(MORE) MONSTERS BEING HUMAN
THE SON (AND THE DAUGHTER) OF FRANKENSTEIN and MORE
Part 2 of an ongoing series
A Horror Drunx exclusive article
by
Sid Terror
It is really invigorating getting a lot of positive emails and response on an article. My last "Monsters Being Human" article seemed to be such a hit with readers, that I thought I would do another one for you this issue. And you know me, I love sharing my collection and the stories behind all the behind-the-scenes pictures I've amassed over the years.
It just goes to show ya, if you like what you see when you are reading articles on www.TheHorrorDrunx.com let us know in emails and comments on the message boards and you will get some more of the same!
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Now you'll remember in the first MONSTERS BEING HUMAN article, I showed some great behind the scenes photos of Lon Chaney a.k.a. "The Man of A Thousand Faces". I also made a passing comment that there were probably no pictures of him mugging in partial make-up behind the scenes of his 1925 silent THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Well, I was wrong. Almost as soon as that article went public, I found some pictures in my collection I'd long ago forgotten. Here is a great shot of Chaney taken behind the scenes on Phantom Of The Opera! He has taken out his Phantom teeth for this shot, but if you look closely they are in a top left compartment in his make-up kit. I've also included a photo taken at the same time on the same set of him in full character.
ABOVE: "Feast your eyes! Glut your soul!"
The photos both look to have been taken within a minute or two of each other on the same day and seem to be on the set of the Phantom's underground hideout. Most likely, these were taken on the day that his infamous unmasking scene was filmed, since I don't believe there would be much call for him to be in full make-up on the days he was masked. It is interesting to see the Phantom make-up without the teeth and we realize how much they changed the look and shape of his face once added.
Keep in mind that ALL photos of the Phantom unmasked were kept out of print for quite some time by Universal studios and Chaney, so as not to ruin the surprise during the big reveal in the film. Previous to that, all photos of Erik the Phantom unmasked that were seen by the public, were carefully painted over by the Universal publicity department with a large question mark (?) over the face to obscure it. That is what makes this shot of the behind-the-scenes, smiling, "toothless" Phantom all the more rare because Chaney was usually so secretive and protective of his portrayals.
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Here is another history making photo, a publicity shot of the first formal meeting between new horror stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Of course, they played it up for the cameras. This was to announce their first film together, which would be THE BLACK CAT in 1934.
ABOVE: Frankenstein, meet Dracula... Dracula, meet Frankenstein.
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I know that I shared many behind-the-scenes and candid shots from the 1935 film THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN last time, but I thought I'd show you one more now...
ABOVE: Another "tea time and smoke" break on the set with Colin Clive and Boris Karloff
What makes the above photo all the more interesting for me is that Colin Clive is standing. Why is that unusual you ask? Because if you go back and watch the film, most of his scenes seem to be shot with him seated. The reason for this is that shortly before filming on the movie began, Clive broke his leg in a horseback riding accident! To make matters worse, Karloff had a mishap on the set when he slipped and fell back down into the ruins of the burned windmill and one of his legs was also broken at the time. The curse of the Frankensteins.
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This next series of photos was taken a few years later in 1938 on the set of SON OF FRANKENSTEIN. Although on screen the monster had scared most kids silly (you can bet there was more than one wet theater seat in the 1930's), on the set was quite a different matter. Even in full make-up as the monster, Boris Karloff was such a sweet and gentle man that kids just adored him. Amongst them were Marilyn Harris (Maria the flower girl in the original film) and this little toddler, Bela Lugosi Jr. ("Dracula" and "Ygor") visiting the set of Son Of Frankenstein...
ABOVE: Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi (Junior). Didn't Boris ever stop smoking?
The film Son Of Frankenstein starred Boris Karloff as the monster (naturally), Bela Lugosi as Ygor (one of his best character roles, almost stealing the film from Karloff) and Basil Rathbone as Wolf Von Frankenstein (son of Colin Clive's original Dr. Frankenstein, hence the SON OF.. Title). Rathbone was of course also in Universal's SHERLOCK HOLMES series as Holmes, but you already knew that.
ABOVE: Monster A-Go-Go! Karloff and make-up man Jack Pierce appear to be dancing for the cameras.
ABOVE: More clowning. Boris gets revenge for those hours in grueling make-up by turning the tables on one of the makeup assistants.
The series of photos below is a collection of my personal favorites, because there are so many back stories going on at once here. Taken on November 23rd, 1938, I've put them in their most logical chronological order to help tell the story...
ABOVE: The occasion was a surprise party thrown on the set of Son Of Frankenstein to celebrate Boris Karloff's 51st birthday. Helping him cut the cake and grab a great opportunity for publicity photos were co-stars Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi.
ABOVE: Joining them here is the films director Rowland Lee.
ABOVE: Ooopsie! DOH! Messy monster!
Boris Karloff must have really caught hell for getting the birthday cake all over his wooly vest (can you imagine trying to get that mess out?) because it would of had to have been completely cleaned and dried before it could be used on camera again. Any behind-the-scenes photos of him that were taken after this incident usually showed him without the wooly vest and instead wearing a distinctive bathrobe (borrowed from Jack Pierce, Universal's monster makeup master) to protect his costume.
They never did get the cake completely out and stain remnants showed up in some scenes from the finished film and any still photos taken afterwards. It is thought that this is why they stopped using the problematic wooly vest in any sequels, plus it was probably damn hot under those hot film lights.
ABOVE: Here he is minutes later minus the vest (off being cleaned by some poor wardrobe person) as he finally enjoys some cake. Note the monsters suspenders.
ABOVE: Another shot of the monsters suspenders, as Boris poses for a photo with some family friends visiting the set. This picture, which has never been printed anywhere, was from Boris' personal photo album was recently sold for high dollars through a major auction house.
ABOVE: Rathbone, Karloff (now wearing the notorious bathrobe) and young co-star Donnie Donnigan. Yet another example of kids on the set loving Boris as the monster.
ABOVE: One last shot of the cast, director Roland Lee, and the infamous bathrobe that Karloff wouldn't be the last Universal monster to wear.
Boris had bigger concerns on his birthday than cake on a costume though. Shortly after the above photos were taken, word came that his wife Dorothy had just given birth to his daughter Sara Karloff. Yes, Father and daughter shared a birthday! ...Perhaps they should have retitled this movie THE DAUGHTER OF FRANKENSTEIN.
Reports were that Boris ran from the Son Of Frankenstein set and drove to the local hospital maternity ward, arriving in full monster makeup, horrifying the nursing staff! Now THAT is something I wish I had some pictures of!
ABOVE: Sara Jane Karloff and her proud daddy.
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In 1940, the year after Son Of Frankenstein was released, Universal decided to dust off another one of their monster franchises for the sequelization machine. It would be THE MUMMY'S HAND, the first sequel in THE MUMMY series which had started in 1932. Karloff had played "Imhotep" The Mummy the first time out, but was not too keen about coming back this many years later and reprising the role, so a new Mummy character was created named "Kharis".
Playing the part was Tom Tyler, an actor best known for his roles as a cowboy in the westerns. For some odd reason here seemed to be a lot of cross-pollenization between westerns and monster films starting around this time and Tyler may have been the first to make that jump into a major monster role.
A few years earlier ion 1936, western director Lambert Hillyer had been at the helm for DRACULA'S DAUGHTER, Lon Chaney Jr. who had acted in many westerns would make the jump to horror in THE WOLF MAN (1940) and western actor Glenn Strange would take up the part of Frankenstein beginning in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in 1944. Below is a shot of Tom Tyler (with make-up master Jack Pierce) taken behind the scenes on THE MUMMY'S HAND...
ABOVE: Jack Pierce makes up Tom Tyler... Wearing Karloff's cast off Mummy bandages and Frankenstein bathrobe.
Now remember when I said that Boris Karloff, on the set of SON OF FRANKENSTEIN would not be the last Universal monster to wear that gawd awful bathrobe? Didn't believe me, huh? That'll teach ya to doubt ol' Terror.
See you next time.
"My name is Sid Terror and I am a Horror Drunx"
Sid Terror
October 1, 2008
