Elsa Sullivan Lancaster was born on Tuesday, October 28, 1902, in the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham, in, at the time, the County of London, that in 1965, became part of what is known as "Inner London". Her father was James "Seamus"Sullivan, and her mother was Edith "Biddy" Lancaster. Elsa and her five-years-older brother, Waldo's, parent's were English Bohemians. The couple refused to be married in either a religious, or legal way. The was like other's that rebelled against the "Edwardian Era's" set of norms under King Edward VII. Which is the reason for both of them to have their mother's last name, after their father's.
Above, Waldo and Elsa, circa 1906, below, James and Edith:
Elsa's brother Waldo would become a major British puppeteer, and with his wife Muriel. The two founded the "Lanchester Marionettes" in 1936. Which was located at "Foley House", in the spa community of Malvern, in Worcestershire, where it remained through 1952.
In 1949, Waldo had been able to get his sister's friend, playwright George Bernard Shaw, to write his last play. A play for puppets, entitled "Shakes versus Shav", which was performed by the "Lanchester Marionettes".
Waldo's sister, meanwhile, had studied dance in Paris, France, under the famed, American pioneer of modern dance, Angela Isadora Duncan, seen below, whom she disliked. With the outbreak of the First World War, Elsa returned to the United Kingdom, she was 12-years old. Her age was not a factor in getting work in cabaret's and roles in the legitimate theatre.
Around 1921, 19-years-old, Elsa Lanchester co-founded the "Children's Theatre of London".
Three-years later in 1924, with piano player Harold Scott, who is considered her first lover, founded "The Cave of Harmony", on Charlotte Street, in central London's, Fitzrovia district.
Above, inside "The Cave of Harmony", and below, Elsa is seen accompanied on the piano, by a man believed to be Harold Scott. On January 1, 1946, Scott published "The Early Doors", a history of the origins of British music halls.
According to a website by "The Seven Dials Trust":
https://sevendials.com/peoples-plaques/cave-of-harmony
Besides Elsa singing from "print songs"at "The Cave of Harmony". She also:
performed one-act plays at midnight, often assisted by famous artistes after the nearby theatres had closed.
The article mentions that the Lancaster and Scott club was a popular meeting place for H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh, and other intellectuals of the time.
The year "The Cave of Harmony" opened, Waugh, the future author of 1945's, "Brideshead Revisted: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder", wrote an amateur movie screenplay with himself portraying two roles and some of his friends in others, including Elsa Lanchester in her first on-screen appearance.
The 44-minute silent film, "The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama", was only shown to selected people by the writer and producer. According to the "British Film Institute's" website at https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-scarlet-woman-1924-online
Much of the appeal of this confusing but fascinating amateur film is a gloriously camp performance by its writer, Evelyn Waugh. He plays the Dean of Balliol College, Oxford, and based his performance on the real Dean, 'Sligger' Urquhart. Urquhart, he observed, was Catholic, homosexual, and a snob; an epithet that could as well describe the author himself after his conversion in 1930. Filming took place at Hampstead Heath, Golders Green, and the Waugh family's Hampstead back garden in the summer of 1924.
In the film the Dean is under orders from the Pope and his envoy Cardinal Montefiasco to convert the English monarchy to Roman Catholicism. The Dean holds a sinister influence over the Prince of Wales, but this is counteracted by the attractions of cabaret actress Beatrice de Carolle, played by a sinuous Elsa Lanchester - - - -
Elsa Lanchester continued to appear on stage, but in 1925, the "British Columbia Graphophone Company" had her record four-songs that she had sung in revues, the would be released on 78-rpm-records.
In 1927, "Lanchester" was cast in a London stage play by playwright Enoch Arnold Bennett, entitled "Mr. Prohack".
Also, in that cast, was a 28-years-old actor, who, in the army during the First World War, had survived a gas attack. His mother was not a "Bohemian", but a strict "Roman Catholic". The actor had attended the prestigious "Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)". Where one of his instructors, was a fellow actor named Claude Rains.
His name was Charles Laughton, and the two would marry on February 9, 1929, in a marriage that would last until his death on December 15, 1962, 33-years-later.
About the play, "Mr. Prohack", on December 4, 1927, Charles Morgan, in "The New York Times", had this to say:
LONDON, Nov. 17. THE international season at the Court Theatre which was begun, under Komisarjevsky's direction, with "Paul I," has entered its second stage with "Mr. Prohack," a play by Arnold Bennett and Edward Knoblock, the collaborators of "Milestones.” The evening of the first performance was painful and embarrassing. If the piece had been written by a dramatist whose name was unknown, its failure would have been relatively comfortable, though all failures in the theatre are a source of misery to those who are compelled to witness them.
On November 15, 1927, Londoner's were the first to see a new crime movie entitled, "One of the Best". Buried with 9th-billing portraying "Kitty", was Elsa Lanchester. She followed that silent film with another forgotten entry, "The Constant Nymph", released February 20, 1928. This was a drama starring Ivo Novello, who two-films earlier had portrayed the title character of, "The Lodger", in a "Jack the Ripper" tale directed by an unknown named Alfred Hitchcock. Elsa Lanchester had the uncredited role of "A Lady" in "The Constant Nymph".
Then one of her friend's, and a patron of "The Cave of Harmony", wrote 3-motion picture short's for the young actress to star in. That friend's name was Herbert George "H. G." Wells.
The first was "Blue Bottles", with a running time of 26-minutes, released in May 28, 1928, starring Elsa Lanchester portraying "Elsa". The "Art Director" and co-writer was H. G's youngest son, Frank Wells. This was a comedy crime story, and portraying "A Burglar" was Charles Laughton.
The second short was "Day-Dreams", released May 1928, Lanchester portrayed both "Elsa", and "The Heroine in the Dream Sequence" of this 25-minute comedy, written by Frank Wells and his father. Frank was also the art director and Charles Laughton portrayed both the "Lecherous Border", and "Ram Das, in the Dream Sequence". The short gets confused with Buster Keaton's, 1922, comedy short, of the same name.
The third 27-minute, comedy short written by the Wells's was May 1928's, "The Tonic". Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Elsa", and her husband, Charles Laughton portrayed "The Father of the Family".
On September 19, 1930, a sound motion picture musical revue opened in London. Different British performers appeared in the 68-minute film performing songs. Elsa Lanchester and Charles Laughton did a duet of the classic, "The Ballad of Frankie and Johnnie". I could not locate a video of their performance.
Elsa Lancaster made a British feature film, "The Stronger Sex", released in London on
February 26, 1931. That motion picture should have become very obscure. Except, that besides Lanchester being in the feature film. "The Stronger Sex" starred an actor Elsa had worked frequently with on the British stage. Colin Clive would leave England in 1931 for the United States. Elsa Lanchester would find herself working with Clive once again, on the motion picture screen, in a classic horror movie 4-years-later.
Back in 1926, novelist C. S. Forester, who in 1937 would publish his first work in a series of Napoleonic novels about British Naval Officer, "Horatio Hornblower", published a crime mystery novel entitled, "Payment Deferred". On September 30, 1931, at New York City's, Lyceum Theatre, the play version of that story, written by Jeffrey Dell, opened. The two stars of the American stage production were Elsa Lanchester and her husband, Charles Laughton, seen below.
Next, Charles Laughton went to "Universal Pictures", in the Los Angeles suburb of North Hollywood, and filmed British director James Whale's, under appreciated, 1932, "The Old Dark House", featuring British actor's Boris Karloff, and Ernest Thesiger. At "Metro-Goldwyn Mayer", he shot the motion picture version of "Payment Deferred", released November 1, 1932, but his co-star was not his wife Elsa Lanchester, but Ireland born actress, Maureen O'Sullivan. That same year, in the United States, Laughton's work included portraying "Emperor Nero", in producer - director Cecil B. DeMille's, "The Sign of the Cross", and "Dr. Moreau", in the renamed, horrific for the time, "Island of Lost Souls". Which was based upon H. G. Wells', "The Island of Dr. Moreau".
During 1932, Elsa Lanchester did not appear on stage, or in films in either the United States, or United Kingdom. After her husband filmed "White Woman", co-starring Carole Lombard, based upon the February 24, 1933, Broadway play "Hangman's Whip". The two returned to England and appeared together at the "Old Vic", for the remaining of the 1933 season, and the complete1934 season, starring in the works of William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, and Oscar Wilde.
There was also a motion picture directed by Alexander Korda for the husband and wife actors. My article is "ALEXANDER, ZOLTON, VINCENT: THE KORDA BROTHERS, FROM HUNGARY WITH LOVE" found at:
The following comes from my above linked article., slightly modified, as it refers to Elsa Lanchester, because of a movie I am about to mention.
Each of the three brothers would be involved in a group of classic motion pictures crossing multiple genres and at times working alone, or with each other. The reminder of my article is a look at some of these pictures starting with the film that brought the name KORDA to the world. After Alexander had directed 56 motion pictures primarily in Europe, produced another 12 films, and written six screenplays, came a historical story that evolved beyond Korda's plans for it.
Released August 17, 1933 and produced and directed by Alexander Korda "The Private Life of Henry the VIII" brought British films to center stage. It would make an International star out of Charles Laughton and his co-star, Korda's future second wife, Merle Oberon.Designed originally as a vehicle for Laughton and his wife Elsa Lanchester.. The film developed into a look at five of Henry's first six wives and Lanchester dropped from second to six billing. The sets and overall look of the film was designed by brother Vincent. This was his fourth collaboration with Alexander.
Charles Laughton portrayed "King Henry VIII".
Merle Oberon was cast as "Anne Boleyn", the second wife of "Henry VIII". "Anne Boleyn" was not in the original draft screenplay. Oberon's last two motion pictures, 1932's, "For the Love of Mike", and 1933's, "Strange Evidence", had the actress in "uncredited bit parts".
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Anne of Cleves", the fourth wife of "Henry VIII". As I mentioned the screenplay was to tell the story, in comic fashion, of "Anne of Cleves" and "Henry", and not any other wife, but apparently Alexander Korda met Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson, changed her name to Merle Oberon, and six-years later, married her.
Because of the lure of "HOLLYWOOD", Charles gave up the London stage and British film making. He returned to the United States and signed a new contract with "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer", and found himself a home near the studio in the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City. In March 1934, Charles Laughton started filming "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", Elsa left the United Kingdom, joined her husband, and went under a short-term contract with "MGM".
On September 17, 1934, "Metro-Goldwyn Mayer's All-Star", aka: everyone they could round-up under contract to the studio that was not working on another feature film, version of Charles Dickens's, "David Copperfield", started filming.
Notice on the above poster that the name of Elsa Lanchester is not on it. Elsa Lanchester had 14th-billing, portraying "Clickett", seen below with Freddie Bartholomew as the "Young David Copperfield".
Next, "MGM" put Elsa Lanchester, with 4th-billing, portraying "Madame d'Annard", in the major, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy musical, "Naughty Marietta", which went into production on
December 4, 1934.
Above, Nelson Eddy portraying "Warrington" and Jeanette MacDonald portraying "Marietta". Below, Elsa Lanchester portraying "Madame d'Annard". She does not sing in the operetta, but portrayed Frank Morgan's, "Governor d'Annard's", nagging wife. What a waste of talent.
January, 1935, was a major motion picture month for both Elsa Lanchester and her husband, Charles Laughton.
14-days earlier, on January 2, 1935, "Universal Pictures" had begun filming a Science Fiction Horror motion picture that would be mostly associated with Elsa Lanchester's title character. Although the character doesn't appear until one hour, nine minutes, and fifty-three seconds, into the one hour, fourteen minutes, and forty-four seconds motion picture, including opening and closing titles.
BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN which would have its premiere on April 19, 1935, in three locations, Chicago, Illinois, Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California
The "Universal Pictures" executive's wanted a sequel to the 1931, "Frankenstein". The only director, under studio contract, whom the executive's felt could film it, was the original feature's director, James Whale. However, he didn't want to make the picture, but instead wanted to make a musical. A compromise was eventually reached, Whale would direct the horror sequel, and the first sound version of the Jerome Kerns and Oscar Hammerstein II's musical, "Show Boat". My article is "JAMES WHALE: Jean Harlow to Louis Hayward", found at:
The first problem faced by Whale, was how to create a sequel screenplay from Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's, 1818 novel, "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus"? The studio's executives, since the success of the 1931 "Frankenstein", had kept trying, but without results.
The following, slightly modified, comes from my article, "John L. Balderstron: Writing Classic Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction Screenplays" at:
Contract writer Robert Florey wrote a 1932 sequel treatment entitled, "The New Adventures of Frankenstein--The Monster Lives", but it was immediately rejected. Next, staff writer Tom Reed wrote a treatment, "The Return of Frankenstein", the title remained until the film went into production, and Reed's full, 1933, screenplay was passed by the "Hays Censorship Office".
However, Universal and director James Whale finally settled on an agreement for his return as the film's director, but he felt, to put it mildly, that Reed's screenplay stunk!
Director James Whale turned to John L. Balderston and the playwright first solved the problem of how do you have a direct sequel to a motion picture released four-years-earlier in 1931? His answer, create a prologue with "Mary Shelley" continuing the narrative that ended the 1931 production.
The actual screenplay was co-written by John Balderston, 1931's, "Dracula", 1931's, "Frankenstein", 1932's, "The Mummy", he was at the opening of "King Tut's Tomb", and playwright William Hurlburt, the uncredited writer on the Claude Rains, 1934, "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head", and 1935's, "Naughty Marietta".
A crucial part to the success of this motion picture and the 1931 original was the make-up. My article is "Jack P. Pierce the Man Who Created Monsters", giving my reader nightmares at:
The Main Cast:
Boris Karloff, billed as KARLOFF, portrayed "The Monster". He would follow the feature film with the Guy Endore screenplay for Edgar Allan Poe's, 1935, "The Raven", co-starring, as billed, Bela (DRACULA) Lugosi. My article is "Boris Karloff: There Was More Than Horror Movies (January 15,1919 to July 20, 1958)" to read at:
Colin Clive, once again, portrayed "Henry Frankenstein". My article is "Colin Clive: Henry Not Victor Frankenstein, and Alcoholism" at:
Valerie Hobson now portrayed "Elizabeth Frankenstein", and later, she was the wife of "The Werewolf of London". However, it is her second real husband that made her infamous. My article is "Valerie Hobson: From Frankenstein's Bride to Bringing Down the British Government" at:
Note: initially it was James Whale's plan to recast, 1931, actress Mae Clarke as "Elizabeth Frankenstein", but in 1933, with actor Phillip Holmes, the two were in a single car accident. Mae's jaw was broken and her face slightly scared. However, she was now having several nervous breakdowns and was let go by the executives at "Universal Pictures" as undependable.
Ernest Thesiger portrayed "Doctor Septimus Pretorius". Thesiger followed this motion picture with one of only two feature length motion pictures rewritten by Elsa Lanchester's friend, Herbert George "H. G." Wells, 1936's, "The Man Who Could Work Miracles". My article is "ERNEST THESIGER: Not Just Director James Whale's 'Septimus Pretorius" at:
James Whale made the decision to have the same actress portray both "Mary" and "The Bride". As a means to show how horror springs from the dark side of imagination. Elsa Lanchester was his 3rd choice for the roles, and the only one available at the time.
Below, Elsa Lanchester portraying "Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley" in John Balderston's "Prologue".
Below, Elsa Lanchester portraying the "Bride of Frankenstein" at the screenplay's climax.
Some Interesting Actors:
Credited:
Dwight Frye portrayed "Karl Glutz, the assistant aka: "Henchman" of Dr. Pretorius". My article is "DWIGHT FRYE: Overlooked Horror Icon" at:
Una O'Connor portrayed "Minnie, the Frankenstein's housekeeper". The Irish born comic character actress had previously been seen as "Jenny Hall, the Inn Keeper", in director James Whales', 1933, "The Invisible Man", and was in both 1934's, "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", and 1935's, "David Copperfield". She would follow this motion picture with director John Ford's, 1935, "The Informer".
O. P. Heggie portrayed "The Hermit". He had portrayed "Police Inspector Nayland Smith", in both Sax Rohmer based, 1929's, "The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu", and 1930's, "The Return of Fu Manchu", starring Swedish actor, Warner Oland, as the Chinese doctor.
Reginald Barlow portrayed "Hans, the father of Maria". However, Barlow did not portray the role in the first motion picture. He was an American character who was in both 1935's, "The Last Days of Pompeii", and "Captain Blood".
Mary Gordon portrayed "Hans's wife". Scottish born actress Gordon is best remembered for portraying "Mrs. Hudson" in every film, starting with 1939's, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", that starred Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce portraying "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. John H. Watson".
Uncredited:
John Carradine portrayed "Lost Hunter at Hermit's Cottage". Carradine was the uncredited "Cult Organist" in the Karloff and Lugosi, 1934, "The Black Cat", and had three-different-uncredited-roles, in Cecil B. DeMille's, 1935, "Cleopatra", was an uncredited "Drunken clerk" in 1935's, "Clive of India", and the fully credited "Enjolras", in Charles Laughton's, 1935, "Les Miserables".
Above, John Carradine and uncredited Frank Terry.
Walter Brennan portrayed "A peasant neighbor with an ax" with dialogue. He also was a stunt man on the production, but I could not locate a photo of the actor.
The Basic James Whale - John Balderston Story:
The Prologue:
This is a recreation of a rainy night in 1816, in which Mary Shelley, was supposed to first mention her horror tale, "The Modern Prometheus" to her husband, and Lord Byron.
Above, left to right, Douglas Walton portraying "Percy Bysshe Shelley", Elsa Lanchester portraying his wife "Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley", and Gavin Gordon portraying "Lord Bryon".
The two men compliment "Mary" on her horrific tale, but she reveals that the original tale, aka:, the 1931, "Frankenstein" motion picture, was not the complete story. It was her purpose to tell a morality tale, that man should not play God! "Mary" now starts to continue the story, bridging the 4-year-gap between the two John Balderston story lines.
Note: the prologue was censored and cut, because director James Whale was showing to much of Elsa Lanchester's breasts as "Mary Shelley".
The Continued 1931 Story Line:
The badly injured "Henry Frankenstein" is taken away from the still burning Mill where he battled his creation.
"Hans", the father of little "Maria", who was drowned by the monster in the first movie, is watching the mill's ashes still burning. His wife is attempting to get him to leave, but he will not until he is sure the monster is dead!
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Break in Action for a Mistake:
As others have pointed out, somebody made a mistake with "Maria's" father in this sequel. In 1931's, "Frankenstein", her father was "Ludwig", portrayed by Michale Mark, seen below.
There also was another character named "Hans", portrayed by Francis Ford, in the 1931 movie, and was murdered by the monster, as seen below. My article is "FRANCIS FORD, Not John Ford: The Forgotten Older Ford Brother" to discover at:
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Returning to "Bride of Frankenstein":
"Hans/Ludwig" is looking down into a deep pit filled with water that was under the mill. He had wanted to see the monster's bones, looking into the pit, he slips and falls into it. Instead of seeing the bones of the monster, he sees the living monster, that kills him.
The monster starts to crawl out of the pit, and thinking the hand she sees is her husband's. "Hans's" wife pulls the monster out of the pit and it kills her.
Next, the "Frankenstein" maid, "Minnie", happens by, sees the monster, and flees in terror.
"Minnie" arrives in panic at the "Frankenstein Estate" and starts sounding the alarm that the monster is still alive, but nobody is listening to her. As all attention is on "Sir Henry Frankenstein", with his fiancee, "Elizabeth" at his side.
Everyone believes "Henry" is dead, but "Elizabeth" see a slight movement and now his recovery begins.
Above Colin Clive, on his back, with Valerie Hobson and Una O'Connor.
"Henry" is nursed back to health and nobody seems to have remembered the monster, or is still mad with "Sir Henry".
Above Colin Clive, on his back, with Valerie Hobson and Una O'Connor.
"Henry" is nursed back to health and nobody seems to have remembered the monster, or is still mad with "Sir Henry".
Note: see my article on Colin Clive, but the real reason he is seen in bed so much. Is that his alcoholism, known to all the cast and crew, and his tuberculosis, were overpowering the actor's ability to walk and speak lines. He was only in the motion picture, because he had played the role in 1931 and his good friend, James Whale, wanted him in it.
"Henry" has renounced his creation and "Elizabeth" is relieved, but then he tells her it is his destiny to unlock the secret of life and immortality. "Elizabeth" becomes hysterical and envisions death coming to the "House of Frankenstein".
At the front door there is a knock, "Minnie" answers it to find, to her, the frightening personage of "Dr. Septimus Pretorius", come to see "Dr. Henry Frankenstein". The two men speak in "Henry's" bedroom about the creation of life.
Feeling better, "Henry Frankenstein" visits the lab of "Dr. Pretorius" and sees the homunculi the other has created.
"Pretorius" gets "Henry" to think about creating a female, a mate if you will, for the monster. With this agreement "Pretorius" exclaims in a toast:
To a new world of gods and monsters
Note: "Gods and Monsters" became the motion picture title for a biographical feature on James Whale. The screenplay was based upon the book "Father of Frankenstein" by Christopher Bram.
Their agreement has "Pretorius" growing an artificial brain and "Henry" getting the "Spare Parts" for the body.
While this is happening, the monster saves the life of a young shepherdess, but seeing her rescuer she screams in fright.
Two hunters come along and shoot at the monster.
A mob now goes after it, captures the monster, chained him to a pole, he's brought into town, and placed in a dungeon.
The monster breaks its chains and escapes. In the woods, the creature hears violin music and "Henry Frankenstein's" creation meets the blind hermit, who teaches it to speak.
Note: Boris Karloff was against having "The Creature Speak". According to Denis Gifford's "Karloff: The Man,The Monster, The Movies" , in an undated, 1973 issue, of "Film Fan Monthly", edited by critic Leonard Maltin, the actor had told director, James Whale:
Speech! Stupid! My argument was that if the monster had any impact or charm, it was because he was inarticulate – this great, lumbering, inarticulate creature. The moment he spoke you might as well ... play it straight
However, two lost hunters, not the same that originally shot the monster earlier, discover it and not realizing he is now the blind Hermit's "Friend", want to kill it. When "Frankenstein's Creation" attempts to explain this to them, they instead, attack the monster, believing they're protecting the Hermit.
As a result they drive the monster/man away.
While the monster is roaming the countryside, director James Whale gives his audience a beautifully done image that flashes back to the prologue morality line about "Man Playing God", as "Frankenstein's Man" imbued with the words and friendship of the "Hermit", stumbles into an ancient religious grave yard.
Note: in the above still is a crucifix statue in the background. The following two-stills are from a censored and cut sequence to comply with the one-year-old, "Motion Picture Production Code", enforced by the "Hayes Office", and its censor, Joseph Breen.
Looking at the religious aspects of the above cut scene, in her article "Bride of Frankenstein" 85th Anniversary", Wendy Brydge, writes:
Joseph Breen, director of the Production Code Administration, made many recommendations regarding what was appropriate and what wasn’t for Bride. At this time, if a script didn’t receive the PCA’s seal of approval, it simply wasn’t getting produced.
You’ll recall a particular line from the original Frankenstein film, one that at the time was considered very controversial: Dr. Henry Frankenstein screaming, “It’s alive! Oh, in the name of God! Now I know what it feels like to BE God,” when his creation comes to life. That line made it into the first film, but for Bride,Breen warned of the “suggestion of irreverence, particularly with the use of the name of God.” Apparently that line about feeling like God had been offensive and considered “somewhat blasphemous” by movie-goers in 1931.
Wendy Brydge adds a little further in her article, that:
This was another one of those things which the censorship board deemed to be “blasphemous”. Director James Whale wrote to Breen in defense of leaving the scene as-is, “Although the scene… as I explained to Mr. Sherlock [sic], was meant to be one of supreme sympathy on the part of the Monster as he tries to rescue what he thinks is a man being persecuted as he was himself some time ago in the wood, if you still find this objectionable, I could easily change it to the figure of death.”
Jon Towlson, author of the book “The Turn to Gruesomeness in American Horror Films, 1931-1936” discusses how Whale, receiving no further reply from Breen, went ahead and modified the scene anyway. The image above looks familiar because the film does retain the cemetery scene, and the statue of Jesus, but it just plays out differently.
"Henry" decides not to go through with his agreement with "Dr. Pretorius". However, the monster and "Pretorius" meet in a crypt and a pack between them is made to force "Henry" to create its mate.
"Henry" and "Elizabeth" are now married, but "Pretorious" appears to get him to complete their grand experiment. "Henry" refuses and "Pretorius" leaves and gets the monster to kidnap "Elizabeth".
Note: At the very end of the original 1931, "Frankenstein", the audience sees "Baron Frankenstein", "Henry's father", portrayed by Frederick Kerr, celebrating his wedding to "Elizabeth", portrayed by Mae Clarke, and wishing for grandchildren. However, in 1935, the two are not married until almost the film's climax.
Confirmed that "Elizabeth" is unharmed, "Henry Frankenstein" agrees to create a mate for the monster and returns to the original tower laboratory and the work begins.
Note: When the story originally reached the point of bringing "The Bride" to life. On the roof of the laboratory, the monster confronts "Karl", and seemingly just tosses him off the roof to his death, without a reason being given to the audience. Found in my article about actor Dwight Frye is the explanation for this action. Which Joseph Breen had James Whale remove from the final release print.
Censorship from the Hayes Office was extremely strict on this production as compared to the pre-Motion Picture Code, 1931, "Frankenstein". As a result several scenes with Dwight Frye's "Karl Glutz" and his "Uncle", portrayed by J. Gunnis Davis, met the editors knife over violence. There are two major sequences, the first of "Karl", referred to as "Nephew Glutz", murdering his Uncle, and a follow up, putting the blame on Karloff's monster, both were removed from the final print. As a result of the removal of these two sequences with Frye. All his other scenes had to be either deleted from the final print, or shorten, to keep the film's continuity. The footage is considered lost and we may never know what this subplot to "The Bride of Frankenstein" looked like and the specific pages to the screenplay are said to be missing also. What is left is a question to the monster's motivation behind, seemingly, just throwing "Karl" off the roof of "Henry Frankenstein's" laboratory.
Below is a still with both Frye and Davis.
Above right, holding a staff, is actor J. Gunnis Davis standing next to Dwight Frye.
Now enters, for a short few minutes of screen time, the subject of this article, Elsa Lanchester, portraying the title character "THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!"
The "Bride", unexpectedly reacts as any woman has in the story to the look of the creature. She is not the "Friend" the lonely monster wants, but is actually frightened of him.
It is up to "Henry" to calm her down.
Realizing the situation and showing its new found humanity. The monster tells "Henry" and "Elizabeth" to go, and "Live!" He tells "Frankenstein", that the bride, "Dr. Pretorius", and himself are "Dead" and should stay "Dead". Once the two are clear of the tower, "Henry's" creation with the understanding he has learned, blows up the tower laboratory.
Alexander Korda asked both Charles and Elsa to return to England to film a biographical motion picture, "Rembrandt", that was released in London, on November 9, 1936.
Charles Laughton. portrayed Dutch painter, "Rembrandt van Rijin". Laughton had just portrayed "Captain Bligh" in "MGM's" 1935 version of "Mutiny on the Bounty".
Gertrude Lawrence portrayed "Geertye Dirx", the lover of "Rembrandt" and nurse to his son after the death of his wife. Lawrence was a popular actress, singer, dancer, music hall-comedy performer. In 1968, Julie Andrews portrayed Gertrude Lawrence in the musical biography, "Star".
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Hendrickje Stoffells", the life long partner of "Rembrandt", but she could not marry him. There was a financial condition in the will of his late wife that prevented "Rembrandt" marrying again.
Also in 1936, at the "London Palladium" Londoners were able to see the Elsa portraying "Peter Pan", and Charles portraying "Captain Hook", in author J. M. Barrie's play.
Above, Elsa Lanchester helping her husband, Charles Laughton with "Hook's - Hook".
VESSEL OF WRATH (United Kingdom) aka: THE BEACHCOMBER(United States) premiered in London on March 4, 1938, and premiered in New York City on December 24, 1938
The screenplay was based upon a 1931 short story by English writer William Somerset Maugham, "The Vessel of Wrath".
Charles Laughton portrayed "Ginger 'Ted' Wilson (Edward C. Wilson)". Laughton was portraying "Claudius", in director Joseph von Sternberg's, 1937, ill-fated version of author Robert Graves's, "I, Claudius". The motion picture was never completed, because Merle Oberon, who was portraying "Messalina", was involved in a car accident injuring her face, production was stopped and never re-started. The film's producer, Erich Pommer, joined with Charles Laughton to produce this motion picture. Pommer also directed it.
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Martha Jones".
Robert Newton portrayed "Gruyter, The Controleur". For 1937's, "I Claudius", the actor portrayed "Cassius, Captain of Caligula's Guard". In 1939, Robert Newton and Charles Laughton were seen together in a motion picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock, "Jamaica Inn". This was the first motion picture that actress Maureen FitzSimons used the name of Maureen O'Hara. To my generation there is only one role for the actor. My article "Robert Newton IS 'Long John Silver': The Definitive Motion Picture Pirate of the Caribbean" can be sailed at:
The basic story is the romance of two people from different worlds, who don't know their falling in love.
"Ginger Ted" is a dissolute beachcomber living on a tropical island owned by the Dutch. He is deeply in debt, but his best friend is the colonial governor, known as "The Controleur. Every month, when his remittance check arrives, "Ginger" has to out run his debtors to get his check from the governor. Who cashes it, gives the debtors what's owed, and gives the remainder of the remittance check to "Ginger Ted" to live on. Which to "Ginger" means getting a bottle of whiskey.
On the island is a school teacher, "Martha Jones", and her brother, a missionary, "Owen Jones, M. D.", portrayed by Tyrone Guthrie.
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One day "Martha" finds "Ginger" out cold on the beach from drinking. She goes to the shack he calls home and cleans it. When he returns and sees what she did, instead of thanking her, he screams at "Martha" for cleaning his home.
"Martha" and her brother are very puritanical and, obviously, look down on "Ginger Ted". In fact they get him arrested, he serves three-months, and upon his return, they want "Ginger" deported, but things don't go as they hoped. Instead, his friend, "The Controleur" just sends "Ginger Ted" to the no alcohol permitted island of Agor to dry out.
"Martha" needs to go to a neighboring island on a medical emergency. "The Controleur" sends his "Sergeant", portrayed by J. Solomon, to go with her. The "Sergeant" was given private instructions to bring "Ginger" back from Agor. On their way back, the boat's propellor hits a reef and is damaged. The three have to spend the night on the closest island. "Martha" finds it traumatic, and especially having to spend the night with "Ginger Ted". However, to her surprise, she starts to warm to "The Beachcomber".
Near the story's ending, "Martha" and "Ginger Ted" end up on an island during a typhoid epidemic. As the two struggle to get the islanders inoculated against the spreading disease. They inoculate the island chief's son, who is starting to develop symptoms, against the ex-Catholic chief's wishes. Should the boy die, the chief will put the blame not on typhoid, but the two, as the native drums beat ominously.
As the two await the outcome, "Martha" and "Ginger" come to realize that over the months on their own island. They were doing things, because in actuality, they like and care about the other.
The truth about who they really are now comes out. As "Ginger" tells "Martha" of his dream of marrying a bar maid and owning his own pub.That didn't work out as he was the son of the local vicar.
"Martha" now reveals why she was trying to stop "Ginger" from drinking. Her father was also a drunk and drank himself to death.
The boy recovers, "Ginger" gives up drinking, and the two face life together.
Elsa Lanchester and her husband Charles Laughton returned to the United States. I mentioned that Laughton appeared in James Whale's, 1932, "The Old Dark House", and the same years, "Island of Lost Souls", based upon the H. G. Wells novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau". Now, their reason for returning was that on July 10, 1939, he began filming French author Victor Hugo's, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". My article on all three motion pictures is "CHARLES LAUGHTON: A Little H. G. Wells, A Little Victor Hugo, A Little Robert Lewis Stevenson and Boris Karloff X 2" at:
Filming on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" completed on October 28, 1939, but one-month-earlier the entire world changed as Nazi Germany, on September 1, 1939, invaded Poland.
Elsa Lanchester did not work in motion pictures, or on the legitimate stage for the next two years. Due to the war, the British film company established by her husband and Erich Pommer folded with the loss of European markets for British films.
Her first motion picture after this lull was an interesting film-noir with some very interesting casting.
LADIES IN RETIREMENT released in the United States on September 9, 1941
This is a film-noir based upon the successful, West End London play starring 47-years old,
Mary Clare, and the Broadway production starring 38-years-old, Flora Robson, both portraying 60-years-old, "Ellen Creed".
The following is modified from my article found under Ida Lupino.
Director Charles Vidor, cast 23-years-old, Ida Lupino is the motion picture role of "Ellen Creed".
Charles Vidor, was not related to director King Vidor. His first American motion picture was 1932's, "The Mask of Fu Manchu", starring Boris Karloff and as his sadistic daughter, Myrna Loy. Among Vidor's later films are, 1946's, "Gilda", starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford,
1952's, "Hans Christian Anderson", a musical starring Danny Kaye, 1955's, "Love Me or Leave Me", starring Doris Day and James Cagney, and, 1957's, "The Joker is Wild", starring Frank Sinatra and Mitzi Gaynor.
Ida Lupino, as I just mentioned, portrayed "Ellen Creed". She had just been seen in the 1941 film-noir, "Out of the Fog", co-starring with John Garfield. My article is "IDA LUPINO: Singer, Actress, Screenplay Writer and Director" found at:
Louis Hayward portrayed "Albert Feather". "B" Swashbuckler star Hayward, had just portrayed "Edmund Dantes, Jr." in 1940's, "The Son of Monte Cristo". He would follow this picture with mystery authoress Agatha Christie's, 1945, "And Then There Was None".
Above, Louis Hayward and Ida Lupino in "Ladies in Retirement".
Evelyn Keyes portrayed "Lucy". Keyes's first motion picture was director Cecil B. DeMille's,
1938, "The Buccaneer", she had a uncredited role in 1938's, "Artists and Models", was in DeMile's, 1939, "Union Pacific", had a small role in 1939's, "Gone with the Wind", co-starred with Boris Karloff in 1940's, "Before I Hang", and just before this feature, co-starred with Robert Montgomery and Claude Rains in, 1941's, "Here Comes Mr. Jordan".
Above, Louis Hayward and Evelyn Keyes.
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Emily Creed". She would follow this movie with, 1942's, "Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake", starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney.
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Emily Creed". She would follow this movie with, 1942's, "Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake", starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney.
Edith Barrett portrayed "Louisa Creed". Barrett's is remembered best for two 1943 motion pictures. She was "Mrs. Rand" in producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur's "I Walked with a Zombie", and portrayed "Mrs. Fairfax" in the Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine version of "Jane Eyre".
Above, left to right, Edith Barrett, Ida Lupino, and Elsa Lanchester as the "Creed Sisters".
The plot revolves around spinster and housekeeper, "Ellen Creed". Whose employer, "Miss Leona Fiske's", played by Isobel Elsom, was a chorus girl of "Easy Virtue", but also a close friend of "Ellen's" from those days.
The plot revolves around spinster and housekeeper, "Ellen Creed". Whose employer, "Miss Leona Fiske's", played by Isobel Elsom, was a chorus girl of "Easy Virtue", but also a close friend of "Ellen's" from those days.
"Ellen" receives a threatening letter about her two "Strange Sisters". She is told that unless she gets "Emily" and "Louisa" under control, the person making the threat, will have the police arrest them and send the two to an asylum.
"Ellen" convinces "Leona" to invite her emotionally disturbed sisters to "Visit for a while". This takes place, but the two are still uncontrollable, but "Ellen" appears to have the help of the maid, "Lucy", and things are getting somewhat under control.
However, a strange man, "Albert", arrives at "Leona's" home asking for money, and claiming to be "Ellen's" nephew. Who is he, and what does he actually know about "The Creed Sisters"?
This all comes to a head one day, when the pressure gets to "Ellen". During a conversation with "Leona", she snaps and strangles her. Next, "Ellen" tells her sisters, "Albert" and "Lucy", and anyone else who might know "Leona". That "Miss Fiske" is traveling aboard, and that she purchased the house from her.
"Albert" and "Lucy" start investigating the rather strange disappearance of "Miss Leona Fiske" and they start to close in upon "Ellen Creed".
A review of the film, upon its release, in the "New York Times" had the following description of the motion picture as:
an exercise in slowly accumulating terror with all the psychological trappings of a Victorian thriller. It has been painstakingly done, beautifully photographed and tautly played, especially in its central role, and for the most part it catches all the script's nuances of horror quite as effectively as did the original play version ... Despite all its excellence, however, it must be added that Ladies in Retirement is a film for a proper and patient mood. It doesn't race through its story; it builds its terror step by step.
On August 5, 1942, "20th Century Fox", released an anthology motion picture, "Tales of Manhattan". That connects each story by the passing of a "Tail Dress Coat", hence the double meaning "Tales" in its title. In this large ensemble cast, Elsa Lanchester and her husband, Charles Laughton, portrayed "Mr. and Mrs. Charles Smith".
Speaking to multiple actors in a multiple anthology feature film was the very next entry for the couple.
"Forever and a Day", released on January 21, 1943, came from "RKO" with every available British actor in the United States and British writers including an uncredited Alfred Hitchcock.
The main storyline has American "Gates Trimble Pomfret", portrayed by Kent Smith, coming to London to sell the family house. The current tenant is a British relative, "Lesley Trimble", portrayed by Ruth Warrick, who takes shelter with "Gates" during a German Blitz, and attempts to persuade him not to sell the house. "Lesley" starts telling "Gates" the houses history from 1804 to 1943. The 21-writers turn this history lesson into one for American support against the Nazi's. Charles Laughton portrayed "Bellamy", actor Ian Hunter's "Dexter Pomfret's" butler. Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Mamie, the maid", in a dinner scene with Merle Oberon's "Marjorie Ismay" and Roland Young's "Henry Barringer".
There is nothing like being in a true classic family film, even if you're 6th-billed, just before a dog, especially if the dog's name is "Lassie".
LASSIE COME HOME premiered in New York City on October 7, 1943
The screenplay was based upon the best selling, 1940, novel "Lassie Come-Home", by English novelist Eric Mowbray Knight. Knight had been killed on January 15, 1943, prior to this motion picture's release. At the time of his death, he was "Major Eric Knight", United States Army-Special Services, and had written director Frank Capra's, "Why We Fight" series. He was killed when his "C-54 Skymaster" crashed into what was, at the time, Dutch Guiana (Suriname), South America. Below, a photograph of a "Skymaster".
The screenplay was written by Hugo Butler, Mickey Rooney's, 1939 version of Mark Twain's, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", Mickey Rooney's, 1940's, "Young Tom Edison", and Spencer Tracy's, 1940, "Edison the Man".
The motion picture was directed by Fred M. Wilcox, who directed 11-motion pictures that included as Fred McLeod Wilcox, the 1956 science fiction classic, "Forbidden Planet".
The Six Main Cast Members Before "Lassie":
Roddy McDowell portrayed "Joe Carraclough". He had just co-starred in the 1940 family film, "My Friend Flicka". In 1941, he co-starred in director John Ford's, "How Green Was My Valley", in 1942, he appeared in the previously mentioned "Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake", portraying the title character as a boy.
Donald Crisp portrayed "Joe's Father, Sam Carraclough". Crisp's film career started in 1908. He had been in both Douglas Fairbanks, Seniors, 1925, "Don Q Son of Zorro", and 1926's, "The Black Pirate". He had been in the John Barrymore classic, 1931's, "Svengali", and the Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and Mary Astor, 1932, "Red Dust". He portrayed "Burkitt" in Charles Laughton's, 1935, "Mutiny on the Bounty", and co-starred with Roddy McDowell in director John Ford's, 1941's, "How Green Was My Valley". Donald Crisp also appeared in the multi-actor anthology with Elsa Lanchester, 1943's, "Forever and a Day".
Dame May Whitty portrayed "Dally". Dame Whitty followed this motion picture with roles in two other classic feature films. The first was the all-star fantasy, horror, mystery, romance anthology, 1943's, "Flesh and Fantasy", and next portrayed the title role in 1943's, "Madame Currie".
Edmund Gwenn portrayed "Rowlie". Mention Gwenn and two-roles immediately should come to mind. "Kris Kringle" in 1947's, "Miracle on 34th Street", and "Dr. Harold Medford", in the 1954 science fiction classic, "THEM!".
Nigel Bruce portrayed the "Duke of Rudling". In 1939, Bruce had first appeared as "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.", opposite Basil Rathbone's "Sherlock Holmes" in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes".
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Joe's mother, Mrs. Carraclough". She had just been seen in the semi-musical story of British workers in a United Kingdom aircraft manufacturing plant, 1943's, "Thumbs Up". In that picture, Elsa Lanchester did a musical duet with J. Pat O'Malley.
Technically there was one other main actress, but her official credit came after the male collie "Pal", portraying the female collie, "Lassie". This actress was 11-years-old, Elizabeth Taylor, portraying "Priscilla", below. My article is "The '7' Husbands of ELIZABETH TAYLOR" to read at:
The simple screenplay tells the heart felt story of a depression era English family that has to sell their collie, "Lassie", and the dog's journey back home from Scotland to Yorkshire, England.
Elsa Lanchester had only one leading role and that was in the "RKO" comedy war motion picture. "PASSPORT TO DESTINY", released in the United States on January 31, 1944.
English charwoman, "Ella Muggins", portrayed by Elsa Lanchester, believes her late husband's "Magic Eye" charm is real. To her mind, it protected "Ella" from a London bombing raid, and she comes up with a plan to assassinate "Adolph Hitler" under the eye's magical powers. She goes to Berlin, and gets a position as a cleaner at the "Reich Chancellery" and plans to put her assassination plan into effect. Of course nothing goes as planned, but she does get some British secret agents out of Germany with her.
According to Richard Jewell and Vernon Harbin's, 1982, "The RKO Story", the:
screenplay was quintessential tommyrot, undiluted by even the smallest amount of intelligence or common sense.
The two author's stated that only Elsa Lanchester's charm:
made it bearable with her unique histrionic abilities.
Next for Elsa Lanchester, was a "Psychological Gothic Horror Story", that was hiding in a mystery film-noir.
THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE premiered in Ainsworth, Nebraska, on January 20, 1946
The novel by authoress Ethel Lina White, was published in 1933 as "Some Much Watch". The screenplay was written by Amelio "Mel" Dinelli, his first. Afterwards he would also write the screenplays for three forgotten, but thrilling film-noirs, 1949's,"The Window", 1949's, "House by the River", and 1952's, "Beware My Lovely". This screenplay would be filmed three-more times in 1961, 1975, and 2000, but not with the effect of this motion picture.
The tone of the motion picture was set by director Robert Siodmak. Who, with his brother Kurt (Curt), left the German film industry with the rise of Adolph Hitler, to come to the United States. Robert became a major 1940's film-noir director, that would include the motion picture that introduced actor Burt Lancaster, author Ernest Hemingway's, 1946, "The Killers". Robert Siodmak also filmed Lancaster in the comedy based, 1952, swashbuckler, "The Crimson Pirate". Lancaster's pirate is considered by Johnny Depp to be the grandfather of his "Captain Jack Sparrow". Among Curt Siomak's screenplay's were 1941's "The Wolf Man" and producer Val Lewton's, 1943, "I Walked with a Zombie". The brothers came together for a horror film, made in the German expressionist style, with an original screenplay by Curt, 1943's, "Son of Dracula". My article is "CURT and ROBERT SIODMAK: Horror and Film Noir", found at:
Speaking to Val Lewton, director Robert Siodmak requested from producer Dore Schary, that he hire Lewton's director of photography, cinematographer, Nicholas Musuraca, 1942's, "Cat People", 1943's, "The Seventh Victim", 1943's, "Ghost Ship", 1944's, "Curse of the Cat People", and 1946's, "Bedlam".
I now come to an interesting basically all female cast:
Dorothy McGuire portrayed "Helen". This was her 5th-film, David O. Selznick had initially purchased the rights to the novel and wanted Ingrid Bergman for this role, but she wasn't available and Selznick sold the rights to "RKO". McGuire had just been seen in 1945's, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". She was just 3-roles away from a nomination for the "Best Actress Academy Award" for 1947's, "Gentleman's Agreement".
George Brent portrayed "Professor Albert Warren". Brent had just co-starred with Claudette Colbert, and Orson Welles, in the war romance, 1946's, "Tomorrow Is Forever", and followed this film by co-starring with Barbara Stanwyck, in the war romance, 1946's, "My Reputation".
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Ethel Barrymore portrayed "Mrs. Warren", in a "Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress" nominated role. Back in 1932, Ethel joined her brothers, John and Lionel, in "Rasputin and the Empress". Between that movie and this one. Ethel Barrymore only appeared in one other motion picture, 1944's, "None But the Lonely Heart", co-starring Cary Grant, in which she received the "Best Supporting Actress Academy Award".
Kent Smith portrayed "Dr. Parry". Smith had portrayed "Oliver Reed" in both producer Val Lewton's, 1942, "Cat People", directed by the great Jacques Tourneur, and 1944's,"Curse of the Cat People", directed by, at that time, the unknown Robert Wise.
Rhonda Fleming portrayed "Blanche". This was Fleming's 7th-film role, 2-films earlier, she had 5th-billing behind Leo G. Carroll, in director Alfred Hitchcock's, "Spellbound", starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman.
Gordon Olivier portrayed "Steve Warren". Olivier had just been seen in the third and final motion picture, 1944's, "Heavenly Days", based upon the very popular, 1935 into 1956, radio comedy program "Fibber McGee and Molly", that started out as a vaudeville act. In 1958, Gordon Oliver because the "Executive Producer" for televisions "Mr. Lucky" and "Peter Gunn".
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Mrs. Oates". Lanchester followed this motion picture with the role of "Mrs. Keith", in the 1946 psychological drama, "The Razor's Edge", starring Tyrone Power, based upon a William Somerset Maugham novel.
Major "Hollywood" reviewer, Bosley Crowther, in the "New York Times", for February 7, 1946, wrote:
This is a shocker, plain and simple, and whatever pretensions it has to psychological drama may be considered merely as a concession to a currently popular fancy.
While in the "Corvallis Gazette-Times", in Corvallis, Oregon, for April 27, 1946, is found:
The Spiral Staircase is one of the season's top mystery dramas... this gripping RKO Radio offering is laid in a New England town about the turn of the century... The suspense mounts as the menace closes in around the helpless heroine, who is unable to escape from the frightening family of her employer. A climax, terrific in its impact, had yesterday's audience breathless and tense.
The "New England town" is in 1906 Vermont. The "helpless heroine" is a mute girl named "Helen". The movie opens with "Helen" in a local theatre watching a silent movie. While the film is still showing, a lame woman leaves the theater and returns home. Where a man, whose face is not seen, comes out of hiding in a closet and strangles her to death. The woman's murder is the third in the community. Next, "Dr. Parry", a friend of "Helen's" drives her out into the countryside to the "Warren Estate". There, "Helen" is the live-in companion for the bed-ridden "Mrs. Warren".
My reader has the set-up for the screenplay, but except for the following photos. I will tell you no more, but to see the motion picture for yourselves.
Two-motion pictures after 1946's, "The Razor's Edge", found character actress Elsa Lanchester, portraying "Matilda, the Broughams's housekeeper". In the 1947, Christmas romantic fantasy about an angel sent to Earth to help a struggling Bishop, but falls in love with his wife. "The Bishop's Wife", starred Cary Grant as the angel, Loretta Young as the wife, and David Niven as the Bishop.
Elsa Lanchester had the role of eccentric painter and witness, "Louise Patterson", in another psychological film-noir, the 1948 thriller, "The Big Clock". The feature stars Ray Milland as a man hiding in the title clock, being hunted by the police, for a murder committed by his ex-boss, a megalomaniac newspaper owner portrayed by Charles Laughton.
Note on the above poster, Elsa Lanchester is billed in 4th-position behind director John Farrow's wife, actress Maureen O'Sullivan, the two are the parents of actress Mia Farrow. However, below, that poster lists Elsa Lanchester as billed in 6th-position, which is how the actress appears on the "Official Cast Listing".
Lancaster's artist had done a painting that Ray Milland's character had purchased. When asked to paint a picture of the person she witnessed possibly commit a murder, she deliberately paints a modern abstract of blobs and swirls.
The following comes from the article, "Elsa's Gazebo", in "Time Magazine", for May 24, 1948 found as of this writing at:
To many a moviegoer, Elsa Lanchester is just Charles Laughton's wife; but to Hollywoodians she is the burlesqueen of what is probably the world's toniest vaudeville palace: Los Angeles' Turnabout Theater. Last week Elsa gave her 2,000th performance at Turnabout, a full house gave her a rousing curtain call, and the management gave her a party. She loves her work so much that for seven years, six nights a week, she has done it without pay. She finds payment enough in "the chance to use every ounce of creative energy that I have." That energy bubbles through about 50 musical skits (written by Turnabout's Forman Brown); in some of them Elsa rivals Bea Lillie at her best. Many of them concern shady ladies and double meanings. All are delivered in a scrape-fiddle soprano, with a prodigality of gesture and squirrel teeth. Perhaps Elsa's audiences like best the one about a wealthy, overstuffed New England heiress who builds a gazebo (latticed bower) in which to trap a mate. - - - -
Next, the actress was in the Margret O'Brien and Herbert Marshall, 1949 version of authoress Francis Hodgston Burnett's, "The Secret Garden".
Which was followed by Elsa Lanchester's nomination for the "Best Supporting Actress Academy Award" portraying "Amelia Potts", based upon real life artist, Lauren Ford, in the comedy drama, 1949's, "Come to the Stable". Lead actress, Loretta Young, was nominated for the "Best Actress Academy Award", for her portrayal of French Nun, "Sister Margaret", based upon real life Mother Benedict Duss aka: Vera Duss, founder of the "Abby of Regina Laudis, in Bethlehem, Connecticut. A
2nd-Oscar nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", went to Celeste Holm portraying "Sister Scholastica", based upon real life Sister Mary-Aline Trilles de Warren.
Elsa Lanchester was cast as "Maria" in the Danny Kaye classic comedy, 1949's, "The Inspector General".
"The Inspector General" was followed by swashbuckling with Yvonne DeCarlo in one of many pirate movies being turned out in the 1950's by the "Motion Picture Industry" to get around the Communist Witch Hunts, of both the "House Committee on Un-American Activities" and the wrath of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The new "Universal International Pictures" released "Buccaneer's Girl", on March 1, 1950.
Next came a tour de force for Elsa Lanchester:
MYSTERY STREET premiering in both Denver, Colorado, and Detroit, Michigan, on June 23, 1950
The story was by 11-time "Academy Award" winning screenplay writer and novelist, Leonard Spigelglass.
The actual screenplay was by two-writers, among Sydney Boehm's screenplays is the 1951 science fiction classic from producer George Pal, "When World's Collide", and 1954's, "Secret of the Incas". Which both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have stated, contained the inspiration for their character of "Indiana Jones".
The second writer, was screenplay writer and director, Richard Brooks. Among his work, Brooks co-wrote and directed 1955's, "Blackboard Jungle", 1958's, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", 1960's, "Elmer Gentry", 1966's, "The Professionals", and 1967's, "In Cold Blood".
Ricardo Montalban portrayed "Police Detective Peter Morales". Montalban, who was one of the 1940's actor's to portray "The Cisco Kid", had just been seen in director William "Wild Bill" Wellman's, story of the Second World War siege at Bastogne, 1949's, "Battleground". He followed this feature with another from director John Sturges, the boxing story, 1950's, "Right Cross".
Sally Forrest portrayed "Grace Shanway". In 1949, Forrest made her film debut in writer and director Ida Lupino's, "Unwanted", a very hard look at a taboo subject, unwed mother's. In 1951, she co-starred with Burt Lancaster in the western, "Vengeance Valley", featuring John Ireland.
Bruce Bennett portrayed "Dr. McAdoo". He was Herman Brix before he became Bruce Bennett. Among his films as Brix, starting in 1931, was the title role in 1935's, "The New Adventures of Tarzan". In 1939 the actor changed his name, and appeared in three-classic Humphrey Bogart motion pictures, 1943's, "Sahara", 1947's, "Dark Passage", and director John Huston's, 1948, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre". In 1959, he was in the cult science fiction horror, "The Alligator People".
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Mrs. Smeerling". Lanchester followed this motion picture with a musical romantic comedy, the fictional story of painter "Richard Petty", portrayed by Robert Cummings, 1950's, "The Petty Girl".
Marshall Thompson portrayed "Henry Shanway". Besides televisions "Daktari", 1966 - 1969, Thompson appeared in two, 1958, cult science fiction films, "Fiend Without a Face", and "It! The Terror from Beyond Space". While earlier in 1955, Thompson was in the seldom seen, but excellent horror entry, "The Cult of the Cobra". That same year, he co-starred with Audie Murphy, in the Medal of Honor soldier's biography, "To Hell and Back".
Jan Sterling portrayed "Vivian Heldon". In 1953, Sterling was in the excellent film-noir about different people trapped together on an Atom Bomb test range, "Split Second". In 1954, it was director William "Wild Bill" Wellman's, "The High and the Mighty", and in 1956, Jan Sterling co-starred with Edmund O'Brien in the very good version of British author George Orwell's, "1984". My article is "Jan Sterling: Lingerie - Fate - and a Motion Picture Career" at:
The Set-Up:
The story opens as "B-Girl", "Vivian Heldon" calls her boyfriend to inform her that she's "In Trouble".
Which was the 1950's normal movie studio way to say "She's pregnant", and to keep the "Hays Office's", Joseph Breen, from censoring the picture. It is also why the Ida Lupino - Sally Forrest motion picture was considered extremely controversial for the year.
When her boyfriend doesn't show up at the Boston Bar "Vivian" works at. She finds a drunken "Henry Shanway" to manipulate into driving her to the boyfriend's place. When "Henry" finally realizes their 60-miles outside of Boston, he wants to return to the city, but "Vivian" is able to dump him and takes off with "Shanway's" car.
"Vivian" confronts her reluctant beau, "James Joshua Harkley", portrayed by Edmon Ryan, who proceeds to shoot and kill her. Next, he takes the car and "Vivian's" body to an area of sand dunes by a lake, buries her body in the dunes, and sends the car into the lake. While, "Henry" lies, and reports his car stolen from the parking lot of the hospital where his wife is in after having a miscarriage.
The Hunt for the Murderer:
Months later, a female skeleton is found in the dunes, and "Detective Peter Morales" is assigned to the case. Forensics expert, "Dr. McAdoo", of Harvard University Medical School, studies the skeleton. Looking at missing person police reports, "Morales" finds that "Vivian's" friend, "Jackie Elcott", portrayed by Betsy Blair, had reported her missing. This will lead to identifying the skeleton as that of "Vivian Heldron".
Instead of helping the police, "Vivian's" landlady, "Mrs. Smeerling" figures the killing might be by "Harkley", and decides to blackmail him.
"Harkley" denies knowing "Vivian" and will have nothing to do with "Smeerling's" blackmail, but she is able to steal his gun.
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"Shanway's" car is recovered from the lake and innocent "Henry Shanway", is charged with "Vivian Heldron's" murder.
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"Mrs. Smeerling" is about to place the gun into a bag and take the bag to a locker at the nearby train station. Unknown to the landlady, "Jackie" has seen the gun, but is unaware of the connection to her friend's murder. However, "Jackie" informs "Detective Morales" about what she's seen. Meanwhile, "Mrs. Smeerling meets once more, in her apartment, with "Harkley" and makes a failed second blackmail attempt.
In response to this second attempt to blackmail him. "Harkley" threatens to kill "Smeering", if she doesn't tell him where to find his gun. She reveals the location, is knocked to the floor by a very strong blow from "Harkley". As he starts to leave the apartment, "Grace Shanway" arrives, but "Harkley", now in a panic, is able to get away from her and heads for the train station.
"Detective Morales" arrives at the apartment, and the two realize that "Mrs. Smeerling" has died from the force of hitting the floor. At the train station, "James Harkley" is arrested for the murder of both "Vivian Heldon" and "Mrs. Smeetling', as the story ends with "Henry" being freed.
Back in 1935, Charles Laughton was in a version of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables", now in 1952, his wife would have a role in another motion picture version of the French author's work.
LES MISERABLES released August 14, 1952
It's hard to see, but on the first line after the film's title is the name Elsa Lanchester, placed in 7th-position.
The novel's adaptation and screenplay was written by Richard Murphy. Murphy started writing film screenplays for "B" westerns starring Gene Autry. In 1947, he co-wrote a true-story detective thriller film-noir, "Boomerang!", directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Dana Andrews. In 1949, Richard Murphy wrote the screenplay for Richard Widmark's, "Slattery's Hurricane", and the following year it was another Widmark screenplay, the outstanding, "Panic in the Streets".
The motion picture was directed by Lewis Milestone. In 1930, Milestone, brought German author Erich Maria Remarque's anti-war novel, "All Quiet on the Western Front" to the motion picture screen. It is still as reverting today as then. In 1932, he brought W. Somerset Maugham's, "Rain" to the screen starring Joan Crawford and Walter Huston. In 1939, Lewis Milestone cast Lon Chaney, Jr. as "Lennie", in American author John Steinbeck's, "Of Mice and Men". Returning to a war theme, was Lewis Milestone's, unforgettable, 1945, "A Walk in the Sun", about one day in the life of a platoon of foot soldiers.
The Main Cast:
Michael Rennie portrayed "Jean Valjean". Fans of 1950's science fiction know Rennie as the alien counterpart to "Jesus", "Klaatu", of director Robert Wise's, 1951, "The Day the Earth Stood Still". In the first "CinemaScope" motion picture, the Biblical, 1953, "The Robe", the actor portrayed the disciple "Peter", a role he recreated in that feature's sequel, 1954's, "Demetrius and the Gladiator's".
Robert Newton portrayed "Inspector Etienne Javert". Newton had just appeared in 1951's, "Tom Brown's School Days", and followed this feature film with the 1952 version of British playwright, George Bernard Shaw's, "Androcles and the Lion".
Edmund Gwenn portrayed "Bishop Courbet". Gween had just been in the Ann Blythe comedy, 1952's, "Sally and Saint Anne", and followed this motion picture with 1952's, "Bonzo Goes to College", starring Maureen O'Sullivan and Charles Drake.
Sylvia Sydney portrayed "Fantine". Sydney was a major 1930's star. In 1936 alone, where, the "Trail of the Lonesome Pines", Sydney had 1st-billing, 2nd was Fred MacMurray, and 3rd was Henry Fonda. Next was "Fury", her 2nd-billed was Spencer Tracy, that was followed with 1st-billing in director Alfred Hitchcock's, "Sabotage". The following year she was again in 1st-position in the classic film-noir, 1937's, "Dead End". In 2nd was Joel McCrea, and 3rd-billing went to Humphrey Bogart. In 1988, she portrayed "Juno", in director Tim Burton's, "Beetlejuice".
Cameron Mitchell portrayed "Marius". Mitchell was just seen in the Bret Harte western, 1952's, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat", and followed this feature film by co-starring with Tyrone Power, in 1952's, "Pony Soldier". During the 1960's, Cameron Mitchell appeared in several Italian Peplum (Sword and Sandal) motion pictures and with Eva Bartok, starred in Italian horror master, Mario Bava's, 1964, "Blood and Black Lace".
Above, Cameron Mitchell and Debra Paget
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Madame Magloire". Lanchester was just seen in the 1952, Clifton Webb, Ginger Rodgers, Anne Francis, and Jeffrey Hunter, comedy, "Dreamboat". She would follow this production with the role of "Megaera", in 1952's, "Androcles and the Lion".
Above, Elsa Lanchester with a hiding Michael Rennie.
I could not locate any full reviews of the motion picture and those that I did find, did not like the feature. Others pointed out that it seemed to follow the screenplay by William Percy Lipscomb for the
1935 version, rather than the novel. That comment is not to farfetched, because the 1935 version was produced by "Twentieth Century Pictures". That would merge in 1935, with William Fox's, "Fox Film Corporation", to become "20th Century Fox", the studio that made this motion picture.
In 1952, Elsa Lanchester and Charles Laughton supported Democrat and Illinois Governor, Adlai Stevenson, for President. He would lose in the November election to Republican, Dwight David Eisenhower.
1952 was not the best year for Charles Laughton, since 1949, he had only two films released each year. He started 1952, by appearing in one segment out of the five, in the anthology motion picture, "O. Henry's Full House", based on the author's short stories. His second, and only other movie that year, was filmed from February 27th through March 25, 1952. It had Laughton reprising his 1945 role of "Captain William Kidd", for the comedy, "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd". The rest of the year, the actor did not work even on stage.
On October 12, 1953, Elsa Lanchester first appeared on television. This was on the anthology series, "Studio One", in "Music and Mrs. Pratt". Lanchester portrayed 70-year-old, "Jenny Pratt", who believes money can buy you anything. In her case, it's "Jenny's" 70-million-dollars, that keeps a man, portrayed by Philip Abbott, taking music lessons for 7-hours every day for a year. How the arrangement came about, or who actress Patricia Smith portrayed in the story, I could not locate.
Two more 1953 television appearances followed, one on the anthology "Omnibus", and one on the "Schultz Playhouse". While 1954 started off with the American film-noir crime feature, "Hell's Half Acre", that had its motion picture premier not in the United States, but London, England, on February 17, 1954.
Above right, Evelyn Keyes portraying "Donna Williams", who came to Hawaii to investigate the truth behind her husband's missing in action report during the war. On the left is Elsa Lanchester portraying "Lida O'Reilly", she's a taxi-driving, mother figure to "Donna", who helps find her amnesiac husband. Wendell Corey portrays the missing husband, "Randy Williams", who is actually a racketeer, forced to change his name to "Chet Chester", to avoid his previous criminal activity. However, someone on Hawaii has found out who he really is, and is blackmailing "Williams-Chester".
Above left to right, unidentified actor, Wendell Corey, Evelyn Keyes, and Keye Luke portraying "Police Chief Dan".
Next, Elsa Lanchester had a cameo as "The Bearded Lady" in the 1954, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedy, "3 Ring Circus", in which Jerry plans to shave off her beard.
THE GLASS SLIPPER premiered in New York City on March 24, 1955
The screenplay was based upon French author Charles Perrault's, 1697, "Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre (Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper)". He also created the tales of "Little Red Riding Hood", "Puss in Boots", and of course, "La Belle au bois dormant, or The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood (Sleeping Beauty)".
The adapted screenplay was written by composer, and screenplay writer, Helen Deutsch. The anti-Nazi 1944, "The Seventh Cross", the same year's, "National Velvet", 1950's "King Solomon's Mines", and the screenplay for Leslie Caron's, 1953 musical, "Lili", with Deutch's song, "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo".
In this version of the story:
Leslie Caron portrayed "Ella" aka: "Cinderella". Back in 1951, Caron first appeared on-screen opposite Gene Kelly, in composer George Gershwin's, "American in Paris". Leslie Caron followed this motion picture with the 1955 musical, "Daddy Long Legs", opposite Fred Astaire, and later, in 1958, she was in the musical "Gigi", opposite both Maurice Chevalier, and Louis Jourdan.
Michael Wilding portrayed "Prince Charles". British actor, Wilding had just been seen in director Michael Curtiz's ancient epic, 1954's, "The Egyptian", and followed this feature with director John Sturges', 1955, "The Scarlet Coat", about "Benedict Arnold", portrayed by Robert Douglas.
Estelle Winwood portrayed "Mrs. Toquet aka: the substitute for "Ella's Fairy Godmother". British actress Winwood became known, and remembered for her eccentric characters. Most of her work starting on December 11, 1950, in "Masque", on Arch Obler's horror television program, "Lights Out", was found on television. Winwood's film work included 1956's, "The Swan", starring Grace Kelly, Sir Alec Guinness, and Louis Jourdan, Walt Disney's , 1959, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People", starring unknown, Sean Connery, and Janet Munro, and director producer Bert I. Gordon's, 1962, "The Magic Sword".
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Widow Sonder, Ella's wicked step-mother".
Above left, Elsa Lanchester speaking to Lurene Tuttle portraying "Cousin Loulou", below, Elsa Lanchester and the two-step sisters, standing is Amanda Blake portraying "Birdena", and in bed, Lisa Daniels portraying "Serafina".
Should you be a fan of either Walt Disney's animated, or live action "Cinderella", this is not the same story. Leslie Caron is a dancer and singer, and the screenplay is designed for ballet. Screenplay writer, Helen Deutsch composed the ballet libretto.
John L. Scott in the "Los Angeles Times", May 2, 1954, in his review of the film quoted Deutsch:
MGM gave me one word, 'Cinderella'. That's how it started. I read practically everything written about this famous waif, rejection most conceptions of the character. Actually my Cinderella of the 18th century is not based definitely on anyone's ideas but my own. Waifs have intrigued the reading public for generations; they were popular characters in the early movies - the Gish era - then gave way to more worldly females. I first revived the waif successfully in Lili.
Elsa Lanchester followed this feature film with three more television appearances on different anthology drama series, and then as a classic Lewis Carroll villainess.
In 1933, "Paramount Pictures" decided to make a live-action version of Lewis Carroll's, "Alice in Wonderland" and they literally used every actor and actress under contract to the studio. In actuality that film wasn't the first novel, but Carroll's second, "Alice Through the Looking Glass". The motion picture's art directer was William Cameron Menzies. Who designed costumes that looked exactly like the original art work for Carroll's two novels.
In 1951, Walt Disney released his animated "Alice in Wonderland".
Now, on October 25, 1955, was a live television production of "Alice in Wonderland" on the "Hallmark Hall of Fame", and in color.
Above, an ad for the production with British actress Gillian Barber portraying "Alice".
Only a partial print in terrible black and white exists, sorry for the quality of the stills. The costumes were once again based on the original drawings and in this case, designed by Noel Taylor.
Elsa Lanchester was the "Queen of Hearts".
Six television appearances followed, one of the six, was "Off to Florida", Season Six, Episode Six, November 12, 1956, on "I Love Lucy". "Ricky", portrayed by Desi Arnaz, and "Fred", portrayed by William Frawley, had earlier left by train to Florida. "Lucy", portrayed by Lucille Ball, and "Ethel", portrayed by Vivian Vance, were to follow, but "Lucy" has lost their train tickets. So, the two hitch a ride with "Mrs. Edna Grundy", portrayed by Elsa Lanchester. "Lucy" and "Ethel" have come to the conclusion that "Mrs. Grundy" is really an escaped hatchet murderer on the run.
For my reader's who only thinks of Lucille Ball with the comedy of "I Love Lucy", my article is "Lucille Ball Dramatic Actress 1933 to 1949" found at:
There is nothing better than a little Agatha Christie:
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION premiering in Los Angeles on December 17, 1957
The novel, as I've mentioned, was written by English authoress Agatha Christie. I look at her disappearance and her most popular novel in my article "Agatha Christie: 1939's "Ten Little (Censored)", aka: "And Then There Were None" aka: "Ten Little Indians" to solve her mystery at:
However, this screenplay was not based upon the novel, but upon the stage play also written by Christie. The play was adapted and written by both Harry Kurnitz, among his work is Danny Kaye's, 1949, "The Inspector General", director Howard Hawk's, 1955, "Land of the Pharaohs", and John Wayne's, 1962, "Hatari!".
Kurnitz's co-screenplay writer was the film's director Billy Wilder. Wilder had just directed James Stewart in 1957's, "The Spirit of St. Louis", and followed this motion picture with the Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, 1959, "Some Like It Hot". My article is "Director WILLIAM WYLER--Director BILLY WILDER: Clearing Some of the Confusion Among Classic Movie Lovers" at:
The Main Cast:
Tyrone Power portrayed "Leonard Vole, the accused". Power started filming 1959's, "Solomon and Sheba", with co-star Gina Lollobrigida. During the filming of a sword fight with co-star George Sanders, Powell had a massive heart attack and died. All his footage had to be reshot with replacement star, Yul Brynner.
Marlene Dietrich portrayed "Christine Vole/Helm, the accused's wife". Her next two motion pictures were director, writer, and star, Orson Welles', 1958, "Touch of Evil", followed by director
Stanley Kramer's, 1961, "Judgment at Nuremberg".
Charles Laughton portrayed "Sir Wilfrid Robarts, Q.C., senior council for Leonard". Laughton's voice was heard as "The Narrator", February 11, 1956, for "The Day Lincoln Was Shot", on the television anthology series, "Ford Star Jubilee". His previous on-screen appearance was a full two-years earlier, for the 1954 British motion picture, "Hobson's Choice", co-starring Sir John Mills.
John Williams, the British actor, not the American "Star Wars" composer, portrayed "Mr. Brogan-Moore, Sir Wilfrid's junior council in the trial". Williams was "Chief Inspector Hubbard", in director Alfred Hitchcock's, 3-D, 1954, "Dial M for Murder", and "H. H. Hughson" in Hitchcock's, 1955, "To Catch a Thief".
Torin Thatcher portrayed "Mr. Myers Q.C., the Crown prosecutor". Two other of Torin Thatcher's roles were as "Ulysses", in director Robert Wise's, international cast epic production, 1956's, "Helen of Troy", and to fans of stop-motion animator, Ray Harryhausen, "Sokurah, the Magician", in 1958's, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad". My article is "TORIN THATCHER: The Career of a Great British Character Actor" to discover at:
The Set-Up for the Trial:
Senior barrister "Sir Wilfrid Robarts" is nearing retirement and has just recovered from a heart attack. At his home, "Sir Wilfrid" meets with "Leonard Vole", accused of murdering "Emily French", a childless, but wealthy widow , and "Vole's" solicitor, "Mr. Mayhew, portrayed by Henry Daniell, who wants to get his client the best possible defense.
"Vole" and "Mayhew" leave, and next, "Sir Wilfrid" wants to speak to "Christine Vole" at his home.
As "Sir Wilfrid" has decided to defend "Leonard Vole". However, both "Sir Wifrid's doctor", portrayed by Jack Raine, and his private, in home, nurse "Miss Primsoll" are concerned that the stress of the case and trial may cause another heart attack, or worse.
After questioning the potential witness for the defense, "Sir Wilfrid" finds that "Vole's" German born wife appears very cold, calculating perhaps, and has given him a not very plausible alibi for her husband. He's not sure of how good a defense witness "Christine Vole" would be.
Accompanied by "Miss Primsoll", the two leave for the court house.
The shock comes, when "Christine Vole" is called as the "Witness for the Prosecution". The motion picture is available, and I suggest any mystery fan needs to watch it. Even if they have read the novel and may believe they know the outcome.
"Witness for the Prosecution" was followed by what some reviewers called a "Screwball Fantasy Romantic Comedy", and other reviewers called the motion picture an "American Supernatural Comedy". What was agreed upon was that the feature film help inspire the September 17, 1964 through March 25, 1972, television comedy, "Bewitched".
The motion picture was based upon a Broadway play, and the film starred actress Kim Novak as a beguiling witch, James Stewart as the mortal she falls in love with, and Jack Lemmon as a somewhat confused, bongo playing, semi-beatnik, warlock. Comedian Ernie Kovaks, portrays a best selling author about "Witchcraft", who's a fake. Elsa Lanchester, and Hermione Gingold, are two wacky witches. While Janice Rule is an old college nemesis of Novak, who attempts to blocks her from getting Stewart. "Bell, Book and Candle" premiered in Los Angeles on November 11, 1958.
Above left to right, Elsa Lanchester, Kim Novak, and Jack Lemmon.
In July 1962, Charles Laughton entered Cedars of Lebanon Hospital for what was described as a ruptured disk. Elsa Lanchester's husband had surgery for the collapse of a vertebra, but it was also discovered that Charles had cancer of the spine. He left the hospital at the end of November, and returned home. However, he went into a coma, and on December 15, 1962, Charles Laughton passed away from both renal and bladder cancer. His ashes were interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, Cemetery, he was 63-years-old.
After her husband's death, Elsa Lanchester kept appearing on television and on June 3, 1964, she was seen in the forgotten comedy motion picture, "Honeymoon Hotel". That starred singer Robert Goulet, actress Nancy Kwan, Broadway comedian, Robert "Bobby" Morse, and Jill St. John.
Above left to right, Robert Goulet, Robert Morse, and Elsa Lanchester portraying the "Hotel's Chambermaid".
Next, it was Elsa Lanchester's first feature film for Walter Elias Disney.
MARY POPPINS premiered in Los Angeles on August 27, 1964
In the Walt Disney classic "Mary Poppins", Elsa Lanchester has the small, but somewhat important role of "Katie Nana". Banker, "George Banks", portrayed by David Tomlinson, believes his work is more important than his two children, "Jane Banks", portrayed by Karen Dotrice, and "Michael Banks", portrayed by Matthew Garber. "George's" wife, 1910 women's suffragette, "Winifred Banks", portrayed by Glynis Johns, believes being a suffragette is also more important than her children. Besides, both parent's have Lanchester's "Katie Nana" to take care of them.
The film opens with a musical number, in which, "Winifred" ignores the fact that "Katie Nana" is actually leaving. This came after having to deal with "Jane" and "Michael's" running away from home for the fourth time that week, because of their parent's ignoring them.
The result of "Katie Nana" leaving is the coming of "Mary Poppins", portrayed by Julie Andrews.
Elsa Lanchester next found herself in the 4th "Beach Party" motion picture, misstated on some sites as from Walt Disney. The motion was from "American International Pictures", although actress Annette Funicello was borrowed from Walt, under the condition she is not seen in a bikini. My article on the creation of and the series is "THE GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW MEETS THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI: The Story of the BEACH PARTY Motion Pictures" hitting the waves at:
The following is modified from the above linked article and does reference other movies in the series.
PAJAMA PARTY
On November 11, 1964 Annette Funicello was back, but not Frankie Avalon and her co-star was fellow Disney alumnus Tommy Kirk.
The origin of this motion picture was twelve years earlier in 1952. When one half of the animation team of Hanna and Barbera wrote a Broadway play. Joseph Barbera's story was about a Martian scout coming to Earth to plan the invasion and falling in love with an Earth girl. The plays title was "The Maid and the Martian". It lasted five weeks and closed. In 1954 the play was brought back with perfectly cast James Arness as not a human looking carrot, but the Martian.
This screenplay which updated Joseph Barbera's play was written by Louis M. Heyward. Heyward was both a screenplay writer and movie producer. In addition to this picture his credits include the English language screenplay for Maro Bava's classic "Planet of the Vampires" and the screenplay for the last "Beach Party" picture. He also produced the "Dr. Phibes" movies with Vincent Price.
The film is and is not one of the "Beach Party" series. This depends upon how the critic and viewer look at it. To me when I saw the picture as a teen. I always thought it was part of the series and over time has become accepted more as a part of that group.
One of the complaints against "Pajama Party" is that the names changed and some of the characters. Excuse me, but I mentioned name changes when speaking to other pictures. Anyway, here they are:
Annette is "Connie", Jody McCrea is now "Big Lunk", Donna Loren is "Vikki" and Don Rickles in now "Big Bang" and comes from Mars.
Mention the name Tommy Kirk and most of my readers would immediately think of his role as "Travis Coates" in Walt Disney's Old Yeller". For Disney he was one of "The Hardy Boys" in the "Mickey Mouse Club" mini-series, "Wilby Daniels" who changed into the original "The Shaggy Dog", Kirk was one of the children in Walt's "Swiss Family Robinson", was in the cast of the original "The Absent Minded Professor", an apprentice toy maker in Walt Disney's "Babes in Toyland" that starred Annette and portrayed "Merlin Jones", opposite Annette, in both "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" and its sequel "The Monkey's Uncle". So for American International Pictures to cast him as the Martian "Go Go" opposite Annette seemed perfect casting.
On November 11, 1964 Annette Funicello was back, but not Frankie Avalon and her co-star was fellow Disney alumnus Tommy Kirk.
The origin of this motion picture was twelve years earlier in 1952. When one half of the animation team of Hanna and Barbera wrote a Broadway play. Joseph Barbera's story was about a Martian scout coming to Earth to plan the invasion and falling in love with an Earth girl. The plays title was "The Maid and the Martian". It lasted five weeks and closed. In 1954 the play was brought back with perfectly cast James Arness as not a human looking carrot, but the Martian.
This screenplay which updated Joseph Barbera's play was written by Louis M. Heyward. Heyward was both a screenplay writer and movie producer. In addition to this picture his credits include the English language screenplay for Maro Bava's classic "Planet of the Vampires" and the screenplay for the last "Beach Party" picture. He also produced the "Dr. Phibes" movies with Vincent Price.
The film is and is not one of the "Beach Party" series. This depends upon how the critic and viewer look at it. To me when I saw the picture as a teen. I always thought it was part of the series and over time has become accepted more as a part of that group.
One of the complaints against "Pajama Party" is that the names changed and some of the characters. Excuse me, but I mentioned name changes when speaking to other pictures. Anyway, here they are:
Annette is "Connie", Jody McCrea is now "Big Lunk", Donna Loren is "Vikki" and Don Rickles in now "Big Bang" and comes from Mars.
Mention the name Tommy Kirk and most of my readers would immediately think of his role as "Travis Coates" in Walt Disney's Old Yeller". For Disney he was one of "The Hardy Boys" in the "Mickey Mouse Club" mini-series, "Wilby Daniels" who changed into the original "The Shaggy Dog", Kirk was one of the children in Walt's "Swiss Family Robinson", was in the cast of the original "The Absent Minded Professor", an apprentice toy maker in Walt Disney's "Babes in Toyland" that starred Annette and portrayed "Merlin Jones", opposite Annette, in both "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" and its sequel "The Monkey's Uncle". So for American International Pictures to cast him as the Martian "Go Go" opposite Annette seemed perfect casting.
Susan Hart, who had appeared in both "For Those Who Think Young" and "Ride the Wild Surf", portrayed "Jilda". In all she would appear in four AIP films. Two of which starred Vincent Price.
Actually, check the date for "Beach Blanket Bingo", this film was Buster Keaton's first film for American International Pictures portraying "Chief Rotten Eagle".
Actually, check the date for "Beach Blanket Bingo", this film was Buster Keaton's first film for American International Pictures portraying "Chief Rotten Eagle".
In the above picture Bobbi Shaw is portraying "Helga" a Swedish girl who basically says nothing but "Ya! Ya!" in answers to questions.
Probably best known for the "Road" pictures with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Dorothy Lamour was the "Head Saleslady".
Probably best known for the "Road" pictures with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Dorothy Lamour was the "Head Saleslady".
Trivia:
Note the blonde in yellow just left of Lamour. Long before she became "Inga" in Mel Brooks'
"Young Frankenstein", "Ronnie Neary" in Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", or "Sandy" in Dustin Hoffman's "Tootie". That's Teri Hope, before she changed her screen name to her real one of Teri Garr.
While 1935's "The Bride of Frankenstein", herself, Elsa Lanchester, was "Aunt Wendy".
Jesse White portrayed "J. Sinister Hulk". White is in the center of the following picture. He was in the James Stewart comedy "Harvey", Ronald Reagan's "Bedtime for Bonzo", the Esther Williams film "Million Dollar Mermaid", on television he was everywhere with "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Show", "The Lone Ranger", "Make Room for Daddy" and "The Frank Sinatra Show" among others.
THE PLOT
By the time "Pajama Party" was made there had been the first three "James Bond" features and everyone was getting into the Spy Game. So of course to check out the Earth for the big Martian Invasion. They send Secret Intelligence Agent Double-0h-Six "Go Go" to the planet.
The first Earthling "GoGo" meets is eccentric and very rich "Aunt Wendy". Eventually after trying on all kinds of clothes. She gets him to change his name to "George", change into a bathing suit and sends him to the beach.
While 1935's "The Bride of Frankenstein", herself, Elsa Lanchester, was "Aunt Wendy".
Jesse White portrayed "J. Sinister Hulk". White is in the center of the following picture. He was in the James Stewart comedy "Harvey", Ronald Reagan's "Bedtime for Bonzo", the Esther Williams film "Million Dollar Mermaid", on television he was everywhere with "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Show", "The Lone Ranger", "Make Room for Daddy" and "The Frank Sinatra Show" among others.
THE PLOT
By the time "Pajama Party" was made there had been the first three "James Bond" features and everyone was getting into the Spy Game. So of course to check out the Earth for the big Martian Invasion. They send Secret Intelligence Agent Double-0h-Six "Go Go" to the planet.
The first Earthling "GoGo" meets is eccentric and very rich "Aunt Wendy". Eventually after trying on all kinds of clothes. She gets him to change his name to "George", change into a bathing suit and sends him to the beach.
There he meets "Aunt Wendy's" nephew "Big Lunk" and his girlfriend "Connie". "Big Lunk" is frustrating "Connie", because he's more interested in Beach Volley Ball than her.
Meanwhile, "Aunt Wendy's" neighbor "J. Sinister Hulk" and his gang of two "Chief Rotten Eagle" and "Helga", "Ya! Ya!". Plan to get "Wendy's" money. While "Eric Von Zipper" and the "Ratz and Mice" show up to get revenge from the teenagers for what happened in "Bikini Beach". Even though these are different characters with no relation to that film. "George" and "Connie" fall in love and "Big Bang" from Mars attempts to stop them.
This all leads to the big battle with "Von Zipper" the audience expects from the previous films and in the end "Connie" gets "George".
Two interesting points to this picture. In all the scenes with Don Rickles he is speaking mainly to a character named "Socum". Who doesn't speak and is seen from the back only, but seems very familiar. At the film's conclusion "Socum" turns around and he's Frankie Avalon. Explaining my question mark next to Avalon's name above. Also, this is the only film in the series that Donna Loren actually has a speaking role.
Four more television appearances and Elsa Lanchester was back with Walt Disney. "That Darn Cat!", premiered in London, on October 8, 1965, starring Hayley Mills, Dean Jones, Dorothy Provine, Roddy McDowell, and always the villain, Neville Brand. In a story about a cat that knows the location of the hideout of a couple of bank robbers. Who hold bank teller, "Margret Miller", portrayed by Grayson Hall, "Dr. Julia Hoffman" on televisions "Dark Shadows", hostage.
Above, William Demarest portraying "Mr. MacDougall", putting up with Elsa Lanchester as "Mrs. MacDougall". Who is the perfect nosey neighbor that must know what's going on with Hayley Mills and her cat, "D.C. (Darn Cat's)", every move.
Although I could not find a still, apparently on the animated "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" television series, "Off to See the Wizard", Season One, Episode Twenty-Two, "The Glass Slipper, Part One", February 2, 1968. Elsa Lanchester, Leslie Caron, and Keenan Wynn's character's from the 1955 motion picture are used and the three are credited, but I could not discover if scenes from the movie were edited in, or that their voices are just used for animated characters.
The following comes from my article "Pirates of the Motion Picture Screen: A Sampling!" sailing the Caribbean at:
BLACKBEARD'S GHOST released on February 8, 1968
Apparently "Blackbeard" didn't lose his head as in real life and an earlier Robert Newton feature film,, because Walt Disney Productions, released actor Peter Ustinov, as "Blackbeard's Ghost", with his head intact.
Dean Jones portrays "Steve Walker, the new track coach for Godolphin College in New England. Where he runs afoul of the football coach, who is also the college's dean, and a crime boss, who is in league with the dean. He also falls for "Professor Jo Anne Baker",
portrayed by Suzanne Pleshette, but finds himself attached from an ancient spell, to the picture title. Should some of this seem like a reworking of 1961's, "The Absent-Minded Professor", that's because it has the same writer, Don DaGradi.
Basically, "Steve" is staying at a hotel named "Blackbeard's Inn", run by the elderly
Basically, "Steve" is staying at a hotel named "Blackbeard's Inn", run by the elderly
"Daughters of the Buccaneers", the descendants of "Blackboard's" crew. Elsa Lanchester runs the inn. She tells the guests all the tales of "Blackbeard" and his evil 10th-wife, the witch "Aldetha Teach". At a charity auction, "Steve" wins an antique bedwarmer that contains, in its handle, the spells of "Blackbeard's" wife "Aldetha". Reading the spell ties him to
"Blackbeard's Ghost" and typical Disney family values begin. As "Blackbeard" and "Steve" try to find a good deed for the pirate to perform to free him of "Aldetha's" wrath and stop the dean and crime boss from taking over "Blackbeard's Inn" through foreclosure.
On September 21, 1969, "The Magical World of Disney", showed Part One, of "My Dog the Thief", starring Dwayne Hickman, Mary Ann Mobley, and Elsa Lanchester. An air-traffic reporter discovers his St, Bernard stole a priceless necklace from a jewel smuggling gang. In typical Walt Disney style, comic fun starts, as Hickman and his dog track down the smugglers. You can be sure that my the end of Part Two, on September 28, 1969, everything is worked out and the jewelry smuggling gang is captured.
Above, Hickman, Lanchester, and Mobley.
Three televisions appearances and Elsa Lanchester found herself in a cult 1971 horror movie. She portrayed "Mrs. Henrietta Stiles", the mother of Bruce Davison's "Willard Stiles". Who has a very deadly rat named "Ben", in:
A little comedy followed with appearances on both "The Bill Cosby Show", and "Nanny and the Professor", and then Elsa Lanchester was reunited with actor Cameron Mitchell with a little Rod Serling tossed in.
On January 5, 1972, "Night Gallery" had a segment entitled "Green Fingers", and Mitchell's land developer, "Michael J. Saunders", makes the mistake of attempting to force "Elsa Lanchester's" widow, "Lydia Bowen" off her property.
Two more appearances on television followed and then the actress found herself joining a large group of 1940's actor's. All looking for work in a very low budgeted motion picture, released on May 16, 1973, from "Bing Crosby Productions", and "Cinerama Releasing Corporation".
Set in 1890's London, is there a new serial murderer, or has Jack the Ripper returned 10-years after his killings ended?
Second billed, Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Julia Hawthorn".
For Elsa Lanchester's next motion picture, my reader has to be up on either their classic mystery writers, or the motion picture's made from their novels. This parody mystery was written by Neil Simon and there are a few odd couples in the screenplay.
MURDER BY DEATH released on June 23, 1976
Elsa Lanchester portrayed "Jessica Marbles", the parody of Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple".
David Niven and Dame Maggie Smith portrayed "Dick and Nora Charleston", a parody of Dashiell Hammett's "Nick and Nora Charles".
Peter Sellers portrayed "Inspector Sidney Wang", a parody of Earl Derr Biggers's "Charlie Chan".
James Coco portrayed "Milo Perrier", a parody of Agatha Christie's "Hercule Poirot".
Peter Falk portrayed "Sam Diamond", a parody of Dashiell Hammett's "Sam Spade".
The story takes place at the isolated residence of the mysterious "Lionel Twain", did you have a Lionel Train (?), portrayed by author Truman Capote.
Where each "Guest" is greeted by "Twain's" blind butler, "Jamessir Bensonum", portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness.
My reader has the cast, the screenplay writer, and that should be enough for each of you to find the motion picture.
A forgotten made-for-television-movie followed and then a dark comedy motion picture about a San Francisco cab driver who finds a monkey who has memorized the formula to turn atomic waste into a plutonium bomb. However, the 1980 movie, "Die Laughing", left no audience member laughing on this forgotten motion picture.
A question that always comes up, is why didn't Elsa Lanchester and Charles Laughton have children. There are two main stories:
1. According to Elsa Lanchester's, 1983 autobiography, "Elsa Lanchester Herself". They had no children, because her husband was homosexual. Charles Laughton's friend Maureen O'Hara strongly disagreed, claiming Laughton told her it was because of a botched abortion early in Lanchester's career. In her autobiography, Elsa Lanchester admitted to having two-abortions, the second when she was pregnant from Charles Laughton, that on the surface would seem to contradict both O'Hara, and her earlier stated reason for not having children.
2. According to the self-proclaimed biographer of the stars, Charles Higham. The reason the couple didn't have children, was simply put, because Elsa Lanchester didn't want any. However, Higham was known for fabricating information about the people he wrote about to sell his biographies.
On December 26, 1986, at the age of 84, Elsa Lanchester passed away from Bronchopneumonia, at the "Motion Picture Home", in Woodland Hills, California.
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