When Bela Lugosi as Ygor brings the wounded Frankenstein’s monster to Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) to help restore his strength, the good doctor tries to replace the monster’s abnormal brain, with a normal one. The cast is fabulous with Lon Chaney Jr. as the Monster, Lionel Atwill, Evelyn Ankers as Ludwig’s daughter Elsa, Ralph Bellamy and Doris Lloyd!
Images & Lobby Cards -courtesy of Doctor Macro’s High Quality Images
Coming to you from Trailer Land-The Ghost of MonsterGIrl!
Just for Halloween & our upcoming Chaney Blogathon here’s the very deranged Lionel Atwill trying to create a race of ‘Electrical Supermen’ starring Lon Chaney Jr in his glowing electro-cool rubber suit for George Waggner’s Man Made Monster (1941)
You Man Made MonsterGirl-It’s been Electrifying!!!!!
We’re still in our pre-celebration mode for our upcoming Chaney Blogathon in November! And cause Halloween’s sneaking up on us, right around the dark corner, I thought I should offer you yet another Lon Chaney Jr. teaser… here’s a snappy little film by Roy Del Ruth
Lon Chaney Jr as Manon: “I’ll kill you Alligator Man! Just like I’d kill any four-legged gator!”
I thought it appropriate to offer you this peek into Roger Corman’s slant on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward”,using an Edgar Allan Poe title…Starring Vincent Price and… screenplay by Charles Beaumont!
Co-staring our very special man of the month Lon Chaney Jr. as Simon Orne.
“Carrying on a family tradition of masterful motion picture horror!”
Photo courtesy of Wrong Side of the Art Lon Chaney Jr with Vincent Price in The Haunted Palace 1963
The incomparable Fritzi of Movies Silently and I are so THRILLED at the turn out so far for our Chaney shingdig in November. And we can’t wait to see it all come to life like Henry Frankenstein’s creation on that slab. Speaking for myself I’ve already shouted to the lightening permeated skies and bayed at the full moon with great ‘fangs’, I mean ‘thanks’… to everyone joining us!!!
But you know… there’s still films and television serials up for grabs, so don’t be shy, listen to the sound of my voice, you’re getting anxious, you’re getting excited, you’re ready to pick one of these fantastic unclaimed works by one or both of the great Chaneys!!!!
The makers of this post & The Last Drive In are not responsible for those of you susceptible to hypnosis -who find themselves walking into walls, or late nite raids on the refrigerator…. thank you- the staff at The Last Drive In (meaning me)
When do we swing from the bell tower, chandeliers and stalk by the full moon– November 15th – November 18
Have a question Leave a comment or contact either me ephemera.jo@gmail.com or Movies Silently
And say… don’t forget to grab one of the fabulous banners for the Chaney Blogathon in November!
Just look at these terrific unclaimed performances just waiting to be written about! There’s more at IMDb!
For years now we’ve cherished a few traditions in our house. Once October kicks off for the month leading up to Halloween… I always like to set off the festivities with a little gem of an animated short called Graveyard Jamoree featuring a little curious guy named Mysterious Mose. He’s a man of mystery who’s roaming through the land!
Mysterious Mose is a song from the early 1930s written and performed originally by Walter Doyle and his Orchestra, then recorded for Columbia by Rube Bloom and His Bayou Boys.
In 1998 I stumbled onto the most delightful short film featuring a stroke of nostalgic puppetry & stop motion animation created by film makers Seamus Walsh & Mark Caballero.
Graveyard Jamboree highlights the antics of the otherworldly character Mysterious Mose who’s favorite haunt is a cemetery serenaded by various marvelous creatures playing some pretty handy instruments!!! This animated short features Walter Doyle’s song which was recorded in 1930 by Harry Reser and his Radio All-star Novelty Orchestra.
Watching this little spooky, merrymaking adventure just gives me goosebumps of joy every October, because it’s a beautifully imagined romp, and it always means that Halloween is waiting for us at the end of the long filled month of movie marathons and high ‘spirited’ fun!
So please grab yourself a few moments of Mose and say… Happy Almost Halloween!
Fritziof Movies Silently & I just wanted to remind everyone about our upcoming event and maybe scare up some more contributors to our sensational Chaney Blogathon coming up November 15-18th! celebrating the 88th anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
So grab one of these spectacular banners (below) and stick it on your site and get ready for a really really thrilling Blogathon!
If you haven’t decided whether to join in yet and/or have questions contact either Movies Silently or me by either leaving comments at our blog or emailing me at:
Joey -The Last Drive In -ephemera.jo@gmail.com
And say, there’s still so many interesting features available, so come on and join in- there’s thousands of titles and faces to cover- these guys were so prolific!
There’s still Mr Wu (1927), The Road To Mandalay (1926), The Black Bird (1926), The Shock (1923), The Monster (1925) Shadows (1922) or Flesh and Blood (1922), so much more… just run over to IMDb profileand view Chaney Sr’s impressive filmography.
And… if you’re flavor is Chaney Jr there’s still fantastic selections left up for grabs like The Defiant Ones, Man Made Monster, The Alligator People, Witchcraft, The Devil’s Messenger, 13 Demon Street, and a myriad of memorable television series appearances why just look here- IMDb profile
“Lon Chaney can best be described as someone who acted out our psyche. He somehow got into the shadows inside our bodies. He was able to nail down some of our secret fears and put them on the screen”-Ray Bradbury
Okay… having recently co-hosted the William Castle Blogathon that was Thrill-O, the amazing Fritzi fromMovies Silentlyhas given me the honor of co-hosting this exciting next Blogathon trumpeting two men who have left an indelible mark on film history. I’m so filled with anticipation I feel like swinging from a Chandelier or hopping on a giant Bell in a tower just to ring in this upcoming event. Fritzi’s created these sensational banners of father and son!
The Man of a Thousand Faces- Lon Chaney
Undoubtedly film history will show that Germany offered up some very compelling actors from World War One throughout the early twenties. Conrad Veidt, Paul Wegener, and Max Schreck’s iconic performance as the transcendent Nosferatu. All set the tone for archetypes of the grandiose sinister & nefarious. Most were fantasy or horror driven shadow plays that piqued the imagination.
But one thing is certain, American born Lon Chaney dubbed ‘The Man of a Thousand Faces’ is perhaps the most persuasive & significant actor of them all and of that era. The roles he inhabited evolved to a whole new level because Chaney had a gift of drawing out the most nuanced and instinctual human emotion. Not just with his incredible skill with make-up but he possessed a manifest pronunciation of the human spirit with his body language and psychological interpretation of the characters he brought to vivid life on screen.
Often drawing on his mastery of pathos Chaney created some of the most unforgettable and sympathetic characters who were unique, grotesque and mythically unconventional.
Irving Thalberg who worked with the actor in the early days of MGM eulogized the great actor at his funeral- “The actor is a very special human being. There are only a few who possess his peculiar magic, that extraordinary ability to make us feel, to lift us out of our own existence, and make us believe in the world of make-believe. {…}Lon Chaney-a diamond in the rough-for he could be very hard. But let’s examine him closely, look behind the make-up, the many masks, and see what happened to this strange and interesting man to give him those sharp edges. those facets that made him glitter, that made him great! Great not only because of his God-given talent to illuminate certain dark corners of the human spirit. He showed the world the souls of those people who were born different than the rest.”
Lon Chaney was born Leonidas Frank Chaney to parents who were both deaf mutes. His mother was involved at a children’s school doing pantomime plays and little skits that starred Lon when he was merely three years old. So one could say that acting was in Chaney’s blood.
I’m sure people will always associate him with Erik the Phantom of the Opera from 1925 based on Gaston Laroux’s famous novel. Or perhaps as Quasimodo in Victor Hugo’sHunchback of Notre Dame.
But starting from 1913 in short films Chaneybegan creating some of the most powerful roles until his death in 1930 when he did his first and only speaking role in the reprisal of The Unholy Three. Here is a list from Lon Chaney’s IMDb profilewith his impressive filmography.
Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford in The UnknownEthel Grey Terry and Lon Chaney as the cruel Blizzard in The PenaltyChaney as the vengeful Phroso in West of Zanzibar
I’ll be covering one of my favorite performances as well as silent films. Chaney plays Alonzo in Tod Browning’s surreal The Unknown1927 co-starring a very young and stunning Joan Crawford.
Creighton Tull Chaney who was born in 1906. Chaney Jr. tried to carve out a niche for himself in the shadowy light of his father’s place in the pantheon of great screen actors and the classical status of the roles Chaney Sr. seemed to command. He did many appearances on various popular television series. Some might be your favorites like Route 66 or Have Gun Will Travel.
Best known for his sympathetic role as the ill fated Larry Talbot in Curt Siodmak’s memorable classic horror story The Wolf Man 1941
Lon Chaney Jr as The Wolf Man photo courtesy of Doctor Macro
Chaney Jr. started acting as a contract player at RKO after his father died but never attained the kudos that his silent film star did. Chaney Jr worked for Universal in a number of low budget horror films. Son of Dracula 1943 & The Mummy’s Curse 1944 and reprising his role as Larry Talbot in House of Frankenstein 1944 just to mention a few.
Lon Chaney Jr. in Son of Dracula photo courtesy of Dr Macro
One of his most memorable roles is that of Lennie in Steinbeck’sOf Mice and Men 1939. Lon Chaney Jr. appeared in various film noirs, mystery thrillers like the Inner Sanctum series and westerns, hosting a brief run on an obscure television horror anthology show called 13 Demon Street in 1959.
Chaney Jr.played Martin Howe in High Noon 1952 and Big Mac in I Died a Thousand Times 1955 as well as Big Sam in The Defiant Ones 1958.
Lon Chaney Jr as Martin Howe in the transcendental western classic High Noon
And -Somehow he worked his way through certain titles like Manfish & Indestructible Man in ’56, The Alligator People 1959 and Hillbillies in a Haunted House 1967. While not classics in the traditional sense, his films are still very fun to watch from a nostalgic perspective as a film fan & MonsterGirl.
It was great to see him along side Vincent Price in Roger Corman’sThe Haunted Palace 1963. But most memorable for me is his poignant portrayal of Bruno the chauffeur in Jack Hill’s bizarre & sublime Spider Baby or The Maddest Story Ever Told 1968
I’ll be showing some love to Spider Baby on the last day of the Blogathon!
Sadly Lon Chaney Jr. died of heart failure at age 67 in 1973 from life long tobacco & alcohol abuse, but no matter what role Jr played, he personified an accessible everyman and is still much beloved by fans to this day. Lon Chaney Jr’s versatile career & extensive contribution can be found here at IMDb
The awe inspiring Chaney Blogathon begins November 15-18
If you’re interesting in swinging from the chandelier with us this is how to join the show!
You can either get in touch with Fritzi over at Movies Silently by emailing or leaving a comment. Or contact me at ephemera.jo@gmail.com or post a comment here!
Let us know what you’d like to contribute to the event and the date you’d like to publish your piece. And say, grab one of Fritzi’s amazing banners and add it to your site.
Anything Chaney goes- Head over to IMDb and see the enormous filmography of these two!
You can cover either father or son or both… they’re so prolific those Chaney men. It can include reviews, biographies, pictorial posts, video tributes and more- And Fritzi and I both sort of agree that even if something is ‘taken’ you shouldn’t be dissuaded from choosing it, everyone has their own unique perspective on things so go ahead and write about it!
We’d also actually welcome people taking on some of the more obscure works just to get the crowds of onlookers excited.
If I could bring in a large pipe organ and play like Erik the Phantom and make my girl Wendy dress up like Mary Philbin I would do it as a tribute to the 88th Anniversary of Phantom of The Opera… but I don’t think there’s room in the apartment for one of those grand instruments and my wailing scares the cats…
If you’re still lost in the mysterious shadows of the catacombs trying to decide what you’d like to contribute –here’s some suggestions: or head over to Movies Silently and see what she’s got on the reel. And thanks to my partner in crime I now have a new toy to play around with here at The Last Drive In-– The Slide Show!!!!
Act of Violence 1948 directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Van Heflin, Robert Ryan and Janet LeighLon Chaney in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? 1962 Directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Bette Davis and Joan CrawfordBedlam 1946 directed by Mark Robson Produced by Val Lewton and starring Boris Karloff and Anna LeeBette Davis and Bette Davis in Dead Ringer (1964) directed by Paul Henreid and co-starring Karl Malden and Peter LawfordJoan Blondell and Tyrone Power in Nightmare Alley 1947 written by Jules Furthman for the screen and directed by Edmund GouldingCabin in the Sky 1943 directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Lena Horne and Ethel WatersCrossfire 1947 directed by Edward Dmytryk starring the Roberts- Robert Young, Robert Mitchum and Robert RyanThe Day the Earth Stood Still 1951 directed by Robert Wise and starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and Hugh MarloweThe Devil Commands 1941 directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Boris Karloff and Anne Revere written for the screen by Robert Hardy AndrewsTHE OLD DARK HOUSE, THE (1932) GLORIA STUART and BORIS KARLOFF Dir: JAMES WHALEDr JEKYLL AND MR HYDE 1931starring Frederick March & Miriam Hopkins and directed by Rouben MamoulianThey Live By Night starring Farley Granger and Cathy O’Donnell. Directed by Nicholas RayJoan Fontaine and Judith Anderson in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca 1940Phantom of the Opera 1925 starring Lon Chaney and Mary PhilbinTod Brownings Freaks 1932Gloria Grahame Odds Against Tomorrow 1959 directed by Robert Wise Josette Day in Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast 1946Judith Anderson in Rebecca 1940Janet Leigh and Phyllis Thaxter in Act of Violence 1948Joseph L. Mankiewitz directs Louis Calhern & Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar 1953Fritz Langs’ Metropolis 1927William Castle’s Mr Sardonicus 1961 Starring Guy Rolfe and Audrey DaltonWilliam Wyler directs Shirley McClaine in Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour 1961co-starring Audrey Hepburn and James GarnerMary Astor and Van Heflin Act of Violence 1948Odds Against Tomorrow Shelley Winters and Robert Ryan 1959Gregory Peck in Robert Mulligan’s To Kill a Mockingbird 1962 written by Harper Lee with a screenplay by Horton FooteRobert Ryan in Robert Wise’s The Set-Up 1949Sam Fuller’s The Naked Kiss 1964 starring Constance TowersCecil B DeMille’s Samson and Delilah 1949 -starring Hedy Lamarr and Victor MatureRobert Stevenson directed Bronte’s Jane Eyre 1943 starring a young Elizabeth Taylor and Peggy Ann GarnerThe Children’s Hour Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaineJulie Harris and Claire Bloom in Robert Wise’s The Haunting 1963George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead 1968Barbara Stanwyk as Jo in Walk on the Wild Side 1962 directed by Edward DmytrykWhat Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1962 Bette Davis and Victor Buono
HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13th- Hope you have a truly lucky day-MonsterGirl
![Title: OLD DARK HOUSE, THE (1932) "¢ Pers: STUART, GLORIA "¢ Year: 1932 "¢ Dir: WHALE, JAMES "¢ Ref: OLD005AA "¢ Credit: [ UNIVERSAL / THE KOBAL COLLECTION ]](https://i0.wp.com/thelastdrivein.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/the-old-dark-house.jpg)
