turning into a werewolf (Yes, you knew there had to be one camera goes terribly out of focus. In a the monster approaches a nightclub somewhere), endless shots of Ygor’s fit of repulsion, Seward drops the twig. singer (who I’ve seen on a EuroVision glaring face (out of focus), the close We gasp as we see Dracula is now - a programme - what fame! - and who ups of Seward’s horse’s backsides dead bat! But not just only old dead sings the most annoyingly catchy whilst going to the Castle, the bat, but a bat with it’s wings NAILED French song that you hum for hours moaning and screaming the film is to the base of the coffin. We next see afterwards) she is understandably baked in - even when there’s no one the dropped twig isn’t even touching shocked. She faints, and is taken about and, finally, the nail-biting the bat, so what killed Dracula is a back to Frankenstein, who by ending with Frankenstein staking a mystery. This highly polished and this time has stuffed the dead bat woman vampire with a spear with amazingly entertaining scene is almost (Dracula) into a beaker. He drained such force, the point would barely coupled with the revelation later in the singer’s blood and pours it over scratch her clothing yet alone the film that Frankenstein (Dennis the now ALIVE bat (it should still penetrate her heart. Price, fresh from ) has be dead), nearly drowning it, and in I realise I have only seen one Jess built a monster. Now remember, this a flash, Drac appears. Drac is played Franco film. I realise he was working was 1971. 14 years before, Hammer with such sexual gusto, not like the with a foreign crew, and I can accept had taken great care their creature terribly wimpish Chris Lee, by Howard the fact he may have been having a hadn’t looked like Boris Karloff with Vernon, who never closes his mouth bad year when he made this film, but Jack Pierce’s make up. So NOW, once in the entire film. His make up the fact some people actually pay to Franco introduces us to a monster is terrible (his grey face paint stops collect this talentless pirate’s work is with a flat head and bolts (as original just below his hairline) and he says totally beyond me. Maybe it’s just a in ‘71 as it was in ‘31, no doubt). To nothing through out the film (trying fad. Like the Ninja Turtles. Hopefully add pus to this wound, this monster to recapture Lee’s menace, no doubt.) these people will look back at their has scars, even SCREWS drawn onto During his introduction in this film, film collection in decades to come and it’s face and neck…in bright red Dracula ‘bursts’ into a virgin’s(?) think “My God! I used to collect these LIPSTICK. bedroom, pins her to the bed and films!? This is awful! I could do better Well, as you can imagine, when starts rubbing his nose against the than that…”

Page 34 We Belong Dead Fearbook Short Sharp Shocks Amicus & the Terror Anthology by Darrell Buxton

erhaps it all began with D.W.Griffith. In 1916, P following the critical lambasting of his pro-Klu Klux Klan classic Birth of a Nation, Griffith attempted to make some moral amends with a vast, expensive production detailing and criticising social injustice through the ages, from a contemporary drama about worker’s rights through to the crucifixion. Intolerance’s four mini epics were designed to intertwine themes and ideas, stressing Griffith’s central motif of the eternal battle between the forces of repression and freedom. Nearly 80 years on, debate still rages among film scholars as to the finished film’s artistic worth, but certainly its revolutionary ‘four movies for the price of one’ concept left its mark upon movie history.

Although compendium films ranging from If I Had A Million to New York Stories have passed our way over the years, it has been in the field of horror that the form has most noticeably blossomed. Paul Leni’s Waxworks (1924) set a trend by using an all- star cast of mighty German talent to act out the legends of Haroun al Rascid, Ivan the Terrible and Jack the Ripper, the latter a still frightening nightmare fragment with Jack stalking an innocent yon couple through an ethereal, dream like network of dark, shadowy back alleys. Germany also produced two anthologies (1919 and Following the isolated example house which actually lures gallery 1931) titled Unheimliche Geschichten, of Ealing’s excellent , patrons into the frame itself, trapping adapting tales by and Britain’s independent studios entered them inside a canvas prison for hellish ; the 1931’s the fray in the 1950’s with a slew of eternity. efforts retelling of Poe’s ‘Black Cat’ murder mystery compilations; Three’s The portmanteau shocker resurfaced in an oddity called Dr Company included an early indication remains popular, with Company of Terror’s House of Horrors, a bizarre of Terence Fisher’s ability to chill, and Wolves and Anthony Hickox’s hugely potpourri which also contained the Eammon Andrews-hosted Three enjoyable Waxworks toying with the sequences from a French version of Cases of Murder provided one of the formula within recent memory, and The Golem, the Lugosi serial Return of cinema’s most unforgettable short titles like From A Whisper to a Scream Chandu, the classic Vampyr and White sharp shocks with ‘In the Picture’, and Grim Prarie Tales going the Zombie! all about a painting of a gloomy old whole hog. The multi-story star-lark,

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 35 gripping, though the latter in an early indication of Bloch’s jaundiced view of Tinsletown which reached its apogee in his incredibly cynical 1982 novel PSYCHO 2. Indeed, this is one anthology where the linking scenes, Burgess Meredith as carnival fortune teller Dr Diablo, almost prove the most memorable. Fortunately, the whole project is redeemed by the fine adaption of Bloch’s masterly tribute ‘The Man Who Collected Poe’, starring in fine form as an envious Edgar Allan devotee invited to examine the treasured archives of obsessive Poe student Peter Cushing. Those familiar with original story (reprinted in the Cushing- selected ‘Tales of a Monster Hunter’ a few years back) will realise the full, deranged extent of this obsession - however, perhaps reached its horrific in a spooky mansion; apocalyptic ivy Bloch’s printed work and this movie height between 1964 and 1973, sprouts around Alan Freeman’s abode version both offer affectionate Poe courtesy of and Max (poptastic!); adapts a pastiche and wry comment on the J. Resonberg’s Amicus Films, who voodoo chant into a jazz number, only nature of adulation. in direct competition with Hammer, to be punished by an obviously music- made this area of screen terror their loving demon; art critic Christopher The House That Dripped Blood (1970) own. Lee is terrorised by a scuttling severed Directed by . hand; and a pre-celebrity Donald Dr Terrors House of Horrors (1964) Sutherland (also seen in CASTLE OF The film which established Amicus Directed by . THE LIVING DEAD and FANATIC as masters of the portmanteau form, around this period) discovers himself with every episode a winner. Once All aboard! Not quite as scary as married to a vampire. A reasonably again scripted by Bloch, adapting his British Rail sandwiches, the debut successful experiment for Amicus, own published works, the run down Amicus compendium was scripted by with the crawling hand tale a was: ‘Method for Murder’ - horror company boss Subotsky and, rather standout. novelist Denholm Elliot is menaced unambitiously, dealt with a string by the fictional psycho appearing in of familiar genre types (, Torture Garden(1967) his current book; ‘Waxworks’ - two vampires and so on). Peter Cushing’s Directed by Freddie Francis. men visit a wax museum and wind up ‘Dr Schreck’ occupies the last on display; ‘Sweets to the Sweet’ - an available seat in a crowded train Cats that definitely don’t prefer angelic little girl, prevented from compartment and, shuffling his handy Whiskas, jealous pianos, and robotic having friends or playing with toys tarot deck, relates the fortunes of his Hollywood starlets figure in the first is revealed to be adept in voodoo travelling companions. Neil McCallum three -penned yarns practices and torments her stern father confronts Caledonian lycanthropy offered here; none of them particularly (Christopher Lee), sticking pins into

Page 36 We Belong Dead Fearbook his wax likeness; ‘The Cloak’ - Jon her?) utterly chilling as a fore-runner actually works as a coherent story in Pertwee and the delicious Ingrid Pitt of the devilish youngsters who became its own right, due to the quality of in an hilarious vampire spoof, one of all the rage in the post OMEN era. the linking material. , the fondest remembered moments of a semi-regular in Brit horror at the the whole Amicus series. ‘Sweets to Asylum (1972) time, plays a young doctor invited to a the Sweet’ is a particularly disturbing Directed by . mental institution for a job interview little shocker, with golden haired - as part of the process he listens to Chloe Franks (whatever happened to That rarity, an anthology movie that the bizarre fantasies of a quartet of

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 37 to be

patients; given the knowledge that described as ‘star-studded’ even get thrown into a fiery pit by Sir one of these basket-cases is in fact an by the usual Subotsky-Rosenberg Ralph at the end. ex-medic, Powell must identify which of standards. as the the four has exchanged their white coat devil no less, hosts the whole shebang The Vault of Horror (1973) for a straight-jacket. Of the individual which includes an unsavoury update Directed by Roy ward Baker. tales, once again adapted by Bloch, of ‘The Monkey’s Paw’, Joan Collins the climactic ‘Mannikins of Horror’ terrorised by a psychotic Santa, a More EC inspired items in a hasty with Herbert Lom presiding over his clever staging of the EC comics TALES follow up released as TALES army of scalpel wielding clay dolls is classic ‘Reflection of Death’, Peter FROM THE CRYPT PART II in some the episode everyone recalls, although Cushing’s heartbreakingly haunting territories! Far less successful than its opener ‘Frozen Fear’ with its typically turn as the tormented pensioner predecessor, it does at least feature a British combination of the everyday Grimsdyke wreaking a Valentine’s humorous Subotsky adaption of the and the extraordinary (animated body Day revenge from the grave, and vampire cafe gem ‘Midnight Mess’ and parts neatly wrapped in brown paper the wonderful ‘Blind Alleys’ which a gruesome guillotining scene in the and string!) is an equally effective stands as possibly the finest short Tom Baker / Denholm Elliot starrer mini-chiller. The weaker ‘Lucy Comes horror subject ever filmed - grand ‘Drawn and Quartered’. Forget the to Stay’, a saga of schizophrenia, and performances by Nigel Patrick and remainder. ‘The Weird Tailor’ (is this what Marc Patrick Magee flesh out this creepy Bolan meant be ‘The Soul of My Suit’?) drama set in a shabby home for the (1973) complete the package. blind, where ill treatment of the Directed by . residents results in rezor--and- Tales From the Crypt (1972) rotweiler revenge! Magee’s scenery Ringing the changes from Bloch Directed by Freddie Francis. chewing as the ring leader of the shocker and comic cuts, Amicus sightless revolt is a joy to behold, and turned to the tales of R. Chetwynd- For my money, the best Amicus film the segment carries an air of lingering Hayes for their sevenths anthology. ever, with a glittering cast which has dread throughout. Oh, all concerned Peter Cushing steals the show as a

Page 38 We Belong Dead Fearbook seedy antique dealers with jaunty flat immediate post Hammer era. Margaret Tales That Witness Madness (1973) cap, cheery demeanour and atrocious Leighton and Ian Carmichael ham it Directed by Freddie Francis. Yorkshire accent, flogging all kinds of up in a ludicrous comedy tat to customers in his back street junk episode. Angela Pleasance’s eerie Producer Norman Priggen leapt palace, and evidently enjoying every presence adds a touch of weirdness onto the Amicus bandwagon with minute! In contrast, the first story is to an already very odd tale of urban this total misfire, one of the two or a grim and bloody affair with David voodoo, and and Lesley three worst genre film it’s been my Warner compelled to slash up a series Ann Down Look as though they ought displeasure to witness. Worthwhile of young female victims at the behest to be advertising Nescafe in the final only for a pre-Dr Who Marry Tamm of an evil mirror spirit - something of a instalment concerning an ornate as the object of a cannibal cult’s lip precursor to the Walker / McGillivary door and a mad cavalier who literally smacking attention, and the risible horrors-in-the-high-street of the ‘comes out of the closet’! but enormously entertaining segment

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 39 in which Michael Jayston dumps his live-in lover Joan Collins in favour of his new partner - a sexy, pouting tree stump! No, I didn’t believe it either…

The Uncanny (1977) Directed by Denis Heroux.

The talents of Peter Cushing and , amongst others, are wasted in this dumb British/Canadian co-production scripted by anthologist Michael Parry and featuring Subotsky somewhere behind the scenes. The trio of tall tales here are intended to convince we shuddering viewers about the potential threat posed by the domestic muggy. Laughable. 8 out of 10 filmgoers said they preferred to stay at home and watch ‘Match of the Day’.

The Monster Club (1980) Directed by Roy Ward Baker.

Subotsky’s last gasp bid to regain former glories, with another assembly of Chetwynd-Hayes penned chillers for what was proposed as ‘a horror film for children’. Genre veterans Vincent Price and John Carredine top lined a terrific cast, but the concept of centring a would-be fear fest around a tacky discotheque populated by extras in cheap monster masks was a definate non-starter. The first story features an original and interesting monster, the whistling Shadmock, and I must confess a strong regard for the rather creepy instalment which entraps Stuart Whitman in the deserted town of ‘Loughville’ (nag., for all you crosswords buffs), but yet again the ‘ comedy relief’, here represented by Donald Pleasance as head of anti-vampire police squad ‘The Bleeny’, brings the whole thing crashing down. Subotsky’s next ambitious step was to purchase the rights to ’s ‘Night Shift’ collection, leading to his name figuring in the credits of the 1984 three-parter CAT’S EYE and the recent box-office smash THE LAWNMOWER MAN. With some of the world’s top genre names contributing to movies such as CREEPSHOW, TWILIGHT ZONE - THE MOVIE, and AFTER MIDNIGHT during the past decade, it’s evident that Milton’s brainchild is continuing to flourish and that terror in small doses will flicker in front of our eyes for years to come.

Page 40 We Belong Dead Fearbook By Eric McNaughton

hey don’t make them like that anymore” is something you . But what do we actually often hear said. And as far as horror films go I think that’s see? The murder of Janet Leigh in the “T true. The great days of the atmospheric horror movies shower is all the more horrific for what ended, in my opinion, in the . Perhaps it’s just that I grew we didn’t see than for what we did. up with those films on TV and that each generation has an affinity Our mind filled in the missing bits and there is nothing more horrifying than with the films that first brought them into the genre. what we imagine ourselves. There is no need to see the victim being Sure the Hammer films of the 60s ‘something’ would not only get in but hacked to death à la Saw. and 70s had plenty of gore, but it would dismember and disembowell The slasher films following Friday wasn’t used as a substitute for a story. half the cast in the first ten minutes 13th were no masterpieces of the Those films might have had blood and of the film. horror cinema as some claim. They nudity, but they also had great sets Don’t get me wrong - I’m as were, for the most part, total garbage ans atmosphere, and were made by against censorship as the next fan - of the most reactionary kind. craftspeople who knew their job and but I wonder just who the hell would Horror movies used to mean took pride in it. want to watch a film like Hostel. Karloff as the Frankenstein monster, Can the same really be said I hope I’m not being too naive Chaney unmasked as the Phantom, for Friday 13th or Saw or Hostel and here, but I prefer to have a monster Lee as Dracula and their seemingly unending sequels like Dracula who, while evil, is far many more classic images. To today’s and impersonators. Having a group removed from reality. Isn’t it sad when audiences it means a child murderer of dumb, sex obsessed teenagers a character like Freddy Kruger, a child with razor gloves, a hockey mask slaughtered one by one is no substitute molester and murderer can become a wearing psychopath and a hundred for a good script and gets downright hero. He, unfortunately, is not so far and one varieties of sickos, psychos tedious after the 7th or 8th murder removed from reality. ’s and butchers, leaving a veritable river Why this fascination with gore original Nightmare On Elm Street is, of gore in their wake. and splatter effects and CGI? Some paradoxically, a very good horror film. Where are the successors to of the scariest films ever made had But from then on as sequel followed Cushing, Lee and Price who, in their no bloodletting at all. Films like Night sequel and making a buck became the turn, had succeeded Karloff, Lugosi of the Demon and The Innocents. Just big incentive for making a film, the and the Chaneys? There is no one of look at ’s The Haunting. whole thing becomes dross. And don’t their calibre any more. How many of Who can forget that chilling scene even get me started on the so-called the audience reared on the rubbish where ‘something’ is pounding at the ‘horror porn’ of Hostel and its ilk. that passes for horror films these days door trying to get in at Claire Bloom Now it may be argued that Alfred has ever even had the chance to see and . In todays climate the Hitchcock’s Psycho was nothing but a James Whale’s Frankenstein, Chaney Jnrs Wolfman or Lee’s Dracula? And if they did, would they find them dull

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 41 and boring, with not enough deaths or CGI explosions? Ever the optimist, I like to think they would be as enthralled as we, and many generations before us, were. These fi lms are the true heritage of horror and it would be a shame if they were allowed to be lost in the mists of time. As Steve Vertleib in his article Texas Chain Saw Rip-Off (Midnight Marquee 37) has said, there is a victim of todays excess of gore fi lms: “It is the horror fi lm itself... The genre that gave us Karloff, Lugosi, Chaney, Lorre, Cushing, Price and Lee has been rendered utterly unrecognisable. The genre that heralded the proud, triumphant road of King Kong has been muted forever. The genre that fi rst unwrapped the torn, muddy bandages that reveal the face of Frankenstein’s monster and the Mummy has been buried, perhaps forever. The genre that fi rst instilled a magical sense of wonder into the minds and hearts of children everywhere has itself become discarded into the realm of forgotten history”. Steve was writing almost 20 years ago and, as it turned out was unduly pessimistic. While we are still swimming against a tide of blood there are some excellent atmospheric horrors being produced. Films such as Windchill, The Ruins, Rogue and Splinter. But they are still very much in the minority. Yes my fellow fans, there was once a time when a good story and good atmosphere counted for something. When gore and splatter were not the be all and end all. Perhaps you disagree, perhaps the world has moved on. But I’d wager I’m not the only one who yearns for the days when Universal gave us Karloff and Frankenstein, AIP gave us Price and Poe and Hammer gave us Cushing and Lee. This is our history, one we should be proud of. Let’s not forget it. In the words of Dr Pretorious “Here’s to a new world of and Monsters!”.

Page 42 We Belong Dead Fearbook uring the fi rst incarnation of We Belong Dead, I had the idea of pulling together a listing of all the BBC2 Horror Double Bill seasons to form an article for the fl edgling fanzine. (I’m sure I wasn’t the D only person who had that idea.) As a youngster, like many others I was often allowed to stay up to watch horror movies and I loved the weekly offerings that ran regularly thoughout the summer. After seven years, with remarkably few duplicate screenings, there was no season in 1982.

Back then most people thought the horror double bill seasons ran from 1975 until 1981 however it seems that FANTASTIC DOUBLE BILL 1975 even though the BBC skipped a season in 1982, a fi nal series of double bills Saturday 2 August 1975 was broadcast during the summer of 22.55.00.05 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Decla 1919) 1983 although this season was entirely 00.05-01.20 Quatermass II (Hammer 1957) made up of the classic Universal horrors from the 30’s and 40’s all Saturday 9 August 1975 of which had been shown before, 22.45-00.00 The Tell Tale Heart (Danziger 1960) predomonantly in the 1977 season 00.00-01.20 The Premature Burial (AlP 1961) Dracula Frankenstein & Friends. After 1983, the BBC decided to Saturday 23 August 1975 rest the format however the double 22.40-00.05 This Island Earth (Universal I955) bills would return in a fashion in 1993 00.05-01.25 Barbarella (Dino de Laurentis/Marianne Productions1968) following the success of an all night Halloween night horror marathon on Saturday 30 August 1975 BBC2 a year earlier. The marathon was 22.55-00.05 The Cat and The Canary (Paramount 1939) introduced and linked by Dr Walpurgis 00.05-01.25 (AlP 1963) played by and created by . The other memorable Saturday 6 September 1975 event of that evening was the broadcast 22.35-00.00 The Beast With Five Fingers (Warner 1947) of the infamous Ghost Watch on 00.00-01.20 The Maze (Allied Artists 1954) BBC1 starring Michael Parkinson, Mike Smith & Sarah Green. During MASTERS OF TERROR 1976 this evening it was intended that the Doctor would have the privilege of Saturday 14 August 1976 introducing for the fi rst time on British 22.55-00.10 (Universal 1925) TV the uncut version of Curse of the 00.10-01.40 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Paramount 1932) Werewolf (1960) which the doctor described as having extra stalk and Saturday 21 August 1976 slash scenes. There were problems 22.00-23.20 Devil Doll (MGM 1932) however which meant disappointingly 23.20-00.50 Frankenstein Created Woman (Hammer 1967) the version was shown was the usual cut one. The uncut verison was Saturday 28 August 1976 however aired a few months later. 22.00-00.00 The Hounds of Zaroff (RKO 1932) Dr Terror’s Vault of Horror 00.00-01.25 Hound of the Baskervilles (Twentieth Century Fox 1939) was broadcast on Fridays on BBC1 between September and December Saturday 5 September 1976 1993 and featured Guy Henry’s 22.55-00.10 The Mad Genius (Warner 1931) character though this time renamed 00.10-01.30 The Pit and The Pendulum (AlP 1961) Dr Terror. The double bills only ran one year however though Dr Terror Saturday 14 August 1976 would return to introduce individual 22.50.23.55 The Walking Dead (Warner 1936) horrors in 1994 and 1996. 23.55.01.20 Dracula Prince of Darkness (Hammer 1966) In this piece, I’ll attempt to pull everything together in one concise guide.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 43 DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN AND MONSTER DOUBLE BILL 1978 FRIENDS 1977 Saturday 8 July 1978 Saturday 2 July 1977 22.55-23.55 Murders in the Rue Morgue 23.05-00.25 Dracula (Universal1931) (Universal 1933) 00.25-01.35 Frankenstein (Universal 1931) 23.55.01.25 The Man Who Could Cheat Death (Hammer1959) Saturday 9 July 1977 22.50-00.00 Bride of Frankenstein (Universal 1935) Saturday 15 July 1978 00.00-01.25 Brides of Dracula (Hammer 1960) 22.40-23.55 The Fantastic Disappearing Man (Gramercy Pictures 1958) Saturday 16 July 1977 00.00-01.15 X-The Man with X-Ray Eyes (AlP 1963) 22.45-00.15 The Mummy (Universal 1932) 00.15-01.05 The Wolfman (Universal 1940) Saturday 22 July 1978 22.00-23.20 Saturday 23 July 1977 (Hammer 1955) 22.10-23.45 (Universal 1938) 23.50-01.35 The Crazies (Cambist 1973) 23.45-01.10 Kiss of the Vampire (Hammer 1964) Saturday 29 July 1978 Saturday 30 July 1977 23.15-00.15 Man Made Monster (Universal 1940) 22.35.00.05 Dracula’s Daughter (Universal 1936) 00.15-01.15 The Mummy’s Curse (Universal 1945) 00.05-01.30 Plague of the Zombies (Hammer 1966) Saturday 5 August 1978 Saturday 6 August 1977 22.40-23.55 White Zombie (Halperin 1932) 22.50-23.55 The Ghost of Frankenstein 00.00-01.25 House of Wax (Warner 1953) (Universal 1942) 22.55-01.10 The Premature Burial (AlP 1961) Saturday 12 August 1978 21.40-23.10 Them! (Universal I954) Saturday 13 August 1977 23.45-01.05 The Incredible Shrinking Man 23.05-00.05 The Raven (Universal 1935) (Universal 1957) 00.05.01.10 The Black Cat (Universal 1933) Saturday 19 August 1978 Saturday 20 August 1977 22.00-23.15 Voodoo Island (Bel Air 1957) 22.00-23.15 Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman 23.20-00.45 Phantom of the Rue Morgue ( (Universal 1943) Warner 1953) 00.05-01.35 The Raven (AlP 1963) Saturday 26 August 1978 Saturday 27 August 1977 22.00.23.35 King Kong (RKO 1933) 22.20-23.10 House of Frankenstein (Universal 1944) 23.40-01.10 Superbeast ( A & S Productions 1972) 00.05-01.35 (Hammer 1966)

Saturday 3 September 1977 21.55-23-10 Son of Dracula (Universal 1943) 23.45-01.10 Evil of Frankenstein (Hammer 1964)

Saturday 10 September 1977 22.05-23.15 House of Dracula (Universal 1945) 23.20-00.35 Fall of the House of Usher (AlP 1960)

Page 44 We Belong Dead Fearbook HORROR DOUBLE BILL 1980 MASTERS OF TERROR 1979 Saturday 28 June 1980 Saturday 14 July 1979 22.30.00.00 Night of the Demon (Sabre 1957) 22.35-23.50 Doctor X (Warner 1932) 00.02-01.35 The Ghoul (Tyburn 1975) 23.55-01.20 The Curse of Frankenstein (Hammer 1956) Saturday 5 July 1980 10.10-11.35 The Beast With Five Fingers Saturday 21 July 1979 (Warner 1947) 22.30-23.30 Sherlock Holmes and 23.50-01.30 Chamber of Horrors (Warner 1966) (20th Century Fox 1944) 00.00-01.30 The Hound of the Baskervilles Saturday 12 July 1980 (Hammer 1959) 22.40-23.45 (Universal 1943) 23.50-01.30 Dr. Terrors House of Horrors Saturday 28 July 1979 (Amicus 1964) 22.15-23.25 Night Monster (Universal I942) 23.30.01.10 The Devil Rides Out (Hammer 1968)

Saturday 4 August 1979 23.00.00.05 Black Friday (Universal 1940) 00.05.01.35 The Mummy (Hammer 1959)

Saturday 11 August 1979 22.05.23.25 The Strange Door (Universal 1951) 23.25-01.00 Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb (Hammer 1971)

Saturday 18 August 1979 22.35-23.40 The Mummy’s Hand (Universal 1944) 00.10-01.35 The Satanic Rites of Dracula (Hammer 1973 )

Saturday 25 August 1979 22.00-23.20 It Came From Outer Space (Universal 1953) 23.25-01.05 (Hammer 1967) Saturday 19 July 1980 22.35-23.50 The Devil Doll (MGM 1936) 23.55-01.25 Daughters of Satan (UA 1972)

Saturday 26 July 1980 22.10-23.40 Curse of the Werewolf (Hammer 1960) 23.55-01.35 From Beyond The Grave (Amicus 1974)

Saturday 2 August 1980 22.35-23.50 Paranoiac (Hammer 1963) 12.00-01.35 Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (Hammer 1973)

Saturday 9 August 1980 22.35-23.55 The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (Warner 1953) 00.00-01.20 Night of the Lepus (MGM/A.C. Lyles 1972)

Saturday 16 August 1980 22.20-23.40 The Bat (UA 1959) 23.45-01.20 (Tyburn 1974)

Saturday 23 August 1980 22.40.00.00 Tower of London (Universal 1939) 00.00-01.20 (Amicus 1965)

Saturday 30 August 1980 00.00-01.35 The Beast Must Die (Amicus 1974)

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 45 HORROR DOUBLE BILL 1981

Saturday 4 July 1981 22.35-23.10 (RKO 1943) 00.10.01.10 Zoltan Hound of Dracula (Crown International 1976)

Saturday 11 July 1981 23.05-00.15 Cat People (RKO 1945) 00.15-01.35 Mystery of the Wax Museum (Warner 1933)

Saturday 18 July 1981 22.55-00.05 The Seventh Victim (RKO 1943 ) 00.05-01.35 Race With The Devil (Saber 1970)

Saturday 25 July 1981 21.20-22.30 Isle of the Dead (RKO 1940) 23.40-01.25 The Crazies (Cambist 1973)

Saturday 1 August 1981 22.30-23.45 Bedlam (RKO 1946) 23.45-01.30 Bug (Paramount 1975)

Saturday 8 August 1981 22.50-23.55 (RKO 1943) 23.55-01.35 The Shuttered Room (Warner 1966) HORROR DOUBLE BILL 1983 Saturday 15 August 1981 22.35-23.40 The Curse of the Cat People (RKO 1943) Saturday 9th July 1983 23.40-01.10 The Eye of the Cat (Universal I969) 10.00-11.10 Dracula (Universal 1931) 11.15-12.30 Frankenstein (Universal 1931) Saturday 22 August 1981 22.30-23.40 The Body Snatchers (RKO 1945) Saturday 16th July 1983 23.40-01.25 Theatre of Blood (AlP 1973) 11.45- 01.05 The Bride of Frankenstein (Universal 1935)

Saturday 23rd July 1983 10.05-11.15 Draculaís Daughter (Universal 1936) 11.20-01.35 Son Of Frankenstein (Universal 1939)

Saturday 30th July 1983 10.35-11.45 The Mummy (Universal 1932) 11.45-01.00 Ghost of Frankenstein (Universal 1942)

Saturday 6th August 1983 10.40-11.50 The Wolfman (Universal 1941) 11.55-01.10 Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (Universal 1943)

Saturday 13th August 1983 10.15-11.35 Son Of Dracula (Universal 1943) 11.40-12.55 House Of Frankenstein (Universal 1944)

Saturday 20th August 1983 10.05-11.10 The Mummy’s Hand (Universal 1940) 11.15-12.25 House Of Dracula (Universal 1945)

Saturday 3rd September 1983 (titled Horror Triple Bill) 9.45-10.50 The Black Cat (Universal 1934) 11.30-12.30 Murders In The Rue Morgue (Universal 1932) 12.30-01.35 The Raven (Universal 1935)

Page 46 We Belong Dead Fearbook THE VAULT OF HORRR 31st October 1992 DR TERROR’S VAULT OF HORROR 1993

11.00-11.20 Introduction by Dr. Walpurgis Friday 10th September 1993 11.20-11.25 Tales from EC 11.15-12.50 Vamp (Balcor Film Investors, A look at the 1950s horror comic Planet Productions 1986) 11.25-01.25 Creepshow (Laurel Entertainment 1982) 12.50-02.20 The Mask of Satan (Alta Vista, 01.25-01.30 The Art of Illusion Galatea Film, Jolly Film 1960) with special effects and make up artist Friday 17h September 1993 01.30-01.40 The Unholy Trinity 11.25-12.55 (Universal/ A discussion on horrors leading men Nanny Productions 1990) Freddie, Jason & 12.55-02.10 From Hell It Came (Allied Artists 1957) 01.40-03.10 The Curse of the Werewolf (Hammer 1961) Friday 24h September 1993 03.10-03.15 Prime Evil 11.30-12/55 The Curse of Frankenstein Sami Raimi & talk (Hammer 1956) about The 12.55-02.05 Blood of Dracula (AIP/Carmel 1957) 03.15-03.20 Terror on the Page 03.20-04.30 The Bride of Frankenstein Friday 1st October 1993 Universal 1935) 11.05-12.30 ( Benmar/ 04.30-04.35 The Horror of Sex Granada 1972) Womens role in horror 12.30-01.50 The Comedy of Terrors (AIP 1963) 04.35-04.45 Dario’s Friends Dario Argento at work on his Friday 8th October 1993 new fi lm Trauma 11.00-12.25 Crucible of Terror (Glendale 1971) 04.45-06.10 Death Line (Harbor Ventures/ 12.25-02.05 The Beast With Five Fingers K-L Productions 1972) (Warner 1946) 06.10-07.25 Meet Frankenstein (Universal 1948) Friday 15th October 1993 02.25-07.30 Close by Dr. Walpurgis. 11.15-12.40 Twins of Evil (Hammer 1971) 12.40-01.55 Terror From the Year 5000 (La Jolla Productions 1958)

Friday 22nd October 1993 11.50-01.20 (Artistes Alliance Ltd 1958) 01.20-02.50 I Don’t Want to be Born (Rank 1975)

Friday 29th October 1993 11.30-12.45 The Gate (New Century Entertainment/ Vista/Alliance 1987) 12.45-02.00 I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (Santa Rosa 1957)

Friday 5th November 1993 11.10-12.40 The Haunted House of Horror (Tigon 1969) 12.40-01.55 House on Haunted Hill (William Castle Productions 1959)

Friday 12th November 1993 11.15-12.45 The Lost Boys 12.45-02.05

Friday 19th November 1993 11.40-01.05 April Fool’s Day ( Paramount/ Hometown Films 1986) 01.05-02.35 Cat’s Eye (/ Famous Films 1985)

Friday 3rd December 1993 11.05-12.35 Countess Dracula (Hammer 1971) 12.35-01.55 Voodoo Woman (AIP 1957)

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 47 DR TERROR SEASON 1994 DR TERROR SEASON 1996

Friday 9th September Friday 27th September The Fog (AVCO Embassy 1980) The House of Seven Corpses (Television Corporation of America 1974) Friday 16th September The Ghoul (Tyburn 1974) Friday 4th October The Asphyx (Glendale 1973) Friday 23rd September The Unnameable Returns (Unnamable Friday 11th October Productions/Yankee Classic 1992) Devils of Darkness (Planet 1965)

Friday 30th September Friday 18th October Taste the Blood of Dracula (Hammer 1970) The Beast in the Cellar (Tigon 1968)

Friday 7th October Friday 25th October A Study in Terror (Compton Films 1965) A Child For Satan (1991)

Friday 14th October Friday 1st November Legend of the Werewolf (Tyburn 1975) Ghost Story (Universal 1981)

Friday 28th October Friday 8th November Body Parts (Vista Street Entertainment 1991) Dr Giggles( Dark Horse/ JVC/ Largo 1992)

Friday 4th November Friday 15h November Curse of the Crimson Altar (Tigon 1968) Phantasm (New Breed Productions 1978)

Friday 11th November Friday 29th November The Mummy (Hammer 1959) (Charlemagne 1972)

Friday 18th November Friday 14th December The Legacy (David Foster Prods/Pethurst Ltd/ The People Under the Stairs (Alive Films/ Turman-Foster 1978) Universal 1991)

Friday 2nd December Dr Terror’s House of Horrors (Amicus 1964)

Friday 9th December Alligator (Alligator Inc 1980)

Friday 16th December The Serpent and the Rainbow (Universal 1988)

Page 48 We Belong Dead Fearbook We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 49 THE GOLEM: HOW HE CAME INTO THE WORLD (1920) (Original title - DER GOLEM: WIE ER IN DIE WELT KAM) by Garry McKenzie

ilmed twice previously by director, writer and star Paul Wegener in 1914, and in 1917 this remains the definitive version of F the Jewish legend. This time around Wegener shared the directorial duties with Carl Boese whlist co-writer Henrik Galeen had previously worked on the first Golem feature. Another veteran from that file was Wegener’s wife Lyda Salmonova who played a similar role here. The whole scenario was photographed in his own inimitable style by Karl Freud, who later found success in Hollywood as the cameraman on Browning’s Dracula (1931) as well as directing his own The Mummy (1932) and Mad Love (1935). Freud’s work was very much typical of most of the film smelling flowers!) the German Expressionist cinema of to deliver his decree to the Ghetto. the time with it’s bizarre sets, strange The Ghetto’s impressive sets were camera angles and use of lighting to designed by , who was emphasise the shadows in each scene. later immortalized as Boris Karloff’s This was very different to American ‘Poelzig’ in Edgar Ulmer’s classic The films which tended to over-light their Black Cat (1934). sets and nail the camera to the floor! Florian arrives at the Ghetto’s The film opens with the Rabbi enormous gate and delivers the Loew (Albert Steinrueck) sighting Emperor’s edict. Immediately he falls a warning of danger to his people in love with rabbi Loew’s daughter in the stars. He informs the High Miriam (Lyda Salmonova). She is Rabbi Jehuda (Hanss Sturm) that equally impressed with the messenger, he must gather all the elders in the much to the dismay of the Rabbi’s community and pray for forgiveness. assistant Famulus (Ernst Deutsch) Meanwhile the Emperor (Otto who obviously has designs on the Gebuehr) has a decree printed young woman himself. stating that the Jews practice Black Rabbi Loew has learned from an Magic and are a menace to society ancient tome that if he can summon in general. They have until the end the spirit Astaroth and discover of the month to leave the city. The the magic word to bring the mighty Emperor sends the Knight Florian (A Golem (Wegener) to life then he will rather camp performance from Lothar have saved his people. The Knight Muthel it must be said. He spends Florian’s arrival disturbs him while he is sculpting the figure of the Golem from clay using ancient diagrams. Loew demands an audience with the Emperor in the hope that the sight of the Golem will change the ruler’s mind. Famulus is sworn to the secrecy as the Rabbi proudly shows him the Golem and together they carry the giant clay figure from the cellar. Then comes one of the most impressive scenes in the movie, as the spirit Astaroth is summoned by Loew’s magic. Admidst clouds of smoke

Page 50 We Belong Dead Fearbook and dancing flames, reduced to rubble and Astaroth appears in the Miriam missing. guise of a large floating In a scene similar head, a rather good to one in The Cabinet of effect for it’s time. The Dr Caligari (1919) the magic word AEMAER Golem drags the limp is revealed in smoke body of Miriam through coming from the spirit’s the Ghetto streets before lips. All this proves too depositing her on a handy much for poor Famulus pile of rocks, obviously he who faints on the spot! had a long day! Miriam Writing the word on a recovers and in comforted piece of parchment, the by her father and the Rabbi then places it in now repentant Famulus. the amulet in the shape The Golem, meanwhile of the Star of David has wondered off and on the Golem’s chest. after breaking down The creature opens huge Ghetto gates comes it’s eyes and begins it’s upon a group of children first tentative steps (A playing in the road. All, marvellous piece of mime but one, run off. The from Wegener which remaining little girl offers is echoed in a similar the giant and appleand scene in JamesWhale’s, innocently removes the Frankenstein ten years amulet from the chest. later). We next see After which he keels over the Golem chopping and remains dormant. firewood before being The last image in the film given the task - horror is of the shining Star of of horrors - of doing David beaming over the the shopping! The sight Ghetto. of Wegener carrying a The cast is first shopping bag might seem rate, even Wegener’s a bit ludicrous to modern wife Salmonova giving a audience but obviously melodramatic but effective the director wanted to performance. Albert build up sympathy for his Steinrueck is just right as monster. the Rabbi Loew and Ernst The Rabbi goes to show the Deutsch shines as his servant, but the Golem to the Emperor at the Rose honours go to Paul Wegener. By using Festival and commands Famulus to his expressive eyes through thick layers guard the house while he is gone. of make-up, much as Karloff was to do, The Emperor asks Loew to display Wegener brings a touch of humanity to some of his black magic but is taken his monster. aback by the Golem’s appearance. The The importance of The Golem crowd cowers away in awe and fear in horror film history can not as Wegener shambles past. The Rabbi night. Enraged the servant orders the be underestimated particularly tells his audience that he will show Golem to seize the Knight. The Golem concerning Universal’s Frankenstein them the history of his people and if has by now turned nasty for there is a series. Karloff’s performances are anyone laughs during his spectacle warning that goes with the clay-man’s almost a mirror image of Wegener’s. it will cost them their lives. At first resurrection: “Astaroth will demand Let us not forget either, Bella Lugosi’s amazed by the Rabbi’s magic, the his creature back” and “then scorn infamous screen test directed by crowd quickly become bored and start it’s master and turn to destroy him!” in 1931. According to laugh heartily at the plight of the Florian attempts to stab the Golem but to co-star Edward Ban Sloan, Jews. Angered by this, Loew, literally this has no effect so he tries to escape Lugosi’s make-up had a Golem-like brings the house down. Many of the onto the roof of the house. After a appearance. guests are killed by the falling masonry struggle the Golem lifts the Knight’s After The Golem Wegener, like until at the last moment the Emperor body over his head and throws him many of his country men, went to begs for mercy. The Rabbi orders the crashing onto he street below. Famulus Hollywood to star in a handful of big Golem to hold up, Atlas-like, what tries to remove the amulet from the budget picures. The American studio remains of the roof. The Emperor now giant but is thrown aside by the crazed system was not to his liking as he soon grateful takes back his decree and sets Golem who then maniacally sets fire returned to Germany to work on a the Jews free. to the Rabbi’s house. Famulus escapes couple of now obscure films. He died While the Rabbi and the Golem and informes his master “Your house is in Berlin in 1951. are returning to the Ghetto, Famulus in flames - the Golem is raging!” Their The Golem was remade, but discovers the Knight Florian in celebrations cut short the people rush never bettered, in France in 1936 and Miriam’s bedroom after spending the to the Rabbi’s house only to see it the pathetic British efford IT (1966).

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 51 by Tim Greaves

ime spent viewing movies can occasionally result in some being mystifi ed by the truly excruciating experiences. Then again, some of the most disappearance of the T renowned dudes can yield pleasant surprises. Case in point the two women during the oft-maligned 1974 British horror fi lm Vampyres. day and the inexplicable appearance of a nasty wound on his Directed by one Joseph Larraz (aka legends, these vampires return to the forearm, he hangs around. Jose Larraz) - a Spanish painter no grave during the hours of daylight, Unaware that Fran is gradually less!- it’s fair to say it’s something yet uncharacteristically they have no draining him of blood while he sleeps, of a slumbering affair bus some fangs; instead they slash they victims he gets weaker as the days go by. The sequences as bum-numbingly dull as with knives and lap up the blood fi lm climaxes in a frenzied bloodbath any comitted to celluloid, but in also from the wounds. One afternoon Ted as the couple in the caravan are boasts moment of sheer opressive (Murray Brown) picks up Fran on brutally slain. But before Fran can bloody terror that rival, if not better, the road and takes her home to the fi nish Ted, the raise of dawn stream many of the widely revealed, big- vast mansion nearby which she and through he window and he escapes, budget exploits of the innumerable her friend Miriam appear to have the sole survivor of the orgy of death! effords of latter day cinema. to themselves. Meanwhile a young There are some mysterious Fran (Marianne Morris) and couple on a touring holiday (Sally unexplained sequences throughout; Miriam (Anulka Dziubinska - kredited Faulkner and Brian Deacon) have most don’t really matter, but one in simply as Anulka) are two pretty set up camp in their caravan in the particular is most annoying. After lesbians. One night as they make lovd grounds of the house. Ted spends the beginning of the fi lm Ted checks into an unseen assailant silently enters and night with Fran and while he sleeps a hotel and the desk clerk seems to shoots them dead. Precisely who or she feasts. Unlike her other victims, why we are never told. But they return Fran has become smitten with Ted each night from the grave to hitch and she keeps him alive much to lifts from male motorists, all of whom the annoyance of Miriam who warns turn up later as the apparent victims her it will be a big mistake. Ted is of a horrible road accident. True to equally drawn to Fran and so, despite

Page 52 We Belong Dead Fearbook ecstatic trance, unable to move as the dawn rises, and she has to be helped to her feet by Miriam and led to the safety of darkness. And as already mentioned, some moments are truly terrifying, such as a sequence in which the girls hack at the helpless blood drenched victim, or unexpected fi nale in which they brutally slaughter the married couple, who the viewer has decided early on will probably be the fi lm’s ‘happy ending’. Some of the most notable moments occur when the visual menace is underscored not by music, rather by a low synthetic moaning sound akin to wind in a tunnel; in effectively adds a brooding and claustrophobic edge to the building tension. What also keeps the movie recognise him as having stayed there feeling that there was an interesting ticking over nicely during it’s more years ago. Ted, clearly edgy, denies plot-line being hinted at here that was lethargic stretches is the insertion of that he’s been there before and hastily then discarded or simply forgotten. superfl uous nudity. Anulka is a petite retreats to his room. The viewer is led Minor quibbles aside, Vampyres blonde (in fact May 1973 to believe that maybe Ted is hiding is an experience which assails the centrefold) and Marianne Morris some secret from his past, yet the viewer with some truly bizarre and is an incredibly sensuous brunette; matter isn’t mentioned again and we haunting images. Some sequences when Ted says “Fran, you arouse me see no more of the desk clerk. Perhaps are charged with eroticism, others more any woman I’ve known”, the this does fi t into the plot and it just drenched viscereal horror. One scene, viewer can’t deny that the man has went over my head (I’d like to hear which combines the two fi nds Fran taste! Neither of these women seem from anyone who can enlighten me!), gently licking the gushing blood from to mind removing their clothing for but i was left with the ugly wound on Ted’s arm; it is the camera and they do so at regular the horribly repellent, yet intervals throughout, whether it be to curiously arousing sate their bloodlust on a fresh victim, at the same or for a sapphic shower together after time. Another a blood feast. scene fi nds Having appeared under a Fran, fresh variety of titles over the years (such from a as Vampyres: Daughters of Dracula, ‘meal’, Vampyres: Daughters of Darkness, The in an Vampyre Orgy, Satan’s Daughter and Blood Hunger) this can hardly be cited as a classic of seventies British cinema - an arguable point admittedly - yet remains a fi rm favourite. Vampyres defi es it’s low budget with lush visuals that make it essential viewing for all serious students of the genre. As Larraz himself has commented, “Naked women and lots of blood, that’s what Vampyres is about”. After that, there is little else to be said.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 53 Butler gives certain fi lms and directors special attention, Freaks, Vampyr, Hitchcock, Corman and Polansky for example. The latter section of the book includes a helpful chronology of horror fi lms and descriptive and evaluative annotations along with cast listings are offered for certain fi lms. This is an excellent volume which treats it’s subject with intelligent admiration and respect and as a result is highly recommended. Dennis Gifford is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable experts on the golden age of horror in the country. His book, A Pictorial History Of Horror Movies, written in 1972, is a good volume which should have been a masterpiece. On the negative side there are a number of problems. It is hard to identify stills in some cases as they tend to be lumped together over double pages with just one paragraph of confused notation. Aftr a short time the reader will defi nitely know their uppers, bottoms, left, rights and by Neil Ogley opposites! Sadly the style of writing and especially the chapter headings strain for humour where none is needed. When the author is serious the material is good, but do titles like or more than seventy years the horror fi lm has been one of ‘Dr Jekyll Is Not Himself’ and ‘How the most popular and powerful of all fi lm genres. Yet horror Grand was my Guignol’ really help? F movies have occupied a position in popular culture roughly Gifford is less than comparable to that of horror literature, ie generally ignored yet complimentary about Hammer and sometimes tolerated. Prior to the fi fties it was very diffi cult to other post 50s production companies. fi nd a book or magazine that dealt with horror fi lms. Then came Indeed, with comments like “In ’s Famous Monsters of Filmland, the very quantity Hammer are fast approaching Universal but in quality they have yet fi rst magazine devoted to horror, scifi and fantasy. Scarcely an to reach Monogram”, he leaves no intellectual publication, Famous Monsters did foster a critical doubt about his views. How he can approach to assessing genre fi lms which was quickly adopted by the claim to be a horror fan yet come up more serious critics. The arrival of this magazine coincided with the with these comments is beyond me. television debut of the Universal classics from the 30s and 40s and And as he despises Hammer so much, the release of the newer horrors, especially those from Hammer. why did he use so many Hammer stills? It also paved the way for a great many were An Illustrated History of the However, on the positive side are books and other magazines which Horror Films by Carlos Clarens and the books illustrations. Reproduction sought to tell the story of the horror The Horror Film by Ivan Butler which of the stills range from good to fi lm. In the intervening years a large were both published in 1967. In the excellent, and several are worth the number of good, bad or just indifferent former the author covers Melies to price of the book alone, particularly histories of the horror fi lm have been Alphaville in a highly readable and as the Phantom. The written. Of course, I cannot cover all intelligible way. Clarens mixes critical book also contains a number of of them, and inevitably I shall offend evaluations of certain horrors with appendices, a bibliography for books some readers by omitting their own historical accounts to produce a highly and magazines, a list of all BFBC ‘H’ favourites. I have tried to be selective readable volume. The illustrations are certifi cate fi lms and a very complete but I believe that I have included the excellent, if somewhat haphazardly index. Also, but now somewhat dated, majority of books with which most arranged and the fi nal section gives is a fi lmography for collectors. A self respecting horror fans chose to the cast and credits for more than 300 future reprint could perhaps substitute grace their bookshelves. No volume fi lms. A book such as this has a built a video fi lmography instead. Despite on horror can completely satisfy and in success factor as it treats a popular the above faults, this is an excellent the most one can hope for is to be cinematic subject with print and book with good photos and is a worthy informative and enjoyable (and failing pictures and it does it well. addition to any collectors library. that, having some good pictures!) The latter, smaller volume, Written a year earlier was a Without any doubt these books have is a brief survey of the horror fi lm, Heritage of Horror by David Pirie. succeeded in that. including a recapitulation of the Subtitled The English Gothic Cinema Undoubtedly the groundbreakers Dracula and Frankenstein sagas. 1946 - 1972, the author successfully

Page 54 We Belong Dead Fearbook manages to combine the they are hardly the most illustrative, textual and detailed of reference books, reference material in his aim they still retain a prominent to prove that the horror film place upon my bookshelf. is the only genre that Britain A more superior volume can claim its own. Pirie is from the same author was both critical and descriptive of published in 1977. Horror Films several hundred British made was a chronological review of films and in a fitting conclusion, the genre arranged in chapters includes a combined index/ representing each decade. The filmography for all British made book was better structured horror films between 1945 and and well written but was still 1972. vague and lacked depth. The The book is very detailed most important thing again with release dates, cast was the photography. Excellent and production details and colour and black and white also includes check lists for reproductions make the book Hammer, Terence Fisher, John a must for all horror fans. In Gilling, and Don particular ones of Peter Cushing Sharp. Most of the illustrations and Robert Urqhart from The are unfamiliar and all are well Curse of Frankenstein, Dave selected and reproduced. The Prowse from Frankenstein and book is consistently absorbing the Monster from Hell and John and enlightening in it’s Forbes Robertson from The approach, style and content, Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. making it perhaps one of the Whilst they might have best books on horror ever been the most successful British written. film company, not much has Pirie’s other important been written about Hammer contribution to the genre, The films. One volume that was Vampire Cinema, was published published in 1974 The House in 1977 and is an excellent of Horror: The Story of Hammer study and survey of the film Films which was edited by sub-genre. The author begins Scientist characters for each chapter, Allen Eyles, Robert Adkinson with a review of the vampire in legend whilst the second has an even more and Nicholas Fry. It was an excellent and literature, the progress to silent arbitrary structure that offers only volume that surveys the total output films, and for the remainder of the very general textual treatment. of Hammer. The book covers the book catergorises the Nevertheless it is the visual period of relative obscurity from 1935 according to, it’s country of origin. component that will attract and please to the early 1950s, the ressurrection There is also a chapter about ‘The Sex the reader. Imagine a youngsters joy of monsters (50s and 60s), non- Vampire’. when he saw those pictures for the horrors and contains biographies of Pirie discusses many familiar very first time. An even now, while , Terence Fisher, and obscure films, his treatment Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, emphasising the critical analysis together with a total filmography. rather than plot retelling, This is a highly entertaining resulting in an absorbing study. and informative account of the The 200 illustrations are superb. Hammer Studios. The picture A truly fascinating book. quality and selection are very For the undemanding good reflecting in no small reader, the early seventies saw way the sensationalism of the several popular publications Hammer product. Blood, sex and as part of the Movie Treasury nudity are a consistent element Series. The Movie Treasury Horror in the visuals and this may limit Movies and The Movie Treasury the books use, but nevertheless Monsters And Vampires were both it does provide very popular written by Alan Frank. And were reading. the first books that I bought as Horror movies have a child when I was discovering produced a number of great horror films, so I have a special actors whose work has seldom fondness for them. Unfortunately received the critical adulation Frank adds nothing new or given to other film stars. Several stimulating. Designed for mass volumes have been published market appeal, two books are which look at the stars of horror, just an excuse to publish 200 notably The Horror People by illustrations. In the first the John Brosnan and Heroes of the author covers the predictable Horrors by Calvin Thomas Beck. Dracula, Frankenstein, Mad Brosnan’s book is a collective

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 55 filmography. In short a combination and Dr Caligari. On the modern of elements that succeeds very well in side the author looks at Childs Play, describing the unique talent of each Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street performer. and Friday 13th. The text has been very carefully As the author of a number researched by the author and is of books on ‘splatter’, you might beautifully complimented by a variety think John McCarthy would not of pictures, mostly unfamiliar. The offer anything to fans of the classic stills reproduction are especially horror film, but in his review of noteworthy. This is an impressive 50 contemporary classics, quite a volume which has been painstakingly substantial proportion of the book created. The selection, production is given over to Hammer. The book and literary quality are well above the covers the period from The Curse of usual horror books standard. Frankenstein to the present day and In Classics Of The Horror Film looks at Hammer’s Dracula, The William K Everson offers his own Mummy, Revenge of Frankenstein, Brides selection of genre classics extending of Dracula, Curse of the Werewolf, The from The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari Man Who Could Cheat Death, The (1919) to The Exorcist (1973). Phantom of the Opera, Hands of the Limiting himself to the ‘pure’ horror Ripper and Captain Kronos. The author film, he discusses predictable films like also looks at Fall of the House of Usher, Frankenstein, Freaks, Dr Jekyll And Mr Rosemary’s Baby, Psycho and Repulsion Hyde and also includes a few surprises besides more recent genre titles such like Sparrows (1926) and Strangler Of as The Exorcist, Alien, The Fly, Elm The Swamp (1943). Street and The Shining. The 400 plus illustrations As with the other book from compliment the informed and Citadel, Classics Of The Horror Film, often enthusiastic text, two of the the quality of the illustrations is not best being Bela Lugosi carrying always good, but the book does offer Helen Chandler down the staircase some unfamiliar visuals, one from in Carfax Abbey, and Dracula’s the final minutes of Dracula where three brides from Universal’s 1931 Christopher Lee turns to dust in the production of Dracula. But the author sunlight springs to mind. And, whilst has difficulty bringing freshness to the the author doesn’t tell us much we biography whose subjects include material and not all the photographs don’t already know, it’s nice to see Lon Chaney Snr, Boris Karloff, Bela are as clear as they ought to be. these films receiving the attention Lugosi, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Indeed some look as though they they deserve. Jnr, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, have been printed from the television One final book that deserves James Whale, Val Lewton, Robert screen. The lack of an index a mention is ’s The Bloch, Terence Fisher, William Castle, diminishes the wuslity even further, Dead That Walk. In it the leading , , Tod but with the above reservations, the cinema critic and historian examines Browning, Roger Corman, Freddie volume is acceptable. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy Francis, Milton Subotsky and Jack Not surprisingly, as the horror and The Undead. Halliwell starts Arnold. film has progressed, so has the horror with the literary sources, quoting Each subject receives extended book. It is very difficult to find newer Stocker, Poe, Shelley, Byron and attention along with the films of books which give as much weight to Conan Doyle, and then traces the Hammer and AIP etc. Shorter the classics as they give to Freddy and development of the characters profiles are provided for many other the rest of the splatter crowd. Several through Universal to Hammer, horror personalities both in the text which are appealing include The analysing the character and and in an appendix titled ‘More Look of Horror by Jonathon Sternfield including lost sequences from famous Horror People’. The illustrations and The Modern Horror Film by John screenplays. The problem with the are carefully reproduced and McCarthy. The former could be called book is that although Halliwell claims compliment a text nicely. The author a ‘coffin/table book’ (excuse the pun) to be a fan, it is very difficult to find a mixes interview quotations with his due to its size and illustrations. The film that he actually likes. Halliwell’s own critical evaluations and the author chooses his ‘Scary Moments attitude is very sarcastic to say the biographical narrative. The richness from Scary Movies’ and offers his least. It is easy to pick spots on films of the material, the authors skill in brief explanation as to why. The book and patronisingly point out the errors presentation and excellent production covers all periods though personally I as Halliwell does, but the true fan make this a volume that stands out. think there is a little goo much of the choses to ignore these or fills in the The subjects of Beck’s volume are post 70s material. The photographs gaps themselves. However, the author Lon Chaney Snr, Bela Lugosi, Boris are excellent, good and clear and does redeem himself by including Karloff, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr worth the price of the book alone. (I bits of unpublished screenplays and and Vincent Price. Each has his own actually picked my copy for £3.99 by giving a very thorough coverage of long biography and an appreciation accident). Large photos of Karloff as each character.another let down are is offered. Each chapter has film the Mummy and the Frankenstein the illustrations which are all very synopses, evaluations, portraits, monster, Lugosi as Dracula, King familiar. On the whole, an interesting stills, script excerpts, quotes and Kong, Lon Chaney as the Phantom if sometimes irritating book.

Page 56 We Belong Dead Fearbook By Neil Ogley

uring the 1940’s Universal maintained it’s position as the main assistant by David O Selznick. Quickly producer of horror films with their sagas of Frankenstein, The progressing to story editor, Lewton was D Wolf Man and the Mummy. Other major studios tried their finally made head of the horror B-unit, hand with occasional excursions into the genre, some of which where the films he produced became became true classics, but it was perhaps RKO under one man who known as the ‘Lewton classics’. His first film for RKO was managed to produce a series of films which have been acclaimed as the atmospheric and understated the best American horror mood films of the 40’s. Cat People (1942), a title created by Koerner and a film that was Production cheif at RKO Charles he was seven and was educated highly praised by critics and cinema Koerner orbanized a B-picture unit to at a US military academy and the historians alike. It is a minor produce solely horror films. In charge Colombia School of Journalism. masterpiece that relies on suggestion he placed Vladimir Ivan Leventon During the twenties he published a rather than outright horror and whose better known as Val Lewton. Born number of books, one being an under emphasis on phycological realism in Yalta, Russia in 1904, Lewton was the counter erotic novel! Following marked a turning point in the history brought to America by his mother, a brief stint writing publicity for of horror films. Simone Simon is cast sister of actress , when MGM he was hired as an editorial as Irina Dubrovna, a Yugoslav dress

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 57 designer who is turned Killed as a panther, Irina (offscreen) into a black returns as a ghost to aid panther by her sexual and comfort her former jealousies. Because of this husbands lonely little she is unwilling to marry daughter. The menace in ( Smith). the film (which contains He finally persuades her no curses or cat people) only to find that she is is deliberately vague. unwilling to consummate Nothing more horrifying their marriage. Smith than the hair raising telling consults a psychiatrist of the tale of the headless and seeks consolation horseman to a frightened in another woman Alice child who believes she is (Jane Randolph), who is about to encounter the consequently attacked ghost. Yet, the moments of by the metamorphosed terror, built by imagination, Irina. The psychiatrist reach heights equal to meanwhile, attempts to those in other Lewton seduce Irina and is clawed movies. to death and she becomes Lewton was given a beast once more. a second title in 1943 by Wounded in the struggle, Koerner, and with it he Irina makes her way to the managed to produce what city zoo where she later has so often been called dies by the cages of the “Jane Eyre in the tropics”. large cats. Actually I Walked with a Jacques Tourner, Zombie was a highly literate who was a master of low movie whose idea was key horror directed and borrowed from a series of Mark Robson edited the newspaper articles which film with skill, which detailed voodoo and is genuinely terrifying in Haiti, and by its use of sound, whose chills did not come shadows and suggestion, from the horror itself, but especially when the cat from the immenence of attacks. The transformed it. Francis Dee is a nurse, Irina, in the form of the employed by Tom Conway, panther, actually only a West Indian plantation appears once, at the owner, to look after his sick insistance of Lewton, wife. The wife is believed probably to placate the by the superstitious locals worried Koerner who had to be a zombie and the hoped for a less subtle film reaches its peak when film. However, made on she and the nurse take a a budget of $134,000 it walk one night through finally brought in over the fields of sugar cane, to $4 million and inspired a the throbbing of voodoo sequel two years later. drums, and come face The story was based to face with a voodoo on an old Serbian legend ceremony itself. Finally the and viewers were lured nurse discovers that the by the films advertising woman is not just ill, but campaign which blared one of the living dead. “Kiss me and I’ll claw you Once again directed to death!’, and Lewton by and economised by using sets from existing esque” fairy tale qualities have edited by Mark Robson, the film was RKO productions including Orson perplexed horror fans for decades. The beautifully photographed by J. Roy Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons. film is handicapped by a title that tried Hunt, and is perhaps one of the best The Curse of the Cat People to pass a fairy tale off as a horror film and most horrific of the films relating (1944) was directed by former editor and also by being touted as a sequel to to voodoo. Robert Wise (who took over from The Cat People. As such it could hardly The next film The Leopard Man Gunther Fritsch after he was called fail to dissappoint the traditional (1943) was a cheat from Lewton, away for army service) and again horror fans but neither could it reach Tourneur and Robson and was a starred Simone Simon and Kent those who would appreciate it. thriller taken from Conrad Woolrich’s Smith. It was a brilliant piece of It is only the vaguest type of ‘Black Alibi’ that had neither horror supernatural, if not exactly horror, sequel to the original apart from nor monsters. Dennis O’Keefe stars cinema, and its disturbing “Disney- reusing some of the same characters. as a PR man for a new Mexico night

Page 58 We Belong Dead Fearbook club who rents a leopard as a publicity stunt. Unfortunately the leopard escapes and kills a little girl. Two subsequent murders are then blamed on the animal whereupon O’Keefe discovers and unmasks the real murderer - a human. Robert de Grasse’s photography plays an important part in creating the films mood and the scariest scene is of the girl, locked out of the house by her mother for returning late from an errand. All the viewer sees of the murder is the blood seeping under the door after the attack. The film has some brilliant individual moments and a terrifying opening and is only let down by it’s weak climax. Editor Robson made his directoral debut for Lewton in The Seventh Victim (1943) where again the horror was implied rather than shown. Robson had clearly learned his craft well and the film is an impressive debut for him. It was also a debut for Kim Hunter who playes an orphan girl involved with devil worshippers in Greenwich Village as she searches for her sister. The second film directed for Lewton by Robson was The Ghost Ship (1943), and was a heavily atmospheric study of the psychotic captain of a ship (Richard Dix) and the effects of his terrorisation upon the third mate (Russell Wade), who is ignored by the rest of the crew when he tries to inform them. The film is an excellent example of Lewton’s ability to create a dark and sinister mood through subtlety and Robson manages to bring the script to live, yet in the end the film strives too hard to turn a psychological thriller into a horror just because it is a Lewton production. The film was out of distribution for many years after a law suit brought about by Samuel Golding and Norbert Faulkner who felt Lewton stole their like-titled play. The court agreed and pulled the film from theatrical release. Co-written by Lewton under the pen name Carlos Keith, The Body Snatcher brought together Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and was based on a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Made in 1943 but not released until 1945, it told the story of the dedicated Dr MacFarlene (Henry Daniel), head of an Edinburgh medical school, unable to obtain bodies for research. Forced to cooperate with bodysnatcher Karloff, the two are eventually blackmailed by his servant (Lugosi), whose greed is his undoing when Karloff kills him. Everything builds to a terrifying

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 59 climax on a runaway coach when having stolen a fresh body, Dr MacFarlene is driven to madness by his conscience. Careering along in his coach at the height of a thunderstorm, he becomes convinced that the corpse has changed to that of Karloffs, who he had killed earlier. He stops to examine the body, there is a flash of lightening and a closeup of Karloffs face. MacFarlene panics, whips the horses and Karloffs corpse, still in its shroud slumps over him, the soundtrack repeating Karloff’s earlier threat “You’ll never be rid of me”, as the coach plummets off the edge of a cliff. This scene had to be cut to please the British censor. This was the first film Karloff made for RKO and Lewton and the last in which he costarred with Bela Lugosi, who, even though he received equal star billing, had a part which could only be described as minor support. Yet Lugosi did give an excellent performance in the scenes he appeared in, as did Karloff who worked without makeup to prove his abilities as a first rate actor. Directed by Robert Wise, The Body Snatcher was a more traditional horror film, probably due to the death of Koerner and his replacement by Jack J Gross. Karloff stayed with Lewton to make Isle of the Dead (1945), again directed by Mark Robson. Karloff was General Nikolas Pherides, a victim of a variety of Greek vampire known as the vrykolakas, who finds himself marooned on a Greek island by a deadly plague during the Balkan War of 1912. The celebrated film critic James Agee said of the film :”Tedious, overloaded, diffuse and at moments arty, yet in many ways to be respected up to its last half hour or so, then it becomes as brutally frightening and gratifying a horror movie as I can remember”. Like his character, Karloff was stricken during filming, though not with the plague! He had to be rushed to hospital for an emergency spinal operation aftef an accident to an old back injury. Bedlam (1946), Lewtons last major genre film was also his most expensive for RKO. Banned in Britain, it was inspired by the eighth painting in William Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress” series, and was only slightly marred by Lewton’s over literary approach. It cast Karloff in one of his finest performances as Master Sims, the sadistic master of the famous London asylum. A fat and lecherous aristocrat and governor of Bedlam (Billy House) conspires with Karloff to make Anna Lee, his mistress, one of the inmates. She has seen much of the place in the past and knows much about Karloff and how he terrorises the helpless patients. With her warmth and understanding Anna Lee and a few of the milder patients help achieve order and put Karloff on trial. Thinking they have killed him, they wall Karloff up and as the last bricks are put into place, he returns to consciousness, realising his horror of being entombed alive. Val Lewton died in 1964 aged 50, leaving a lasting memorial in these nine atmospheric horror films he created for RKO. His technique of suggesting terror through continued, sustained mood, in a shadowy low- keyed atmosphere, instead of the more commercial and direct approach is overwhelming. Coupled with this he also had an excellent choice in employing intelligent writers and new young directors, still fresh and full of enthusiasm. The whole concept allowed the audience to feel the unease, thus making the chills much more effective and his films, although sometimes uneven, were always interesting.

Page 60 We Belong Dead Fearbook Dan Gale compares Romero’s original classic with Tom Savini’s remake… they’re coming to get you…!

s part of a (hopefully) regular series of reviews on the classics, good! WBD proudly invites you to sample the old and the new: how Yes, the budget does show (right A it was originally intended, and how the money grabbing bosses from the opening credits up to the of Horrorwood have chopped and changed the classics of yesteryear disturbing still pictures used as end credits) but it is the lack of money into often mutated, unrecognizable money spinners that today’s that makes the film so impressive. audience lap up, usually because of a fondness for the originals. We The idea that a man could make such start with the paranoia spectacular . a real film, with so little money, with unknown actors over a few weekends George A. Romero is a pleasant fascinated him so? Did he have other in his home town that would go on to enough chap. A bit tubby, going first projects in mind? Whatever, he become a huge hit and a classic of the slightly grey, rather like the average created a masterpiece that has never genre AND influence many films to neighbour – the one who always runs dulled over the years. Some have said come (many of them inferior beyond out of sugar and asks you to bail him the same about Dracula (1931), yet belief, even with bigger budgets) is out. Funny that such a nice man it’s more than obvious today that it’s almost as startling as the film itself. should conceive such a revolting idea quite a boring little film, no matter You know the plot. The dead as Night Of The Living Dead (1968). how well it did, or how good Lugosi’s come back to life. That’s it! No How did he spend his childhood? performance is. But no one can fault twists, no turns, no double agents, no What was it about the dead that Night, because it’s just so damned dinosaurs. The dead walk and that’s it. Why they walk is another matter and it’s been glossed over intentionally in the script, perhaps to avoid any scientific impossibilities that the egg heads in the audiences would pick out. A small excuse – something about a satellite coming back to earth with a strange radiation on board – is mentioned during a news bulletin (this clip stars Romero himself) but amidst all the other suggestions and panic, it seems like just one of many reasons that could all be just as probable. Whilst visiting their mothers grave, Johnny and Barbara are attacked by a drunken looking ghoul who kills Johnny and causes Barbara to wreck their car. She runs into a local farmhouse in panic and meets up with a few other people who have all encountered the growing numbers of ghouls that seem to be appearing all over the countryside. Together they

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 61 stand ground at the house and keep couldn’t move any slower or else In the remake (directed by relatively safe, until internal bickering they’d be walking backwards! They make up expert Tom Savini in 1990, between them starts becoming almost are of no threat whatsoever!) In released two years later in Britain, and as much a threat as the zombies the original though, the fi rst zombie produced by mogul Menahem Golan, themselves. It is also pointed out that that we see actually moves quite fast ex of Golan/Globus productions, the ghouls gain the urge to eat the (the graveyard ghoul played by Bill Cannon Films’ most exploitable living (though this is not necessary for Hinzman). His startled expression, producers) the graveyard ghoul is them to survive) adding even more without any grisly make up (perhaps nowhere near as memorable. In fact, horror to the situation, in that the he was not long dead) his shock though the 1968 fi lm’s ghouls are ghouls actions are needless (Try telling of hair standing upright, his Rod given only slight characterizations, them that). Sterling-style suit and ribbon tie and the remake does away with them The fi lm was directed by Romero his extended arms make him one of altogether, making them all just and the talky script (with plenty the most memorable faces from sixties shambling, unimportant villains. In of action) was by Romero and co- cinema. both Dawn and Day throughout, the producer of the remake John Russo. With such a minor hit on his hands, Romero found it hard to escape from the zombie genre, and his next few fi lms passed by unseen by most of the nation (they included The Crazies (1973)). After a while he decided to do it all again with a sequel to Night, called Dawn Of The Dead (1979). (See article in issue 1 of WBD). This is now a classic of the horror genre, mainly because of its amazing speed and ability to mix horror with humour. Then came a much toned down version of an idea Romero had had for a third fi lm, titled Day Of The Dead (released in 1985). George had wanted a more elaborate topper, with armies of trained living dead fi ghting the battles for the humans, but the budget did not allow this. The fi nished result is not as big a disappointment as some insist: though the fi lm is technically more impressive because of the special effects, it doesn’t have as much fun in it as the other fi lms – the zombies are far more of a threat than the clowns they were in certain scenes in Dawn – but it does have a wonderfully tight atmosphere of claustrophobia, only allowing the audience to breathe moments before the next scare! Anyway, I’m wandering, these fi lms are not being reviewed here! It’s the original and remake I wish to discuss. One thing that strikes the viewer of these fi rst three fi lms is “Don’t the zombies move slowly!” (Indeed in some rip offs such as the dire The Beyond (1980), the zombies

Page 62 We Belong Dead Fearbook same zombies are shown doing various the graveyard ghoul, the floral wreath unknowns, some of whom have gone tasks or stumbling about shopping still embedded in his shoulder from onto slight success because of the malls etc., only to be referred to later, the attack on Barbara at the start films (though never stardom). In thus giving them slight characters. of the film). In the 1990 film the the original the actors run around (For example in Dawn, there’s the graveyard zombie is played by Greg panicking and shouting at each bald hippie who attacks one of the Funk. According to the Hollywood other with acute realism, and the heroes, a visually unique monster that rule of remakes, the most startling bizarre cheapness to the film gives we see several times before the actual scenes from the originals must always it a documentary type look. It could attack, thus giving it a slight meaning be screwed up when the remake almost be one of those dire BBC2 fly to ‘life’. Then there’s ‘Bub’, the trained attempts them, giving them no appeal on the wall programmes about life zombie in Day Of The Dead, who has whatsoever: Greg manages to screw among the gypsies (or whatever…. one of the best characterizations in this up perfectly. Nice one Greg. life among the zombies?). Our new the film!) In the remake this is not The acting in all of the four Barbara is played by the excellent the case. No zombies reappear (except Romero zombiethons is remarkable. Patricia Tallman who also appeared the reappearance near the middle of In all cases the casts are complete in the Savini directed episode of

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 63 Tales From The Darkside. She is far more 90’s than the Babs of the 60’s (who was memorable but hopelessly wimpish, played by Judith O’Dea). No longer does she whimper on the sofa, looking comatose for half the fi lm. In some scenes she’s talking the lead, saving the (panicking) men from certain death, just because she’s the only one who’s kept her cool! Thelma and Louise would have been proud. I’m sure most people know what happens in the original’s climax. It differs slightly in the remake, and though it’s not quite as effective, it’s a nice alternative and would have worked well in the ’68 fi lm. Barbara lives on to fi ght another day with a band of red necks (those who appear at the start of Dawn perhaps?) and the shots of her staring hypnotically into the cremation pile has an oddly positive feel to it – far more so then the full stop ending of the original. The remake was not a great success, but sequels have been made to far worse fi lms, so maybe there is another series of adventures in store for Barbara. Who knows except George A. Romero. The music is also worth a mention. Most of the 1968 fi lms notes were stolen from other fi lms (library music, which was recorded and hired out to any producers who couldn’t afford a composer). It also has a bit of electronic music (like Forbidden Planet) which was used to great effect. The remake’s music is mostly pretty bland rock style scoring, though the music at the end credits is rather good. Unfortunately, right at the start, the graveyard scene is accompanied with an awfully cheap sounding piece of synthetic music (done on a keyboard, and boy does it show!) which ruins the effect quite a bit. One other thing: the end credits of Night Of The Living Dead ’90 feature an electrician in the technical crew by the name of Paul Wank. I kid you not! I feel sorry for you Mr. Wank, I really do. Luckily he was not responsible for any major parts of the fi lms production (A Paul Wank Film?!) Self abuse jokes aside, both the fi lms are great fun and worth a watch – regardless of having seen any of the other fi lms in the series, even the original, which more that anything, gives an introduction to the world of zombies and sets down the rule for every living dead fi lm in the years to come. Nothing more that that…..”They’re coming to get you, Barbra!”

Page 64 We Belong Dead Fearbook Neil Barrow braves the wild Carpathians to track down a strangely silent lord of the undead in much underrated sequel

Pre-production/casting/fi lming Working from a storyline by Anthony Hunds, Jimmy Sangaster’s screenplay went through several title changes: Dracula II, Disciple Of Dracula and The Revenge Of Dracula. Sangster had made a name for himself writing many of Hammer’s early gothic horror, but after branching out into Psycho- like thrillers, he no longer wished to risk being typecast as writer of gothics, therefore he used the pseudonym John Sansom. Hammer submitted the script to the British Board of Film Classifi cation (BBFC) before fi lming, and they were forced to make several compromises before it was fi nally passed. Among the censor’s many objections were Alan’s planned decapitation (altered to a throat slashing), Diana licking the blood from Dracula’s chest (toned down) and Charles breaking Dracula’s wrist in an attempt to free himself (eliminated altogether). Exactly why Dracula was to remain mute throughout the fi lm is open to speculation. Christopher Lee maintains it was because he objected to the dialogue he was given, while Tony Hinds doesn’t recall Lee being given any dialogue.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 65 The film was given a budget of just over £100,000, part of which was spent on designing and building a new Castle Dracula. Camera angles would disguise the fact that the castle, built by Bernard Robinson and his talented team, was only one storey high, with matte paintings being used in long shot. As a cost cutting exercise, the film was shot back-to-back with . Dracula’s castle would be redressed, and several of the same cast, including Lee in the title role, would appear in Rasputin. Christopher Lee had avoided reprising his role as the Count because of the fear of being typecast like Bela Lugosi before him. By 1965 he felt he had played enough varied roles to allow him to return as Dracula. , a former model, had spent several years in Italian films, before returning to England where she became typed as horror actress. Her other Hammer appearance include Camp On Blood Island (1958), (1964), Rasputin The Mad Monk (1966), and Quatermass And The Pit (1967). Scottish character actor was usually associated with stern roles. Like Barbara Shelley, he also has several Hammer credits under his belt, including The Lady Craved Excitement (1950), Pirates Of Blood River (1960), Quatermass And The Pit (1967) and Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb (1971). In addition, he can also be seen alongside Peter Cushing as the resistance leader in Invasion Earth 2150AD (1966). Francis Matthews also had previous Hammer experience appearing in The Revenge Of Frankenstein (1958) and he would immediately follow up Prince Of Darkness with an appearance in Rasputin. One of his more unique claims to fame is that he provided the voice of the title character in ’s ‘60s puppet series Captain Scarlett! Australian Charles Tingwell had previously made something of a name for himself in Emergency Ward Ten. The late Thorley Walters and George Woodbridge were among the most distinguished of Hammer’s regular supporting actors. Walters began in Shakespearean roles, and later appeared in comedies such as Blue Murder At St. Trinians (1957) and Two Way Stretch (1960). Among his more notable Hammer appearance are Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) and Vampire Circus (1972). Devonshire native George Woodbridge would consistently appear in brief roles

Page 66 We Belong Dead Fearbook over the years in numerous Hammer productions, sometimes as a janitor or policeman, but more usually as a publican. Filming commenced on 26th April 1965 and was completed just under 6 weeks later on 4th June. Besides the Bray back lot, Hammer’s usual haunt, Black Park was used to double for Transylvania. Peter Cushing agreed to Hammer using the original films finale (in which he of course played Van Helsing) as a prologue. Much to his surprise Hammer showed their appreciation by paying for the repairs to the roof of his house. This reprised scene was wreathed in ‘flash back mist’ to disguise the fact that it wasn’t shot in the widescreen process used in Prince Of Darkness. There were a series of mishaps during filming: Barbara Shelley swallowed one of her artificial fangs; Christopher Lee lost one of his ‘blood shot’ contact lenses on the ‘frozen moat’ and was in agony when it was found and put back in with some of the moat’s salt solution (used to simulate ice) still on it; Francis Matthews hurt his back falling onto a mallet; while Lee’s double, stuntman Eddie Powell, nearly drowned performing the latter stages of Dracula’s demise. Francis Matthews’ younger brother Paul shot some home movie footage of the exterior of Castle Dracula. Some of this footage would appear in the Hammer Documentary Flesh And Blood, and later on a Hammer laser disc box set and the video The Many Faces Of Christopher Lee. Composer James Bernard revamped (sorry couldn’t resist that one!) his famous ‘Dra-cu-la’ theme, which was used throughout Prince Of Darkness.

On release/the critics The film was given a trade show the week before Christmas 1965 and went on general release in Britain on 9th January 1966. Besides filming Prince Of Darkness and Rasputin back to back, Hammer also shot Plague Of The Zombies and The Reptile back to back, both being set in Cornwall. In an attempt to disguise the similarities of the sets Hammer paired the Dracula film with Plague Of The Zombies and released Rasputin with The Reptile. In the USA cut out ‘Dracula fangs’ were given to the guys, with ‘zombie eyes’ for the girls. It’s tempting to say that it could only happen in America, but such publicity stunts were prevalent on both sides of the Atlantic. The film did well at the box

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 67 Page 68 We Belong Dead Fearbook office. Christopher Lee, despite his reservations on the way the role was being presented, would appear in all but one (The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires) of Hammer’s subsequent Dracula’s.

‘The Daily Worker’, January 8th 1966: “For those who have suffered the worst excesses, it is a comparatively tame affair. Nevertheless, it was only the utmost devotion to a critic’s duty that kept me in the cinema to the end. I didn’t want to sit there, and be subjected to such a whipped up atmosphere of phoney alarm”.

‘Variety’, January 19th 1966: “After a slow start some climate of eeriness is evoked but more shadows, surprises and suggestion would have helped. Christopher Lee, and old hand at the , makes a latish appearance, but dominates the film enough without any dialogue”.

‘Time Out’ David Pirie: “Full of sensual mysteriousness which Hammer used to achieve so effortlessly during their long occupation of Bray Studios…..though it tails off, the first hour has real grandeur as Dracula’s servant uses a prudish Victorian couple to effect his master’s restoration”.

Comment Although the film had unenviable task of following Hammer’s original Dracula, the film many consider to be the studio’s masterpiece, Dracula Prince Of Darkness is a somewhat better film than some observers would have us believe. It was Terence Fisher’s third and final vampire film, and despite a somewhat unoriginal script, he succeeds in building up an eerie atmosphere which he then devastatingly shatters with Klove’s murder of Alan. Contrary to popular opinion, while an actor of Peter Cushing’s caliber would obviously be missed, Andrew Keir as the outspoken Father Sandor is a worthy replacement for Van Helsing. Likewise, Barbara Shelley is convincing as both the prudish Helen (just watch her disapproving expression as Sandor warms his backside by the fire) and a sexually ambiguous vampire (she tells Diana “you don’t need Charles”). Despite the handicap of having no dialogue, Christopher Lee would again prove his ability to act using just expressive eyes and bloody language. For further

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 69 Francis Matthews as Charles plays a far more prominent part in the tracking down of Dracula than ’s Holmwood had. While Holmwood was content to let Van Helsing do the dirty work while example, watch closely his portrayal of elements of vampire lore) is also he comforted his wife Mina. Charles of the title role in The Mummy incorporated, while a vampire’s fear of lets Sandor do the comforting while he (1959) (arms extended pleading to running water is changed to the extent sets about staking the Count himself. the woman he believes to be the that it is now fatal in the film. Indeed, Sandor is resigned to being reincarnation of his long lost love), Although Dracula had reigned unable to help Charles (surely a man and also his creature in The Curse for more than a century before he met of his resourcefulness could have at Of Frankenstein (1957), as he turns his match in Van Helsing (according least temporarily warded Dracula off away from the gaze of Paul Krempe, to the film’s opening narration), this with a crucifix) until Diana’s attempts ashamed at his pathetic existence. time Dracula’s reign is bought to an to shoot Dracula give him an idea. It’s interesting to note just how abrupt end almost as soon as it has Then we come to the mysterious much of Bram Stocker’s novel is begun. However with so many things Klove. Where exactly did he emerge incorporated into this sequel which to avoid: stakes, garlic, running water, from? There is no mention of him in was overlooked by the original anything holy, and in later films the first film. Also, why wait ten years film. Perhaps most obvious is the lightning and even hawthorne bushes, to resurrect his master when he could character of Ludwig who is Renfield Dracula was never likely to last long easily have abducted one of the locals in everything but name. The scene in in a Hammer film. During this brief for the purpose? which Dracula attempts to convert outing, almost every appearance Although it has its flaws, most Diana to vampirism, though he of Dracula is a duplicate of scenes notably a lack of originality, Dracula is interrupted, is almost identical from the first film. Old Drac must Prince Of Darkness is still worthy of to Dracula’s seduction of Mina in be a quick dresser, for after being being called a Hammer horror classic. the novel. Stocker’s premise that a reconstituted naked, he appears fully It is equal to and considerably better vampire cannot cross a threshold clothed in just over a minute of screen than most of the subsequent Hammer uninvited (one of the more eccentric time! Dracula’s.

Page 70 We Belong Dead Fearbook Arguably Peter Cushing’s worst ever fi lm! Dan Gale grasps his butterfl y net and investigates the blood beast terror.

nfortunately, The Blood Beast Terror isn’t a very good fi lm. Firstly, while trying to capture that Honestly, I really wanted to enjoy it. It had an amazing cast – thick Gothic English atmosphere that U Peter Cushing, Robert Flemyng (who was in The Terror Of Dr. Hammer had mastered (which he does Hichcock with Barbara Steele) and directed Vernon Sewell (who did brilliantly), Sewell hasn’t bothered to the talky 1952 Hazel Court movie Ghost Ship and went onto the adjust for the acting department. It’s cult Karloff/Lee/Steele vehicle Curse Of The Crimson Altar) – but it generally known that Cushing regards this as his “worst” fi lm (the worst he just didn’t work. Before discussing the plot, I must say a few things has been involved with), even though about the acting… his performance isn’t too bad. It’s not Van Helsing, but it’s acceptable. It’s Robert Flemyng who is guilty of ‘laying on the mustard’ – his performance rivals Richard Burton’s Father Lamont in Exorcist II- the Heretic as the hammiest ever in a horror movie. Dull, unlikeable scenes are enlivened by his awful delivery of lines, making him unintentionally hilarious. A certain scene in particular, where Flemyng yells at his daughter (played by Wanda Ventham, who later starred in Gerry Anderson’s UFO TV series) has him marching up and down the set, on and off camera, and even hitting poor Ms Ventham whilst spouting (with evil relish) lines like: “You couldn’t wait, could you? (Shove!) Wasn’t it I who created you? And how have you repaid me? (Slap!) By causing death and destruction! And now…..(staring madly around room)……I have been insane enough to create another!” The ‘other’ is another moth creature, which we’ll come to in a moment. Quite why he has made another, after the fi rst one has caused him so much grief, and quite why he seems to be blaming his daughter for his making another is unexplained. But there is worse! Even the statue-like delivery of Flemyng cannot

The Blood Beast Terror (1967) – aka The Vampire Beast Craves Blood. A Tigon-British Production. Starring Peter Cushing, Robert Flemyng, Wanda Ventham and Roy Hudd. Directed by Vernon Sewell.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 71 match the acting of the fellow who exactly explode after this role, Hudd played ‘Clem’ the gardener. He is gives the most enjoyable performance terrible! Why Sewell didn’t either in the film, cracking dead jokes and insist on a re-shoot of another actor eating his lunch among the bodies (a is a mystery (lack of time and money now common must in morgue scenes perhaps). To hide my own ignorance in all movies). His best line comes as and to protect the ‘actor’s’ identity, he pours a glass of chilled wine (from I will not name him here. (I can’t a bottle hidden between a corpses remember his name! – surprisingly!). feet to keep it cool!): “I’m havin’ me The film itself is quite a rarity, but it’s dinner now. Makes a change from cold worth the long hard search just to see meat! Hu, hu!” On reflection, this line this man’s ‘acting’. suggests more than the scriptwriter Now the plot (if you can call it Peter Bryan probably wanted it to! that). A ‘mad’ professor (Flemyng), (Urgh!) who has rather obvious stuck on It’s a shame the film doesn’t sideburns, has managed to turn his work. Cushing and Flemyng make a daughter into a ‘weremoth’, and every good twosome, they look impressive full moon she metamorphisis into a together (even though they can’t half woman/half deaths head moth. barter lines the way Cushing and She flaps off out of the window and Lee can). Cushing plays the film like insists on killing people by biting a Holmes mystery, gasping at clues, their necks and sucking their blood taking nothing for granted. Talking of (hence the films other title). One of Cushing, if you look closely, you may these murders starts the film after the be able to see the famous Frankenstein credits. If the moth girl doesn’t do wheel, the rotating double wheeled away with the victims immediately, prop that Cushing first used in The then as the local doctor, Flemyng Curse Of Frankenstein used in one has the chance to silence them of the lab scenes – it later showed completely when examining them up in all but one of the lab scenes in (very handy!). To avoid scandal, the Hammer Frankenstein series, in Flemyng and his daughter move house varying sizes. – to a place in the country. Cushing Then comes the climax. This is had been assigned to investigate the such an amazing flop of scene I won’t murders, and as he is good friends even begin to describe it (except with Flemyng, he does not suspect that the scene was filmed during the him. That is until he vanishes to the day, when it was obviously supposed country…. to be night). This is the moment I’ll leave the rest of the plot to when we finally get to see the moth avoid disappointing anyone who hasn’t in full flight….and boy, is it ever seen it (and believe me it’ll take more worth the wait!? (no!!!) Fishing than giving the end away to make this rods and moth models on wire film less disappointing!). are plashed across the screen as it I should also mention the someone were fly fishing for a Great ‘comedy’ element that appears (apart White. All the various moth rules from Flemyng!). At one point Cushing that were thought up during the rest and the local inspector visit one of of the film are left out, and are not the dead ‘uns at the morgue. Here involved during the climax, making they are greeted by panto regular Roy it very unsatisfactory. But Cushing Hudd, playing the onion chomping comes out alive, and ever the hero, morgue attendant. It’s fair to say that which is a relief. He’d never live whilst his career on horror films didn’t down being killed by that thing!

Page 72 We Belong Dead Fearbook Eric McNaughton ventures down to the cobwebbed catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House to unmask his namesake – Erik the Phantom!

his article originally appeared in the very first T issue of WE BELONG DEAD many (full) moons ago. It is reprinted here for two reasons. Firstly, copies of our premiere issue have long since sold out. And secondly the article before you now has been extensively rewritten and facts updated, with much information that was not available at the time it was originally penned. In this respect my sincere thanks must go to Michael F. Blake, whose two volumes Lon Chaney – The Man Behind The Thousand Faces and its follow up A Thousand Faces – Lon Chaney’s Artistry In Motion Pictures have been invaluable.

Synopsis The Paris Opera House – centre of culture in the city of culture! Beneath this imposing edifice lie the dungeons and torture chambers of medieval Paris. In these catacombs dwells a spectre – Erik the Phantom. The only person to have seen the Phantom is scene shifter (Bernard Seigel). “His eyes are so deep” says Buquet, “that you can hardly see the fixed pupils. All you see is two big black holes, as in a dead man’s skull. His skin which is stretched across his

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 73 bones like a drumhead, is not white but a dirty yellow”. Erik the Phantom (Lon Chaney) lives only for the music and his ‘angel’ Christine Daae (Mary Philbin). Box 5 at the Opera House is always left empty for the Opera Ghost. When the new managers of the Opera House let out the Phantom’s box and refuse to let Christine sing instead of La Carlotta (Virginia Pearson), he wreaks a terrible revenge. As he sends the giant crystal chandelier crashing into the audience he tells the managers: “Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier!”. Amid the confusion the Phantom spirits Christine away to his subterranean lair. There he plays her his own composition “”. Christine is intrigued by the masked composer, and while he is at the organ she rips off his mask. Recoiling in horror at the deaths head before her, the Phantom cries “Feast your eyes, glut your soul on my accursed ugliness!”. After promising to keep his secret she is allowed to return to the surface. The following evening is the Opera’s Masqued Ball. “One night each year, all Paris mingled, forgetful of castle – the merry mad Bal de

Page 74 We Belong Dead Fearbook l’Opera”. Into the minds of the revelry strides a spectral figure robed in red. It is the Phantom as the embodiment of the Red Death. He castigates the revellers, “Beneath your dancing feet are the tombs of tortured men – thus does the Red Death rebuke your merriment!” Later, unknown to Christine, the phantom clings to the statue of Apollo on the Opera rooftop, his cloak billowing around him, as she betrays him to her lover Raoul de Chagny (Norman Kerry). The Phantom abducts Christine again and takes her below the Opera House. Raoul, with the help of the mysterious Persian (Arthur Edmund Carew) who is on the trail of the Phantom, follow. The Phantom, however, is too clever and traps them in his torture chamber. In order to save them Christine agrees to marry the Phantom, but they are interrupted by a mob who have penetrated the Phantom’s kingdom. The Phantom flees, pursued by the mob, racing past of the Seine. Holding the crowd at bay by pretending to have a hand grenade, he opens his hand to show it is empty and the mob is upon him. The

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 75 phantom’s body is thrown into the Certain scenes still stand out Lon Chaney had created many Seine and sinks below the surface. after over 70 years: the Phantom’s memorable ‘monsters’ in such films as appearance at the Masqued Ball A Blind Bargain (1922), The Unholy Behind the scenes as Edgar Allan Poe’s Red Death, Three (1925) and The Monster (1925), Lon Chaney’s The Phantom Of resplendent in crimson cloak and earning himself the nickname “Man The Opera is a true classic of the grinning skull mask; the phantom on of a Thousand Faces”. In 1922 Carl silent cinema, comparable to David the roof of the Opera House listening Laemmle, head of , Wark Griffith’s Birth Of A Nation, as Christine betrays him to Raoul, his had lured Chaney away form MGM ’s Gold Rush and cloak billowing in the wind; and, of to star in The Hunchback Of Notre even Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin. course, the famous unmasking scene. Dame, and it was again to Universal

Page 76 We Belong Dead Fearbook that Chaney was to return from MGM (where he had just finished filming He Who Gets Slapped) on October 29th 1924, for his greatest triumph. The film was based on the novel by , written in 1911. Although it was widely believed that an unknown researcher at Universal was responsible for discovering the book as a suitable vehicle for Chaney, it seems that Lon himself had already made enquiries as to who owned the rights to the novel. It remains one on the best remembered films of the silent era. Universal spared no expense on the film. Over 250 dancers from various opera companies, including the Met., were hired. The film used the first steel and concrete stage ever built in Hollywood, big enough to accommodate the whole of the Paris Opera House interior sets and the maze of catacombs that made up the Phantom’s underground domain. Stage 28, as it is known, still stands today, although only the Opera Box seats are as they were in 1924. Sculptors and scenic artists were drafted in to design the amazing interiors and full scale model of the statue of Apollo for the scene on the Opera House roof. The famous chandelier, which the Phantom sends crashing to the ground, was an exact replica of that in the Paris Opera House. Production on The Phantom Of The Opera started in October 1924. The set was closed during filming so that no one could get a look at Chaney’s make-up. The production was a troubled one. Rupert Julian was assigned as director, however, from the start there were differences between him and his star, especially over the portrayal of the Phantom. Indeed, it seems that director Julian managed to get the backs up of most of the cast and crew. Things got so bad between Chaney and Julian that the two men wouldn’t even talk to each other and Chaney himself ended up directing some of the film. Adapted by Elliot J. Clawson from Leroux’s novel, the screenplay omits the story’s Persian prologue, leaving viewers wondering who the mysterious middle eastern detective is. The Phantom’s unmasking is a double shock for audience. To viewers in the 90’s who have seen gore galore and amazing special effects, it may seem lame, but at the time it caused an outrage. As film historian Carlos Clarens has stated: “Whether reported faintings in the audience were real of dreamed up by Universal, Chaney’s

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 77 characterisation was everything the public had come to expect of him”. As Chaney historian and biographer Michael F. Blake says “As for the unmasking scene, one can’t help but speculate that Chaney may have had a forceful hand in directing it...”. Lon Chaney was a very private man who shunned the limelight and as a result many myths have grown up around him. This is particularly true when it comes to his make up. Chaney wanted his characterisation spirit gum, pulling it up until the Chaney himself was modest when of Erik to be as close as possible desired look was achieved, and then discussing his extraordinary skill. “In to Leroux’s description. There are gluing the rest of the strip of fi shskin The Phantom Of The Opera people oft repeated claims that for The to the bridge of the nose and the exclaimed at my weird make up. I Phantom Chaney used celluloid lower part of the forehead. Shading achieved the Death’s Head of that role discs in his cheek bones and wire to around the eyes with a dark liner without wearing a mask. It was the use distend his nostrils. Michael F. Blake, gave the hollow eyed look which was of paints in the right shades and the writing in his well researched book further emphasised with a thin line right places – not the obvious parts of Lon Chaney – The Man Behind The of highlight colour under the lower the face – which gave the complete Thousand Faces describes Chaney’s eyelashes. The jagged teeth were illusion of horror...... I’ve never worn make up for the fi lm as follows: “To made of guttapercha, accentuated a mask in my life, save at Halloween achieve the Phantom’s skull like by using a dark lining colour on the parties.....It’s an art, but not magic”. appearance, Lon employed the same lower lip. Lon used a skull cap with Amazingly for a silent fi lm, some cotton and collodion technique he a wig sewn onto it and a fi ne piece of the scenes were in colour. Albeit used in The Hunchback Of Notre of muslin on the edge of the cap. primitive when compared to today’s Dame for the raised and extended Gluing the muslin edge allowed it to sophisticated colour processes, during cheek-bones. The up-tilting of the blend easily into the forehead. His the 1920’s they were a sensation. A lot nose was done by gluing a strip of ears were glued back with spirit gum, of the colour in the fi lm appeared in fi shskin onto the top of the nose with completing the hideous look.” the grand opera scenes. But the most

Page 78 We Belong Dead Fearbook outstanding colour sequence remains A second preview took place was never filmed, of course. By then the Masqued ball where Chaney’s Red in April 1925 in San Francisco Chaney was signed to MGM who Death bursts upon the green tinted (due to the fact that all New York weren’t happy about letting their star revelers in brilliant red. and Los Angeles theatres were attraction go to a rival studio. While Filming lasted for 10 weeks, booked up). This too proved to be a The Return Of The Phantom never finishing in early January 1925. In fact disappointment and further comedy appeared, Chaney’s Phantom Of The Lon had finished his scenes by the scenes with Chester Conklin were Opera was to be indirectly responsible middle of the previous November and filmed and new title cards written. But for Universal’s Golden Age of Horror. had returned to MGM to begin filming Leammle was still unhappy and the Without the phenomenal success The Unholy Three. new comedy scenes were ditched and of Phantom Of The Opera and the The film was previewed in yet more title cards written. Finally on earlier Hunchback Of Notre Dame January in Los Angeles, but ‘Uncle September 6th 1925 The Phantom Of it’s doubtful that Uncle Carl and Carl’ (Laemmle) wasn’t pleased The Opera opened in New York where Universal would ever have embarked with the reception the film received it was hugely successful, running for on making Dracula, Frankenstein, and additional scenes were ordered. nine weeks. The Mummy and we might possibly Perhaps the biggest change was the In 1929 Universal announced a not have seen a whole heritage of ending. The original filmed ending had sequel, The Return Of The Phantom. It horror. The British film critic Milton the Phantom found lying Shulman wrote in 1925: dead at his organ (a much “My most horrific moments seen, if confusing photo in the cinema came when of this is often printed in I first saw Lon Chaney books). A Universal report spinning round from his of March 1925 pointed playing the organ at the out the problems with the Paris Opera to display ending: “The ending is his fanged, corroded, not logical or convincing. skull like visage to Mary A monster, such as the Philbin who, as Christine, Phantom, the official had dared unmask him. torturer etc., and who That tingling, hair on end delighted in crime, could experience has lived with not have been redeemed me for almost 50 years”. through a woman’s kiss, Certainly, the nor could a girl who had unmasking scene has witnessed his diabolical come down through the acts, have been moved to decades and remains kiss him merely because he one of the classic images dropped his head sadly. His of the cinefantastique, death rang false moreover, on par with Karloff’s better to have kept him a first appearance as the devil to the end”. Frankenstein monster, A new ending was King Kong atop the filmed, directed by Edward Empire State Building and Sedgwick, in which the Christopher Lee and Peter Phantom escapes the mob Cushing battling it out at and is chase through the the climax of Hammer’s streets of Paris (past the still Dracula. standing Notre Dame set There could be no from The Hunchback) to the more fitting epitaph than Seine where he is killed. that.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 79 If you think we’ve got problems with today’s youth, just wait to see what was going on in the 50’s! Darren Allison investigates.

n 1954, Samuel Z Arkoff and James H Nicholson, set u-p featured a set of distinctly unhealthy American International Pictures for just $3,000. Their working fangs, protruding from the centre of I policy was a simple one: to successfully produce low budget the mouth, and the most amazing pair films, mainly for the Drive-in cinema circuit and the ever increasing of eyebrows that are shaped like bat Teenage audience (which made up about 80% of cinema goers in wings. Harrison’s appearance as the the mid 50’s). The company was capable of churning out 15-20 vampire still looks inexpensive, but movies per year, and remarkably, hardly ever lost money. AIP were at the same time, certainly remains effective. always following fashions and trends, so it was only a matter of time Nancy steadily begins to work before the studio decided to exploit the popular Horror market. her way through three unsuspecting victims. When visited by her boyfriend The year 1956, brought us Blood Of The catch is, Nancy has to take part Glenn, she seems somewhat distant, Dracula (released in the UK as Blood in some experiments involving an and at one point is tempted to make Is My Heritage). Produced by Herman amulet, which has dark powers. him victim number four. In a desperate Cohen, it was the first film of the At this point, the film seems to and confused state, Nancy approaches so-called Teenage Horrors. The movie be moving along rather nicely, until Mrs. Branding, and begs to be released had nothing to do with Dracula, the we are submitted to a most nauseating from the amulet’s power. After the only loose connection being that musical number, Puppy Love. Why Mistress refuses, Nancy transforms of an old amulet, which may have this had to be included I do not know, into a vampire. In the short struggle belonged to the Count at some time. the only thing it seems to achieve it, that follows, Mrs. Branding is killed, The film opens as Nancy Perkins providing the viewer with some time as well as the Teenage vampire, who (Sandra Harrison) is being driven to to make a vital cup of Coco and killing is impaled on a splintered piece of the Sherwood school for girls, by her the story line dead. furniture. father and step mother. On her arrival, After a couple of awful minutes, The film’s climax, can only be she proves very unpopular with her we’re back on track, to find Mrs. described as a little disappointing, a class mates. The following day, during Branding’s amulet beginning to typical case of, blink and you’ll miss it. a science class, she receives an acid take effect. Before long, Nancy is Maybe the director was down to his burn on her hand, purposely caused transformed into a blood sucking last few feet of the film, and simply by one of the students. While being creature of the night. For me, the decided not to reload. That’s certainly treated by the chemistry teacher, Mrs. make up of Phillip Scheer, is the the impression the film gives. Branding, she is told (with the use highlight of the film. This is definitely The direction, by Herbert L of hypnosis), that she is capable of a girl you wouldn’t want to meet down Stock, is not one of the film’s high controlling her emotional problems. a dark alley! Harrison’s grotesque look points. It is a film that has to be

Page 80 We Belong Dead Fearbook reason, always seems to elude the camera in these types of fi lm. As in Blood Of Dracula, the climax is almost watched with longue very fi rmly in the is the psychiatrist Dr Brandon, who, a carbon copy. Tony heads back to Dr. check. The fi lm posters carried slogans when treating Tony, (again with the Brandon’s lad, pleading for help. The such as “In her eyes ……desire! In her help of hypnosis), Injects him with a doctor is not prepared to help and veins …….the blood of a monster!”, serum. There is another unfortunate again injects Tony with the serum, and perhaps the biggest exaggeration, resemblance here, another terrible this time his assistant is recording the “Will give you nightmares forever!”. song! Back in school, the strangest events on 16mm fi lm. Unfortunately It didn’t matter how much hype things begin to happen. Tony is for the men in white, the phone accompanied the advertising walking through a corridor and looks begins to ring, and before you can cry campaign, the fact is it drew the kids in on a young student practicing in “Werewolf!” Tony is sprouting hair in and was enough for Mr. Cohen to the gym. The school bell starts to ring, all over, this time producing more start on an immediate follow up. and by some amazing phenomenon. It foam at the mouth than an excited In 1957 came the more enjoyable turns Tony into a snarling werewolf. rabid dog! He quickly disposes of the I Was A Teenage Werewolf. As well as There’s certainly no waiting about doctor and his assistant, in the process having a highly original title, it was for the full moon in this fi lm, and destroying the camera and exposing quite well directed by Gene Fowler Tony wastes no time in killing the the fi lm. In a matter of seconds, the Jnr. A Director who was later to young girl before running off into police change in and pump four or fi ve bring us I Married A Monster From the woods. The make-up by Phillip bullets into Tony, and without a single Outer Space. Although being a better Scheer, is again very good, and you piece of silver in sight. fi lm altogether, Teenage Werewolf, almost fi nd yourself forgetting the I Was A Teenage Werewolf is a is in many ways, similar to Blood Of fact that this werewolf is wearing a good clean entertainment. All the Dracula. It opens with the Rockdale baseball jacket. By the morning, Tony myths and rules that accompanied High School, and a troubled student, has transformed back to his human most of the other werewolf fi lms are Tony (). form, an occurrence that for some thrown out of the window. Whenever

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 81 Page 82 We Belong Dead Fearbook I watch this movie I never find which is seen being lifted off the table. the help of his creature soon plots to myself questioning it, somehow it Hidden under the leg has got to be the turn her into instant crocodile feed. doesn’t seem to matter. Perhaps more best waste disposal unit a Frankenstein The reward being a new face for his importantly, it also stops the story from could ever wish for, a pit containing efforts. Together they drive about for being predictable. A sum of $150,000 a very hungry crocodile (yes this film a spot of face shopping! After a while was invested in the film by Mr. Cohen. has got it all!). Luck is definitely on they discover a couple necking in a It enjoyed immense success at the box the professors side because before car. The excited creature is more than office and made a healthy return of long he is stitching on the hands of a pleased with the young mans face and about $2 and a half million. AIP had ‘champion wrestler’ and a leg from a soon after it turns up in the lab in struck gold. ‘football star’. Soon after Frankenstein what can only be described as a bird Also in 1957 Herbert L Strock begins to question his creation and cage. It rapidly finds it’s way onto the was back to direct I Was A Teenage what follows has got to be the best creature who then can’t take his eyes Frankenstein (released in the UK as bad line ever heard in a horror film: off himself. Gone is the grotesque head Teenage Frankenstein). Whit Bissell “Answer me, I know you have a civil and in its place we have fresh faced was also back, this time as an English tongue in your head because I sewed it Gary Conway (who latter found fame descendant of the Frankenstein family. in there”. This I can take no problem, in TV’s Land Of The Giants). Not happy with his great ancestor’s in fact I rather enjoy it! What I find Frankenstein explains to Karlton results, Frankenstein plans to build a hard to swallow is Bissell’s constantly how he plans to dismantle his creature person who is able to walk like anyone irritating “My boy!” I had just about and ship it with him back to England. else in the street. As luck would have forgotten the repetitive use of it from In this scene the packing cases in the it right at that very moment there Teenage Werewolf, when I find myself background are marked ‘113 Wardour is a car crash outside! The professor experiencing a sense of a déjà vu. Street, London, England’. The address and his assistant Dr. Karlton (Robert Meanwhile, Frankenstein is at the time of Hammer Films Ltd! As Burton) immediately collect one of experiencing some harassment in the the professor and his assistant try to the bodies form the wreck and return shape of his lady friend Margaret. In strap Mr. Conway to the lab table he with it to the lab. The following day no time at all the creation is in the understandably becomes very upset they remove the hands and one of lab looking sickeningly healthy and at the prospect of being chopped up the legs from the body. In this film, lifting weights. The only reason he again. Not liking the look of things compared to the previous two, the is till in the lab is because his face he breaks free and kills Frankenstein. blood and gore are much more vividly looks like it’s been placed through The crocodile in the pit below had displayed. The removing of the hands a blender. Frustration and boredom never had it so good! Dr Karlton runs and leg are really just as graphic, if not lead to the creature breaking out and out and again, in some pretty amazing a little more so, than Hammer’s Curse exploring the town. On his journey detective work, the police are there Of Frankenstein. It would have been he overpowers a young girl and in a matter of a minute. Instead of very interesting to see this scene had unintentionally kills her. In a panic he turning himself over to the police, the it been filmed in colour. If anything heads back to the lab. Frankenstein distressed creature electrocutes itself the black and white seems to tone has decided that Margaret is becoming on one of the lab control panels. At down that large piece of mangled leg a threat to his experiments and with this point the film bursts into colour

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 83 for the remaining minute or so, which weren’t we just might never have seen for me really rubs salt into the wounds. the likes of Vincent Price in The Pit It does however give us a chance And The Pendulum or House Of Usher to see the grotesque and excellent of any of the other AIP classics that make-up in all its full glory, thanks to followed. The teenage horror cycle Karlton’s closing flashback line “I’ll was only the opening chapter from never forget the way he looked…” a studio that went on to provide us I really enjoyed watching with some of the most essential horror Teenage Frankenstein, even if a lot of viewing there is to be seen. So should it is in rather bad taste. I only wish we really mock them, or should we it had all been filmed in colour, but really be grateful? unfortunately in the 1950’s AIP considered the budget more than they would ever consider the look of a film. The person I admire most in all three of these films is make-up man Phillip Scheer, in particular Teenage Frankenstein, which many serious horror writers regard as very poor. I think there is something very disturbing about that face, and consider it a very underrated make up job. It’s probably true to say that Mr. Scheer was working with a very tight budget at AIP and it’s all credit to him that image of these three creations still remain very memorable. At the end of the day, none .of these films did anyone any harm. I occasionally enjoy a less serious look at horror and these three films always seem to be the perfect answer. They were probably good for the time and it’s also worth considering that if they

Page 84 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Eric McNaughton

Story kicked out of Goldstadt University monster food, drink and a cigar, and A stormy night in 1816 and we are in for his rather unorthodox views. a single tear runs down the monsters villa by the shores of Lake Geneva. Like Frankenstein, Pretorius too has face. Over the next few days the Seated around a roaring fire and created life, only in miniature. He monster is taught some basic words the poet Shelley (Douglas Walton), takes Henry to his laboratory and such as ‘good’, ‘bad’ and ‘friend’. his young lover Mary Godwin (Elsa unveils his work - seven small figures The monster’s happiness is Lanchester) and (Gavin in jars. soon interrupted by two hunters and Gordon). Byron, having heard Mary After toasting “To a new world mayhem ensues as the cottage catches relate her story of Frankenstein (old of gods and monsters!”, Pretorius has fire and the monster flees. in flashback to the original film) is sad a proposal to put to Henry, namely Pursued once again by a mob, he that the tale has ended so soon. But, that together they create a male for finds refuge in the catacombs beneath Mary reveals, the story is by no means the monster. “That should be really the graveyard. Here he encounters over, and she continues… interesting.” Pretorius, slightly the worse for The old windmill where the Back in the countryside, the wear, drinking his gin (“It’s my only monster was trapped at the climax monster stops to drink from the pool weakness”). pretors offers the monster of the original film finally collapses and seeing his reflection in the water, a cigar and asks him if he knows who in on itself, and the mob of villagers, he splashes wildly. He spots a is. “Yes” replies the satisfied that the monster is finally shepherdess and tries to befriend her, monster, “I know. Made me from dead. dead, make their way to their homes. but only succeeds in frightening he I love dead - hate living”. Pretorius The parents of little Maria (drowned which causes her to fall into the water. has now found an ally to force by the monster in famous scene cut The monster saves her from drowning, Frankenstein to make a woman. from the original) remain behind and but for his troubles is shot in the arm The monster kidnaps Elizabeth Hans, the father (Reginald Barlow) by hunters. and Frankenstein has no choice falls into the pond below the windmill, The monster is soon pursued by a but to work with Pretorius. Soon where he counters the burned but mob of villagers, who capture him and the mountaintop laboratory is alive still alive monster (Boris Karloff) who tie him to a pole in a mock crucifixion. again as large kites are unfurled into promptly kills him and then his wife He is then taken to the village and the stormy sky and generators spark (Mary Gordon). chained up in a giant chair. “He’s a and hum. The mummified form on Meanwhile Henry Frankenstein nightmare in the daylight” scrunches the table moves. “She’s alive!” cries (Colin Clive) has been carried home, Minnie (Una O’Connor), the Frankenstein. and looked after by Elizabeth (Valerie Frankenstein’s servant. The chains, Later on, the monster is Hobson) begins to recover. TIme however, can’t hold the monster introduced to his new mate. “The passes until one night a strange visitor who soon escapes one again into the Bride of Frankenstein!” exclaims comes calling at the Frankenstein woods. Pretorius. “Friend?” enquires the home on “a secret matter of grave This time he comes across a monster, but the creature just screams importance”. He is Dr Septimus blind hermit (O.P. Heggie) in a cottage at him. She hisses a second time in Pretorius (Ernest Thesinger), one and discovers the first true friend he rejection of her suitor. “She hate time tutor of Henry, who has been has ever had. The hermit gives the me - like others!” cries the monster

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 85 Page 86 We Belong Dead Fearbook who grabs the lever that will blow the Frankenstein) James Whale assembled finished picture. he didn’t appreciate laboratory to atoms. a superb cast. Back to reprise their Whale’s black humour and wanted Elizabeth arrives and begs Henry roles from from the original were more horror in the film. Colin Clive to escape, but he refuses saying he Karloff as the monster, Colin Clive too was unhappy, he had strongly felt can’t desert his creation again. But as the idealistic Henry Frankenstein that Henry Frankenstein should have the monster interjects, “Go! You and (in a different role as been blown up at the film’s finale to live! Go!” he calmly says to Henry. Karl). In addition, Whale’s old friend atone for his blasphemy, and although “You stay” he continues to Pretorius, gave a tour-de-force this was still the intention when the “We belong dead!” And Henry and performance as Dr Septimus Pretorius, climatic scene was filmed, Universal Elizabeth escape the monster, with a a role originally intended for Claude eventually opted for Henry and tear running down his cheek, pulls the Rains. Playing Elizabeth, Henry Elizabeth. lever and blows the tower sky high. Frankenstein’s bride, this time around The film was previewed in was 17 year old , and April 1935to good critical reviews. in supporting roles were O.P. Heggie Unfortunately for horror fans both Behind the scenes as a blind hermit, E.E. Clive as the Whale and Laemmale felt the film was Almost as soon as Frankenstein (1931) pompous burgomaster and the brilliant too long at 92 minutes and decided was released and became a box office Una O’Connor as the screeching to cut it to 75 minutes! Much of the hit, Universal realised they had Minnie. prologue along with a lot of it’s fine committed a grave error in letting the Filming began at Universal City dialogue ended up on the cutting monster die in the burning windmill. in January 1935 and started badly with room floor. Gone too was entire sub- But in the world of Hollywood the Karloff falling into the millpond and plot featuring Dwight Frye’s character, power of the dollar was far greater dislocating his hip. Ever the trooper, where Karl takes advantage of the than the powers of life and death. Karloff had his hip bandaged and monster’s rampage to murder his uncle All concerned, Boris Karloff, carried on filming, putting himself and aunt for their money. Also missing director James Whale and Carl through 5 hours in Jack Pierce’s make- was the burgomeister’s death at the Leammles Snr and Jnr ( the heads of up chair. This was an hour and a half hands of the monster. Universal) knew the monster must more than for Frankenstein and reflects The film broke all box office return. As Karloff himself said, “The the changes to the monster’s visage records on its release in the USA and producers realised they’d made a resulting from the fire in the windmill. did equally well in Britain. The British dreadful mistake. They let the monster One thing with which Karloff censor, however, insisted on one cut of die in the burning mill…. Actually, was particularly unhappy was the a scene in the crypt where the monster it seems he had only fallen through decision to let the monster speak. “My looks tenderly at a young girl’s corpse the flaming floor into the mill pond argument was that if the monster had and asks “Friend?”. Apparently the beneath and could now go on for reels any impact or charm it was because he good old British censor thought this and reels”. was inarticulate”. scene implied necrophilia!! (Just For the sequel (filmed under Filming finished in March with goes to show that some things never the original title The Return of Carl Leammale Jnr unhappy about the change with censorship!).

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 87 The fi lm is shot through with religious icons and imagery. Just as God gave Adam a mate in Eve, so Pretorius and Frankenstein do the same for the monster. “Leave the charnel house” Pretorius tells Henry, “and follow the lead of nature - or of God, if you like your bible stories, ‘… male and female created He them’ Alone you have created a man. Now together we will create his mate”. Pretorius has also tried to play god by creating life in miniature. The monster himself is the obvious Christ fi gure, rising from his ‘death’ in the windmill and even being ‘crucifi ed’ by the villagers at one point. On a scene in the original script, never fi lmed, had the monster coming upon a statue of the crucifi ed Christ in a graveyard. Seeing it as someone being tortured as he was by the villagers, he tries to rescue the fi gure from the cross. In the fi nal fi lm all that remains is the monster toppling a statue of a bishop. Likewise a scene with Henry telling Elizabeth of his experiments(“Can you realise….what it means to a scientist to come so near the supreme mystery…..I conceived it - it was like being God”) was cut as it was considered too blasphemous. It might be interesting to look in details at the scenes which were cut or never reached fi lming. As we’ve seen, the entire climax was changed to give a happier ending. The original idea was that Pretorius would have Elizabeth murdered and her heart would be given to the monster’s mate, but Universal regarded this as being too macabre. Instead Elizabeth was to arrive at the locked door of the lab just as the monster pulls the lever blowing them all to atoms. This was actually fi lmed, and if you look carefully and are fast enough you can still see Henry with the Bride by the door as the whole place explodes. Heavily cut was the prologue featuring Percy Shelley, Mary and Lord Byron by the shores of Lake Geneva. Interestingly enough the cut dialogue paints a very different picture of , to the innocent portrayal that was left. In the excised dialogue, when Byron asks how Mary can write such horrors, she replies: “We are all three infi dels, scoffers at all marriage ties….I say look at Shelley, who would suspect that pink and white innocence, gentle as a dove, was thrown out of Oxford University as a menace to morality, had run away form his lawful spouse with innocent me but 17, that he was deprived of his rights as a father by

Page 88 We Belong Dead Fearbook the Lord Chancellor of England and reviled by society as a monster himself. WHAT THEY SAID I am also ostracised as a free thinker, so why shouldn’t i write of monsters?”. “Bride of Frankenstein, with its mad strokes of and bizarre This gives us a much truer to religious touches, was audacious indeed for 1935. Only Whale would have life of Mary, who was the daughter of dared present the monster crying as a saintly old hermit prays, ‘Ave Maria’ Godwin and Mary Woolsencraft. She plays stirringly in the background, and a crucifix glows above - just as only was indeed you young lover os Shelley, Karloff had the grace to play it.” who along with Byron, was regarded as Gregory William Mank a pariah by the hypocrites who ruled IT’S ALIVE British society. A more perplexing cut is a “Karloff (the Boris is scene at the beginning if the film shelved) is, of course, at where Henry and Elizabeth are told top form as the monster of the old Baron’s death. Just why and manages to invest this short scene was cut is a mystery the charter with some and it creates confusion later on subtleties of emotional when Pretorius greets Henry with the that are surprisingly real words “BARON Frankenstein now, i and touching. Runner up believe”. position from an acting Another curious cut was a standpoint goes to Ernest Whale in-joke, where Pretorius Thesinger as Dr Pretorius, a shows Henry his attempts at creating diabolical characterisation if life in miniature glass jars. There ever there was one”. was a seventh miniature figure of a VARIETY 1935 baby in a high chair (played by Billy Barty) that was supposed look like “Bride of Frankenstein a baby Karloff. The baby, seen only remains the biggest in long shot in the finished film, was budgeted, best dressed, originally seen pulling petals form a highly polished, finest flower (a reference to Whales original finished horror film in Frankenstein) as Pretorius observes history; a first class “I think this baby will grow into Hollywood product made something worth watching”. with all the artistry and technology a top studio normally lavished upon The largest cut sections only it’s most commercial ventures. It was Whale’s best work”. were a courtroom scene where Dennis Gifford the burgomaster investigates two A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF HORROR MOVIES murders, the scene where the monster reaches through a window to kill “This sequel contained all the terrifying elements of a high quality horror the burgomaster, and the sub-plot movie and in addition, passages of humour and pathos, which captivated involving Dwight Frye’s murder of his audience and endeared the monster, played by Boris Karloff, to all”. aunt and uncle. Apart from slowing John E. Parnum up the story, Whale felt the scenes BRIDGING THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (IN CINEMACABRE would show the monster as a violent 1988) murderer and it would thus be harder to sympathise with him. “Through the passage of the years the film’s reputation has increased and But despite the cuts, or perhaps many enthusiasts believe it to be that is superior to its original. There is also because of them, The Bride of no doubt that Bride of Frankenstein stands the test of time extremely well Frankenstein remains a classic, head and is perhaps the fines horror film of the 30’s”. and shoulders above all the other John Stoker entries in the Universal series. THE ILLUSTRATED FRANKENSTEIN In Bride Karloff, despite his personal objections, gave the “ The moment she (the Bride) is brought to life in one of the great climaxes monster real emotions and sympathy. of fantastic cinema. There is the horrified scream with which she first greets Unfortunately it would never be the monster; her wild-eyed, weirdly coffered appearance; the mechanical, so again. From Son of Frankenstein inhuman jerking of her neck…; the guttural hiss like a maddened cat…. onwards the monster would become This is an extraordinary piece of scene-stealing, particularly because, merely a murderous automation. though bizarre, the Bride is not unlovely”. James Whale would never direct Peter Nicholls another horror film, but with Bride he FANTASTIC CINEMA has left us with his piece de resistance, THE classic film from the golden age “While this is a major genre film, it is by no means the classic it is claimed of horror. Who can fail to be moved to be. By infusing the movie with his own quirky sense of humour, Whale by the final scene where the monster, undermines the horror to its detriment”. having been rejected by his mate, Alan Frank utters his famous epitaph as a tear rolls THE HORROR FILM HANDBOOK down his cheek, “We belong dead”.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 89 From giant moths to historical horrors Tigon Studios made a handful of horrors in the sixties a couple of classics included. Neil Ogley looks at the studio that for a short time rivalled Hammer & Amicus.

hilst Hammer and Amicus were the mainstay of British time as a mad attempts to horror in the 60’s and early 70’s, a number of other restore his fiancee’s beauty following W production companies, seeing the success and ultimate a car crash. The process needs the financial reward of horror movies, joined in to make their pituitary glands of beautiful young women and Cushing embarks on a contributions to the genre. One such company was Tigon. murderous spree to collect them. The film is essentially a rip-off of George Helmed by one of the most intended for Basil Rathbone, brings Franju’s 1959 masterpiece Les Yeux imaginative exploitation producers, class as Professor Mallinger and Sans Visage () Tony Tenser, Tigon was formed in comedian Roy Hudd also shines also known as The Horror Chamber 1966 when Tenser left Compton- in a wonderful cameo as a morgue Of Dr Faustus. It is nevertheless Cameo, a distribution company attendant who tucks into his lunch worth watching out for due to he had set up with his partner while showing Cushing the body of Cushing and the supporting cast’s Michael Klinger to distribute early one of the moth-woman’s victims. excellent performances, especially Sue sexploitation films. Horror was not Cushing called this film “the worst (Crossroads) Lloyd. known to Tenser who, while at movie I made” and whilst it is not Compton had a number of minor in the same league as his Hammer The Sorcerers (1967) successes. They had financed Roman outings of the time, the comment was Boris Karloff was conscripted to Polanski’s Repulsion and Cul De Sac perhaps a bit harsh. appear in the next Tigon horror, and had also produced The Black The Sorcerers, in a discredited old Torment, The Projected Man and Corruption (1967) hypnotist who invents a machine perhaps one of the best Sherlock Cushing took the lead again, this which enables him to control the Holmes films, A Study In Terror. The remainder of this article lists chronologically the genre titles produced by Tigon during its years of existence.

The Blood Beast Terror (1967) Tigon’s first real attempt at horror was a poor man’s Hammer clone starring Peter Cushing and directed by Vernon Sewell. The plot concerns a woman who turns into a gigantic Deaths Head moth and drains the blood of men who inadvertently stray into her path. Essentially a remake of Hammer’s The Reptile the film is flawed by its low budget. However the performances are something to savour. Cushing brings all his usual professional skills, whilst Wanda Ventham is excellent as the unfortunate creature of the title. Robert Flemyng, in a role originally

Page 90 We Belong Dead Fearbook was “I’ve made one good one!” Speaking years later Price said: “Working with was a very sad experience. He was a boy who had a lot of problems which no one seemed to know about. He was very unstable….difficult but brilliant. He was about 27 when he committed suicide (Ed: It’s more likely his death was accidental). He was very difficult to work with because he didn’t know how to tell an actor what he wanted. It was very sad……..All I can tell you was that he rubbed everyone the wrong way. But we all knew he had a tremendous talent, so we tried to overlook it. We tried to do it our way and yet do what he wanted us to do. It’s hard to explain, but he was a very difficult man to work with……I remember he came up and said one time ‘Don’t shake your head’. I said ‘I’m not shaking my head’. He responded ‘Well your body is moving so that means you’re shaking your head’. I mean, what can you say?”

Curse Of The Crimson Altar (1968) Another AIP-Tigon co-production which brought together Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough and individuals who submit to the originally written his screenplay with Barbara Steele. It was also Karloff’s process. He manages to persuade Donald Pleasance in mind, but when final British film. Vernon Sewell a young man (Ian Ogilvy) to be a AIP joined in the co-production to returned to direct this all star piece guinea pig and through him Karloff secure the balance of financing they of hokum which tells the story of and his wife enjoy insisted on Price for the lead role. witchcraft in a small English village. the thrill of discos, fast cars and free Making no secret of his displeasure of Mark Eden plays the hero in search love. Eventually Lacey is taken over having Price imposed on him, Reeves of his missing brother, who runs into by madness to such an extent that declined to meet Price’s plane when antique dealer Christopher Lee, who she wills Ogilvy to rape and murder. it landed in London. On the first day is out to avenge the death of his Unable to live with this, Karloff wills of shooting, when Price had a fall ancestress who was burned at the the young man to crash his car which from his horse and had to spend the stake as a witch. At the end of the film is consumed in fire, while Karloff and rest of the day in bed, Reeves refused it is revealed that Lee is possesses by Lacey are simultaneously burnt to to visit him to see that insurance her spirit. death. requirements were complied with. These tactics were employed by The Body Stealers (1969) Witchfinder General (1968) Reeves in order to goad Price into Hollywood great George Sanders Perhaps the most celebrated anger so that it would produce a much co-stars with Patrick Allen in a cheap horror films of the sixties. Vincent fiercer performance and stronger sci-fi adventure in which a group of Price starred in one of the best characterization. On another occasion soldiers testing parachutes disappear performances as Matthew Hopkins, Price blew his top on set and shouted in mid-air. Also starring the cruel and vicious witchfinder of “I have made over 80 films, what have Evans and Neil Connery (Sean’s the title. Director Michael Reeves had you done?”, Reeves’ supposed reply brother), the picture is largely a waste

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 91 of time, except for Sanders and Evans who bring much needed class to the production.

Blood On Satan’s Claw (1970) Two of Britain’s best female actresses appeared in the next Tigon film. Dame and Beryl Reid played two sweet but totally insane spinsters in James Kelly’s film. In an effort to prevent him going to war two sisters drug their brother and imprison him in their cellar. Unfortunately 25 years later they have failed to let him out and, not surprisingly, the now aged brother has been driven berserk. When he breaks out of the cellar and commits a series of brutal murders, the sisters are forced to cover up the killings, which they do with callous impassivity.

Doomwatch (1972) Feature length adaption of the successful TV sci-fi series created by Kit Pedlar and Gerry Davis. The story concerns chemicals that are dumped into the waters surrounding a British island which creates human mutations when fish netted from those waters are eaten. Directed by , the film contains some impressive monster make-up.

The Creeping Flesh (1971) Tigon’s final horror was another attempt to grab some of the Hammer audience by using their stars and production team and in doing so produced one of the better British horror films of the 70’s. starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and was directed by Freddie Francis. It even had bit parts for Michael Ripper and Duncan Lamont. Cushing plays Dr. Emmanuel Hildern who discovers a skeleton which he believers to be the remains of Neanderthal man. He accidently discovers that the flesh regenerates when he spills water on the bones. His brother and competitor, Lee, steals the skeleton and escapes with it on a thundery, rainy night. When the coach he uses for a getaway overturns, the skeleton is soaked and turns into a monster that runs amok.

Page 92 We Belong Dead Fearbook by Dave Brooks

sland Of Lost Souls is a remarkable film in I that, unlike most of its contemporaries in the genre, it hasn’t lost its power to shock. Certainly it shocked the British censors in 1933 (they banned it outright for the next 35 years) and H.G. Wells upon whose novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau” the film is based. The screenplay does actually follow the book’s story quite faithfully as shipwreck survivor Edward Parker (Prendrick in the book) ends up as guest on the private island of exiled biologist Dr. Moreau. Moreau, it soon transpires, has been using his vivisection skills to carve animals into the images of men; the quasi-human results of his experiments populate the island, living in fear of Moreau, their god figure and the threat of the “House of Pain”.

Where the tale does begin to deviate from Wells’s original text is in the inclusion of a female/sexual elements totally missing from the book. Firstly there is the inclusion of Parker’s fiancée who tracks him to the island and secondly there is the character of Lola, Moreau’s near perfect attempt to make a woman from a panther. Both characters figure in the insane Moreau’s plans to mate his creation with real humans giving the story a subtext of implied bestiality that no doubt outraged Wells.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 93 Although also denounced the film on its completion he nevertheless is marvelously convincing as Moreau, giving a great performance of casual cruelty and evil menace. Also of note is Kathleen Burke as the cat woman, a somewhat more charming and kittenish character than the thing of blood and bandages that offs the despicable doctor in the book. The ultimate stars of the show are of course the legions of Moreau’s mutants, brilliantly realized by make-up man Wally Westmore. They are easily the most gruesome and genuinely disturbing monsters ever to appear in any film from horrors “Golden Age”. The grisly finale in which the cacophonous mob turn on their creator and drag him to the vivisection lab is a scene more reminiscent of Romero’s Day Of The Dead than any climax from Paramount’s rival Universal Studios, with the exception of the shocking ending of Freaks.

Page 94 We Belong Dead Fearbook We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 95 Page 96 We Belong Dead Fearbook We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 97 Page 98 We Belong Dead Fearbook Darren Allison takes a look at the career of Tod Browning

od Browning was said to be a solemn, dark figure, T excited and fascinated with the freakish and bizarre. He was born in Louiseville, Kentucky in 1880. He later ran away from home and joined a circus, a job which without doubt influenced him for many of his films. His acting career started in 1913 and by 1916 he had assisted D. W. Griffith on his classic movie Intolerance. Browning made his mark during the 1920’s working closely with Lon Chaney on films such as The Unholy Three, Blackbird and London After Midnight. In 1927 he made The Show for MGM, a film which in many ways proved to be a forerunner to the brilliant Freaks. Using his vast knowledge of circus life, The Show is set in a carnival in Budapest. The carnival featured an array of living monsterosities such as a pair of real mermaids, a half lady and perhaps the most disturbing of all a human spider! The film centres around a common story of a love triangle. starred as the malevolent Greek who falls in love with a young girl. Unfortunately she is in love with the handsome . The three of them work as a team on one of the carnival’s sideshows, “The Death of John the Baptist”. In a fit of jealousy Barrymore does not replace the real axe on stage with the dummy prop. This results in Gilbert’s head being lopped off. A great sequence of minor horror, which actually turns out to be a figment of Barrymore’s imagination. The Unknown was made directly after and this was to be one of the great classics of silent cinema. It was based on Browning’s own story, which again featured a circus artist. Lon Chaney starred as Alonzo, the armless wonder. It is a film with many dark and disturbing undertones of sado- masochism and still remains a very intense film. The collaboration with Chaney continued up until and ended prematurely with Chaney’s early death.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 99 In 1929 Tod Browning ventured into his first talking picture, the very enjoyable The Thirteenth Chair, a film which he co-produced. The film was based on Bayard Veiler’s spiritualist stage thriller and nicely managed to wreck the nerves of the engrossed audience. Margaret Wycherly starred in her original stage role as the medium. She spends the best part of the film going in and out of trances until the murderer is finally caught. Also featured in the cast was Bela Lugosi as the sinister Inspector Delzante. It would be the first of three films that successfully teamed Browning and Lugosi. 1930 started with a move back to Universal where he made the disastrous Outside The Law starring Edward G. Robinson. Later that year he was set to direct Dracula and after the sudden death of his friend Lon Chaney he found himself looking for a new lead. After Bela Lugosi was tested for the role he seemed to be the natural replacement, and so another horror legend was born. The film became an international smash and the rest is history. Once the filming of Dracula was completed Browning’s next project was The Iron Man where he again served as co-producer. The film starred , Jean Harlow and Robert Armstrong. It was the story of a prizefighter who is spurred on by his money hungry wife. The film was a competent if routine melodrama. Returning to MGM in 1932 Browning was summoned by Irving Thalberg where he is rumoured to have said ‘“Give me something that will out horror Frankenstein”, which at the time was setting 1932 records at the box office. Browning delivered his Freaks, a horrifying nightmarish collision between normality and abnormality. The film featured a cast consisting of real freaks. This factor alone caused the film to be banned outright in Britain. It was to receive disastrous premieres in the US and was banned in certain states. MGM conveniently lost the film deep within the studios vaults and disowned it completely. To some horror buffs Freaks is probably their favourite movie. It is without doubt Browning’s most disturbing and terrifying piece of work. The story revolves around the cruel trapeze artist Cleopatra played by Olga Baclanova, and the carnival midget Hans played by Harry Earles. Cleopatra’s plan is to marry Hans and along with Hercules, her lover, kill him for his money. When the freaks

Page 100 We Belong Dead Fearbook learn of the truth they set out for their frenzied revenge. In one of the most harrowing sequences ever seen on film they turn towards Cleopatra and her lover. After castrating Hercules, they begin their writhing descent through the rain soaked mud armed with a variety of sharpened instruments. Together they overpower the taunting Cleopatra and begin to slice her into opening shot pans down from a church one of them. The final shot shows the steeple, through a dark gypsy camp to grotesque ‘Hen-Woman’ squatting in the eerie mists of a damp churchyard. a saw dust filled pit, now on display as A very memorable and magnificent one of the freaks. A scene etched of piece of filming. the soul and simply horrifying. Irving The following year Browning Thalberg asked for it, and Browning made The Devil Doll, which turned After an absence of three years gave it to him. out to be his last horror film before he made in 1939. The director had a quiet spell his retirement. This project was a well The story was based on a Houdini type between 1933-34, only one film handled piece of work, and he again escapologist starring Henry Hull (star was made, , a standard used the talents of Guy Endore who of The Werewolf Of London). Turning actioner with John Gilbert, Mae co-wrote the story with Browning. 59 years old, Browning decided this Clarke and Robert Armstrong. Lionel Barrymore, another of the was to be his final film. It was the end The director bounced back with director’s favourites, starred as an of a career that had begun when the what he knew best, in 1935. It was a escaped prisoner from Devil’s Island. movies did. remake of his 1927 film London After He cleverly disguises himself as an old Mysteriously, in 1944, his death Midnight. The new version was to star lady (not too similar to Chaney in The was announced to the world. Whoever Bela Lugosi, Lionel Barrymore, Jean Unholy Three). During his escape he was responsible for that news could Hersholt and Lionel Atwill. The film stumbles across an experiment which not have been more wrong. He was , a film that enables his to reduce people to the actually died in 1962 at the grand age is both engrossing and pleasing to the size of dolls. Under his power he sends of 82. He had managed to stay hidden eye, thanks to some beautifully created them out to destroy the three men away for so long that Hollywood was sets. The locale was moved from responsible for his false imprisonment. surprised to learn he had still been London to Mareka in Czechoslavakia, Browning apparently enjoyed himself alive. Then again, maybe that’s exactly possibly a more suitable territory for directing his actors on the oversize sets. what he wanted them to think. Tod the vampire. The film also benefits The huge props and furniture Browning, although very talented, did from a good script written by Guy proved to be lots of fun. The Devil Doll have a macabre and sometimes twisted Endore, author of “Werewolf of Paris”. turned out to be a fascinating film and imagination. I wonder, did anyone The stunning photography was by fine way of ending his career in horror ever find out who announced his James Wong Howe, his impressive movies. death way back in 1944...?

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 101 by Dan ‘Pentagram’ Gale

enerally acknowledged as the first ever a turntable seen at the start of The werewolf movie (although in his 1969 book Mummy), this one being a bumpy map G ‘Movie Monsters’, Denis Gifford mentions of Asia; we zoom into the plasticine Universal or Bison Pictures (he’s unclear) making one mountains between huge, white called The Werewolf in 1913, directed by Henry McRea) polystyrene letters spelling TIBET - no it was timely made, just after The Bride of Frankenstein doubt where this film starts! boom and just before Dracula’s Daughter slump. Hull and his native guides, searching the mountains for the There were rumours that Karloff bitten on the arm by a werewolf whilst flower, are confronted with a priest on was sought for the title role, but up a mountain in Tibet searching a camel, who warns them not to go then that’s said about nearly all of for a moonlight-blooming flower out exploring during the full moon. Universal’s films that feature one-off (the charmingly titled “Marafasa The camel scares off the natives and stars. Henry Hull (who also appeared Lupina Lumino”!). On his return to Hull ignores the priest (to make the in director Stewart Walker’s lousy England he turns hall hairy and starts film more interestng). We’re only six version of Great Expectations the same looming about the streets, looking for minutes in and already we’ve had year) was pulled out of the theatre someone to eat. The start of the film glass paintings of the moon, models of (Broadway not operating!) to portray has one of those wonderful Universal Tibet, natives, references to forbidden a botanist, Wilfrid Glendon, who is models (like the model pyramids on valleys, long Latin words and a

Page 102 We Belong Dead Fearbook camel. You can tell this is going to be a goodie! The rest of the picture after the initial biting moves a lot slower, and there are no more camels (damn shame), but occasionally the director sees fit to brighten it up with some gadgets in Hull’s laboratory, or more interesting people than Hull, who’s supposed to be the hero. These include the revelation that Hull has invented the world’s first TV monitor to see who’s at your front door; the feeding of a live frog to an enormous octopus-tentacled plant housed in his greenhouse (which causes all the onlookers to run off in disgust) and the introduction half way through the film of two wise-cracking Cockney gin-guzzling spinsters (Mrs Moncaster and Mrs Whack!) who rent a room to Hull so he can change into a wolf in private. The two spinsters really belong in a James Whale film, and indeed, if James Whale had done this film instead of Bride of Frankenstein that year, Una O’Connor would certainly have played Mrs Whack. So startling are these sidetracks that you wish they’d appear more often, the octoplant especially, which should have had its own film! (can you imagine Jack Arnold directing The Creature Vs the Octo-Plant starring John Agar?). The movie isn’t really boring, despite reviews saying it’s dated - there are always lots of close-ups of actors faces, which adds character and makes watching the film more interesting (as an example, notice how many times Jnr used close ups in his films…!). Hull, as most of you may know, was seen in Vincent Price’s Master of the World (1961), as the father of Charles Bronson’s girlfriend. He was described while making that film as bringing a new meaning to the word ham, however he’s a lot more restrained in this film, and it’s only as the wolf he gets his chance to roll his eyes and jump about like a chimp. The first wolf transformation proper (after an initial hairgrowing-on-arm warning) is a smasher. It’s really what you’ve been waiting to see all along and doesn’t disappoint. Hull is sitting in his study, mooching over the fact his wife

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 103 (played by gorgeous Valerie Hobson from Bride of Frankenstein, who, like Hull, was also in a film version of Great Expectations, this time the one made in 1946) is off with an ex-lover. Asleep on the pillow next to him is his pet cat. As Hull sighs and settles down for a lonely night in, the cat s-l-o-w- l-y opens its eyes, then cautiously, it turns its head and looks up at Hull. A small hiss emerges from its mouth. Hull looks perplexed. Then the cat almost explodes, screaming, lashing its claws and spitting at its owner. It’s incredible. They’d be hard pressed to produce such a reaction from a animatronic cat these days! Hull looks at his hands, then runs off out the door and through the garden, sensing a change. The camera is tracking alongside him as he runs and every so often, as he passes a pillar on his garden’s greenhouse, he emerges with slightly more wolf features. Eventually, after four pillars, he’s the Hull-Wolf, Jack Pierce’s often ignored creation, usually overshadowed by Chaney’s Talbot the Wolfman. (During another change later in the film, the first few seconds of transformation seem to use the colour filter idea used in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1931) in which coloured make up was revealed on the actors face when coloured lenses were placed in front of the camera). Remembering his wife is with another man, he starts out intent on murder, taking care to put on a scarf, hat and cloak first! (Can you imagine Chaney’s Wolfman pondering what to wear before going out for a massacre?). Whilst trying desperately to milk a cure for his lycanthropy from the moon flower he found in Tibet, Hull is often bothered by another botanist, Dr Yogami (, best known for playing the oriental detective in 15 Charlie Chan films). He too is working on a werewolf cure after being on the same mission in Tibet, and it’s a race between the two to get it finished before Hull kills again, and Oland, ever mysterious, seems to know about loudest screams in cinema history…. one werewolf per city and in the Hull’s problem, although we are not her jaw swings open like a hinge and end scene, there is a startling use yet told how he knows… AAAAARGH!!! Meanwhile the of post-death sympathy for one of Hull tries everything to stop police are convinced the murders the monsters, not seen in any other himself wolfing down his wife and her are being committed by Hull, but picture I can remember. The end lover. He locks himself in the spinster cannot see how there could be two of the film is the bit I always refuse bedsit (but the moon comes out and deaths taking place 150 miles away to review, especially here, since he jumps through the glass window); on the same night, both victims with Werewolf of London is quite a rarity, he locks himself in his father-in-law’s wolfs teeth marks on their necks. not everyone’s seen it and I wouldn’t cellar, but hears his wife outside the The fact is the film should have been want to spoil it. On the whole a cosy window and, come the moon, simply called Werewolves of London, but just film, with Hull looking marvellous rips the bars off the window and who is the other wolf? In the end as the monster in cloak and hat, the jumps (slow motion) to the garden there’s a huge fight between Hull Jekyll and Hyde aspects of the film lawn, giving Hobson the perfect and…ah, but that would be telling! being played with just enough (s) opportunity to give out one of the Needless to say there can only be care.

Page 104 We Belong Dead Fearbook THE DARK EYES OF LONDON By Darren Allison

ela Lugosi was 56 years old when he returned to England to make The Dark Eyes of London in 1939. His previous visit had of Lugosi’s characterisation there is the blind Dr. Dearborn, the head of B been in 1935 when making The Mystery of the Mary Celeste for the Institute for the Blind. Clients a little known company called Hammer Films (whatever happened would be encouraged by Orloff to to them?). In his latest, Lugosi was to play dual roles in this sinister make a donation, unaware that here tale based on the novel by Edgar Wallace. Filming took place during they would meet their fate. Bela’s the April of 1939 at the Welwyn Studios at Welwyn Garden City, voice was dubbed when playing Dr. Hertfordshire. Made by Pathé Films, it was somewhat of a departure Dearborn by a softly spoken English for them, as they were used to turning out romances and detective actor named O.B. Clarence. This also stories. Walter Summers was in the directors chair, as well as helped Lugos’s performance seem very warm and sympathetic. Lugosi scripting alongside Patrick Kirwin and John Argyle. In my view it was also very well disguised with a was one of Lugosi’s strongest performances since Dracula. grey wig, mustachio and dark glasses. I could imagine sitting in a cinema in Lugosi, as the totally unsympathetic who conveniently disposed of his 1939 and being totally convinced that Dr. Orloff is quite menacing. Orloff clients in order to claim their life I was watching someone other than was the crooked insurance broker insurance policies. On the other side Lugosi. British actor Wilfrid Walter was also very good as Jake, Dr Orloff’s monstrous sidekick. Jake, on the doctors command, would proceed to drown the victims in a tank of water and dump the bodies in the Thames. Walter was a Shakespearean actor as well as a playwright, he also helped create the hideous make-up. Sadly he would later have a leg removed, but he remained very busy within the industry until his death in 1958 aged 77. Hugh Williams played the distinctly British police inspector Holt. He seemed to survive on his pot of tea, probably to soften that stiff upper lip! Greta Gynt was the Norwegian born blonde playing Diana Stuart, the daughter of one of the murder victims, and a very plucky heroine. Then of course there was Edmond Ryan as the colourful Lt. O’Reilly from the Chicago Police department, on a visit to study British police methods. Along with some very stark photography by Bryan Langley, Dark Eyes of London contained some pretty gruesome sequences. Tame by todays standards of course, but in 1939 it was squeamish enough to be the first British film to be awarded the new H certificate. The H stood for horrific and was introduced on January 1st 1937. It allowed people only over the age of 16 to be admitted. There were only ever 37 H rated films before the great X certificate was introduced in 1951. It is true to say that it was rare to see such an effective British horror film at that period of time. It was certainly the best British horror since

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 105 Karloff starred in The Ghoul made some six years earlier. Dark Eyes of London still remains a very good fi lm that never lacks in pace, but at the same time Summers provides a high level of . Bela’s acting, for me, is on top form. The sets are also very impressive, especially those within the large dining area of the Dearborn Institute. The fi nished fi lm was released in Britain in June 1939 (they didn’t hang around in those days!). The fi lm however didn’t get a US release until March 1940. Monogram purchased the American rights from Pathé and retitled it The Human Monster for reasons I will never understand. To me it will always be The Dark Eyes of London, one of the best little shockers of the . 73 minutes of pure pleasure from the golden age of horror.

Page 106 We Belong Dead Fearbook We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 107 by Andy Giblin

poof horror films have never enjoyed much in the way of critical the USA. The drastic re-editing had acclaim and for the most part this situation has been pretty well incurred the wrath of the director, S deserved. However, an unfortunate consequence of this general but his attempts to disown the whole lack of quality in the genre is that the odd gem gets tarred with the project were thwarted somewhat by his starring in it himself! It was same brush as the rest. actually a very personal film for Polanski, who as well as producing, One such film is ’s MGM eventually decided to condense acted and co-wrote the screenplay Dance of the Vampires. Made in Britain it in order to present the movie as an with Gerard Brach. Also starring was in 1967 the film is known in America out and out comedy. With the benefit Polanski’s tragic and ill fated wife as Vampire Killers (aka of hindsight it has to be said that Sharon Tate, who was making her last Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My this was a bad decision, but perhaps major screen appearance. Neck), and is an excellent example an understandable one under the In the UK despite originally being of what can be achieved under the circumstances. Polanski had, after all, shown in its complete form, the film comedy-horror banner. Despite produced a genuinely unusual mixture has slipped into relative obscurity. In enjoying a fair degree of superiority of horror, comedy and even fairy tale contrast it had a much higher profile over other films of its kind, Dance of and the temptation to conveniently in the USA despite its disastrous box the Vampires has become neglected in pigeon hole the film in the comedy office returns over there. If you are this country. category was too hard to resist for the fortunate enough to have seen it you On the film’s theatrical release in profit conscious studios. Added to the will find it to be well worth the effort. the US, Polanski actually attempted films poor showing in its full version at It is steeped in a truly effective Gothic to disassociate himself from it, due British box offices, it becomes clear why atmosphere and despite its quirky to the rather savage cuts inflicted by the changes were made. humour is menacing enough to rival the distributors. There had been a The final cuts amounted to the films it parodies. considerable degree of uncertainty a huge 26 minutes, but the film The basic plot is admittedly when it came to promoting the film and performed even less impressively in not particularly original in itself, but

Page 108 We Belong Dead Fearbook It has also been said that the film is not funny enough to work as a comedy, nor frightening enough to succeed as a horror film, but there is plenty of room for disagreement here. The humour is hardly ever over the top and always manages to compliment rather than dilute what is otherwise a grim, effective, yet charming film. Count Von Krolock is played excellently by Ferdy Mayne. He is as haughty and imperious as expected, but is also dignified, wise and ever so slightly sad. He is clad in the faded finery of a bygone age yet he manages to convey the impression that the vampire is not evil, just different. His son, played equally impressively by Iain Quarrier, is more impulsive than his father, hotheaded but innately charming. Rather originally, he seems to prefer sinking his fangs into young males rather than females - as the luckless Alfred (played by Polanski) some of the more traditional vampire affection for the genre. Critics of very nearly discovers. film elements are twisted to provide the movie, and they are not hard to Jack MacGowran is inspired as a rather original angle. The ‘heroes’ find, often see it as a failed attempt the shock-headed, dithering Professor are not really heroic at all, neither are to expose what they see as the flimsy Abronious, while Polanski plays they admirable pillars of society of the plots and straight laced morality of the role of his loyal but dimwitted Van Helsing style respectability. The films such as those from the Hammer assistant. Alfie Bass plays the landlord vampires themselves don’t fall into the stable. It may be true that Dance of the of the inn and his casting is one of the ‘mindless killer’ category much loved Vampires has an appeal limited to those outstanding points of the film and Bass by some horror directors and writers. who love the type of film it parodies, provides many of the film’s best comic They are in fact the film’s deepest but it surely cannot be denied that it moments without ever going too far characters. succeeded in its aim - to produce a over the top. The atmosphere and sets actually gentle, well observed parody. The sets, The final set piece of the movie manage to rival anything produced by costumes and photography would not revolves around a grand ball, ostensibly studios such as Hammer. The quality be out of place in any ‘serious’ vampire held for Von Krolock’s ‘relatives’. The of the film strengthens the theory that film and frankly are superior compared whole scene turns out to be a little less it is a parody born out of a genuine to many of them. than a triumph. It manages to chill, amuse and enchant virtually all at the same time and has a very definate fairy tale quality about it. The guests are all dressed in clothes from different historical periods. The moment when Abronsius and Alfred’s suspicions about these guests is confirmed is very amusing indeed. As our two heroes move towards a large mirror the dance floor behind them appears to be empty. Of course it isn’t. It’s packed with the Count’s undead and non-reflective guests. I won’t divulge the ending, suffice to say there’s a sting (or perhaps a bite) in the tail. Despite many critical misgivings Dance of the Vampires is a classic. Not all the comedy works too well (Von Krolock’s hunchbacked henchman for example) but most of it is effective enough. Undoubtedly opinion on the film’s virtues is, and will remain, split. The best way to decide is to see it yourself. For this horror buff it has enough atmosphere, chills, laughter and enchantment to negate it’s minor drawbacks.

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 109 Gary Holmes defi es the Curse of the Pharaohs to bring you an in-depth look at one of the great monsters of the movies

The Mummy (1932) Produced by Carl Leammle Jnr Assoc. Producer Stanley Bergerman Director: Karl Freund Screenplay: John L. Balderston Story: Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer Photographer: Charles Stumar Editor: Milton Carruth Special Effects: John P. Fulton Art Director: Willy Pogany Make-up: Jack P. Pierce Musical Score: James Dietrich Running Time 74 minutes (All existing prints are 72 mins) Filmed at Universal Studios and Red Rock Canyon, California. Fall 1932. Final cost $196,000 Previewed November 9th 1932 at RKO Mayfair theatre, (Jan 6th 1933)

Im-Ho-Tep: Karloff Helen Grosvenor: Frank Whemple: Sir Joseph Whemple: Arthur Byron Prof. Muller: Edward Van Sloan Ralph Norton: Bramwell Fletcher The Nubian: Frau Muller: Kathryn Byron Prof. Pearson: Leonard Mudie Pharaon: James Crane Knight: Arnold Grey (deleted from existing prints) Doctor: Eddie Kane Inspector: Tony Marlowe

Page 110 We Belong Dead Fearbook Story 1921: Egyptologist Sir Joseph Whemple and his assistant Norton discover the sarcophagus of Im-Ho- Tep, an ancient Egyptian priest who was buried alive for the sacreligious theft of the scroll of thoth. During a moment alone Norton reads aloud from the scroll and inadvertently restores the mummy to life. Pausing only to take the scroll, Im-Ho-Tep escapes into the desert, leaving the insane Norton as the only witness to what has taken place. 1932: Whemple’s son Frank discovers the tomb of Princess Ankh-Sen-Amen. He is guided by the mysterious Ardath Bey (in reality Im-Ho-Tep), The remains are taken to the Cairo Museum. Carrying out an occult ceremony in the museums, Ardath discovers that the princess has been reincarnated as Helen Grosvenor, daughter of the English governor of Cairo. She is being treated for a slight nervous disorder by Dr Muller, a medical doctor who is also an expert on the occult. Discovered by a night watchman, Ardath kills the luckless individual and flees into the night, accidently leaving the scroll of Thot behind. The magical artifact is taken to Sir Joseph. Later that night Ardath confronts the elder Whemple and demands the return of his property. He attempts to bend the old man to his will but is foiled by Muller who has deduced the true identity of Ardath. Following the advice of Muller, Whemple tries to burn the scroll. Before he can do it Ardath uses magic to kill him and recovers the vital document. Muller reveals the truth to Frank and tells him that Im-Ho-Tep intends to turn Helen into an undead creature like himself. Frank has fallen in love with Helen and agrees to help Muller thwart the Egyptian’s plans. Ardath kidnaps the girl but is prevented from killing her by the arrival of Frank and Muller. Helen remembers an ancient summons to Isis and calls upon the deity to help her. Im-Ho-Tep is turned to dust and the scroll burns to ashes.

Background The success of James Whale’s Frankenstein over the 1931-32 season took just about everyone by surprise, not least a delighted Carl Leammle Jnr. As Universal Studios raked in an estimated $1,000,000 gross (double that of Lugosi’s Dracula) They realized they had a potential star of their

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 111 hands. Almost overnight, the modest middle aged Boris Karloff found himself with a $750 a week contract and a growing reputation as the next Lon Chaney. He quickly proved his worth as the screens new grotesque - in the space of a few months he appeared as both the mute shambling manservant Morgan in Whale’s The Old Dark House and as the in MGM’s The Mask Of . Universal had found a new star (now billed like Garbo, simply by his last name - Karloff the Uncanny). But a star needed a star vehicle: could they find something to top Frankenstein? Leammle thought that they could. During the summer of 32 he came across an original nine page synopsis by Nina Wilcox Putnam entitled Cagliostro. The story seemed to have possibilities and so writer/story editor Richard Schayer was sent to collaborate with Putnam on a full screen play. When the studio received the first draft it is fair to say that they were not exactly wild with enthusiasm. Rather than the sophisticated spine chiller that they expected, Putnam and Shayer had delivered something that more closely resembled a children’s Saturday morning film serial! Their story concerned the adventure of a 3000 year old Egyptian magician who was keeping himself active by dint of a regular series of nitrate injections. His hobby was bumping off any woman who reminded him of his lover of ancient times. In modern day San Francisco he posed as the blind uncle of a female cinema cashier who resembled etc., etc. Using radio and ‘tele’ rays to rob banks and commit murder he created a reign of terror until finally being destroyed by the heroine’s boyfriend and his archaeologist chum. Rather than ditch the project Leammle decided that a fresh approach was needed and he hired a different writer. Enter John L. Balderston. Less well known than he deserves, John L. Balderston was a key figure in early 30’s horror cinema. London correspondent of the New York World and a noted playwrite, he had adapted ’s theatre production of Dracula for the Broadway stage in 1927 and the stage production of Frankenstein for the screen in 1931. Later on he would write scripts for such films as Mad Love, Dracula’s Daughter, The Bride Of Frankenstein and The Man Who Changed His Mind

Page 112 We Belong Dead Fearbook We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 113 Page 114 We Belong Dead Fearbook ( the latter two both starring Boris that he quickly moved back to his first Karloff). love of cinematography and left the Predictably unimpressed with actors to others. Though a genius in the script, Balderston’s first act was to his own field, he was also, according to dump about 99% of it and start anew. some, a swaggering bully. The idea of an ancient Egyptian villain After Karloff, the most important was interesting, but too little was piece of casting was that of the female made of it. What if he emphasized the lead. Rather than the conventional, mythological, supernatural aspect of vapid heroine of the time the script it….Work in some of the ‘‘Tutmania’ called for someone who could give of the previous decade, when the a deep, dramatic performance. work of Carter and Carnavon had Balderston had this to say: “For entranced the general public? Perhaps the heroine a dark girl of Egyptian he could get something out of the lost appearance is essential, she should lover…. approximate in type to the bust of Despite the sneering attitude of Nefertiti in the Berlin Museum. some Egyptologists toward this sort Something mysterious and deep of film, it is evident that Balderston about her; an emotional actress of took a great deal of care in getting his high caliber is needed to play the last facts right. The script he delivered sequence which calls for depth and was replete with photographs of power as well as subtlety I suggested ancient Egyptian ruins, suggestions Katherine Hepburn for a test, But I to the prop men and costumers and think she has gone to New York” fragments of erudition regarding such The thought of Katherine matters as the rituals of . Hepburn being pursued around the Im-Ho-Tep, Karloff’s character, takes Universal backlot by Karloff’s crumbly his name from a real person who lived alter ego does boggle the imagination in the middle of the Third Dynasty, somewhat, and perhaps it’s just as well approximately 4,600 years ago. This that the studio eventually decided Im-Ho-Tep was not only the first real upon another Broadway star - Zita physician, he was also, as director of Johann. The gifted Hungarian actress public works for the Pharaoh Djoser, had not gone into movies out of love the man who constructed the very first for Hollywood, but rather at the of all the Egyptian Pyramids. Similarly, request of her soon to be divorced the Mummy’s lady love, Ankh-Sen- husband who needed Amen, takes her name from the wife the money. Having won a rare script of Tutankhamen. approval clause in her contract with Unlike the vampire of werewolf, MGM, she caused something of a the concept of mummy rising from stir amongst the studio bigwigs by it’s tomb to punish interlopers has no constantly turning down films she basis in actual mythology. However didn’t like. Flitting between Warners the inspiration for the magical scroll and RKO she eventually settled upon of Thoth may have been an incident Universal, signing to star in Laughing recorded in the Westcar Papyrus where Boy (scripted by ). The the aged sage Teta demonstrated how film was cancelled, and having already secret words could be used to repair been paid, she agreed to do The fatal injury and bring the dead back Mummy. She was perfect casting for to life. more reason than one; unknown to Once the script was complete the studio she was a devout believer in the next step was to get a director. reincarnation and claimed to be able Although it was his first time in the to remember a number of previous directors seat, Karl Freund was an old lives! hand at horror. Already established All in all the film was to be as one of the world’s greatest quite an experience for Miss Johann. cinematographers, he had not only Initially all seemed well; she got on lensed such non genre classics as with the cast and crew and found The Last Laugh (1924) in his native Karloff… “A truly great gentleman.. Germany, but also Metropolis (1926) He was a marvelous person”. and The Golem (1920). Since moving Unfortunately for her the director to Hollywood he had worked on was rather less gentlemanly. Worried both Dracula and Murders In The about his new found responsibility, Rue Morgue (1932). As if this weren’t Freund had decided to use Johann enough, he had also invented the as a scapegoat in case the film ran modern day light meter and a new over budget or schedule. All that he system of back projection. Despite the needed to do was make her blow her critical and financial success of this top and refuse to do a scene…. and his films it is perhaps just as well The canny actress saw through

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 115 his plan almost instantly and the Fine! As long as he could get it past Freund) reached an all time low when production turned into a war of nerves the censor. Would she please remain the scene showing her characters between the two. No matter how standing up during two days of filming, previous lives were filmed. Whilst outrageous or unfair Freund’s demands in order not to crease her costume? - playing a Christian martyr she was were, the actress would simply No problem at all. Happy to oblige. required to walk through as arena full acquiesce. Would she mind playing Relations between Johann of lions. Rather than use expensive a scene naked from the waist up? - and‘‘The Windbag’ (as she called trick photography, Freund made the

Page 116 We Belong Dead Fearbook actress pick her way unprotected The answer to that problem took a used. The sweeping romantic theme between the potentially lethal painful 8 hours to apply and was, to and the moody, menacing ‘‘The pool creatures while the camera crew quote Karloff “…the most trying and Whemple’, played whenever cowered behind cages. After all this ordeal I have ever endured”. Ardath uses his powers, are especially it’s not surprising that she would soon The ordeal began at 11am as effective. leave Hollywood and return to her Karloff sat in the make-up chair, By an eerie coincidence The highly successful stage career. Pierce would pin back the actors ears. Mummy was previewed to the public Amongst the cast list were two Damped his face and cover the entire almost 10 years to the day aster the names very familiar to the horror facial area with strips of cotton. The discovery of Tut-Ankh-Amen’s tomb film audience - David Manners and cotton was covered with collodion, - November 29th 1932. Although Edward Van Sloan. For Van Sloan, spirit gum secured the tatters and an at $196,000 it was cheaper than Dr Muller was the third in a trio of electric drying preserved the wrinkles. both Frankenstein ($291,000) and classic horror roles (the other two At 1pm his hair was slicked back with Dracula ($341,000), Universal were being Van Helsing in Dracula and beauty clay, little cracs carved and on making as much money Waldman in Frankenstein). Although fluid poured in as the clay dried to as possible, bombarding New York the San Fransisco born character suggest a serrated effect. 150 yards of with advertising two weeks before actor had achieved his greatest acid rotten bandage which had been the opening. At the premiere a giant success in Broadway stage comedies, in the oven to make it look decayed electrical billboard loomed over Times his role as Van Helsing in the 1927 was wound around Karloff at 2pm Square: the face of Karloff as the stage production and subsequent film (taped at the body joints to allow the mummy with glowing eyes. version had associated him indelibly actor to move). Today it is seen as one of the with the horror genre. After only a few The transformation was complete archetypal monster film of the 30’s, years he had become such a fixture at by 7pm and Pierce walked the actor but it is interesting to note that its Universal that Balderston suggested to the soundstage. After a reviving makers saw things quite differently. him by name in the film script. cup of tea, Karloff took his place in The publicity material sent to the For Canadian leading man David the sarcophagus. All of the stills of theatres stated “The Mummy is Manners, the role of Frank Whemple the mummy make-up were taken at unlike in theme to any other Karloff was essentially a retread of his role this point. The resurrection scene picture. Do not play it up as you did as Harker in Dracula. Once again his was filmed. At 2am the make up Frankenstein, Dracula or The Old Dark lady love is pursued by an undead was removed and the exhausted star House. Avoid any suggestion of horror immortal. As before he is helped by a returned to his Toluca Lake house in your campaign. Play up The Mummy brilliant, unorthodox boffin played by around dawn. rather as a fantastic Karloff thriller”. Van Sloan. After all this the ‘‘normal’ As Donald F. Glut has noted in The film began shooting in the Ardath Bey make-up must have been “The Dracula Book” (1975) the film is Autumn of 1932 at Universal Studios a considerable relief - a thin cotton almost a remake of Dracula, Dr Muller and on location at nearby Red Rock mask which took only one hour to is Van Helsing, attempting to save a Canyon (doubling for the Valley apply. There has been some suggestion young woman from being turned into of the Kings - another Balderston that Sir ’s short an ‘‘undead’ by tracking a supernatural suggestion). In order to ensure the story “The Ring of Thoth” was an creature down to its lair. Despite this movie looked authentic as possible, uncredited influence on the script. the film is not so much a horror film internationally renowned designer Whatever the truth of this, it certainly as a supernatural romance, a mixture Willy Pogany was hired for the sets. seems to have had an influence on of love story and the occult which was The Egyptian props seen in the film the Ardath Bey make-up: - “Over the so popular in ‘Weird Tales’ and other were painstaking reproductions of temple and bone (the skin) was as pulp magazines of the time. artifacts found in the tomb of Tut- shiny as varnished parchment. There Though he does evil things, Ankh-Amen. was no suggestion of pores….from one senses that Im-Ho-Tep is not Whilst the designers and prop brow to chin…it was crosshatched by innately evil. Rather, he resembles the men were busy bringing the past to a million delicate wrinkles…” This character of Dr Gogol in the other life, make-up genius Jack P. Pierce was is so close to what appears on screen Freund/Balderston collaboration Mad hard at work on his own bit of grisly that one cannot help but wonder Love. He is a basically decent man resurrection. Although only seen on whether Pierce was directly influenced who has been driven over the edge screen for a few minutes, Karloff’s by Doyle’s character who is searching by obsessive desire. Karloff gives the mummy make-up might make or break for the Ring of Thoth. impression of inhuman power, of a the film. If the audience didn’t believe Appropriately enough The relentless, inhuman monster, but his that he had been lying in the ground Mummy finished production around eyes give us a glimmer of the terrible for the last 3,5 thousand years then Halloween 1932. Now editing began. suffering that has turned him into his return to life would produce only Although the same recording of one. As with his portrayal of the laughter from the audience. But what “Swan Lake” from Dracula and Murder Frankenstein monster we are by turns did a mummy look like? Pierce wrote In The Rue Morgue was used as the sympathetic to, and repulsed by him. in American Cinematographer: “To title music, this was, thanks to Freund, His plaintive cry to Helen “For thy begin with I obtained photographs the first Universal horror movie to love I was buried alive” wrings the of the most nearly perfect mummy have any sort of incidental score. heart. known, Prince Seti, father of Ramses James Dietrich, who usually worked The subtlety of mood and III from the Cairo Museum. This we as the studio cartoon composer for characterization is aided by Freund’s carefully duplicated. Bringing the Walter Lantz Productions, wrote 20 or extraordinary visual craftsmanship. duplicate to life, in the person of so minutes of music especially for the Although the dialogue is handled well, Karloff, presented the major problem”. film, although not all was eventually some of the best scenes in the film

We Belong Dead Fearbook Page 117 work beautifully without it. The most vivid example of this is the mummy’s resurrection, still a classic moment of the cinema. Only the most frightening and suggestive details are shown - the dead eyes opening with terrible slowness, the chest taking its first breath in nearly 400 centuries the hand falling limply from the shoulder. When he reaches for the scroll we have a glimpse of a horribly wizened hand. His departure from the room is signifies by shouts of trailing bandages slithering across the dusty floor (chillingly accompanied by Norton’s insane, hysterical laughter). The Mummy was a great critical and financial success for Universal, and it stands together with Hammers 1959 remake as the greatest of this particular sub-genre. Amongst the Universal series it stands alone. When the studio decided to resurrect the mummy it was under the name of , and with a completely different background story. After poor old Im-Ho-Tep crumbled into dust, that was it. He took no Bride, he had no Son, no Daughter, no House. He never met Frankenstein, Dracula or the Wolfman and he avoided the lethal grasp of Abbott and Costello. For the last missed opportunity, if for none of the others, he might have been grateful!

Page 118 We Belong Dead Fearbook WE BELONG DEAD FEARBOOK Covers by David Brooks Inside Back Cover ‘Bride of McNaughtonstein’ starring Eric McNaughton & Oxana Timanovskaya! by Woody Welch

Published by Buzzy-Krotik Productions All artwork and articles are copyright their authors.

Articles and artwork always welcome on horror fi lms from the silents to the 1970’s.

Editor Eric McNaughton Design and Layout Steve Kirkham - Tree Frog Communication 01245 445377 Typeset by Oxana Timanovskaya Printed by Sussex Print Services, Seaford

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Contributors to the Fearbook: Darrell Buxton * Darren Allison * Daniel Auty * Gary Sherratt Neil Ogley * Garry McKenzie * Tim Greaves * Dan Gale * David Whitehead Andy Giblin * David Brooks * Gary Holmes * Neil Barrow

Artwork by Dave Brooks * Woody Welch * Richard Williams Photos/Illustrations Courtesy of Steve Kirkham

This issue is dedicated to all the wonderful artists and writers, past and present, that make We Belong Dead the fantastic magazine it now is.