How I Learned To Love Being Scared - Page 2

Up next was James Whale’s classic in which Karloff, without the use of words, managed to imbue the monster with such an air of sadness that I couldn’t help sympathizing with him. For me, the villain of the film has always been Colin Clive’s Dr. Henry Frankenstein. This is one of my all time favorite horror films and one I still watch regularly.

The following week brought companions for the monsters. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) picked up where the first film left off and I was relieved to find the monster had survived. While it’s rated by many as superior to the first film, I was a little disappointed. Dr. Pretorius' little people in jars seemed silly even to my young mind — after all, if he could make such perfect little people, why all the fuss about reanimating a corpse? Karloff was still good, of course, although I preferred the monster mute and Elsa Lanchester showed why females were best avoided. The second film was Brides of Dracula (1960), and being a Hammer film, it was off to bed for me.

I was allowed to watch both films again the next week. This time, it was The Mummy (1932) and The Wolf Man (1941) on offer. I found The Mummy a little dull, although it was nice to see Mr Karloff again.

The second film was a different matter entirely. There is a poignancy about Lon Chaney Jr’s performance that is every bit as powerful as Karloff’s in Frankenstein. Lugosi was on hand as the gypsy Bela (maybe they thought he’d have trouble remembering another name) and Claude Rains plays Lon’s father. Yes, that’s right, little Claude is hulking Lon’s dad. Methinks perhaps his mum fraternised with one of the hired help; that, or she was a BIG woman. The ending of the film brought a tear to this child’s eye — I guess I’ve always sympathised with the monsters.

The next three weeks brought Son of Frankenstein (1939), Dracula's Daughter (1936), and The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942). Son of Frankenstein featured the teaming of Lugosi and Karloff with Boris in the now familiar role of the monster and Bela as Ygor. Lugosi steals the film as the deeply unpleasant Ygor, rising to the challenge of working with both Karloff and Basil Rathbone as Frankenstein’s heir.

Dracula’s Daughter, however, was a real disappointment. Not only was the big D completely absent, but Gloria Holden was anything but a chip off the old block. She made Lucille Ball seem scary by comparison.

Thankfully, things picked up again the next week with The Ghost of Frankenstein. Big Lon Chaney managed to fill Karloff’s boots pretty well and Lugosi was back as Ygor. Roger Corman’s The Premature Burial (1962) was the other film shown that night, and having seen the trailers, I was eager to see it. Sadly, it was not to be (at least, not that night), and once again (after a little grumbling), off to bed I went.

Article Author: Ian Woolstencroft

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben meant when he said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ …

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