Saturday, November 1, 2014

Saturday, October 25, 2014

A Study in Classic Horror- SON OF DRACULA (1943)

I understand that Lon Chaney Jr.’s acting abilities have been the subject of debate. Overall, I’m on his side. In his career at Universal he had quite a variety of parts. He’s quite good in Man Made Monster and Calling Dr. Death; he brings the right amount of sympathy to his signature role in The Wolf Man; but, in some films, such as The Black Castle, his roles are little more than glorified cameos.Then there’s Son of Dracula, in which I’m sorry to conclude that he was woefully miscast, but that may have not been his fault. By the time Son of Dracula was made, Chaney had already pretty much stepped into the shoes of all of Universal’s other monster stars, so to the producers, Dracula probably seemed a safe bet. Chaney does fine as leading-men, lovable simpletons, and lumbering behemoths, but Dracula is more a character actor’s role, and Chaney’s talents just didn’t seem up to the task.

Then, there’s the other debate: is he Dracula or not? Well, he certainly identifies himself as Count Dracula, despite travelling under the name of Alucard, so I guess the real question is: Is he the Dracula or merely a descendent cashing in on the family name. (Which would be ironic considering some of Chaney’s critics accused him of doing the same concerning his own father.) The latter would at least explain what was, for me, the movie’s greatest fault: the plot hinges on Dracula being a dupe in his own movie! A Dracula movie should be about his evil plot to obtain power or a new bride, not about a bored rich girl (Louise Allbritton) seducing him into making her immortal, so she can dump him and be with her own true love (Robert Paige) for eternity. Dracula is supposed to be the controller, not the controlled.

Like Dracula’s Daughter, (which I still think, with its faults, is a stronger film) there are weak attempts to import elements from the original film. Paige’s Frank Stanley is another Jonathan Harker, while J. Edward Bromberg’s Professor Lazlo is clearly meant to be our new Van Helsing.  The end result is rehash mixed with a misguided plot. 

Supporting features:

Porky Pig in The Sour Puss (1940)

The Our Gang short Mush and Milk (1933)

Next time:

Night Monster (1942) starring Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwell, Leif Erickson, Irene Harvey, and Ralph Morgan


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

In Memoriam - 2013

My own list of notable people (and others) we lost in 2013 whose time on this planet left some impression, big or small, on me. Of course, like all the other lists, it doesn't include everybody, so feel free to remark on anyone you'll miss in the comments.

In Memoriam - 2013

First and foremost, a fond farewell to my sister:
 Susan Linzer,  
née Susan Lee Chadwick.
December 21, 1955 - March 20, 2013

Jim Boyd
Actor
November 11, 1933 - January 2, 2013

Ned Wertimer
Actor
October 27, 1923 - January 2, 2013

Tony Lip
Actor
July 30, 1930 - January 4, 2013

David R. Ellis
Director / Actor / Stunt man
September 8, 1952 – January 7, 2013

Mariangela Melato
Actor
September 19, 1941 - January 11, 2013


Conrad Bain
 Actor
February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013

Lloyd Phillips
Film Producer

December 14, 1949 – January 25, 2013

Patty Andrews
Singer
 February 16, 1918 – January 30, 2013

Robin Sachs
Actor
February 5, 1951 – February 1, 2013

Reg Presley
Singer

June 12, 1941 – February 4, 2013

Stuart Freeborn
Make-up Artist
September 5, 1914 – February 5, 2013

Richard Briers
Actor
 January 14, 1934 – February 17, 2013

Ray Cusick
Production Designer
May 1928 – February 21, 2013

Cleotha Staples
Singer
 1934 - February 21, 2013

Bonnie Franklin
Actor
 January 6, 1944 – March 1, 2013

Frank Thornton
Actor
January 15, 1921 - March 16, 2013

Don Payne
Television / Screen Writer
May 5, 1964 - March 26, 2013

Richard Griffiths
Actor
July 31, 1947 – March 28, 2013

Phil Ramone
Music Producer
January 5, 1934 – March 30, 2013

Jane Henson
Puppeteer
June 16, 1934 - April 2, 2013

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Novelist / Screenwriter
May 7, 1927 - April 3, 2013

George Gladir
Comic Book Writer
 September 27, 1925 - April 3, 2013

Roger Ebert
Film Critic
June 18, 1942 -April 4, 2013

Carmine Infantino
Comic Book Artist
May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013

Annette Funicello
Actor / Singer
 
October 22, 1942 - April 8, 2013

Jonathan Winters
Actor / Comedian
November 11, 1925 – April 11, 2013

Richard LeParmentier
Actor
July 16, 1946 – April 15, 2013

Storm Thorgerson
Graphic Designer
February 28, 1944 - April 18, 2013

E. L. Konigsburg
Writer
February 10, 1930 – April 19, 2013

Allan Arbus
Actor
 February 15, 1918 - April 19, 2013

Chrissy Amphlett
Singer

 October 25, 1959 – April 21, 2013

Margaret Groening
Inspiration for Marge Simpson
 March 23, 1919 - April 22, 2013

Ray Harryhausen
Special Effects Animator

June 29, 1920 - May 7, 2013

Aubrey Woods
Actor
 April 9, 1928 – May 7, 2013
Bryan Forbes
Film Director / Screenwriter / Actor
July 22, 1926 – May 8, 2013

Dr. Joyce Brothers
Psychologist
October 20, 1927 – May 13, 2013

Arthur Malet
Actor
September 24, 1927 - May 18, 2013

Ray Manzarek
Musician
February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013

Jean Stapleton
Actor
June 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013

Elaine Laron
Songwriter
1930 - June 6, 2013

Elroy Schwartz
Television Writer
June 23, 1923 - June 14, 2013

James Gandolfini
Actor
September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013

Jerry Dexter
Actor / Voice-Over Artist
April 18, 1935 - June 21, 2013

Richard Matheson
Writer
February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013

Charles Foley
Game Inventor
September 6, 1930 – July 1, 2013

P. J. Torokvei
Television Writer / Producer / Actor
March 19, 1951 - July 3, 2013

Dennis Burkley
Actor
September 10, 1945 - July 14, 2013

Vincenzo Cerami
Screenwriter
November 2, 1940 - July 17, 2013

Mel Smith
Actor / Film Director
December 3, 1952 – July 19, 2013

Dennis Farina
Actor

February 29, 1944 – July 22, 2013

Cosmo Allegretti
Actor / Puppeteer
April 6, 1927 - July 26, 2013

J. J. Cale
Singer / Songwriter
December 5, 1938 - July 26, 2013

Eileen Brennan
Actor
September 3, 1932 - July 28, 2013

Michael Ansara
Actor / Voice-Over Artist
April 15, 1922 - July 31, 2013

Margaret Pellegrini
Actor
September 23, 1923 - August 7, 2013

Karen Black
Actor
 July 1, 1939 - August 8, 2013

Jack Clement
Songwriter / Music Procucer
April 5, 1931 - August 8, 2013

Henry Polic II
Actor
February 20, 1945 - August 11, 2013

Lisa Robin Kelly
Actor
March 5, 1970 - August 14, 2013

Elmore Leonard
Novelist / Screenwriter
October 11, 1925 - August 20, 2013

Sid Bernstein
Music Promoter
August 12, 1918 - August 21, 2013

Gilbert Taylor
Cinematographer
April 12, 1914 - August 23, 2013

Julie Harris
Actor
December 2, 1925 - August 24, 2013

William Froug
Television Writer
May 26, 1922 - August 25, 2013

Barbara Hicks
Actor
August 12, 1924 - September 6, 2013

Bill Wallis
Actor
November 20, 1936 - September 6, 2013

Otto Sander
Actor
June 30, 1941 - September 12, 2013

Jay Robinson
Actor
April 14, 1930 - September 27, 2013

Faz Fazakas
Special Effects Designer / Puppeteer
1918 - September, 2013

Ed Lauter
Actor
October 30, 1938 - October 16, 2013

Lou Scheimer
Animation Producer
October 19, 1928 - October 17, 2013

Hal Needham
Stunt Man / Film Director
March 6, 1931 - October 25, 2013

Marcia Wallace
Actor
 November 1, 1942 - October 25, 2013

Lou Reed
Musician
March 2, 1942 - October 27, 2013

Roger McGee
Actor
December 9, 1926 - October 27, 2013

Graham Stark
Actor / Comedian
January 20, 1922 - October 29, 2013

Marc Breaux
Choreographer
 November 3, 1924 - November 19, 2013

Nelson Mandela
Activist / Politician / Philanthropist
July 18, 1918 - December 5, 2013

Eleanor Parker
Actor
June 26, 1922 - December 9, 2013

Peter O'Toole
Actor
August 2, 1932 - December 14, 2013

Joan Fontaine
Actor
October 22, 1917 - December 15, 2013

James Avery
 Actor
November 27, 1948 - December 31, 2013