Monster Mash: Icons of Horror Cinema Part 3

Well this is it! The final post for Halloween 2013! But never fear, I've saved the best for last....



As mentioned in Part 2 of last year's Icons of Horror, even though I've covered all of the "Big Ones" when it comes to classic horror film actors, from Lon Chaney Sr. and Jr., Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, etc., there are still many more notable actors who absolutely deserve to be mentioned and honored. So without further fanfare, away we go!

Hollywood Royalty

The Barrymore Family - It is slightly cheating, I'll admit, to lump them all in as one entry, but at the same time, it's appropriate and fair. The Barrymore Acting Family started with stage actors Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew, who were fairly well known in the 19th century. Their three children, Lionel, Ethel and John (grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore), would all become stage actors as well, before joining the burgeoning new field of "moving pictures", and all three would go on to become stars of the silent film era. So much so, in fact, that the Barrymore name on a title card often insured a film financial success.

While all three of them mostly acted in more serious (and often prestigious) dramatic roles, they all also featured in at least one horror/thriller type of film, which is why they all make this list. Ethel Barrymore starred in the genre the least, mostly being a dramatic actress. But she did star in the 1946 psychological thriller "The Spiral Staircase", as well appearing in the 1948 fantasy/mystery film "Portrait of Jennie". John Barrymore was slightly more connected to horror, as he starred in the title role in the 1920 silent adaptation of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It should be noted that there were actually three different films based on Dr. Jekyll released in 1920, one of them a German expressionist film by F.W. Murnau, but Barrymore's version is the most famous and enduring of them. In the sound era, he starred in two different 1931 films, both with a similar premise of hypnotic control, called "Svengali" and "The Mad Genius". He would feature in the genre one final time, in Universal Pictures' 1940 film "The Invisible Woman", though this film was more tongue-in-cheek comedy than horror or science fiction.

Lionel, of course, was the most prolific of the three in this regard, beginning with the 1927 silent film "The Thirteenth Hour". While not a horror picture, he also starred in the 1929 adaptation of "The Mysterious Island", which was originally filmed as a silent picture, but was later adapted with sound and talking sequences right at the dawn of the sound era. He would go on to feature in two prominent and memorable horror films, the 1935 Bela Lugosi feature "Mark of the Vampire" (itself a remake of the lost silent classic "London After Midnight"), and 1936's "The Devil Doll". He would also feature in the many "Dr. Kildare" films, as well as their spinoffs starring his own character "Dr. Gillespie". Late in his career, he would also star in two fantasy films, 1939's "On Borrowed Time", and again as the villain Henry F. Potter in Frank Capra's classic "It's a Wonderful Life". On a final note, as evidenced by the picture above, all three siblings did feature together in one film, 1932's "Rasputin and the Empress".

Notable Roles:

Ethel - Czarina Alexandra in "Rasputin and the Empress" (1932), Mrs. Warren in "The Spiral Staircase" (1946), Miss Spennie in "Portrait of Jennie" (1948)

John - Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1920),  Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock Holmes" (1922), Captain Ahab Ceeley in "Moby Dick" (1930), Svengali in "Svengali" (1931), Vladimar Ivan Tsarakov in "The Mad Genius" (1931), Prince Paul Chegodieff in "Rasputin and the Empress" (1932), Professor Gibbs in "The Invisible Woman" (1940)

Lionel - Professor LeRoy in "The Thirteenth Hour" (1927), Director of "The Unholy Night" (1929), Count Dakkar in "The Mysterious Island" (1929), Grigori Rasputin in "Rasputin and the Empress" (1932), Billy Bones in "Treasure Island" (1934), Dan'l Peggoty in "David Copperfield" (1935), Professor Zelen in "Mark of the Vampire" (1935), Paul Lavond in "The Devil Doll" (1936), Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie in the "Dr. Kildare" and later "Dr. Gillespie" films (1938-1947), Julian Northrup in "On Borrowed Time" (1939), Henry F. Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) 

 

The eternal gentleman.

Basil Rathbone - Aside from having one of the coolest names of all time, Basil Rathbone also happens to be one of the most well known actors of all time. He is, of course, most famous for portraying the most enduring and popular version of Sherlock Holmes, in a series that lasted 14 films long. There have been many others to portray Mr. Holmes, many of them very good (my personal favorite being Peter Cushing). But Mr. Rathbone is undoubtedly the most popular Holmes, and arguably the best. While many of the Sherlock Holmes films were murder mysteries (in fact most of them were), which does dabble in the "horror/thriller" arena, he also starred in several actual horror films, a perhaps lesser-known fact about him.

The first of which is actually one of his best roles, coming before his Holmes series began, starring in the titular role of the "Son of Frankenstein" in 1938, the last film to feature Boris Karloff as "The Monster". He would star as  the future Richard III in 1939's semi-horror film "Tower of London", which also featured Karloff, as well as a young Vincent Price. He also featured alongside Bela Lugosi in the 1941 film "The Black Cat". In fact, after his run as Holmes was up, his later career would begin to more and more feature him in sci-fi, thriller, fantasy and horror roles. He would re-team once more with now-star Vincent Price in two 60s gothic horror/comedy films, Roger Corman's "Tales of Terror" and Jacques Tourneur's "The Comedy of Terrors". In fact, his last notable film was the rather silly 1967 picture "Hillbillies in a Haunted House", which also featured John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr.

Notable Roles: Mr. Murdstone in "David Copperfield" (1935), Levasseuer in "Captain Blood" (1935), Sir Guy of Gisbourne in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), Baron Wolf von Frankenstein in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939), Sherlock Holmes in the "Sherlock Holmes" series (1939-1946), Richard - Duke of Gloucester in "Tower of London" (1939), Dr. George Sebastian in "The Mad Doctor" (1941), Montague Hartley in "The Black Cat" (1941), Narrator/Policeman in "The Wind in the Willows" segment of "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949), Sir Joel Cadman in "The Black Sleep" (1956), The Wizard Lodac in "The Magic Sword" (1962), Carmichael in "Tales of Terror" (1962), John F. Black Esq. in "The Comedy of Terrors" (1964), Professor Hartman in "Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet" (1965), Dr. Farraday in "Queen of Blood" (1966), Reginald Ripper in "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" (1966), Gregor in "Hillbillies in a Haunted House" (1967)

One of the most underrated actors of all time.

 Charles Laughton -  A huge star in his time, but sadly far lesser known now, Charles Laughton was a quintessential character actor. He starred in many well known, dramatic roles during his career, but he was also a bit better known for his turns at horror than those listed above. This began in the 1931 classic "The Old Dark House", where he portrayed the affable yet sad Sir William Porterhouse. Next was his role as Dr. Moreau in 1932's "The Island of Lost Souls", in which he featured alongside a heavily made-up Bela Lugosi, of course based on the H.G. Wells novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau". It was in this role that he really established his ability to play a truly imposing, sadistic and chilling villain.

He would go on to star in a rather heroic and empathic effort as Quasimodo in 1939's adaptation of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". He later had a turn as Sir Simon de Canterville in 1944's "The Canterville Ghost", playing a benevolent but cowardly  spirit. In 1951 he starred alongside Boris Karloff in "The Strange Door", once again playing a sadistic villain. In fact he took a turn in the director's chair in 1955's "The Night of the Hunter", a thriller starring Robert Mitchum. He wasn't most well known for his horror roles, but he was one of those rare actors who was great at whatever role he played, and it just so happened that the horror genre gave him the chance to play some of his most adventurous and memorable characters.

Notable Roles: Sir William Porterhouse in "The Old Dark House" (1931), Dr. Moreau in "The Island of Lost Souls" (1932), King Henry the VIII in "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (1933), Inspector Javert in "Les Misarables" (1935), Captain William Bligh in "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935), Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1939), Sir Simon de Canterville in "The Canterville Ghost" (1944), Captain William Kidd in "Captain Kidd" (1945), Sire Alain de Maletroit in "The Strange Door" (1951), Captain William Kidd in "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd" (1952)

The second most famous Frankenstein's Monster.

Glenn Strange - While Boris Karloff "created' the role of Frakenstein's Monster on film, and his is the image most think of when they think of those movies or that character, Mr. Glenn Strange also deserves a bit of credit, for carrying the role to a lot of success in later years. While Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi had turns as The Monster in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man", after Karloff had given up the role for health reasons (it had ruined his back), it would be Glenn Strange who would carry the role from 1944 onward. While sitting in a make-up chair for an action film in 1944, infamous make-up artist (and creator of the classic Frankenstein's Monster look) Jack Pierce noticed that Strange had the right kind of face to play the monster, and thus he was cast in "House of Frankenstein", a monster-mash picture also featuring Boris Karloff himself, this time as a mad scientist who wants to carry on Dr. Frankenstein's work.

Karloff actually coached Strange in the role off-camera, thus effectively "passing the torch" to him, and as fate would have it, he starred in the role for three films, the same number that Karloff had played the Monster in. He became so famous in the role himself, that for decades after it was actually his face that toys and other merchandise and art were modeled after. He became known for the role most especially in 1948's "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein", which became a massively popular hit. He played other monsters, and starred in a few other horror films, but ironically, like Karloff before him, he is most well known for his time as "Frankenstein".

Notable Roles: Petro in "The Mad Monster" (1942), Man riding buckboard in "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), Andy in "The Black Raven" (1943), Giant/Steve in "The Monster Maker" (1944), Frankenstein's Monster in "The House of Frankenstein" (1944), The Monster in "House of Dracula" (1945), Chief Galley Overseer in "Sinbad, The Sailor" (1947), The Monster in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948), Atlas the Monster in "Master Minds" (1949)

Stylin' and profilin'.

George Zucco - A man who is arguably going to be the least well-known figure on this list. He starred along-side titans of his era, yet also featured in many films that are today obscure. He was not a "big star" in his day, but what he was, was a great actor, who always brought presence and style to his roles, no matter how ridiculous the plot, or how cheap the budget. But what he also was, was one of the most deserving actors of the title "Icon of Horror Cinema". This son of Britain began his film career as a serious, dramatic actor (as so many horror/sci fi stars often do). His first real brush with a great, but decidedly less serious role, was in the 1936 adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The Man Who Could Work Miracles", where he played a butler to a rather ridiculous and silly British army general. One of his first major, and enduring memorable roles, was opposite Basil Rathbone playing the role of Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' malevolent arch-nemesis, in 1939's "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". A role which, by the way, he knocked out of the park, and it remains arguably his finest work. That same year he featured alongside Bob Hope is a remake of the 1929 horror/comedy hit, "The Cat and The Canary", as well as having a minor role in the Charles Laughton vehicle "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

It was in the 1940s when Zucco really became firmly established as a star of the horror genre, beginning with his role as the villain Professor Andoheb in 1940's "The Mummy's Hand". Highlights from his prime in the 40s include "Dr. Renault's Secret", "The Mummy's Tomb", "Dead Men Walk", "The Mad Ghoul", "The Mummy's Ghost", and "Fog Island". He also had a smaller role in "House of Frankenstein", sharing billing with the likes of Boris Karloff, Glenn Strange, Lionel Atwill, Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine. Ultimately, his film career lasted a solid 20 years, from 1931-1951. His last real horror role was in the 1947 mystery/thriller "Scared to Death", which was ironically also one of Bela Lugosi's last major roles, and Lugosi's only color film. Zucco may not be as well remembered as some of his contemporaries, but that needs to change, because he took even shitty roles and made them stand out, the sign of a great actor.

Notable Roles: Moody the Butler in "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" (1936), Professor Moriarty in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1939), Mr. Crosby in "The Cat and The Canary" (1939), Procurator in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1939), Professor Abdoheb in "The Mummy's Hand" (1940), Dr. Perry in "The Monster and The Girl" (1941), Dr. Lorenzo Cameron in "The Mad Monster" (1942), Dr. Robert Renault in "Dr. Renault's Secret" (1942), Abdoheb in "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), Dr. Lloyd/Dr. Elwyn Clayton in "Dead Men Walk" (1943), Heinrich Hinkel in "Sherlock Holmes in Washington" (1943), Amos Bradfield in "The Black Raven" (1943), Dr. Alfred Morris in "The Mad Ghoul" (1943), Bruno Lampini in "House of Frankenstein" (1944), Nicholas in "Voodoo Man" (1944), Abdoheb in "The Mummy's Ghost" (1944), Leo Grainer in "Fog Island" (1945), Professor Andrew Forbes in "The Flying Serpent" (1946), Dr. Joseph Van Ee in "Scared to Death" (1947), Palanth the High Priest in "Tarzan and the Mermaids" (1948)

Charming, yet devilish. Mr. Milland rocked.

Ray Milland - Born in Wales, though you'd never know it from his many films with spot-on American accents, Mr. Ray Milland was one of a kind. In the same sense that certain actors, like a Boris Karloff, or a Bela Lugosi, or a Vincent Price, or a Christopher Lee, have that unmistakable voice and persona, so did Milland. His first brush with "horror" of any kind, was in the 1934 murder mystery "Charlie Chan in London". After working his way up to leading man status and leading roles, his first turn in a real horror film was as the lead man in Lewis Allen's 1944 classic "The Uninvited". He would again star in a Lewis Allen thriller in 1948's "So Evil My Love". Perhaps his defining role, however, came under Alfred Hitchcock, in his 1954 classic "Dial M for Murder". It was likely this role that got him future parts in the 60s and 70s in often far less classy horror fare.

He worked with Roger Corman in the 60s, in two very decent pictures, "The Premature Burial" (The only one of Corman's official "Poe Series" films not to feature Vincent Price) and "The Man With X-Ray Eyes". In 1962 he also starred in a film that he himself directed, the science fiction film "Panic in the Year Zero!". In the early 70s he played roles in fairly schlocky horror films like "Frogs" and "The Thing With Two Heads" (which saw his white racist character's head attached to a black man's body). The role I remember him best for, and the role that I first saw him in as a child, was as the villain Aristotle Bolt (what a great name) in 1975's adaptation of "Escape to Witch Mountain". A great role, and a fantastic movie that I still love to this day.

Notable Role: Neil Howard in "Charlie Chan in London" (1934), Christopher Powell in "The Jungle Princess" (1936), Roderick Fitzgerald in "The Uninvited" (1944), Stephen Neal in "Ministry of Fear" (1944), Mark Bellis in "So Evil My Love" (1948), Tony Wendice in "Dial M for Murder" (1954), Guy Carrel in "The Premature Burial" (1962), Harry Baldin in "Panic in the Year Zero!" (1962), Dr. James Xavier in "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes" (1963), Jason Crocket in "Frogs" (1972), Maxwell Kirshner in "The Thing With Two Heads" (1972), Stewart Henderson in "The House in Nightmare Park" (1973), Aristotle Bolt in "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975), Sire Uri in "Battlestar Gallactica" (1979)

 

A face not everyone recognizes, a voice few can forget.

 


Roddy McDowall - Yet another great talent out of the UK, here we have an actor who is very well recognized behind a signature ape mask, with his singularly distinctive voice, yet I have often brought him up in conversation, only to have people say "who?". Very disheartening indeed, considering he is one of my favorite actors of all time, not to mention one of the finest character actors of all time. Again, he is someone not as intimately known in the horror genre because of his lack of iconic roles (no Frankenstein's or Draculas), but nonetheless he did have many great horror roles. His first was a rather minor role in the 1941 Fritz Lang film "Man Hunt". He also featured in a 1948 Orson Wells adaptation of "Macbeth". Throughout much of his earlier career, in fact, he had roles in some pretty huge films, such as John Ford's "How Green Is My Valley", "Cleopatra", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks".

Of course, his most well known role, even though under a mask, is that of Dr. Cornelius from the "Planet of the Apes" films. A role which is deservingly memorable and honored, him starring in all but the second film "Beneath the Planet of the Apes", where he was replaced by a similar (but not the same) sounding actor. Oddly enough, he starred in a straight up horror film the year before that, in 1967's "It", a film about a disgruntled young man who comes in control of an ancient Hebrew Golem, which he sends out to destroy his enemies. It's one of those movies few people know what the hell you're talking about if you mention it, but it is a really underrated classic, and a good, manic role for him as the villain.

He provided the voice of V.I.N.CENT the robot in the 1979 classic "The Black Hole" (probably the darkest film Disney ever produced), and had other memorable voice acting roles later on, such as The Mad Hatter in the 90s Batman animated series. One horror film that more people might recognize him for, and one of his very best roles in my humble estimation, was in 1985's "Fright Night", where he is a horror actor modeled heavily after Peter Cushing in Hammer's "Dracula" films, and he is more or less pushed into trying to fight a real vampire by one of his biggest fans. It's an underrated 80s gem, and in a decade where horror films were progressively more and more all about gore and shock factor, it managed to retain a very classic feel to it (even though the less said about it's unnecessary sequel, the better).

Notable Roles: Ronnie Cavanaugh in "The Pied Piper" (1942), Prince Malcolm in "Macbeth" (1948), Gregory Benson in "That Darn Cat!" (1965), Arthur Pimm in "It" (1967), Cornelius in the "Planet of the Apes" series (1968-1973), Mr. Jelk in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" (1971), Acres in "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972), Benjamin Franklin Fischer in "The Legend of Hell House" (1973), Mr. Stallwood in "The Cat From Outer Space" (1978), Dr. Mellon in "Laserblast" (1978), White Robe in "Circle of Iron" (1978), Hassan in "The Thief of Baghdad" (1978), V.I.N.CENT in "The Black Hole" (1979), Samwise Gamgee in "The Return of the King" (1980), Father Stone in "The Martian Chronicles" (1980), The March Hare in "Alice in Wonderland" (1985), Peter Vincent in "Fright Night" (1985), Ratty in "The Wind in the Willows" (1987), The Mad Hatter in "Batman: The Animated Series" (1992) and "The New Batman Adventures" (1997)

Those eyes.

Donald Pleasence - I don't think it's any great secret by now that many of the Icons on this list (Parts 1 through 3), are British actors. I'd like to think that is because in the UK film scene, there is more emphasis on looking for people with good classically trained stage backgrounds, IE actually caring about acting skills, than in the US where over the decades it has become more and more about finding pretty looking young people and giving them acting lessons afterwards. Then again in all fairness, a good majority of actors in Hollywood also came from strong stage acting backgrounds as well, up until a certain point in the 70s or 80s, I guess. But I digress.

Donald Pleasence, I think it kind of goes without saying, even if you're unfamiliar with his work, is another of those great British actors. In a similar vein to Basil Rathbone, the name Donald Pleasence kind of just screams "I'm British", in a good way. After getting his start in the fairly new (in the 50s) television medium, he started getting parts in theatrical works. One of his first genre roles was in the now almost entirely unknown 1956 British production of "1984". While not a horror film, it's also notable that he had a significant role in the 1963 classic "The Great Escape". He even featured as Satan himself in "The Greatest Story Ever Told". He really started getting on a role in the late 60s, however, playing Dr. Michaels in "The Fantastic Voyage", and then becoming immortalized (and later parodied by Mike Meyers) as the arch-villain Blofeld in 1967's James Bond film "You Only Live Twice". Ironically, this was the only film in which he played that role, it being filled by other actors in other Bond films, yet he undeniably was the best and most iconic Blofeld there ever was.

He would continue building his resume, including starring in George Lucas' first film "THX 1138", the Amicus horror anthology "From Beyond the Grave", and as Bolt's assistant Mr. Deranian in "Escape to Witch Mountain". But of course, his most famous horror role, came in one of the biggest unexpected hits of all time, John Carpenter's 1977 independent film "Halloween". He would wind up playing the role of Dr. Loomis in 5 of the "Halloween" movies, pretty much cementing him in the mind's of modern horror fans. In fact, his reprisal of the role in 1995's "The Curse of Michal Meyers" was his last film role before he died, and the film is dedicated to his memory.

Notable Roles: R. Parsons in "1984" (1956), John Barsad in "A Tale of Two Cities" (1958), RAF Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe in "The Great Escape" (1963), Satan in "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), Dr. Michaels in "The Fantastic Voyage" (1966), Ernst Stavro Blofeld in "You Only Live Twice" (1967), SEN 5241 in "THX 1138" (1971), Jim Underwood in "From Beyond the Grave" (1974), Lucas Deranian in "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975), Baron Danglars in "The Count of Monte Cristo" (1975), Doctor Harmon in "Oh God!" (1977), Dr. Sam Loomis in the "Halloween" series (1978-1995), Dr. Jack Seward in "Draclua" (1979), Mr. President in "Escape From New York" (1981), Priest in "Prince of Darkness" (1987)

The man himself.

  
Akira Takarada - Not necessarily the same brand of "horror icon" that many of these other esteemed gentlemen are, but the fact of the matter is, Japanese actor Akira Takarada starred in more than enough science fiction and monster films to qualify in spades. Besides, he's one of my personal favorites, and I think if you've starred in not one but several Godzilla films, you basically win. One of the hot new young stars of Japanese studio Toho in the mid-50s and throughout the 60s, Mr. Takarada featured in more Godzilla films than just about any other actor, and he had roles in many of their other science fiction fare as well.

I am humbled to point out, that he also has the distinction of being one of only two people on this now three-part list who are still alive, and surprisingly, still acting. The other is (as of 2013) Sir Christopher Lee, still kicking at age 91, and currently featuring in the new Hobbit films. Akira Takarada himself is now 79 years old, still acting in both Japanese television and film, and he is at least heavily rumored to have a cameo role in the upcoming 2014 American "Godzilla" film (which will hopefully be a hell of a lot better than the 1998 film America tried).

By virtue of the fact that pretty much his entire career has been spent in his native Japan, the only film fans who are really going to know who he is, are naturally fans of Japanese films, most especially the sci-fi and kaiju films he is known for. But I am here to help make him known to the world, because the guy rocks, and he had some great roles in some of my favorite Toho films of all time, most especially Astronaut Fuji from my all-time favorite Godzilla film, "Invasion of the Astro Monster" (also known as "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero"). On a somewhat humorous note, he is also strongly connected with Disney films in Japan, as he has done the voice dubbing work for characters like the villain Ratigan from "The Great Mouse Detective" and the evil Jafar in "Aladdin".

Notable Roles: Hideto Ogata in "Gojira/Godzilla" (1954), Takeshi Iijima in "Half Human" (1955), Prince Wakatarashi in "The Birth of Japan" (1959), Takano in "The Last War" (1960), Ichiro Sakai in "Mothra vs. Godzilla" (1964), Astronaut K. Fuji in "Invasion of the Astro Monster" (1965), Yoshimura in "Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster" (1966), Lt. Commander Jiro Nomura in "King Kong Escapes" (1967), Dr. Ken Teshiro in "Latitude Zero" (1969), Joji Minamino in "Godzilla vs. Mothra" (1992), Nataro Daigo in "Godzilla: Final War" (2004)




 

So there ya go, that is pretty much my list of "Icons of Horror Cinema". This entry wound up being longer than I'd planned on it being, but I "Hulk Smashed" my way through and just got it done. There are, of course, as many of you I'm sure might point out, many other actors who could be considered "Horror Icons", most especially when it comes to more modern horror films. Some of these would be names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, etc. And while I wouldn't dispute them being icons of horror cinema, please understand that this list sticks to the more classic actors and films. Besides, plenty of people have written articles and books and made videos and documentaries galore talking about many of the better known, more modern horror stars. I feel like my part in all of this, as usual, is to help let people know about some of the older, lesser known stars of yesteryear, because they are the ones that deserve to be remembered and recognized, whereas many new stars are already well remembered and very much recognized.

So with that, I will bid you all a very merry Samhain, and a very Happy Halloween! Stay safe out there, and do yourself a favor, make sure to celebrate the occasion by sitting down and watching at least one or two classic sci-fi/monster/horror films. You'll be glad you did, and I'll rest easy knowing I inspired some classic love. Cheers, and Happy Haunting!


Check out Part 1 and Part 2!

Make sure to have yourself a Mad Monster Party!

Monster Mash: Icons of Horror Cinema, Part 2

Titans of Cinema

 

Here we are again, back with Part 2 of our "Icons of Horror" event! Halloween is officially over, but as mentioned before, the traditional ancestor known as "Samhain" lasted until November 1st. So in honor of that, I decided to split up this grand event...but let's be honest, it needed to be split up to focus on such greats. Mind you, I will no doubt give many of these men, and even still many of the movies mentioned in both parts their own, more in-depth individual entries in due time. But for now, let's delve into the second half of this honor of the biggest names of classic horror cinema. And away we go!

The Original King of Creepy

Peter Lorre - Few actors of the "golden age" of cinema had a more recognizable face and accent than Peter Lorre. In that regard, he shared much in common with fellow Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi, as both were often typecast because of their iconic accents. However, where Lugosi was almost exclusively a king of the horror genre (sometimes to his own chagrin), Peter Lorre did have some major success outside of it's confines. In fact at one time he was featured in several of Hollywood's biggest films, alongside it's biggest stars, such as Humphrey Bogart in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) and "Cassablanca" (1942), as well as two of Alfred Hitchcock's earlier works, "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934) and "Secret Agent" (1936).

He also appeared alongside Cary Grant in "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1944), as well as Kirk Douglas and James Mason in Disney's 1954 adaptation of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". He often was typecast as a "strange foreign villain", but he also had many turns as more heroic characters, most especially in his own series of films as the fictional Japanese secret agent "Mr. Moto", in the late 1930s. But we're here today to talk about horror, and Mr. Lorre was certainly no stranger to that genre.

Lorre caricatured in the Merrie Melodies classic "Hair-Raising Hare" (1946).

 

His first true turn at horror came infamously enough, in one of German impressionist filmmaker Fritz Lang's most famous films, "M" (1931), in which he gave a chilling performance as a disturbed child murderer. His official American film debut was also a horror film, 1935's "Mad Love", an adaptation of the short story "The Hands of Orlac", in which he plays the love-obsessed and deranged Dr. Gogol. He started acting horror films more regularly beginning in the 1940s, the first of which being alongside Boris Karloff in the horror-comedy "The Boogie Man Will Get You" (1942).

He also appeared in the more science fiction entry into Universal's "Invisible Man" franchise, in 1942's "Invisible Agent". He fought against a disembodied and demonic hand in "The Beast with Five Fingers" (1946). But perhaps his best remembered horror roles came right near the end of his life, when he appeared alongside the likes of Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff in several entries of Roger Corman's "Poe Series" in the early 1960s.

Notable Roles: Hans Beckert in "M" (1931), Abbott in "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934), Dr. Gogol in "Mad Love" (1935), Mr. Moto in the "Mr. Moto" series (1937-1939, 7 films in total), Baron Ikito in "Invisible Agent" (1942), Dr. Lorentz in "The Boogie Man Will Get You" (1942), Hilary Cummins in "The Beast With Five Fingers" (1946), Conseil in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954), Montresore Harringbone in "Tales of Terror" (1962), Dr. Adolphus Bedlo in "The Raven" (1963), Felix Gillie in "The Comedy of Terrors" (1964)

 

Do I know Kung Fu? Nope. But my son will!

John Carradine - An actor of some note, who would go on to be the patriarch of the "Carradine Acting Family". Many of his sons would go into acting, the most famous of which was David Carradine, who gained great fame in the television series "Kung Fu" in the 1970s. John was a Shakespearean theater actor, classically trained, though he became known for the many western and horror films he did, among other genres. He actually played several uncredited cameo roles in Universal horror films in the 1930s, such as "The Invisible Man" (1933), "The Black Cat" (1934), and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). He did not, however, have a starring role in a horror film until 1943, when he starred as Dr. Sigmund Walters, your average everyday mad scientist, in "Captive Wild Woman", where he uses "science gone wrong" to transform a female gorilla into a human woman.

After this, he acted fairly regularly in the genre, being well known for it by the late 40s, where he finally took a turn in the role of Count Dracula in Universal's "House of Frankenstein" (1944) and "House of Dracula" (1945). Certainly not the best Dracula, nor the most well known, but he still played the role with flair and style, and was iconic enough in the role to reprise it once more in 1966's "Billy the Kid vs. Dracula". He continued acting in horror films, as well as many others (including a role in the blockbuster '50s production of "The Ten Commandments"), all the way until his death in 1988. In fact his last film was a horror film, which speaks to his legacy in the genre.

Notable Roles: Dr. Sigmund Walters in "Captive Wild Woman" (1943),  Dr. Max Heinrich von Altermann in "Revolt of the Zombies" (1943), Dr. Peter Drury in "The Invisible Man's Revenge" (1944), Yousef Bey in "The Mummy's Ghost" (1944), Count Dracula in "House of Frankenstein" (1944) and "House of Dracula" (1945), Bohemund in "The Black Sleep" (1956), Dr. Charles Conway in "The Unearthly" (1957), Count Dracula in "Billy the Kid vs. Dracula" (1966), Cruikshank in "Munster, Go Home!" (1966), R. Chetwynd-Hayes in "The Monster Club" (1980), Earl Kenton in "The Howling" (1981), The Great Owl in "The Secret of NIMH" (1982), Lord Elijah Grisbane in "House of the Long Shadows" (1983)

 

Father's colossal acting shoes filled? Check!

  

Lon Chaney Jr. - Talk about some huge shoes to fill. I already covered his infamous father in Part 1, and what a career did that guy have. Lon Chaney Sr. was seriously about as integral to the silent era of film history as an actor could get. His son didn't start his film career, ironically, until his father had passed away. So the true irony there, is that Sr. was a man exclusively of the silent era, while Jr. was exclusively of the sound era. Pretty cool in a way, though it would have been great to be able to hear Lon Sr.'s voice in just one film.

So it goes without saying that Lon Jr. came into the world of film standing in an enormous shadow, and no doubt with major expectations heaped on his shoulders. But by all accounts, he succeeded rather well. His career didn't really explode until his most iconic role in the 1940s. But he actually acted in a horror/thriller very early on, as he appeared in 1932's "The Most Dangerous Game", a story about a psychotic hunter on a remote island who prefers human prey. One of his first major starring roles came in the 1937 adaptation of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men", in which he portrayed the character of Lennie.

Lon Jr. had to go through the arduous make-up process for many hours every day.

 

Lon's first major horror role, however, came in a little film called "Man Made Monster" (1941), in which he plays a bus crash survivor who is immune to electricity, which causes a mad scientist to experiment on him, trying to create an army of electric super-men. He acted alongside veteran horror actor Lionel Atwill, the self-same scientist. But where his horror career really took off, and where he really shined, was when he finally got the chance to take on his father's mantle, "The Man of a Thousand Faces". Perhaps not quite, but really, he would go on to portray several iconic Hollywood Monsters, just as his father had. The first of these, was of course 1941's "The Wolf Man", which made him a huge star overnight.

He was the only actor to portray this specific werewolf character role in it's original run, thus he absolutely made the role his own, and to this day it is what he is best known for. However, beyond just Larry Talbot, who he played in a total of five films, he also went on to play Frankenstein's Monster in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942), Kharis the mummy in "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), and even Dracula's son Alucard (get it?) in "Son of Dracula" (1943). Lon Jr. would also go on to have his own series of "insanity" centered thrillers, under the "Inner Sanctum" banner, which he would be almost as well known for as his "Wolf Man" persona. All told, he was one of the biggest stars of the 1940s, and would continue to act until close to his death at the age of 67 in the early 1970s.

Notable Roles: Akhoba in "One Million B.C." (1940), Dan McCormick in "Man Made Monster" (1941), Larry Talbot in "The Wolf Man" (1941), Frankenstein's Monster in "The Ghost of Frankenstein", Kharis the Mummy in "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942),  Larry Talbot in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943), Alucard in "Son of Dracula" (1943), Dr. Mark Steel in "Calling Dr. Death" (1943), Kharis the Mummy in "The Mummy's Ghost" (1944), Larry Talbot in "House of Frankenstein" (1944), Kharis the Mummy in "The Mummy's Curse" (1944), Larry Talbot in "House of Dracula" (1945), Gregor the Great in "The Frozen Ghost" (1945), Larry Talbot in "Abbott and Cotsello Meet Frankenstein" (1948), Dr. Munroe in "The Black Sleep" (1956), Martin Melville in "The Cyclops" (1957), Simon Orne in "The Haunted Palace" (1963), Morgan Whitlock in "Witchcraft" (1964)

 

One of those rare actors who made anything he was in, better than it already was.

Vincent Price - Someone who needs really no introduction, Mr. Vincent Price is one of the single most iconic actors, both for his image and his voice, in film history. So much so in fact, that most people who have never even seen one of his films, are still aware of who he is, and would be able to recognize him upon seeing or hearing him. He just had that kind of character, that kind of presence. He was one of film's true greats. Not that any of the other fine men talked about in these entries aren't also under that distinction, but Mr. Price perhaps more than any other, has had the most lasting impression, not for a single role he played, but more for just the man himself. It's safe to say, like many of the actors listed in this two-part volume, that he acted in some of the greatest movies ever made, and also some of the not so greatest. But where Vincent Price was concerned, even the "shittiest" film he was ever in (whatever that might be), was probably still watchable, and perhaps even enjoyable, because of his presence and performance alone.

That's just how he was as an actor. Every role he played, he made his own, and he just stole the screen when he would walk into frame. An actor who actually started out playing serious, dramatic roles, he would not star in his first true horror movie until 1953, when he would become married to the genre in one of the first "3D" films, "The House of Wax", itself a remake of Lionel Atwill's earlier portrayal, "The Mystery at the Wax Museum" (1933). By the late 50s, he had fully exploded on the scene as the new "King of Horror", in such classic films as "The Fly" (1958) as well as William Castle's "The House on Haunted Hill" (1959) and "The Tingler" (1959). 

Mr. Price would go on to star in almost the entirety of Roger Corman's classic "Edgar Allen Poe series" of films in the 1960s. He also starred in the first adaptation of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend", titled "The Last Man on Earth" (1964). He continued to act until 1990, four years before his death in 1994, at the age of 82. And in that time, he was so iconic, that by the 80s, Michael Jackson chose him to narrate his song and video "Thriller", one of the biggest music hits of all time. That alone speaks for how big he was. His final film role was even memorable, as Tim Burton cast him as the kindly old "mad scientist" in his cult classic "Edward Scissorhands" (1990).

Notable Roles: Duke of Clarence in "Tower of London" (1939), Geoffrey Radcliffe in "The Invisible Man Returns" (1940), Nicholas van Ryn in "Dragonwyck" (1946), Professor Henry Jarrod in "The House of Wax (1953), Gallico the Great in "The Mad Magician" (1954), Francois Delambre in "The Fly" (1958), Frederick Loren in "The House on Haunted Hill" (1958), Dr. Warren Chapin in "The Tingler" (1959), Francois Delambre in "Return of the Fly" (1959), Roderick Usher in "The House of Usher" (1960), Robur the Conqueror in "The Master of the World" (1961), Nicholas/Sebastian Medina in "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1961), Various Characters in "Tales of Terror" (1962), Richard of Gloucester in "Tower of London" (1962), Dr. Erasmus Craven in "The Raven" (1963), Simon Cordier in "Diary of a Madman" (1963), Joseph Curwen/Charles Dexter Ward in "The Haunted Palace" (1963), Various characters in "Twice Told Tales" (1963), Waldo Trumbull in "The Comedy of Terrors" (1964), Dr. Robert Morgan in "The Last Man on Earth" (1964), Prince Prospero in "The Masque of the Red Death" (1964), Verden Fell in "The Tomb of Ligea" (1964), Sir Hugh, the Captain in "War-Gods of the Deep" (1965), Matthew Hopkins in "Witchfinder General" (1968), Dr. Anton Phibes in "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (1971) and "Dr. Phibes Rises Again" (1972), Eramus in "The Monster Club" (1980), Lionel Grisbane in "House of the Long Shadows" (1983), Professor Ratigan in "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986), The Inventor in "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) 

 

Peter Cushing in his iconic role as "Dr. Van Helsing"

  

Peter Cushing -  One other era and one other studio perhaps comes close to Universal from the 30's and 40s, and that would be England's Hammer Films, who had been around even back in that "golden era", but became well known for their science fiction and especially horror films in the 50s and 60s. There were two principle actors who can be rightly credited as being the driving forces behind Hammer's popularity and success, and one of them is Peter Cushing. Throughout his career, this man played many famous roles, from that of Sherlock Holmes, to a somewhat "alternate reality" portrayal of the famous "Doctor Who", and even the now-infamous character of Gran Moff Tarkin from the first "Star Wars" film in 1977.

But undoubtedly, his most famous roles were those he played for Hammer, being that of the vampire hunter Van Helsing, and the mad scientist Victor Frankenstein. In fact, he and the other major Hammer star, Christopher Lee, starred together in all three of Hammer's original adaptations of Universal's classic monster films, "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), "Horror of Dracula" (1958), and "The Mummy" (1959). They would, in fact, go on to act in over a dozen films together, most of them Hammer films. Mr. Cushing himself would go on to star alone in a long series of Frankenstein films for Hammer, that lasted into the mid-70s. He also reprised his role of "Van Helsing" for 4 additional Hammer films.

Tragically, in 1971, Peter's wife of nearly 30 years Violet, passed away. He was quoted later as saying that after she died, for him the passion of life pretty much went away, and he suffered from extreme loneliness. And yet, despite this, he still continued to act throughout the 70s, up until the mid-1980s. He passed away in 1994 at the age of 81. By all accounts a gentleman's gentleman, and a consummate professional as an actor, no matter what his role was, he still poured himself into it, and for that he will always be remembered as one of the greats.

Notable Roles: Winston Smith in "1984" (1954), Victor Frankenstein in "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), Dr. John Rollason in "The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas" (1957), Doctor Van Helsing in "Horror of Dracula" (1958), Victor Frankenstein in five more films (1958-1974), Doctor Van Helsing in four more films (1960-1974), John Banning in "The Mummy" (1959), Sherlock Holmes in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1959), Sheriff of Nottingham in "Sword of Sherwood Forest" (1960), Dr. Namoroff in "The Goron" (1964), Doctor Schreck in "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" (1965), Dr. Who in "Dr. Who and the Daleks" (1965) and "Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D." (1966), Phillip Grayson in "The House That Dripped Blood" (1970), Captain in "Dr. Phibes Rises Again" (1972), Antique Shoppe Proprietor in "From Beyond the Grave" (1974), Dr. Abner Perry in "At The Earth's Core" (1976), Grand Moff Tarkin in "Star Wars" (1977), Wazir al Wuzzara in "Arabian Adventure (1979), Sebastian Grisbane in "House of the Long Shadows"

Sir Christopher in his most famous role.

Sir Christopher Lee - And finally, that brings us to, sadly, the one out of all these great actors talked about, who is still alive at the tender age of 90, and unsurprisingly still acting. Like many of these actors, he was classically trained in stage acting, and like Peter Cushing, appeared in many Shakespearean productions. Like his contemporary and close friend Mr. Cushing, Lee first starred in a horror film in 1957's "The Curse of Frankenstein", in his case playing the role of Frankenstein's monstrous creation, a role that took a decidedly different direction from Boris Karloff's original portrayal. He would next star opposite Cushing in 1958's "Horror of Dracula", where he played the titular role, something he would continue to do over the course of a long series of Dracula films (much like Cushing did with his Frankenstein series). He also starred opposite Cushing in the 1959 Hammer remake of "The Mummy" in the titular role, and as mentioned before, in over a dozen movies total.

They were very close friends in real life, and their careers complimented and even paralleled each other in many ways. One notable example, is George Lucas' "Star Wars" franchise, where Lucas, a huge fan of Hammer horror films growing up, jumped at the chance to cast Peter Cushing in his first film. And nearly 30 years later, he would cast Sir Christopher himself in the role of "Count Dooku", a former Jedi turned to the Dark Side, in his prequel trilogy of the 2000s. Mr. Lee has also played other recent famous roles, such as Saruman in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (2001-2003), a role he is going to reprise at the age of 90 in the upcoming adaptation of "The Hobbit".

He is even in the record books for being the oldest individual in music history to record a heavy metal album, which he did in his 80s. He has acted steadily now through over six decades, and is continuing to act even now, in old age and diminishing health, which is a testament to his character and passion for acting. However, while Bela Lugosi is THE iconic image of Dracula, the only person who has ever come close, is the person who has also played the part more than anyone, Mr. Lee himself, who has portrayed the character in nearly a dozen films. Though (thankfully) still with us, he too, shall always be remembered as one of the greats.

Notable Roles: The Creature in "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), Count Dracula in "Horror of Dracula" (1958), Sir Henry in "House of the Baskervilles" (1959), Dr. Pierre Gerrand in "The Man Who Could Cheat Death" (1959), Kharis, the Mummy in "The Mummy" (1959), Paul Allen in "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" (1960), Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock Holmes and The Deadly Necklace" (1962), Professor Karl Meister in "The Gorgon" (1964), Franklyn Marsh in "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" (1965), Sir Matthew Phillips in "The Skull" (1965), Count Dracula in a further eight films (1966-1976), Grigori Rasputin in "Rasputin: the Mad Monk" (1966), Godfrey Hanson in "Night of the Big Heat" (1967), Duc le Richleau in "The Devil Rides Out" (1968), John Reid in "The House That Dripped Blood" (1971), Lord Summersisle in "The Wicker Man" (1973), Francisco Scaramanga in "The Man With The Golden Gun" (1974), Dr. Victor Gannon in "Return From Witch Mountain" (1978), Alquazar in "Arabian Adventure" (1979), King Haggard in "The Last Unicorn" (1982),  Corrigan in "House of the Long Shadows" (1983), Doctor Catheter in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" (1990), Burgomaster in "Sleepy Hollow" (1999), Saruman in "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" (2001-2003), Count Dooku in Star Wars Epidode II and Episode III (2002-2005)




I would be remiss if I didn't say that there are some honorable mentions that I didn't put on this list. Some of those would be: Basil Rathbone, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, George Zucco, Glenn Strange, Ray Miland, Donald Pleasance, and Roddy McDowell. They were all also great actors, most of whom starred in several horror films each, but none of them were QUITE as synonymous with the genre as the ones talked about. I might go into the careers of some of them at a later date.


On a final, awesome note, the picture at the start of this post, and the poster below, are from the one movie that features all four legendary actors, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and John Carradine, in one film. Many of them had played together in various groupings in other films, but this was notable for the only film they all starred in together, and while the movie itself is a decent "Old Dark House" mystery type of fair, those four make it absolutely worth seeing, because they're great together. 

Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane, and cheers to you all!!




Check out Part 1 and Part 3

Monster Mash: Icons of Horror Cinema, Part 1

Happy Halloween folks! Or as I like to say, Happy Samhain! Either way, it's the "Night of the Dead", and strange things are afoot. This time of year, but most especially this night, the end of the harvest, and the beginning of the "Dark Half" of the year, has always been deeply connected to magick and mystery, demons and spirits, ghouls and monsters. From ancient times, when today was a deeply sacred holiday, and actually the equivalent of the "Celtic New Year", to modern times, when the day has been saturated in sugar and commandeered by commercialism. But despite all of that, or perhaps IN spite of it, the day still retains it's same aura of "specialness". And in honor of that feeling, I am here today to share with you my thoughts and to impart a little knowledge, surrounding what I call the "True Icons of Horror".

Now, when I say "Icons", I don't merely mean the monsters themselves. No, those are just ideas, images that have existed in the human mind for centuries. What I mean, is the people, the actors, who gave those characters life and burned them into our minds via the magick art of the cinema. Today, for "Part 1", I'm going to be focusing on the "Golden Age" of classic horror films, and more specifically, the primary horror actors of the time. Now, it's always best to start at the beginning, but when it comes to film history, that is sometimes a very tricky proposition. I've already discussed in the last article how early filmmakers and studios didn't often have the foresight to take measures to preserve the physical prints of their work, and thus many of the earliest films wound up now "lost" to us. Indeed, the very earliest horror films actually appeared with the beginning of cinema itself, all the way back in the 1890s. 1896, to be precise, with prominent French film innovator Georges Melies, much of whom's filmwork is in fact now sadly lost. But to my mind, the first true notable horror actor, is someone whom most have probably never heard of.

The earliest adaptation of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein".

Charles Stanton Ogle - What you see above is the very first "Frankenstein" film, in it's entirety. Indeed the entire cast was uncredited, as was likely common practice this far back in film history, but Charles Ogle was the man who first was made-up to embody Mary Shelley's iconic "Frankenstein Monster". Looking at this film now, to most it certainly wouldn't be very impressive, and indeed might even come off as a bit silly, but I assure you that back in 1910, this probably blew people's minds, not to mention scared them out of their wits. Motion picture was still quite new and fantastical, and most people by 1910 likely still hadn't even seen a "movie", so take that and add in a representation of chilling horror, and you can imagine how some might have reacted.

Charles Ogle himself is not a well known actor today, and certainly doesn't stand out on likely anyone's list of "Top Horror Actors", but I felt he deserved a mention, simply for the fact that he was one of the first MAJOR "Movie Monsters" of all time. That in itself is a very prestigious and important distinction. He was a fairly prominent character actor of his time, appearing in over 300 films by the end of his career, including a turn as Captain "Long John" Silver in a 1920 adaptation of "Treasure Island", but I'm not certain that any of his other roles were in horror films, which did not become prolific until the sound era.

Notable Roles: Frankestein's Creation, in "Frankenstein" (1910)

 

Tell me that isn't still creepy as hell.

 

 Max Schreck -  Now there were major horror films in the 1910s and early '20s, such as adaptations of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", productions of "The Golem", etc. But the next one that immediately stands out, and another silent era actor who deserves mention purely based on one outstanding role. Just as Charles Ogle was the first actor to play Frankenstein's Monster, Max Schreck, a German character actor, was the first to (TECHNICALLY) play Count Dracula. Now, I say technically, because that was precisely the case. The German filmmakers (including famed impressionist director F.W. Murnau), wanted to make an adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" novel, but could not obtain the rights, and so legally, they couldn't use the name "Dracula". Thus, they went ahead and adapted the novel anyway, but instead called the movie "Nosferatu" (1922), and re-named the central character to "Count Orlok".

But regardless of semantics, Mr. Schreck took that role and made it his own, leaving such an indelible image imprinted on the social consciousness, that even people today who've never seen this silent era classic, are probably still subconsciously familiar with the image of Schreck as Orlok. Why? Because the costume and make-up, not to mention his acting, were so damn good, not just by 1920s standards, but by any standards, that it still stands as one of the creepiest images and performances in cinema history.  But again, similar to Charles Ogle, while Max Schreck was himself a successful actor of his time, and unlike so many other silent film stars, actually survived into the sound era before his death in 1936, I don't know that he ever had any other prominent horror roles.

 Notable Roles: Count Orlok (Dracula), in "Nosferatu" (1922)

 

The Man of a Thousand Faces

 

Lon Chaney Sr. -  Now the first person to TRULY be known and considered as an "Icon of Horror", was none other than one Lon Chaney, or as he would later be known (because of his equally famous son), Lon Chaney Sr. Mr. Chaney spent a vast majority of his acting career doing serious films, dramas, even comedies, he was a jack of all trades, and despite his future reputation for embodying famous monsters, he was quite the handsome leading man. It wasn't until 1923's adaptation of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", where he first took his first steps into Horror Immortality.

He's got his EYE on you. Okay...bad joke.

 

It's worth mentioning that unlike pretty much all later horror stars, Lon Chaney Sr. did his own make-up effects, which makes it all the more amazing, because, I mean just LOOK at those pictures! Also of note, is the fact that he grew up under the extraordinary circumstance of having not one, but TWO deaf parents, so he had to become very good not only sign language, but pantomime, at a young age. This lent itself perfectly to a silent film career, and made him better and more expressive than many of his contemporaries. In "Hunchback", he played the pitiful victim and anti-hero, Quasimodo, and while others have come and gone who have portrayed the character very well (especially Charles Laughton), none are more iconic or better remembered than Chaney's. He would go on to play other horror icons, such as "The Phantom of the Opera", the other role his is primarily remembered for. Sadly, Lon Chaney Sr. died right before the sound era really came into full effect, and as such, never got to act in a film where people could hear his voice. He truly died with his era.

Notable Roles: Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923), Gustav Ziska in "The Monster" (1925), Erik, The Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925), Mr Wu in "Mr Wu" (1927), Alonzo the Armless in "The Unknown" (1927), Inspector Edward C. Burke in "London After Midnight" (1927)

 

Mr. Atwill in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939)

  

 Lionel Atwill - Another actor who is perhaps lesser known today, but was very well known during the "Golden Age" of sound horror films, is one Lionel Atwill. Not the same brand of character actor as those I've mentioned so far, he was not known to dress up or play many iconic monsters. And yet, he did in fact star or appear in well over a dozen horror films. His first such turn came in 1932's "Doctor X", a horror/mystery film in which he plays the title character, Dr. Xavier, who is implicated in cannibalistic murders. He also played the primary villain and central character of the original "Mystery at the Wax Museum" (1933), where he played sculptor Ivan Igor. This is one role where he did get the full "monster make-up" treatment, as Igor is a sculptor whose wax museum is not making enough money. One of his investment partners decides he wants to burn it down and collect the insurance, which Igor fights, leaving him knocked out and left for dead, winding up horribly burned. He resurfaces years later, re-opening his wax museum through sinister means, and setting about a plot of revenge.

He even had a turn as the infamous Professor Moriarty in "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" (1943). But probably his most iconic and enduring role, at least in horror films, was that of Inspector Krogh, the only sensible man in town, in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939). He would go on to play various other characters in several following Frankenstein films, but this was his most iconic, even being parodied/homaged in Mel' Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (1974).

Notable Roles: Dr. Jerry Xavier in "Doctor X" (1932), Ivan Igor in "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933), Inspector Neumann in "Mark of the Vampire (1935), Inspector Krogh in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939), Dr. James Mortimer in "Hound of the Baskervilles" (1939), Dr. Paul Rigas in "Man Made Monster" (1941), Dr. Theodore Bohmer in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942), Professor Moriarty in "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" (1943), The Mayor in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943), Inspector Arnz in "House of Frankenstein" (1944), Police Inspector Holtz in "House of Dracula" (1945)



 

Mr. Lugosi, in the role he is still synonymous with to this day.

 Bela Lugosi -  Now on to the meat and potatoes of this entry. Mr. Bela Lugosi, born October 20th, 1882 in his native country of Hungary, came to America in the in the early 20th century, around 1920, after fleeing his country due to the Hungarian Revolution of 1919. He moved around Europe a bit before coming to New Orleans as a seaman aboard a merchant ship. An experienced stage actor, also having appeared in many Hungarian and later German films, he eventually took up stage acting once more in America. He played the central role of a 1927 Broadway production of Bram Stoker's "Dracula", which is what ultimately landed him the same part in what would be THE first ever horror film of the sound era, 1931's "Dracula", directed by Tod Browning.

Lugosi's role as Count Dracula, though technically he only ever played it in two films (also the 1948 comedy "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein"), wound up being so iconic, so memorable, that when people think of the character of Dracula now, most people likely don't automatically think of Max Schreck, or John Carradine, or Christopher Lee or Gary Oldman. No, they think of Bela Lugosi. He's so synonymous with that role, that most media depictions of the character even imitate his thick Hungarian accent, his look in the film, and his mannerisms. He would, of course, go on to play many other roles, in fact in the 1930s and '40s, he was one of the top billed stars of Hollywood. He even received top billing over starring actors in several films where he only had smaller or even cameo roles, because his name sold tickets. Some would contend that Boris Karloff wound up the bigger star, but honestly, I would put them both as dead even, because both of them gave portrayals of classic characters which are to this day remembered and imitated.

Notable Roles: Count Dracula in "Dracula" (1931), 'Murder' Legendre in "White Zombie" (1932), Sayer of the Law in "Island of Lost Souls" (1932, first adaptation of  H.G. Wells' "The Island of Doctor Moreau), Dr. Vitus Werdegast in "The Black Cat" (1934), Chandu the Magician in "The Return of Chandu" serial (1934), Mr. Fu Wong in "The Mysterious Mr. Wong" (1935), Count Mora in "Mark of the Vampire" (1935), Richard Vollin in "The Raven" (1935), Dr. Felix Benet in "The Invisible Ray" (1936), Dr. Alex Zorka in "The Phantom Creeps" serial (1939), Ygor in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939), Bela the Gypsy in "The Wolf Man" (1941), Ygor in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942), Frankenstein's Monster in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943), Armand Tesla in "The Return of the Vampire" (1944), Count Dracula in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948). 

 


 

He's called "The Monster", NOT Frankenstein!!!

Boris Karloff - Mr. Karloff was born on November 23, 1887, in London, England. Like his contemporary Lugosi, he traveled across the Atlantic to continue his acting career, although in his case he started in Canada. He acted in many films in his career before he got famous in America, but sufficed to say, like Lugosi, he was a veteran actor before his own iconic role came around. That came after Lugosi's turn at "Dracula", in 1931. Universal Pictures wanted to adapt another famous horror novel, after the success they had with "Dracula", and actually originally wanted Lugosi to play the "Monster". There are conflicting rumors, that either Bela Lugosi didn't want to take the role because he felt like the make-up would hinder his acting, or that director James Whale preferred Karloff, but whatever went down, Fate saw to it that Boris Karloff got the role that made his career.

As "Frankenstein's Monster", with the help of Jack Pierce's infamous make-up, Karloff set the world ablaze to the same extent that Lugosi did as Count Dracula. Even in a role that had zero lines of dialogue beyond grunts and growls, he still owned the part, and used body language and facial expression to give the performance of a lifetime. In the later sequel "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), the Monster learned to speak, which allowed him to give the role more depth. Again, like Lugosi, he went on to act in many other horror roles, being one of the biggest stars of the 1930s and '40s, and even staying active throughout the 1960s. But, like Lugosi, his biggest and most remembered role, would remain The Monster from "Frankenstein.

Notable Roles: The Monster in "Frankenstein" (1931), Morgan the Butler in "The Old Dark House" (1932), Dr. Fu Manchu in "The Mask of Fu Manchu" (1932), Imhotep in "The Mummy" (1932), Professor Morlant in "The Ghoul" (1933), Hjalmar Poelzig in "The Black Cat" (1934), The Monster in "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), Edmond Bateman in "The Raven" (1935), Dr. Janos Rukh in "The Invisible Ray" (1936), Dave Mallory in "Night Key" (1937), The Monster in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939), Mr. Wong in "The Mystery of Mr. Wong" (1939), Dr. John Garth in "Before I Hang" (1940), Dr. Gustav Neimann in "The House of Frankenstein" (1944), Dr. Henry Jekyll in "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1953), Baron Victor von Frankenstein in "Frankenstein 1970" (1958), Dr. Sacrabus in "The Raven" (1963), Nahum Whitley in "Die, Monster Die!" (1965), The Grinch/Narrator in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (1966)

 

On a final note, it's worth pointing out that Lugosi and Karloff, while many perceived them as rivals, actually acted in many films together. By my count, at least half a dozen, if not a little more. They were great alone, and great together. Alright kiddies! That's it for Part 1 of the "Icons of Horror Cinema". Stayed tuned tomorrow for Part 2! I'll give you a hint....it's going to feature another set of horror actors who appeared in many films together, and were themselves iconic in their roles. Till then...be careful out there.

Check out Part 2 and Part 3!