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They’re Alive... Alive!
STACK
looks at eight famous fiends from the Universal vaults.
Originally a vehicle for Lon
Chaney (who up and died),
Universal turned to the
relatively unknown Bela
Lugosi, who was very familiar
with the role following a
two-year stint in the stage
production. This opportunity
for the Hungarian actor would not only change his life, but would
forever associate Lugosi with Dracula (and later Ed Wood).
Although nowhere near as chilling as 1921’s
Nosferatu
(an
unparalleled masterpiece), the 1931 version introduced the voice
and the look that has since become iconic. A frenzied Renfield
(old sharp tooth’s slave) and some wonderful camerawork from
Carl Freund also deserve kudos. Fangs for the memories.
Director James Whale and star Boris Karloff
give us one of the greatest movie monsters
of all time, and a definitive treatment of Mary
Shelley’s sympathetic tale. Whale’s film
amplifies the torment of a man struggling
with his feverish dreams of creating life and
the agonising existence of his creation – a
monster. Brought to life by the obsessed
Henry Frankenstein, the gentle giant is tormented and
ill treated, not only by the scientist’s offsider, Fritz, but by his all too
immediate role in society. Portrayed as the villain, Karloff brings humanity
and empathy to the monster. In one of the most controversial scenes,
we see the giant play like a bewildered child, throwing flowers into a lake
with a young girl, only to misunderstand and inevitably cause the child’s
death. Misunderstood and all too often misjudged by the society that
created him, he is hunted as the savage killer he has become.
It may not be as entertaining and
as lavish as Stephen Sommers’
1999 remake, but the 1932
effort with monster maestro
Boris Karloff certainly deserves
a place alongside Dracula and
Frankenstein in the Universal
pantheon of timeless horror
icons. Karloff again brings an air
of mesmerising eeriness to the
role of the unwrapped mummy
Imhotep, who is searching for his
reincarnated princess. Universal’s
The Mummy
was the trailblazer
and inspiration for the numerous mummy movies
that followed, and Jack Pierce’s incredible makeup and Karloff’s
indomitable presence justifies its position as a horror classic.
Hats off to a film that boasts a leading role that you can’t see!
James Whale’s 1933 version of the H.G. Wells classic remains the
most iconic, blending sci-fi, the supernatural, and rudimentary (but
effective) special effects with sly black comedy and suspense. It
should not be forgotten, however,
that Claude Rains’s, er, transparent
protagonist is pure evil – a man
consumed by the desire to have
the world grovelling at his feet; a
contemptuous being who wreaks
havoc and thrives on mass
destruction. The only glimmer
of humanity emerges in his love
for Flora, but this isn’t enough
to prevent his inevitable self
destruction. He’s mad, he’s bad and
he’s invisible!
1931
1931
1933
1932
Classic Monsters