Ask for an example of "GOTHIC MOTION PICTURE'S", and I would be surprised, if someone didn't mention, on the one hand, 1920's "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", and on the other, Charlotte Bronte's. "Jane Eyre". One can go off on tangents trying to define the category, because elements of "Gothic Motion Pictures" can be found in several genres, Gothic Horror, Gothic Romance, Gothic Film-Noir, Gothic Science Fiction, Southern Gothic, Urban Gothic, and even Gothic Comedy.
So, welcome to the Dark Fantasy, of the 2010, version of Lewis Carroll's, "Alice In Wonderland". As I take you down the "Rabbit Hole", with Small Tastes of Each of Three Gothic Feature Film Categories, hopefully to intrigue my blog reader into exploring further.
A Little Introduction:
Basically, we can thank the German "Goths" for these movies. They lived north of the Danube River, in what is now the Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania, and were a major factor in the "Fall of the Western Roman Empire".
Referencing the website, "Master Class", at:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gothic-fiction
My reader will find that Gothic Motion Pictures owe their creation to "Gothic Fiction", which owed its creation, to the Goth's themselves:
Also known as Gothic horror, Gothic fiction is a literary genre characterized by elements of mystery, horror, and the supernatural. Inspired by the aesthetic and architecture of the Middle Ages, Gothic literature gets its name from the Gothic castles, churches, ruins, and abandoned estates it uses as a setting for the haunting storyline. Writers combine dark imagery with suspenseful narrative to reflect the decayed and battered state of the architecture, fusing terror with pleasure.
The first true "Gothic Motion Picture" comes from France, and a magician turned film producer and director, Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès. Probably, mostly known only for his 1902, "Le Voyage dans la luna (A Journey to the Moon)". Thank you to French author, Jules Gabriel Verne's, 1865, "De la Terre a la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heurs 20 minutes (From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours and 20 Minutes)".
Below, George Méliès, circa 1890:
LE MANOIR DU DIABLE (THE DEVIL'S MANOR, or THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL) premiering in France on December 24, 1896, and the United States, on December 25, 1896
The picture opens with a giant bat flying into a medieval castle, and turning into the Devil (Mephistopheles). With an assistant, he produces a cauldron, and out of it comes a girl.
The room clears and two cavaliers enter. The Devil's assistant pokes both in their back, and then transports them to different rooms within the manor. One cavalier runs away, the other stays, and he experiences different tricks played upon him.
The entire film runs just over 3-minutes and the following link, at the time of this writing, takes my reader to that First Gothic film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy1lvv5D1Ik
Part One, Gothic Horror:
Moving forward 24-years, I come to:
DAS CABINET DES DR. CALIGARI (THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI) premiering in Berlin, Germany, on February26, 1920
This is the classic "German Expressionist Psychological Horror" movie, usually considered the first "Gothic Horror" film, but as I mentioned, that belief is incorrect.
The screenplay was written by two writers, and initially based upon their own personal experiences during the First World War. Hans Janowitz, was a German Army Officer, who turned pacifist afterwards. His bitterness toward the German Army came out in all of his novels and film screenplays that followed.
While, Carl Mayer, had feigned madness to avoid serving during the war. He was examined multiple times by military psychiatrists. Mayer, became a pacifist after the First World War ended, maintaining a fear of authority
The screenplay, as seen on-screen, is different from what the two writers originially created. According to Hans Janowitz, to "Frame" the story for the audience, a prologue and twist ending, were "Forced" upon the two writers. Who had used "Dr. Caligari" as the substitute for the Military authority both hated.
The motion picture was directed by Robert Wiene. Wiene started directing films in 1913. With the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi's, and their banning of his latest film, 1933's, "Taifun". Robert Wiene, said to be Jewish, but claiming he was a Protestant, fled Germany and eventually made it to England until the Second World War ended.
The Six Leading Roles:
Werner Johannes Krauss portrayed "Dr. Caligari". Krauss was a stage and film actor. Who dominated the German legitimate stage during the early half of the 20th Century. While, Robert Wiene fled Germany, Werner Krauss collaborated with the Nazi's, and became a controversial figure when he appeared in the film, "Jud Süß (pronounced (ju:t zy:s) 'Jew Süss')", released on September 9, 1940, and called by Joseph Goebbels, one of the most antisemitic films ever made.
Above,
Werner Krauss in
1920, below, as
"Dr. Caligari"
Conrad Veidt portrayed "Cesare, the Somnambulist". He would be seen in another Gothic Horror entry that I will be mentioning next, Victor Hugo's, "The Man Who Laughs". Veidt ate up the screen, as the evil "Jaffar", in the Korda Brother's, 1940, "The Thief of Bagdad". That role and look was the inspiration for "Jafar", in Disney's, 1992, animated "Aladdin". In 1942, Conrad Veidt was Nazi, "Major Heinrich Strasser", in the classic love story "Casablanca".
Above, Conrad Veidt in "Casablanca", and below, as "Cesare"
Frederich Feher portrayed "Franzis". His acting work went from 1913 through 1943, and commingled with two other film professions Frederich Feher did. As a director, his work also started in 1913 and went through 1936. Feher was also a writer, and that work went from 1921 through 1936.
Above, Fredrich Feher in 1920, below as "Franzis".
Lili Dagover portrayed "Jane Olsen". Her career of 139-roles, went from 1913 through 1979. Her birth name was Marie Antonia Siegelinde Martha Shubert, and the German actress was born in Java, Dutch East Indies to German parents. She appeared in director Fritz Lang's, 1921, "Destiny", and 1922's, "Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler", and director F. W. Murano's, 1922, "Phantom".
Above, Lili Dagover in 1919.
Above left to right, Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, and Lili Dagover.
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski portrayed "Alan". In 1932, Twardowski left Germany with the rise of Adolph Hitler, and came to the United States. He was not Jewish, but homosexual, and in 1935, appeared in Cecil B. DeMille's, "The Crusades". In 1939, he got a contract with "Warner Brothers" and started appearing in several motion pictures as either a Nazi Spy, or German Officer.
Above, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski in 1939, below as "Alan".
Rudolf Lettinger portrays
"Dr. Olsen". Lettinger started acting in
1912, and his last role was in
1931. He passed away six years later.
Above, Rudolf Lettinger in 1910, below right, as "Dr. Olsen" with Hans Heinrich von Twardowski as "Alan".
The world my reader is about to enter was created by a trio of avant-garde artists, Production Designer - Walter Reimann, Production Designer - Walter Röhrig, and Production Designer - Herman Warm.
The film opens with "Franzis" sitting on a bench next to an older man, The older man is complaining that the spirits have driven him from his home and family, As he talks a women in a trance like state walks past the two. "Franzis" begins his story, by telling the old man that the woman was "Jane", his fiancee. Adding that they have suffered a great ordeal..png)
FLASHBACKThis is where Herman Warm's sets kick in. As "Franzis" states, that with "Jane", they both lived in the village of "Holstenwall". The village is all twisted shaped houses and streets."Franzis" and his good friend "Alan", both compete for "Jane's" love, and plan to visit the town fair. While at the clerk's office, "Dr. Caligari" asks the city clerk for a permit to show an exhibit at the fair. When asked what it is the doctor wishes to exhibit? The clerk laughs, at the answer of a somnambulist named "Cesare". The following night the clerk is found stabbed to death in his bed. 
The fair opens, and "Franzis" and "Alan" visit it, and enter "Caligari's" exhibit. They find that the sleeping "Cesare" is in a box, or the cabinet of the film's title.
The doctor awakes the sleeping "Cesare". Once awake, "Caligari" tells his audience that the somnambulist will answer their questions and can foretell their future. "Alan" asks how long he will live, and receives the reply:UNTIL DAWN!
Later that night, a figure breaks into "Alan's" house, and stabs him to death. 
"Franzis" decides to investigate the death of his friend with the help of "Jane", and her father, "Dr. Olsen". They get a police permit to search "Dr Calagari's" exhibit. That night, the police arrest another man who was about to kill an old woman.He admits to wanting to kill the old women, but claims he has no connection to the other murders. Adding, the criminal admits he was using the other murders in an attempt to cover his own.The next night, "Franzis" spies upon "Dr. Caligari", and observes what appears to be "Cesare" sleeping in his box. However, this is a dummy, and the real "Cesare' now enters "Jane's" house. He rises a knife to kill the sleeping girl.
Strangely, instead of killing "Jane", as "Dr Caligari" has commanded him. He decides to kidnap her, and there is a struggle knocking "Jane" unconscious. Picking up the girl, "Cesare" drags her through a window, across the roof tops of the town, and down into the streets below.
A mob of towns people, angry over the murders, is formed, and spots "Cesare" carrying "Jane". The mob starts to pursue him. He suddenly drops "Jane" in the street, collapses, and dies."Francis" is able to confirm to the police that their captured criminal is not be the murderer. Accompanied by the police, he goes to investigate "Dr Calagri's" exhibit, and they discover the dummy "Cesare" in the box.
In the confusion caused by this investigation, the doctor escapes. However, "Franzis" sees him leave, and follows "Caligari" through the entrance to an insane asylum.
"Franzis" is shocked to learn that the exhibitor, "Dr Caligari", is actually the asylum's director. He gets help from some of the staff, and while "Caligari" is asleep, goes through his records. "Franzis" discovers that the director is obsessed with an Italian mystic named "Caligari". Who used a somnambulist, also named "Cesare", to murder. The director, believing he is the other "Caligari", operated on a somnambulist admitted to his insane asylum, and renamed him "Cesare".The director appears, and confronted by "Franzis", and his staff, he screams:I AM CALIGARI!
The director's staff call the police to report what has been discovered. The police arrive, and are first shown "Cesare's" corpse, but "Caligari" attacks his staff, and is restrained. He is placed in a strait-jacket and becomes an inmate of his own insane asylum.However, this is not the ending to "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari".
The story returns to "Franzis" and the old man sitting on the bench. The man "Franzis" has called "Caligari" is the real insane asylum director. However, "Jane", is actually a patient, who believes she is a Queen. "Cesare" is a silent inmate, not a somnambulist, is always awake, and not dangerous at all. While "Franzis" is also a patient, and now understanding his delusions feels the real director can finally cure him.
Sometimes, as in the above screenplay, you are deluded into believing what you are seeing is something else.
In 1962, "20th Century Fox", released a remake of the "Das Cabinet Des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)" with a screenplay by the author of the novel, "Psycho", Robert Bloch. That sequel is part of an article I wrote, that mentions another "Gothic Horror Classic" from 1922, and its remake. Along with a German mystery thriller from 1931, and its American remake 20-years later. The article is "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", "Nosferatu", "M": Classic German Cinema Re-Imagined" at:
The following is based upon a French author's classic novel that can be read as either"Gothic Horror", "Gothic Romance", or a little of both. His novel was first filmed in 1905, France.
The following three sections, with slight additions, come from my article, "Victor Hugo's Immortal Love Story: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME on the Motion Picture Screen" found at:
In 1831, French author Victor Hugo published his novel "Notre-Dame de Paris", in three parts. The work is known more popularly as "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame".
The story takes place in 1482, under the rule of King Louis XI. It is described as Gothic-Horror, but I always think of it as a Gothic Love story, in which the wrong man gets the girl at the end.
That first film version, left out both Victor Hugo's original title, and the more commonly used title, by centering on the heroine of the novel.
ESMERALDA released December 1905This was the first known motion picture version of Victor Hugo's classic and was made in France, running only 10 minutes. The following still is of Henry Vorins, the first actor to play "Quasimodo" on the motion picture screen.
This short had only two on screen credits. They were "Quasimodo", portrayed by Henry Vorins, and "Esmeralda" portrayed b Denice Becker. Who portrayed "Phoebus", the man in the following still, is unknown.
The director and producer of this film is important from a movie making perspective. Her name was Alice Guy-Blache and she is considered the first woman film maker.
There are two other film versions of the novel, that I look at in my article, before the most known silent film version, and probably the first to have a real "Gothic Look" to the production.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME released on September 2, 1923
This is the motion picture many film historians consider the classic version of Victor Hugo's novel. Made in the United States by "Universal Pictures", and starring Lon Chaney, Sr, "The Man of a Thousand Faces", as producer Irving Thalberg's publicity now cried out.
The motion picture was directed by Wallace Worsley. Whom Chaney considered one of his two best director's along with Tod Browning. With Worsley, the two had made both the crime drama "The Penalty" in 1920, and the 1922, lost feature, "A Blind Bargain", considered one of the most sought after of the era. In which Lon Chaney portrayed "The Ape Man", seen below, for the Goldwyn Studios.
Now Chaney and Worsley brought Victor Hugo's work to the screen like never before. There are three known major cuts of the picture. The original director's cut ran 117 minutes, the general release ran 102 minutes and it was shorten to 98 minutes, because of content in certain parts of the United States. This does not include the extensive cuts made to the motion picture for the 1960 to 1961 half hour "Silents Please" television program.
It was common knowledge that Lon Chaney had wanted to make a version of Victor Hugo's classic and had purchased the rights to the story. However, he could not find a backer for the project in the United States. He made arrangements with a German film company to go to Germany and make the motion picture, but the deal never materialized and the company seemed to disappear from record.
At this point in Lon Chaney's film career. He had 59 feature films, including 1919's "The Miracle Man", 1920's "Treasure Island", 1922's "Oliver Twist" and 77 shorts to his credit.
At Universal Pictures, "The Boy Wonder", 24 year old producer Irving Thalberg, liked the idea of making "The Hunchack of Notre-Dame" into a feature film. The only problem facing him was how to convince owner Carl Laemmle to invest the money. Thalberg sold Laemmle on the idea that it was a love story and reminded him of the box office success Lon Chaney was having for the studio.
The budget for the picture is estimated at $1,250,000. A large amount of that went to building the Cathedral and the streets of Paris. The motion picture was Universal Pictures all time silent box office champ with a Worldwide gross of over $3.5 million dollars. In comparison Lon Chaney's 1925 "The Phantom of the Opera" had a Box Office of approximately $2 million dollars.
Lon Chaney insisted on creating his own make-up for the role. As there were no actual studio make-up department the permission was given. The result is still unbelievable and when you think he did his own stunts wearing a 50 pound hump. The role of "Quasimodo" becomes even more remarkable.
Portraying the role of "Esmeralda" was Patsy Ruth Miller. This was Miller's only major dramatic role. As she would appear in light comedy until retiring from motion pictures in 1931. However, her acting compliments Chaney's as "Quasimodo" and was critically acclaimed at the time.
Norman Kerry was "Phoebus de Chateaupers". Kerry had changed his last name from Kaiser during World War One and would be known to film historians as the "Clark Gable of the 1920's".
Brandon Hurst was "Jehan Frollo". Who was changed into the villain of the piece and the brother of the Saintly Archdeacon. He's really freaky in this picture. Among Hurst's work was a major role in John Barrymore's 1920 "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". He also was "Merlin the Magician" in the 1931 "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" starring Will Rodgers.
Nigel De Bruieler was "Dom Claude Frollo", or in the opening credits called "Dom Claudio", the Saintly Archdeacon and brother of "Jehan". The character actor would portray "Cardinal Richelieu" in four motion pictures. These were 1921's "The Three Musketeers" and the 1929 part talkie "Iron Mask". Both films had starred Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Then Du Bruieler appeared in the 1935 production of "The Three Musketeers" starring Walter Abel and 1939's "The Man in the Iron Mask" starring Louis Hayward. That picture is notable for being directed by James Whale and containing the first on screen role of future British Horror actor Peter Cushing as the "Second Officer".
Ernest Torrence was "Clopin" the King of the Beggars and in this version the adapted father of the gypsy "Esmeralda". Torrence was 6 feet 4 inches tall and was known for playing cold-eyed and imposing villains in silent Westerns.
Raymond Hattan portrayed the poet "Gringiore". Hattan would become a familiar "B" Western side kick to such actors as John Wayne and Johnny Mack Brown. His career covered over 421 on screen appearances.
Winifred Bryson portrayed "Fleur de Lys". She would appear in only 19 motion pictures.
"Jehan" lusts for "Esmeralda" and gets "Quasimodo" to kidnap the girl. This fails when "Phoebus" happens by and saves her. "Quasimodo" is sentenced to be whipped for attempting to kidnap "Esmeralda". While "Jehan" just looks on ,"Quasimodo" begs for water. It is the gypsy girl who takes pity of the deaf and grotesque bell ringer.
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After being freed, "Quasimodo" returns to the cathedral, his only home. Meanwhile, "Phoebus" and "Esmeralda" are falling in love,
In fact, although engaged to "Fleur de Lys", "Phoebus" has decided to now marry "Esmeralda". "Phoebus" takes the girl to a festival, created the King, to award him a "Captaincy" in his guards.
"Clopin", leading a group of beggars, shows up at the festival and demands that "Esmeralda" return with him to the "Court of Beggars", where she belongs. "Esmeralda" realizes she does not belong with the aristocracy, and leaves with her adopted father.
However, later the same night, "Esmeralsa", has the poet "Gringoire", take a note to "Phoebus" to meet with her. So the two can say good bye.
The jealous "Jehan" stabs "Phoebus" in the back and then blames "Esmeralda". The court sentences her to death, but she is saved by "Quasimodo". Who takes her into Notre Dame and asks "Dom Claude". to give Sanctuary to "Esmeralda".
From the cathedral "Quasimodo" taunts the people below, and shows "Esmeralda" the world as he knows it. However, what is happening is the grotesque bell ringer is also falling in love with the beautiful gypsy girl.
The climax comes as "Clopin" leads an attack on the cathedral to rescue "Esmeralda". "Gringoire" goes to the now recovered "Phoebus", and tells him whats happening. The Captain gets his man and goes to stop the beggars. At Notre Dame, "Quasimodo" finds "Jehan" attacking "Esmeralda", and goes for his former master. "Jehan" is thrown over the ramparts of the church, but he has fatally stabbed the bell ringer three times.
"Phoebus" finds "Emeralda", and the two lovers are reunited. Seeing this "Quasimodo" in joy rings the bells for the last time, as "Dom Claude" and "Gringoire" enter the bell tower to witness his death.
My article "GOLEM: 'The Wrath of God' in Motion Pictures", opens with:
I'll mention here what I heard from my father's holy mouth regarding the Golem created by his ancestor, the Gaon R. Eliyahu Ba'al Shem of blessed memory. When the Gaon saw that the Golem was growing larger and larger, he feared that the Golem would destroy the universe. He then removed the Holy Name that was embedded on his forehead, thus causing him to disintegrate and return to dust. Nonetheless, while he was engaged in extracting the Holy Name from him, the Golem injured him, scarring him on the face. -----ACTUAL TRANSLATION FROM A 1748 WRITING BY RABBI JACOB EMDEN
The "Golem" is a human looking figure made of clay that is brought to life by placing the Hebrew word, "EMET (TRUTH)" anywhere on it. To stop it, the person who controls the "Golem", places the same word, minus the first "E", "MET (DEATH)".
In 1808, Jacob Grimm, the youngest of the Grimm Brothers, published "Zeitung für Einsiedler (Newspaper for Hermits)". This represented one of the first times the legend was written in a language other than Hebrew and circulated outside of Jewish or Kabbalistic circles.
That German publication, like his fairytales was translated into different languages including English. Several literature historian's believe that it was read by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, below, and form the basis for her "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus", published ten-years later, in 1818, equating "Victor Frankenstein's" creation with "The Golem".
"Der Golem (The Golem)", co-produced,, co-written, and starring
Paul Wegener in the title role
, was first released in
Austria, on
January 15, 1914.
Note: This picture was the first of a trilogy, followed in 1917 by, "The Golem and the Dancing Girl", and in 1920, "The Golem: How He Came Into the World".
Five-years before the first "Golem" motion picture, American inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, gave the world Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's":
FRANKENSTEIN released March 18, 1910
Above left, is the uncredited Augustus Phillips, portraying "Frankenstein", no first name given. Above right, is the uncredited Charles Ogle, the first actor to portray "The Monster". Below, the uncredited Mary Fuller, portraying "Elizabeth".
There are two motion picture's, that each started a large "Gothic Film Series", but are separated by 26-years and the Atlantic Ocean.
The first was made by United States motion picture studio, "Universal Pictures".
FRANKENSTEIN released November 21, 1931
To begin with, as stated on the above poster, the correct title of the motion picture is:FRANKENSTEIN THE MAN WHO MADE A MONSTER
The motion picture was directed by James Whale. He would direct the outstanding, some believe better film, "Gothic Horror", 1935's, "Bride of Frankenstein", that included a prologue with actress Elsa Lanchester portraying "Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
My article is "ELSA SULLIVAN LANCHESTER (LAUGHTON): A Selected Look" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2025/06/elsa-sullivan-lanchester-laughton.html
The screenplay for the 1931 "Frankenstein", was adapted by John L. Balerston, from the play by Peggy Webling. Balderston had already worked on the adaption of the play "Dracula" by Hamilton Deane. That had starred Bela Lugosi on the Broadway Stage and would, later, write the screenplay for 1932's, "The Mummy".
My article is "John L. Balderston: Writing Classic Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction Screenplays" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/08/john-l-balderston-writing-classic.html
The actual screenplay was co-written by three others:
The first was Garret Fort, 1931's, "Dracula", and John Ford's, 1934, "The Lost Patrol", starring Victor McLagen and Boris Karloff.
The second writer was Francis Edward Faragoh, director Meryvn Leroy's, original, 1931, "Little Caesar" starring Edward G. Robinson and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and the Lionel Barrymore and Helen Mack, 1935, "The Return of Peter Grimm".
The third writer was Richard Schayer had been writing screenplays since 1916. Among his work are 1932's, "The Mummy", Todd Browning's, 1936, "The Devil Doll" starring Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O' Sullivan. Who had been playing "Jane" opposite Johnny Weissmuller in MGM's "Tarzan of the Apes" series.
Receiving no on-screen credit, as contributor, was Robert Florey and also John Russell.
The motion picture was directed by James Whale. The following linked article opens with:
Mention motion picture director James Whale and people usually think of two features. These are 1931's "Frankenstein", featuring Boris Karloff as "The Monster", and 1933's "The Invisible Man", starring Claude Rains' voice as "The Invisible One". Whale not only directed two other classic Horror films for Universal Pictures, but he also directed other genres.
That article is "JAMES WHALE: Jean Harlow to Louis Hayward" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2020/07/james-whale-jean-harlow-to-louis-hayward.html
What added to the "Henry Frankenstein's Laboratory" were the electrical effects by Kenneth Strickladen.
The Main Cast:
Colin Clive portrayed "Henry Frankenstein". "Universal PictureS", left Peggy Webling's name change from "Victor" to "Henry" in place. Trivia: if Boris Karloff was not wearing those very visible lifts as the monster. Clive was actually taller than Karloff and we might have seen a smaller monster than his maker. My article is "Colin Clive: Henry Not Victor Frankenstein and Alcoholism" destroying a life at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2020/08/colin-clive-henry-not-victor.html
Mae Clarke portrayed "Elizabeth". Although Clarke starred in James Whale's, 1931, production of "Waterloo Bridge" and portrayed Tristram Coffin's leading lady in "Republic Pictures", 1949, "King of the Rocket Man" serial, that introduced the Lydecker Brother's flying suit.
For motion picture trivia buffs. Mae Clarke is best remembered for portraying the non-on-screen credited role of "Kitty" in James Cagney's, 1931, "Public Enemy". She was the girl Cagney pushes the grapefruit into her face in the breakfast table scene.
John Boles portrayed "Victor Mortiz". Boles was both a leading man and supporting actor for his 28 year career. He appeared as "Young Matt" in the 1928, silent picture, "Shepherd of the Hills". Boles co-starred with Bebe Daniels in the 1929, musical, "Rio Rita", in 1932, he co-starred with Irene Dunne in "Back Street", based upon the bestselling Fannie Hurst novel. In 1935, John Boles co-starred with Shirley Temple in "Curly Top" and latter that year the two appeared in "The Littlest Rebel".
Above John Boles and Mae Clarke.
Boris Karloff portrayed "The Frankenstein Monster". Note in the opening credits his name is not shown. The billing under "The Players" reads:
The Monster---------?
Peggy Webling's play was the first time both the creator and the monster are referred to as "Frankenstein" and the film's screenplay kept that point. Karloff had been appearing on screen since 1919, in walk-on's and small non-credited roles. He had moved to fourth billing in director Howard Hawks's, 1930, "The Criminal Code", and was getting roles as criminals after that film until this one. In 1932, he portrayed rival gang leader "Tom Gaffney" in director Howard Hawks's original "Scarface", starring Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak, but it was the Horror movies people wanted to see him in. My article is "Boris Karloff: There Was More Than Horror Movies (January 15, 1919 to July 20, 1958)" at:
He would also return as the "Frankenstein Monster" in the next two sequels, the first directed by James Whale, for "Universal Pictures".
Above Boris Karloff and James Whale on the set. "KARLOFF'S" make-up was by Jack Pierce. My article is "Jack P. Pierce the Man Who Created Monsters", at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/06/jack-p-pierce-man-who-created-monsters.htmlEdward Van Sloan portrayed "Doctor Waldman". Van Sloan's first picture was in 1916, but the legitimate stage actor's second motion picture wasn't until he appeared as "Professor Van Helsing" in 1931's "Dracula". Van Sloan would repeat that role in 1936's, "Dracula's Daughter". He would also be seen in 1932's, "The Mummy" as "Dr. Mueller".
Dwight Frye was "Fritz". This is a character not from Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus", but from the Peggy Weblings play Frye had been seen as "Renfield" in the 1931, "Dracula", but also was "Wilmer Cook", in the 1931, original "The Maltese Falcon". My article "DWIGHT FRYE: Overlooked Horror Icon" can be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2019/07/dwight-frye-overlooked-horror-icon.html
James Whale and
Carl Laemmle, Jr., even though this film was released three years prior to the "Motion Picture Code" going into effect, came up with a plan to keep the censors mostly off the picture.
Before the story actually begins.
Edward Van Sloane comes out of a closed curtain and addresses the audience giving them a warning about what they're about to see.
How do you do? Mr. Carl Laemmle feels it would be a little unkind to present this picture without just a word of friendly warning: We are about to unfold the story of Frankenstein, a man of science who sought to create a man after his own image without reckoning upon God. It is one of the strangest tales ever told. It deals with the two great mysteries of creation; life and death. I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even horrify you. So, if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now's your chance to uh, well,––we warned you.
Overview of the Plot:"Henry Frankenstein" and his assistant "Fritz" rob bodies from graves and scaffoldings and he assembles them into a new body with plans of using electricity to bring his man to life.
"Fritz" is sent to obtain a specific brain, but is suddenly frightened, drops the container, and grabs an "Abnormal Brain" and brings it to "Dr. Henry Frankenstein".
"Elizabeth", "Henry's" bride to be, goes to "Victor Mortiz" and "Doctor Waldman" with her concerns about "Henry's" health. The three go to the tower that contains "Henry's" laboratory and witness the "birth" of his man.
The assembled body is raised to the top of the tower and exposed to lightening during a storm. After the body is lowered back down into the laboratory, comes, that famous line
Colin Clive is remembered for---
What "Henry" doesn't know is that "Fritz" had dropped the brain he wanted to use and replaced it with an abnormal brain and, next, "Henry Frankenstein" starts to feel the pressure of "Fritz's" deed. The creature is tormented by "Fritz" and builds up a fear of fire.
"The Monster" kills "Fritz" and after it escapes, starts to play with a little girl, see my article on the "Golem", and accidentally kills her. When "The Monster" discovers unlike a flower, she cannot float in a pond.
"The Monster " will enter "Elizabeth's" bedroom, frighten her, but does not kill her.
"Henry" organizes the village people and they go in search of the monster.
The climax comes as "Henry's" creation confronts him in a windmill. Which the villagers set on fire, and they witness "Henry" being tossed off the windmills ledge, and the creature apparently dies within the flames. The story ends with "Henry's" father celebrating the marriage of his son to "Elizabeth".
I now cross the Atlantic Ocean to what became known as "The House of Hammer", and the second feature film that began a series of "Gothic Terror" for its audience's.
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN released June 25, 1957
This was the first "Hammer Film's" reboot of the "Universal Pictures" Classic Monster. Filmed in "Eastman Color", or as they say in the U.K., "Eastman Colour", with beautiful bloody gore.
The screenplay was by the great Jimmy Sangster, who wrote one of my favorite Science Fiction movies, 1956's "X-The Unknown". My article is "Jimmy Sangster:`1930's Horror Re-Imagined, Intelligent Science Fiction, and Bette Davis Insanity" at:
The motion picture was directed by Terence Fisher. In 1959, his work included "The Hound of the Baskervilles", "The Man Who Could Cheat Death" and "The Mummy". While in 1960 Terence Fisher directed "The Brides of Dracula", "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (House of Fear)" and in 1961, "Hammer" studios had him direct "The Curse of the Werewolf", and "The Phantom of the Opera".
Peter Cushing portrayed the adult "Victor Frankenstein". Starting with this films sequel, 1958's, "The Revenge of Frankenstein", Cushing's "Victor Frankenstein" would return for all, but one of the series from "Hammer Films". The opposite of the "Universal Pictures" series with the monster not its creator. Among Peter Cushing's other roles were "Winston Smith" in a 1954 British television movie of George Orwell's, "1984", "Sherlock Holmes" in "Hammer Film's", 1959, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", and the "Grand Moff Tarkin", in the original, 1977, "Star Wars".
Hazel Court portrayed the adult "Elizabeth". Court had co-starred in the 1954, United Kingdom, Science Fiction film, "Devil Girl from Mars". She was in three of Roger Corman's, Edgar Allan Poe series: 1962's, "Premature Burial", 1963's, "The Raven", and 1964's, "The Masque of the Red Death". My article "HAZEL COURT: Frankenstein's Bride and Rodger Corman's Evil Lady" can be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/06/hazel-court-frankensteins-bride-and.html
Robert Urquhart portrayed "Paul Krempe". Urquhart had appeared mostly on British television since 1950. Some of his film work included "Sir Gwain", in the big budgeted, 1953, "Knights of the Round Table", starring Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner and Mel Ferrer. In 1955, Robert Urquhart was "Sir Phillip", in "The Warriors", starring Errol Flynn and Joanne Dru. In 1963, the actor portrayed one of the British delegation in "55 Days at Peking", starring Charlton Heston, David Niven and Ava Gardner.
Christopher Lee portrayed "The Creature". Contrary to belief, this was not the first movie with both Lee and Cushing. He was "A Palace Guard", and Cushing, "Osric", in Sir Laurence Oliver's, 1948, "Hamlet". Among the other films the two actors appeared together for "Hammer", are 1958's, "Dracula", and 1959's, "The Mummy". Lee will always be "Saruman", to the fans of J. R. R. Tolkien's, "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. Should you be a fan of British author Sax Rohmer, like Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, portrayed "Fu Manchu", bent on conquering the world for China.
Phillip Leakley's make-up for Lee, unlike Jack Pierce's for Karloff, makes "The Creature" look more life like (?) for something created from dead bodies.
My look at the work of Philip Leakley for the "House of Hammer", and director Terence Fisher, can be found in my article, "HAMMER FILMS: A Look at 'The House of Hammer' By An American Fan" at:
Valerie Gaunt portrayed the maid "Justine". Gaunt is remembered by fans of Hammer Horror for this role, and as the "Vampire Woman" in "Dracula". After completing that film, she left the motion picture business and married the Reverend Gerald Alfred Reddington. An interesting choice for a Vampire.
Purely Gothic, but not Universal:
The movie opens with "Baron Victor Frankenstein" in prison for what the audience does not know yet. A Priest, portrayed Alex Gallier, arrives to give comfort to those about to face death, but "Victor" does not believe in God. However, he wants to relate his story, and as he speaks to the "Priest" the story goes into flashback.
The young "Victor's", portrayed by Melvyn Hayes, parents died and he is now the Baron. His "Aunt", portrayed by Noel Hood, arrives with his "Cousin Elizabeth", portrayed by Hazel Court's own daughter Sally Walsh, and the boy Baron promises both that he will continue the financial help his parents have been giving the pair.
Next, "Dr. Paul Krempe", arrives, hired by the Baron to tutor "Victor", and is surprised to learn they're one and the same.
The story cuts to an adult, "Victor", and a much older, "Paul", as the two experiment in bringing a dead back to life with a puppy.
They succeed with the puppy - - - -
- - - - and now the Baron presents his tutor with the idea of creating a man. As the two men begin that work, and "Victor" is away. The grown up "Elizabeth", now "Victor's" fiancee, arrives at the house.
The very surprised "Paul", is concerned about how she will react to what he is doing with "Victor", and attempts to get "Elizabeth" to leave, before the other returns. "Victor" has been away for some time acquiring the perfect item to add to the body they're creating, but in walks "Victor Frankenstein", who is also surprised to see his cousin.
"Victor" has invited a noted scientist, "Professor Bernstein", portrayed by Paul Hardtmuth, to his estate.
While both "Elizabeth" and "Paul" are not present, "Victor" takes the professor upstairs to show him something, then pushes him down the same stairs. The purpose of having him "accidentally" fall down the stairs was a means of obtaining a remarkable brain. "Elizabeth" believes the story, but "Paul" doubts what "Baron Frankenstein" has told him.
After "Victor" removes the brain in the scientist's burial crypt. The shocked "Paul", who wants to replace it, now tries to stop "Victor" from using it. As the two struggle over the container holding "Bernstein's" brain, it is dropped, and the brain is damaged, but "Victor Frankenstein" will use it anyway.
The first attempt to bring his creation to life fails and Victor leaves the creature in laboratory and goes down to dinner with Elizabeth.
Unknown to "Victor" in the lab, the events he started are actually occurring on a delay. The film cuts back to "Elizabeth" and "Victor", and then to the laboratory, where the audience sees "The Creature" standing beside his tank. Hearing a noise from upstairs, and as he enters, "The Creature" removes the bandages covering his face and attacks "Frankenstein". Then the creature just drops, as the now arrived "Paul", helps him with it.
The damaged brain has turned his creation into a psychotic personality instead of a brilliant mind. The creature will escape the house! "Victor" and "Paul" go after kill it, but before they find "Victor Frankenstein's" creation, it will kill a blind man in the forest. The two pursuers will kill "The Creature" and bury it in the forest.
"The Creature" is buried and Paul thinks everything has ended. He decides to leave, but before he goes attempts once more to get "Elizabeth" to leave "Victor". After "Paul is gone, "The Creature" is dug up by "Victor" and will be brought back to life.
"Victor" uses "The Creature" to kill the maid "Justine", who claims she is pregnant by the Baron and he must marry her instead of "Elizabeth". He seems to go along with her and to end her curiosity about what goes on behind his laboratory door, lets gets her go in, and locks it behind "Justine".
Time passes and "Paul" receives an invitation from "Elizabeth", to return for her wedding to "Victor". "Victor" is happy to see him, and next, takes "Paul" back to his lab to show him the now revived creature. "Paul' threatens to tell the authorities about what "Victor" has been doing and walks out.
While "Paul" starts to exit the house, "Elizabeth's' curiosity gets the best of her and she decides to see what is behind the locked laboratory door. She get's the keys and enters.
She of course finds the creature which has escaped its bonds.
"Elizabeth" escapes the laboratory to the roof with "The Creature" following. He grabs her as "Victor" arrives, after "Elizabeth" is put down, "Victor Frankenstein" throws a lantern "Creature Frankenstein", and covered in flames "The Creature" falls through the skylight into a vat of acid.
Although the police cannot connect "Victor Frankenstein" to the murder of the blind man. They do charge and convict him with the murder of "Justine". The only way "Baron Victor Frankenstein" can prove his innocence is through "Elizabeth" and "Paul". The film cuts back to "Victor's" prison cell.
Neither "Elizabeth", or "Paul" will testify on behalf of "Victor", and the picture ends with him being escorted by the Priest to the guillotine.
Think "Gothic Vampires", one name comes to mind, "DRACULA", but author Bram Stoker didn't publish his novel until 1897. He got his idea from an 1872, 108-page short story, "CARMILLA", by Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu, known simply as Sheridan Le Fanu.
Le Fanu's novel has a twist to his vampire tale, "Carmilla" is a lesbian. I will shortly get to that tale.
From my article:
Sheridan Le Fanu was not the only author of lesbian vampire stories. It is believed that the real opening to Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula", was such a story. The author removed that section, known as "Dracula's Guest", before having his novel published. The removed story was not published until 1914, after his death by his wife Florence, as part of a collection entitled, "Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories".
In 1936, "Universal Pictures" released "Dracula's Daughter", starring Gloria Holden portraying "Countess Marya Zaleska (Dracula's Daughter)". Bram Stoker was reworked by John L. Balderston into a story to base a screenplay upon. Both Balderston and the studio had to go up against the 1934 "Motion Picture Production Code", enforced by the Joseph Breen of the "Hayes Censorship Office".
Taken from my article is the following sequence from "Dracula's Daughter".
The audience now reaches the point in the story of Joseph Breen's concern. "Sandor" is sent to find a model for "Marya's" painting and returns with "Lili" to pose for her. The first of the veiled lesbianism of the screenplay now comes out. As Lambert Hillyer suggests what is not written and is able to get around Breen.
"Countess Marya Zaleska" cannot resist her urge to drink the blood of "Lili" and next the audience sees "Lili" in an alleyway. She is rushed to a hospital and "Dr. Jeffrey Garth" examines the young woman who has amnesia and two-tiny-punctures on her neck, like a man from the night before.
"Dr. Garth" now treats "Lili" for a post-hypnotic trance and starts to believe the incredible story "Marya" told him about vampirism and herself. "Jeffrey" brings "Lili" out of her trance; she tells him what happened and dies. "Jeffrey Garth" now calls "Marya Zaleska" and tells her not to leave London.
There are several movies specifically based upon
Sheridan Le Fanu's excellent story.
LA CRIPTA E I'INCUBO (CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE) released May 27, 1964
Christopher Lee portrayed "Count Ludwig Karnstein" and actress Adriana Ambesi portrayed "Laura Karnstein".
"Laura Karnstein" is having nightmares about the death of members of her family. The murders are actually happening. A doctor is sent for to help her and the nurse starts to believe she is possessed by "Carmillla". A young women becomes interested in the deaths at Karnstein Castle. An accident to her carriage forces the young woman to stay and she becomes friends with "Laura". In the novel that young woman in the overturned carriage looks like "Laura's" ancestor, "Countess Mircalla Karnstein".
More interesting from my article about female vampires was the updating to 1960 of Sheridan Le Fanu's story by French director Rodger Vadim.
ET MOURIR DE PLAISIR (LE SANG ET LA ROSE) released on September 14, 1960 in France
For my non-French speaking readers, the title translates as:--- And die of pleasure (The blood and the rose)
The English language version of the picture was entitled:
BLOOD AND ROSES
The motion picture was directed by Rodger Vadim. Some men collect cars, or sport's memorabilia, Rodger Vadim collected wives, five to be exact, and one domestic partner. This movie starred his second wife. I look at her, and Vadim's first, Bridget Bardot, and his third, Jane Fonda, in my article "Rodger Vadim: Three Wives and Three Motion Pictures" at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/08/rodger-vadim-three-wives-and-three.html
Mel Ferrer portrayed "Leopoldo De Karnstein". He had co-starred in director Fritz Lang's, 1952,Western, "Rancho Notorious", with Marlene Dietrich, portrayed "King Arthur" in 1953's, "Knights of the Round Table", co-starring with Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner. Ferrer was in director King Vidor's, 1956's, version of Russian author Leo Tolstoy's, "War and Peace", co-starring with Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda and Samuel Bronson's, 1964, "The Fall of the Roman Empire", starring Sir Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, and Christopher Plummer.
Elsa Martinelli portrayed "Georgia Monteverdi". Italian actress Martinelli's third motion picture was the American made, 1955, "The Indian Fighter", starring Kirk Douglas, in 1962, the actress was in her second American made motion picture, "Hatari", starring John Wayne, and followed it with her third American feature film co-starring with Charlton Heston, in the Second World War comedy, "The Pigeon That Took Rome".
Annette Vadim portrayed "Carmilla". Her first on-screen appearance was in Rodger Vadim's, "Les liaisons dangereuses". When the production started on that Jeanne Moreau film, she was Annette Stroyberg, and halfway through production she was engaged to Roger Vadim.
The original French film, as shot by Roger Vadim, runs approximately 87 minutes, and begins with a doctor discussing Carmilla's strange case. This was dropped in the English language cut, "Blood and Roses", and narration had to be used to explain certain sequences. The English language cut, which is very good, runs approximately 74 minutes. Apparently there are DVD versions with running times between that of the original French release and the American release by Paramount Pictures.
The reason for the Doctor in the French version, and the narrator at times in the English language cut, is because Roger Vadim uses a lot of imagery and dream sequences without dialogue. The question for the audience, is which is real, which is not, or is everything reality? This technique works very well and Vadim's use of monochrome color with suddenly sharp color against it works exceedingly well. As the scene below of Carmilla shows.
There is a legend in the Karnstein family of a female vampire who supposedly has lived forever. Leopoldo's younger sister, Carmilla, looks exactly like her ancestor.
That question comes to the forefront, when Leopoldo is to marry Carmilla's best friend Georgia. Vadim's use of dream sequences leaves the viewer not completely sure of his sister.
Vadim stages a grand masquerade ball to celebrate the upcoming marriage. Leopoldo appears at one point dressed as a vampire. Carmilla has chosen to wear a dress worn by the Karnstein vampire as her costume.
While the ball is in progress there is a fireworks display. It accidentally sets off some munitions left from the second World War. As if in a dream, Carmilla leaves the ball and goes to the tomb of the Karnstein vampire. It has apparently been disturbed by the munitions blowing up. Is she being possessed, or is this the vampire returning home ?
Carmilla returns to the estate of her brother, and starting the following morning is not herself. As a series of vampire like killings start occurring, and Carmilla continues her affair with her brother's future wife, Georgia.
More strange events unfold and Carmilla has been roaming the estate. She returns to the area of the tomb and the damage caused by the munitions explosion. As she wonders through the area, there is another explosion, and she falls forward impaling herself. Did she do this on propose? Is the Karnstein vampire dead?
The film ends with Georgia and Leopoldo together in happiness aboard a passenger airplane, but has the vampire found a new body in Georgia?
COUNT DRACULA
The following look at the man Bram Stoker turned into the world's best known vampire, comes from my article, "DRACULA: Vlad Tepes, Bram Stoker, and the Motion Pictures 1921 To 1992", to be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/11/dracula-vlad-tepes-bram-stoker-and.html
VLAD THE IMPALER (A Brief History)
Below one of the few paintings, circa 1560, made of Vlad Tepes, or Vlad Drăculea
Vlad Tepes was the second son of Vlad II, Dracul (Vlad the Dragon), ruler of Wallachia, now part of Romania, located north of the Lower Danube, and south of the Southern Carpathian Mountain range.
He was probably born in 1431, after his father settled in Transylvania, now a part of Romania, to the East, and South, Transylvania's natural borders are the Carpathian Mountains, to the West, the border is the Apuseni Mountains, and the Northern border is Hungry.
The title "Dracul" comes from being a member of the "Societas Draconistarum (Society of the Dragonists)" and receiving "The Order of the Dragon". This monarchist society was founded in 1408, and owed its allegiance to "The Holy Roman Empire".
In 1442 both Vlad and his younger brother, Radu cel Frumos, were held prisoners of the Ottomans (The Turks), to permit their father to have the Sultan's help in regaining his throne. Their imprisonment lasted for five-years and is the main cause of Vlad's hatred for the Ottoman Empire.
After the death of both his father and elder brother, Vlad Tepes, became Vlad III. Diplomatic reports refer to him as "Dracula", and two remaining letters, from the 1470's, have Vlad signing them either "Dragula", or "Drakula". However, is formal signature was Wladislus Dragwlya.
After overthrowing Vladislus II, no relation, Vlad III first ruled Wallachia, but only between October to November 1448, after which Vladislus II returned to power, and "Vlad Dracula" went into exile in Moldavia.
On July 22 1456, leading a small army with Hungarian assistance, Vlad entered Wallachia and was intercepted by Vladislus II's and his men. It was decided that a fight to the death in single combat between Vlad Dracula and Vladislus II would settle the question of who was the true Voivode, Vlad Dracula won.
Below is a circa 1506, fresco of Vladislus II.
Vlad III's second reign lasted into July 1462, when a massive Ottoman army led by Vlad's younger brother Radu Bey invaded Wallachia.
What the name of Vlad III's first wife remains unknown, just as her death is confused by legend. The main story has a woodland archer sending an arrow into Vlad's room with a message that his brother and the Ottoman army are approaching. As the castle is being surrounded by Vlad's younger brother and the Wallachian Janissary. Rather than be taken prisoner, Vlad's first wife jumped from the castle's tower into the Arges river and downed.
Below is a picture of the ruins of Poenari Castle, the home of Vlad III.
Later, Vlad III fled to Transylvania with his army and created a scorched earth policy. When Radu Bey's Ottoman army reached the city of Targoviste. They found 20,000 Ottoman's impaled on stakes either dead or dying.
In November 1462, Vlad Dracula met with the Hungarian-Croatia King, Matthias Corvinus, who recognized Vlad as the rightful ruler of Wallachia, but did not want to assist him in regaining his throne. Which would have meant going to war against the Ottoman Empire.
Instead, Corvinus had one of his Czech commanders, John Jiskra of Brandy's, pictured below, capture Vlad and imprison him.
To justify the imprisonment to Pope Pius II, and the Venetians, who had sent Vlad Dracul money to finance a campaign against the Ottoman Empire. Three forged letters were presented to the Pope, claiming that Vlad was offering his service to the current Sultan of the Ottoman Empire against Hungry. According to some Slavic stories, Vlad III was released only after converting to Catholicism, but no correspondence, real, or otherwise, between 1462 into 1475 written by Vlad, has been preserved to substantiate the stories of his religious conversion.
Above, portrait of Pope Pius II circa 1472-1476.
Upon his release in 1475, Vlad III married Justina Szilagyi de Horogszeg, a cousin of Matthias Corvinus, as his second wife. Some stories state this was one of two conditions for his release, and the other his alleged conversion to Catholicism.
The Impaler:
The stories about Vlad Dracula's cruelty started with Matthias Corvinus, and his ally, the papal legate, Nicholas of Modrus. The papal legate wrote Pope Pius II about what Corvinus told him about Vlad III, and Pope Pius II included them in his own 1464 commentaries as truth.
Additionally, there were German, the most brutal tales, Slavic, and of course Ottoman (Turkish) stories about the mass murders carried out by Vlad III.
One famous story is about a group of envoys from Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who had invaded Wallachia. The envoys were sent to get Vlad's surrender, but according to the story, their heads were sent back to the Sultan as his answer. Below is a circa 1480 portrait of the Sultan.
Another related tale, tells of the Ottoman army about to begin their invasion of Wallachia, and the Sultan's army finding thousands of rotting corpses of Vlad Dracula's own people on stakes. The army turned back in fear, claiming that "Vlad Dracul" was in league with Satan, or was the devil, himself. This sounds like the same story of Radu Bey and his army, but not with the Turks.
A more famous tale involved Vlad Dracula's move to consolidate his power base. The boyars, the class of aristocrats below the royal family, were always in conflict with each other and sometimes for very petty reasons. As the legend goes, Vlad held a massive outside banquet at his palace in Targoviste and ordered the impaling of some 500 Boyers . Then he finished his banquet surrounded by their impaled bodies.
Below is a German woodcut, circa 1499, of that banquet.
Vlad Dracula's final reign lasted from the Summer of 1476 until his death in either December 1476, or just before, or during a battle with the Ottoman's that ended on January 10, 1477, with his entire army killed.
One story adds that he was beheaded and his head sent to the Ottoman Sultan.The place of his burial is still unknown and, to date, archeologists hunt for it. Some scholars have placed Vlad III's burial site as in the "Church of the Virgin Mary", at the "
Snagov Monastery", just 15-miles north of Bucharest, the capital city of Romania. Others, now state his body is in the
"Piazza Santa Maria la Nova" graveyard, in Naples, Italy.
In Romania, Vlad Dracula is considered a national hero over his defense of the homeland against the Ottoman Empire.
Above a statue of Vlad III in present day Romania.
According to some tales, graverobbers found his coffin empty shortly after his burial.
Folk tales began that he had become a "Vampyr", drinking the blood of local peasant women and seen walking around his palace at night. Scholars believe that his loyal followers moved the body to a secret location and reburied Vlad Tepes. Hence, the continuing search for his remains.
Before I go into the two Gothic Film versions of Bram Stoker's classic novel, a quick, but interesting biographical point about the author.
Abraham Stoker, or "Bram", as he was known in a family of seven children, was born on November 8, 1847, at 15 Marino Crescent, on the north side of Dublin, Ireland. In 1870, Bram Stoker graduated from "Trinity College", in Dublin, with a BA and got his MA in 1875. During college, Stoker became interested in the theater, and a friend of his, in the Irish Civil Service, arranged an interview with the co-owner of the "Dublin Evening News".
That co-owner was Irish writer, Sheridan Le Fanu.
Once again, as with Mary Shelley's, "Frankenstein", both "Universal Pictures", and "Hammer Films Productions", would release different versions of the Bram Stoker, "Gothic Novel", followed by a series of sequels.
DRACULA premiered in Asheville, North Carolina, on February 9, 1931
John L. Balderston
was brought by "Universal Pictures", to their North Hollywood, California, studio, to work on adapting into a working screenplay scenario. His and British playwright, Hamilton Deane's well received play, based upon the Bram Stoker novel. The two would receive on-screen credit, because of that play's popularity in both the United Kingdom and United States.
The actual screenplay writer was Garrett Elsden Fort, but his on-screen credit reads for the:
Play Script
This is because he turned the Balderston scenario into a film workable script, with directions for the actors and director. Fort had done the same thing for 1931's, "Frankenstein". His other screenplay work included director John Ford's, 1934, "The Lost Patrol", and director Todd Browning's, 1936, "Devil-Doll".
The screenplay, also, has six, uncredited names in three-categories.
There are four "Contributing Writers", what they actually contributed I could not locate. They are Tod Browning, Louis Bromfield, Frederick Stephani, and Louis Stevens.
Dudley Murphy was responsible for "Additional Dialogue". What exactly this was, again, I could not determine.
Max Cohen was responsible for creating any needed titles used in the motion picture, such as on the opening credits.
The motion picture was directed by Tod Browning, below. My article on two of the directors other motion pictures is "Tod Browning: Lon Chaney Meets Bela Lugosi: A Tale of Two Motion Pictures" with the same plot,
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2019/11/tod-browning-lon-chaney-meets-bela.html
Bela Lugosi portrayed "Count Dracula". Hungarian stage and Shakespearian actor Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső started in Hungarian motion pictures in 1917.
By the time he was given the film role of "Count Dracula". Béla Lugosi, who had portrayed "Dracula" both on Broadway and with the touring company of the Balderston/Deane play, had appeared in forty-five motion pictures. That included portraying "Chingachook", in a Hungarian 1920 film production of American author James Fenimore Cooper's, "The Last of the Mohicans". Just prior to this motion picture, the actor had appeared with 7th-billing, in the Jeanette MacDonald and Reginald Denny, 1930, musical romance, "Oh, for a Man!". Lugosi followed this motion picture with the uncredited role of "Orizon - Magician", in the Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, musical comedy, 1931's, "50 Million Frenchmen".
Helen Chandler portrayed "Mina Seward". Between 1927 and 1938, Helen Francis Chandler's entire motion picture career equaled twenty-seven motion pictures. By her death on April 30, 1965, at the age of 59, she would have been married three-times. Her first husband was Cyril Hume, the screenplay writer for the 1956, science fiction classic, "Forbidden Planet", her second husband was British actor Bramwell Fletcher, the assistant in 1932's, "The Mummy", who brings it to life, and her third husband was merchant seaman Walter S. Piascik. The truth be known, even when filming "Dracula", Helen Chandler was an alcoholic and that ended her promising film career. In 1950, she fell asleep smoking in her apartment and was severely burned. Her body was disfigured as a result, and she continued, until her death, drinking.
David Manners portrayed "John Harker". Manners was appearing on the London stage in a play entitled "Journey's End", set during the First World War. The play was brought to Broadway with Manners, his co-star, Colin Clive, and the plays director James Whale. In 1930, the three would make the motion picture version for "Universal Pictures", and then all three moved onto horror movie history. In 1932, David Manners co-starred in Boris Karloff's, "The Mummy", in 1934, he was in the Karloff, Lugosi, "The Black Cat", and the following year he had the title role in the studio's version of British author Charles Dickens's, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". That John L. Balderston solved for the motion picture screen, because the source was an unfinished novel.
Dwight Frye portrayed "Reinfeld". It could be said that Frye had the double whammy of horror motion picture supporting roles in 1931. Besides portraying "Reinfeld" in "Dracula", as I previously mentioned, he was the hunchback, "Fritz", not "Igor", in "Frankenstein". However, between those two roles, he was cast as "Wilmer Cook", in the pre-code, and considered the better version of American detective author, Daishell Hammett's, "The Maltese Falcon".
The above classic scene from "Dracula", between Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye, has the actor mislabeled as being David Manners by the photo website, "Alamy".
Edward Van Sloan portrayed "Professor Van Helsing". Between 1916 and 1950, Van Sloan appeared in eighty-nine motion pictures, but is only remembered for four feature films. They are this picture, as mentioned above, the same year's, "Frankenstein", 1932's, "The Mummy", and 1936's, "Dracula's Daughter".
Returning to the original play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. The website "Wikipedia", has the following information on their page about Edward Van Sloan reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Van_Sloan
During the 1920s, Van Sloan appeared in several plays at the 48th Street Theater on Broadway, including the 1924 stage adaptation of Dracula before accepting an offer in late 1930 (at age 48) for a part in the acclaimed Tod Browning-directed screen production of Dracula.
There are two slight problems with the above, the first is that the play only premiered on May 15, 1924, in Derby, England. Where Hamilton Deane had planned to appear in the title role himself.
It wasn't until October 5, 1927, at the "Fulton Theatre (now the Helen Hayes Theatre), 210 West 46th Street, that "Dracula" had its American premiere. The following link takes you to the "Playbill" for that production and shows Edward Van Sloan does have the role of "Abraham Van Helsing".
https://playbill.com/production/dracula-fulton-theatre-vault-0000004591
Herbert Bunston portrayed "Doctor John Seward". Bunston was also in the Broadway production of the play in this same role. As for his motion picture career, British actor, Herbert Bunston, appeared in thirty-two motion pictures between 1929 and 1935, the year the actor passed away.
Francis Dade portrayed "Lucy Weston". Dade only appeared in thirteen motion pictures between 1928 and 1933, and two shorts. Her last role was in a short, as an uncredited, "Harem Girl". From 1932 until her 1958 divorce, she was married to wealthy socialite, Brock Van Every.
The Screenplay (Which seems more like the stage play):
The film opens with a coach carrying passengers and among them is "Renfield". One of the coaches other passengers, a young woman. She is reading out loud from a book and a bump in the road causes her to land in "Renfield's" lap. She's portrayed by, Carla Laemmle, a cousin of the film's producer, Carl Laemmle, Jr. Carla also played this role in the Spanish Language version of the screenplay, by another director, being shot on the same sets with a Spanish cast at night, after this cast had gone for the day.
The coach arrives at a small Transylvanian village, the driver, and the locals, want everyone inside the inn. However, "Renfield" says he must go on to the Borgo Pass and the "Inn Keeper", portrayed by Michael Visaroff, questions him as to why?
"Renfield" replies that he is meeting a coach from "COUNT DRACULA" at Midnight! The villager's all cross themselves, and warn him not to go at night, but he insists. The "Inn Keeper's Wife", portrayed by Barbara Bozoky, gives him a cross for:
Your Mother's Sake!
The two coaches meet in the "Borgo Pass", and the driver of "Renfield's" coach, tosses his bags out, turns it around, and drives a way very fast. "Renfield" looks up at the coach driver from the "Count", portrayed by Bela Lugosi, and is motioned into it.
Next, "Renfield" finds himself being bounced around as the coach moves unearthly fast along the road to "Castle Dracula". "Renfield" wants to speak to the driver about the coach's speed, he looks out, instead of the driver, it appears that the horses are being guided by a very large bat.
The coach stops in the ancient castle's courtyard, "Renfield" gets out, and the coach is driven away. Leaving its passenger alone in the dark, in front of the main castle entrance. The solicitor walks up to the front door, enters, and sees a man standing behind cobwebs holding a candle. The man introduces himself:
I am Dracula,
and welcomes "Renfield".
"Renfield" follows the Count up the staircase, and he seems a bit confused. He sees "Dracula" walk down the steps to greet him, but the cobwebs, he had to have walked through, are still undisturbed. That is, until "Renfield" moves up the same staircase, and has to push the cobwebs aside to pass through them. A dinner has been placed for "Renfield", and the Count explains he has already eaten. When the Count pours some wine for his guest, when questioned, "Dracula" replies:
I Never Drink - Wine!
As the paperwork for Carfax Abbey is being taken care of, "Renfield", still eating, cuts himself with a knife and "Dracula" almost looses control of his blood lust.
After all the paperwork has been completed, the Count hypnotizes "Renfield" to open a window. The solicitor faints, as the same large bat that seemed to guide his coach, flies in. Next, the "Three Brides of Dracula" appears.
Above the three wives from left to right are portrayed by Dorothy Tree, Geraldine Dvorak and Cornelia Thaw.
The wives move to the fainted "Renfield", but are waved off by "Dracula", who feeds on the solicitor himself.
Cut to the schooner, "Vesta", at sea heading for England, and "Renfield" talking to his master.
A storm pounds the "Vesta", and when the wreck reaches the shore at Whitby, the Captain is found dead, tied to the wheel, the crew missing, and when the hatch is opened, an insane "Renfield" appears.
Crates, in the ship's hold, are taken to Carfax Abbey, as they are marked for, and "Renfield" finds himself in "Dr. Seward's" sanatorium. Whose land adjoins Carfax, and gives the insane (?) "Renfield" a perfect view of "Dracula's" comings and goings.
As for "Dracula", he is walking the foggy streets of London like any other foreign visitor, and attends a theatre.
At the theater, the Count meets "Dr. Seward", who in turn introduces him to his daughter, "Mina", her fiance "John Harker", and family friend, "Lucy Weston".
"Lucy" is fascinated by the charming "Count Dracula", and he seems of her likewise, but with a darker fascination.
That night, "DRACULA" enters her bedroom and feasts upon "Lucy's" "BLOOD"!
"Lucy" is found, and "Dr. Seward" performs a transfusion, but what has caused her loss of blood is unknown to him. After noticing two tiny punctures by "Lucy's" jugular vein, "Steward" contacts a noted European authority on the occult, "Professor Van Helsing".
By this point in the picture, Tod Browning appears to have gotten around the "Hayes Office" censors, with what some film critics see as a subtle implied lesbian relationship between "Lucy" and "Mina".
"Van Helsing" arrives as "Dracula" becomes more aware of "Mina", and the two close friends are both marked to become his brides. Next, "Lucy" dies, and is buried. A week has passed since "Lucy" was buried, but now she has risen as a vampire attacking children.
It is possible that the "Hayes Office Censors" got to this even pre-code motion picture, because it is never made clear what happened, on-screen, to the vampire woman, "Lucy". It is presumed "Van Helsing" destroyed her vampire form and brought her to peace, but the audience never see this, and as in the original play, the character just disappears.
"Renfield" has been eating the spiders and flies that come into his cell. "Dr. Seward" is stumped by this action and the ex-solicitor's constant asking for a small kitten. However, "Professor Van Helsing" is considering "Renfield's" action as related to a vampire that had attacked "Lucy". He has "Martin", portrayed by Charles K. Gerrard, one of the sanatorium orderlies, bring "Renfield" to "Dr. Seward's" office in his attached home.
The professor's speaks softly to the apparently deranged ex-solicitor, and "Renfield" makes a slip and mentions a vampire, confirming "Van Helsing's" suspicion. Turning to "Dr. Seward", "Renfield" begs him to send him away, saying his nightly cries may be heard by "Mina" and disturb her dreams.
"Van Helsing" produces wolfsbane, an herb that will keep vampires away, and "Renfield" reacts by becoming even more disturbed, as if he knows what is actually happening. He is taken back to his cell, and "Van Helsing", and "Seward", continue their own discussion.
That night, "Count Dracula", first bites "Mina Steward". The following night, "Dracula" comes for a visit and "Van Helsing" and "Harker" notice he doesn't seem to cast a reflection in the mirror. To test his theory, "Professor Van Helsing" shows the Count a cigarette box with a small mirror in it. "Dracula" immediately smashes the box, and his action convinces the professor that "Dracula" is the vampire behind what has been happening.
"Mina" now leaves her room and runs into the garden where she is attacked by "Dracula" and is found by "The Maid", portrayed by Moon Carroll. "John" wants to take "Mina" back to London, but the professor is against that. That night wolfsbane is placed around "Mina's" neck by "Van Helsing" and he orders "Nurse Biggs", portrayed by Joan Standing, not to remove the herb.
"Renfield" escapes his cell in the sanatorium and overhears " Van Helsing", "Dr. Seward", and "Harker" talking about vampires. He enters the room and relates how "Dracula" has promised him thousands of rats full of life and blood, if he lets "Dracula" into the sanatorium.
The Count enters the room and tells "Van Helsing" that "Mina Seward" now belongs to him, and he should return to his home country. The professor, counters by telling the vampire that he will excavate Carfax Abbey, and find the Count's coffin. "Dracula" next attempts to hypnotize "Professor Van Helsing", but the other takes a cross from his pocket and drives the vampire out of the house.
"John" now visits "Mina" on the terrace, when a large bat appears, and she seems to react to it as if it's talking to her. The bat, next attacks "Harker", who is able to drive it off.
"Van Helsing" and "Dr. Seward" come onto the terrace to speak to the two lovers. "Harker" wants "Van Helsing" to stay away from "Mina", but she tells him their love is finished and what "Dracula" has done to her.
"Dracula" hypnotizes "Nurse Briggs" to remove the wolfsbane from around "Mina's" neck, and to open her bedroom window.
Next, "Van Helsing" and "Harker" see "Renfield" running across the lawn between the sanatorium and Carfax Abbey. They follow him, and entering Carfax, the two see "Dracula" with "Mina". "John" calls out to her and "Dracula" now believes "Renfield" led them there, and causes him to fall backwards, breaking his neck on the staircase.
The sun is coming up and "Van Helsing" knows that "Dracula" must return to his coffin to sleep during the day. With "Harker", the two men start a search of Carfax Abbey to find "Dracula's" coffin and "Mina". They locate the coffin, and "Van Helsing" makes a stake, from the coffin's lid, to drive through the vampire's heart. Meanwhile, "John" finds "Mina" standing in a darken corner in a trance. "Professor Van Helsing" takes his stake and drives it into the vampire's heart, not seen on-screen, and "Mina" comes out of his control, and with "John", the two walk into the morning sunlight.
The unexpected box office and world wide interest in their reboot of "Universal Pictures", 1931, "Frankenstein". Had convinced "Hammer Films Productions", to reboot the other "Universal Pictures", 1931, release, "Dracula". However, they had no legitimate theatre play to base their screenplay upon, and the studio felt Bram Stoker's novel had to many plot points for their average running time of an hour and ten to twenty minutes. 1957's, "Curse of Frankenstein", ran one-hour and twenty-three-minutes. 1956's, "X-the Unknown", ran one-hour and eighteen-minutes, 1955's, "The Quatermass X-periment", ran one-hour and twenty-two minutes in the United Kingdom, and as "The Creeping Unknown". in the United States, one-hour and eighteen-minutes. So the decision was made to turn the screenplay writing to Jimmy Sangster. What resulted was anything as tame as the 1931 feature film, or those that followed from "Universal Pictures".
DRACULA released June 16, 1958
The picture was known in the United States as "Horror of Dracula".
The United States title was created to avoid confusion with, now, "Universal International's", 1931, "Dracula". "Universal", for the first time, was the U.S. distributor of "Hammer Film Production's" in the United States.
Anthony Hinds assigned Jimmy Sangster the problem of fitting Irish author Bram Stoker's novel into the typical "Hammer Film Productions" budget as he had with Mary Shelley's. The result was a completely new storyline, but within the concept as outlined by Stoker.
After reading the novel, the character of "Lucy Westenra's", Texas suitor, "Quincy Morris", was dropped. Along with the character of "Renfield".
Next, Sangster reworked who the remaining characters were, the second suitor for "Lucy", "Arthur Holmwood", became the husband of "Mina Murray". While, "Lucy", now became "Arthur's" sister. "Jonathan Harker" was reduced from a major character to a very minor one, with shades of "Renfield", as an agent of "Professor Van Helsing" . Who was reduced from a professor to a doctor and a professional vampire hunter.
Peter Cushing portrayed "Dr. Van Helsing", for the first time. He had just been in a BBC made-for-television movie, 1958's, "Uncle Harry", a classic British play in the same style as the American "Arsenic and Old Lace".
Christopher Lee portrayed "Count Dracula", for the first time of eight movies for "Hammer Film Productions". Along with another time in a Spanish production, and one time in a Italian comedy. Lee had just been seen in an episode of American actor Rhodes Reason's television series, "White Hunter", "This Hungry Hell", March 1, 1958. Christopher Lee would follow this feature film with sixth-billing in the Michael Rennie, Second World War movie, 1958's, "Battle of the V-1".
According to an interview with Romanian-American poet, author, teacher, and annotator of both Mary Shelley's,"Frankenstein", and Bram Stoker's, "Dracula", Leonard Wolf. mentioned in his 1972 book, "A Dream of Dracula", Christopher Lee told him:
I was always against the whole tie and tails rendition. Surely it is the height of the ridiculous for a vampire to step out of the shadows wearing white tie, tails, patent leather shoes and a full cloak". Lee said that he never watched any other performances of Dracula until well after making his films, and that when he got the first [Dracula] role with little time to prepare he "had to hurry off to read the book...[and] played it fresh, with no knowledge of previous performances.
Later in the interview, Christopher Lee explains further, how he viewed his "Count Dracula" vs Bela Lugosi's.
He had also to have an erotic element about him (and not because he sank his teeth into women)... It's a mysterious matter and has something to do with the physical appeal of the person who's draining your life. It's like being a sexual blood donor... Women are attracted to men for any of hundreds of reasons. One of them is a response to the demand to give oneself, and what greater evidence of giving is there than your blood flowing literally from your own bloodstream? It's the complete abandonment of a woman to the power of a man.
Michael Gough was "Arthur Holmwood". Gough was "Alfred" in three films starting with Tim Burton's, 1989, "Batman". He had started his career in 1946, and had just co-starred with Ronald Howard in the 1957 mystery thriller, "The House in the Woods", Gough followed "Dracula" with the Sir Alec Guinness comedy, 1958's, "The Horse's Mouth". He was in two of five Walt Disney motion picture's made in the U.K.These had both been released in 1953, "The Sword and the Rose" and "Rob Roy the Highland Rogue". Gough had appeared as the killer in 1959's, "Horrors of the Black Museum" and co-starred in Hammer's, 1962, moved to England, "The Phantom of the Opera". For those of my readers familiar with the motion picture version of Richard Matheson's novel, "Hell House", as 1973's, "The Legend of Hell House". You see the actor at the film's climax as the dead man behind the hauntings.
Melissa Stribling portrayed the now renamed "Mina Holmwood", instead of "Mina Murray", or "Harker". Stribling was basically a television actress for the majority of her 59 roles, between 1952 and 1989.
Carol Marsh portrayed "Lucy Holmwood", instead of "Lucy Westenra". Jimmy Sangster has made her "Arthur's" sister. Marsh's career was even shorter than Stribling at 34 roles.
By the above character names, my reader can tell there is a major reworking of Bram Stoker's novel by Jimmy Sangster, but the end result is a very good story.
It opens in 1885 with "Jonathan Harker" portrayed by John Van Eyseen, arriving at Castle Dracula near the Romanian town of Klausberg. As I mentioned there is no "Renfield", and part of his character has been moved to the minor character of "Harker". Who, after entering the Castle's from door, the Count does not greet him, is greeted by a beautiful young women, portrayed by Valerie Gaunt, pleading for his help. She claims to be a prisoner of the Count.
The young woman gets near to "Harker" and attempts to bite his neck. The Count suddenly appears at the top of the stairs, and she cowers in fear. "Jonathan" doesn't know "Dracula" is there, until he turns toward the direction the girl is looking, and the first jolt in editing, presents Christopher Lee.
Later, in "Jonathan's" room, "Dracula", looks at a photograph of the other's fiancee, not "Mina", but "Lucy".
"Jonathan" has come to the castle to be "Dracula's" new librarian, not to close the real estate deal on Carfax Abbey, as in the novel and the 1931 version. After the above scene with the Count, he finds himself wished a good night, and locked in his bedroom. His real mission is as a "Vampire Hunter" sent by "Dr. Van Helsing". "Harker" goes to sleep, and when he awakes, "Jonathan" now discovers bite marks and knows he is doomed to become a vampire, and must finish his task of destroying "Dracula". 
The door to his room is now open and he goes outside of the castle and hides his journal by a statue of the Virgin Mary, a strange item to be in front of Castle Dracula, and enters the crypt.
"Jonathan" finds the resting place of "Count Dracula", and goes over to the beautiful young woman vampire.
Next, the "Vampire Hunter", approaches the casket containing "Count Dracula". However, the sun is down and the Count is not in it."Van Helsing" arrives at Klausberg, is greeted by the locals at an Inn, until he mentions "Jonathan". Suddenly, everyone becomes quiet and the Innkeeper only serves him, because that is his duty as an Innkeeper. Upon leaving, the Innkeeper's daughter comes out, tells "Van Helsing" about "Jonathan" and mentions something he placed by a statue at Castle Dracula. The "Vampire Hunter" discovers "Jonathan's" Journal", reads a portion of it, and enters the crypt. He goes to "Dracula's" coffin, but finds the vampire that "Harker" has become, instead.
The Master Vampire Hunter drives a stake through "Jonathan's" heart, freeing his friend. "Van Helsing" leaves, not locating "Dracula", to give the news of "Jonathan's" death to the brother of "Harker's" fiancee, "Arthur Holmwood". Not believing a word of "Van Helsing" is telling him, the "Vampire Hunter" leaves "Arthur" and his wife with "Jonathan's" diary to read. Things change as it is discovered that a very sexy "Dracula" has been with "Lucy", and she has become his bride. It is up to "Van Helsing" to convince "Arthur" of this fact and for the two to give her peace.
A series of child attacks start and "Van Helsing" talks a sceptic "Arthur Holmwood" to come with him to his sister's coffin within the family crypt. They open it, to find the coffin empty, and much to the confused "Holmwood", all "Dr. Van Helsing" says, is to wait. It is not long until the vampire and her next victim shows up, but she is confronted by "Van Helsing".
Then she sees her dear brother, "Arthur", with her fangs showing, she wants to give him a kiss, but suddenly across appears in the hand of "Van Helsing" and she run will return to her coffin. The little girl is asked to wait and watch the sun come up and the two men enter the "Holmwood Crypt".
After driving a stake through his sister's heart. "Arthur" and "Van Helsing" start a search for the Count, but will discover that in his revenge, "Dracula" has visited "Mina".
A blood transfusion from "Arthur" is performed, but the major question is where is the vampire? Garlic plants are placed around "Mina's" bedroom, but once again he feeds upon her. The housekeeper admits to removing the garlic, because "Mina" was having problems breathing.
Another attack on "Mina Holmwood" takes place, but with both men watching? The question becomes where could "Count Dracula" be hiding? "Van Helsing" looks around, sees the door to the 'Holmwood" basement and enters so see the Count's coffin. Just then, "Dracula" appears at the head of the staircase to the basement, but escapes. "Van Helsing" decides he is heading for his Castle and the two men leave "Mina' to go there, but she receives a message to meet "Arthur". It is a trap made by "Dracula", who awaits her.
Knowing he's being pursued, "Dracula" drives his carriage like a mad man to reach Castle Dracula before sunrise. He attempts to bury "Mina" alive in front of the Castle's entrance as "Van Helsing" and "Arthur" arrive. Rushing, inside he is followed by "Dr. Van Helsing". As outside, "Arthur" comforts his wife.Inside is the first Technicolor destruction sequences of "Count Dracula". As "Van Helsing" fights with him and has to make a cross out of two candle sticks, followed by pulling the curtains open to reveal the sun. 
Finally nothing is left but dust blowing in the breeze, and outside, "Mina Holmwood" is freed of "Count Dracula".
On August 2, 1958, the motion picture, as "Vampire Dracula", was released in Japan.
The version released in Japan has become "Legendary" for the claim, based upon editing records, of having a more "explicit" tone to it and some possible nude scenes. However, as of this writing, no copy of that Japanese version has ever been located, but the above poster might give us a hint as to the changed content.
Japan's "Toho Studio" has been making vampire movies since before the release of Hammer Film Productions, 1958, "DRACULA", came to Japan. My article on "Toho Studios" take on the Bram Stoker novel is, "Bram Stoker's Dracula As Inspiration For Japan's Toho Studios", to sink your oriental fangs into at:
The following are some stills from the above linked article:
Christopher Lee beside's the Italian "Carmilla", "LA CRIPTA E I'INCUBO", also portrayed "Dracula" in the Spanish, 1970, "IL CONTE DRACULA".
My article is
"Christopher Lee: Foreign Language Pictures 1959 to 1970" found at:
To conclude this part of my article, let me return to an actor my reader met back in the silent, "German Expressionist Period" in an American Horror Classic of the Silent Age.
THE MAN WHO LAUGHS premiered in New York City, on April 27, 1928
Like "Universal Pictures", 1923 version, of French author Victor Hugo's, "Notre-Dame de Paris". The studio now turned back to the author and his April 1869 work, "The Man Who Laughs By Order of the King".
The motion picture was directed by Paul Leni, a German avant-garde artists turned motion picture set designer and eventually director. He directed that excellent, 1924, "Waxworks", about a writer who accepts a job to write a series of articles about the exhibits. Specially, the "Caliph pf Baghdad", portrayed by Emil Jennings, "Ivan the Terrible", portrayed by Conrad Veidt, and "Jack the Ripper", portrayed by Werner Krauss. He was brought to the United States by "Universal Pictures" owner Carl Laemmle and made another excellent black-comedy-mystery, 1927's, "The Cat and the Canary", starring Laura La Plante.
Mary Philbin portrayed "Dea". In 1925, she portrayed "Christine Daae", in "The Phantom of the Opera", starring Lon Chaney.
Conrad Veit portrayed "Gwynplaine", the actor also portrayed "Lord Clancharlie, Gwynplaine's father".
Above, "Gwynplaine", below, "Lord Clancharlie".
While who actually created "DC Comic's" character, "The Joker", continues to be debated. There is total agreement that it was "Universal Pictures" make-up artist Jack P. Pierce's "Gwynplaine"make-up worn by actor Conrad Veidt and his performence that the character was based upon.
The following is from my above linked article on Jack P. Pierce:
The film was "The Man Who Laughs" and was based upon the novel by Victor Hugo. Carl Laemmle the head of Universal Studios wanted Lon Chaney to play the role of Gwynplaine, but he was now under a long term contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. Had Chaney been available the problem of Make-up design would have been handled by Lon Chaney himself. Chaney's final picture for Laemmle was three years prior the 1925 classic "The Phantom of the Opera".
So at this point Carl Laemmle turned to the unknown Jack P. Pierce, based upon photos from "The Monkey Talks", to create some type of make-up for actor Conrad Veidt who was now playing the critical lead of Gwynplaine. Laemmle would be surprised with the result and Pierce after his final acting stint in 1929's "Masquerade" would become a full time employee of Universal Studios and shortly afterward find himself the Head of the Make-up Department.They say timing is everything and so it was for the now 39 year old.
Here is a picture of German actor Conrad Veidt at the time.
Here is Veidt in Jack Pierce's make-up for "The Man Who Laughs".
The story is set in
17th Century England, under the rule of
"King James II", which in reality was only from
February 1685 through the
"Glorious Revolution" just in
November 1688, being replaced on the throne by his own daughter
Mary II, and her own husband,
William III of
Orange.
This is a love story:
An exiled English nobleman, "Lord Clancharlie", returns to England for the sole purpose of getting his son, portrayed by Julius Molnar Jr., and leaving again. He is informed that King James II, ordered a permanent grin surgically created on the boys face, as punishment for his father by a "Comprachico's Surgeon" (This Spanish sounding word was created by Victor Hugo for this novel. "Comprachico's" are supposedly a group of beggars who take children and deform them. So that they can work as beggars for the adults playing off the sympathies of the English public. When the novel came out, it created fear among adults that such people actually existed.)
After being informed of what, "By Order of the King", was performed on his son, "Gwynplaine", the father is executed by being placed in an Iron Maiden. Shortly afterwards, "King James III" decrees the banishment of all "Comprachicos" from England. They prepare to leave England by sea, leaving "Gwynplaine" behind.
A snowstorm hits England, and the boy is working his way through it, comes upon an abandoned baby girl and rescues her. The two make it to a kind philosopher-showman name "Ursus", portrayed by Cesare Gravina, who recognizes the baby girl, named "Dea", is blind. Who with his pet wolf, "Homo", take the two in.
Years later, both "Gwynplaine" and "Dea" are in love and travel the countryside with "Ursus". "Gwynplaine" has gained widespread noteriety as
"The Laughing Man". However, even though "Dea" cannot see his
"Frozen Face", he is deeply ashamed of his disfigurement and believes himself unworthy of her love.
At one of the English Fair's that "The Laughing Man" performs at, he is spotted by "Dr. Hardquanonne", portrayed by George Siegmann, the Comprachico's Surgeon, who performed the "Surgery" on the boy, "Gwynplaine". He sends a note about his discovery to the "Duchess Josiana", portrayed by Olga Baclanova, but it is intercepted by "Barikphedro", portrayed by Brandon Hurst, the one-time court jester who informed "King James II" about the capture of "Lord Clancharlie". He has been promoted to a prominent agent of the court, and he reads the letter. The letter claims that "Hardquanonne" knows the location to the heir to the "Chancharlie" estates and title. The Duchess is currently occupying those estates. "Dr. Hardquanonne" is making a suggestion to the Duchess pay him to remain silent.
"Barikphedro" takes the letter to "Queen Anne", portrayed by Josephine Crowell.
Next, "Barikphedro" sends his men to arrest "Dr. Hardquanonne" and he is taken to prison and tortured. While "Queen Anne" sends the Duchess's fiancé
"Lord Dirry-Moir", portrayed by
Stuart Holmes to bring her back to the court, because she is ignoring her duties there.
The Duchess has returned the Royale Palace at Kennington Gardens. From a balcony at another Fair, the Duchess looks down on a performance by "The Laughing Man", and finds "Gwynplaine" both sexually arousing to her, but repulsive at the same time. She sends him a letter for a rendezvous at midnight, torn by his feelings for "Dea", he still sneaks out, but awakes "Dea", who reads the letter. At her apartment, the Duchess fails at seducing "Gwynplaine", with the arrival of written order from "Queen Anne".
The Queen recognizes the "NOBEL LINEAGE" of "Gwynplaine", the Duchess is ordered to marry him and legitimize her living on the estate. It informs the Duchess that her engagement to "Lord Dirry-Moir" has been annulled. She starts to laugh at the hole idea and "Gwynplaine" realizing he is once again being made a mockery, leaves the Duchess, and goes back home, taking the note from the sleeping "Dea", ripping it up, crying, overcome with guilt. "Dea" wakes up and is glad to know he's back home. For the first time, he gently guides the hands of "Dea" to his horrific smile to let her feel what he really looks like. To his surprise, she replies that God has made her blind, so that she can clearly see only the real "Gwynplaine".
Just then, guards arrive, and "Gwynplaine" is taken Chatam Prison. Later, "Ursus" watching the prison gate, sees the guards walk out with "Dr. Hardquanonne's" coffin, believes it is "Gwynplaine" inside. "Barikphedro" now informs "Ursus" that he and "Dea" have been banished from England. Lying that the "Laughing Mountebank" is dead.
Meanwhile, "The Laughing Mountebank" is not only freed from prison, but is made a "Peer of the Relm, Lord Clancharlie". As "Usus" and "Dea" had for the London Docks and the ship that will take them to America, their carriage wheels lock, and must be repaired. At that moment, "Homo" the dog, leads "Dea" to the "House of Lords" where the introduction ceremony for "Lord Clancharlie" is about to take place. Inside the "House of Lord's", "Queen Anne" declares that "Gwynplaine" is to marry the Duchess. While outside, "Lord Dirry-Moir" gently guides "Dea" into the "House of Lord's" chamber, but she is tricked by "Barikphedro", and brought back to "Ursus". The new "Lord Clancharlie" is being mocked by his peers as a clown. In response, he refuses to marry "Dutches Josiana", and renounces his peerage. He next escape from the Queen's guards and run into the street. He is being pursued by "Barikphedro" and the guards, makes it to the show area, to find it closed and learns of "Dea" and "Ursus". "Gwynplaine" makes it to the docks as the ship is heading out, he jumps into the water yelling for "Dea", "Homo" hearing him, jumps into the water to help, sees "Barikphedro", who is himself in the water about to harm "Gwynplaine" , and mauls "Barikphedro". Both "Homo" and "Gwynplaine" are helped aboard the ship and the lovers are reunited and on a new adventure together.
I could not speak to Gothic Horror without at least mentioning American Gothic writer, Edgar Allan Poe. Which would bring me to my article, "Quoth 'The Raven': Rodger Corman", a look at his Poe Series to be read at:
My original version of the following film is found in the above linked article.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM released on August 23, 1961
The motion picture was produced and directed by Rodger Corman. For those unfamiliar with him, my article is "Rodger Corman, 4 Westerns, 3 Aliens, a Gangster, Viking Women, the Beat Generation, and the End of the World", all at:
Richard Matheson was brought in to create a new story for the picture. As the original Edgar Allan Poe, short story, is a narrative by a prisoner in the pit, as the pendulum, comes closer and closer to his body. For those of my reader unfamiliar with Matheson. I give you, "The Incredible Shrinking Man", "The Legend of Hell House", and "I Am Legend". My brief film biography is, "Richard Matheson: The Screenplays and the Treatments", will be found at:
Vincent Price portrayed both "Nicholas" and "Sebastian Medina". Price had just starred in 1961's, "Master of the World", based upon two novels by French author Jules Verne, from a Richard Matheson screenplay. He followed this feature film with the 1961, Italian production, "Nefertite, regina del silo (Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile)".
John Kerr portrayed "Francis Bernard", in what was considered his last major lead in a motion picture. Kerr had won the Tony for the play "Tea and Sympathy" in 1955, and recreated the role on film in 1956, opposite Deborah Kerr, no relation, and co-starred in the 1958 motion picture version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "South Pacific".
Luana Anders portrayed "Catherine Medina". Anders appeared in Curtis Harrington's, haunting, 1961, "Night Tide", with Dennis Hopper, a must see for my readers. She gets killed in Roger Corman's, "Dementia 13", directed by the unknown Francis Ford Coppola, in 1963. Anders was also seen with Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda, in Corman's, 1967, "The Trip" written by Jack Nicholson, and with all three in 1969's, "Easy Rider"
Barbara Steele portrayed "Elizabeth Medina". British actress Steele, had just made a world wide hit with her previous motion picture. That Italian film would start her on the road to becoming Europe's number one female Horror actress. The now classic picture, was director Mario Bava's, "La maschera del demonio (The Mask of Satan)" aka: "Black Sunday". Released, August 11, 1960 with Barbara Steele portraying the vampire/witch "Princess Asa Vajda", and her look alike descendant, "Katia Vajda". My article is "Barbara Steele: Gothic Beauty, Italian Horror, and More" very seductive at:
Anthony Carbone portrayed "Dr. Leon". Carbone was an often used Roger Corman actor. His work for Corman included, 1959's, "A Bucket of Blood", 1960's, "Last Women on Earth" and 1961's,
"Creature from the Haunted Sea". Anthony Carbone portrayed many a television gangster, and had several appearances on "The Untouchables".
Richard Matheson's Take on Edgar Allan Poe:
I almost fear to tell the world of what they did to me. But tell I must, if only to warn others. You must hear of the Inquisition, of the trial, and of the torture -- these monstrosities that nearly destroyed me. I shall tell you the story; but though I may tell you how it happened, I shall never be able to tell you why.
In the section of Poe's original story I have quoted above. There is mention of the Inquisition being the source of the victim's torment. For those of my readers who don't know the length of what was officially called, the "Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition". The time period may surprise you, as it ran from November 1, 1478, through July 15, 1834. Set in the 16th Century, a young Englishman named "Francis Barnard", has come to a foreboding Spanish castle on a cliff by the sea. He has come to find out what happened to his sister, the wife of the master of the castle.
At the castle he meets "Nicholas Medina", his sister's husband, and "Nicholas's" sister, "Catherine". The two give "Francis" a vague explanation for his sister's death, she suddenly developed a rare blood disease, and just as suddenly, died. That night, "Dr. Leon" is coming to dinner, it was his diagnosis that both the brother and sister were referring to "Francis" about.
"Nicholas" is tormented by the death of his wife "Elizabeth". There is a secret, of course, that only his sister knows about her brother. It is revealed, when "Catherine" tells "Francis" about the death of their mother, "Isabella", portrayed by Mary Menzies. As a boy, "Nicholas" had followed his father down to the castle's torture chamber and observed his mother cowering in a corner. He follows her eyes, and sees his father, "Sebastian", a one time "Grand Inquisitor", beating his uncle "Bartolome", portrayed by Charles Victor, with a red hot poker, and calling out adulterer. This scene affects the mind of the boy.
"Catherine" tells "Francis", that she believes that her brother also observed his father torture their mother to death.
Now, the truth of the tale comes out. The body in the coffin is not "Elizabeth", but as with "Nicholas's" mother and uncle, "Isabella" and "Bartolome". It is "Elizabeth" and "Dr. Leon" who are the adulterers. Further, it was their plan to drive "Nicholas" mad, and then have him either kill himself, or be committed. Leaving the two lovers with the castle.
Yes, it is ironical, but in his mind, your husband is now his father, and you his mother.
"Elizabeth" gets away and goes for "Dr. Leon", and they know that "Nicholas" had gone into the torture chamber room. They enter, believing they are in control and it is time to have the mentally unstable "Nicholas" have an accident. Instead, awaiting them is not "Nicholas", but "Grand Inquisitor, Sebastian", who kills the doctor and takes "Elizabeth/Isabella".
"Francis" hears "Elizabeth" screaming and follows them into the torture chamber. He cannot locate her. when "Nicholas/Sebatian" grabs him and he next finds himself in the pit with the pendulum above him.
"Catherine" with a servant breaks into the torture chamber.
There is a brief struggle with the servant and "Nicholas" falls to his death.
At the last minute "Francis" is saved and as "Catherine", "Francis" and the servant leave the torture chamber. She vows to seal the torture chamber for good. To the three, the torture chamber is empty, and where "Elizabeth" is unknown to the three.
The fade out scene is classic, as the camera pans the chamber and the audience sees
Barbara Steele's "Elizabeth", locked with a gag on her mouth
in the
Iron Maiden.
In
1989 interview for "Cinefantastque" Magazine,
Barbara Steele is quoted as saying the following about
Vincent Price:Our major confrontation where he strangles me was done in one take…He really went at me and I had the bruises on my throat to prove it. Afterward, he was so concerned he had hurt me—a perfect gentleman—a truly kind figure in spite of his image.
Barbara Steele had a
thick English accent that did not fit the character, and after filming was completed.
Roger Corman had her lines dubbed.
As I mentioned, Barbara Steele made several films in Italy. One of these is a French-Italian take on another Edgar Allan Poe tale'
DANZA MACABRA (MACABRE DANCE) released in Rome, Italy, on July 4, 1964
The motion picture would come to the United States, on July 29, 1964, as "Castle of Blood"
There were two directors, the first was Antonio Margheriti, using the American sounding name of Anthony Dawson. Margheriti, Directed actor Claude Rains's last feature film, 1961's, "Il Planeta Degi Uomini Spenti (The Planet of Extinguished Men)".That came to the United States with the misleading title of the "Battle of the Worlds", in 1963. In 1963, Margheriti also Directed, "La Vergine Di Norimberga (The Virgin of Nuremberg)". That, to protect American morality, had to have the title changed, because it used the word "Virgin". The movie would come to the United States, in 1965, as "Horror Hotel", starring Christopher Lee and Rossana Podesta.
The other director on the film was Sergio Corbucci. Who wrote the screenplay for the Steve Reeves "The Last Days of Pompeii", directed Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott in "Duel of the Titans" and created the Western character, "Django", originally portrayed by Franco Nero.
The pictures screenplay was based upon Edgar Allan Poe's, "Dance Macabre". It was co-written by Giovanni Grimaldi, using the French sounding name of Jean Grimaud and, by Bruno Corbucci, using the American sounding name of Gordon Wilson, Jr. Both writers worked in all film genres in Italy.Barbara Steele portrayed "Elisabeth Blackwood".
Georges Riviere portrayed "Alan Foster". French actor Riviere's second feature was the 1953, Argentine Horror movie, "El Vampiro Negro (The Black Vampire)", with 6th billing. Until the 1959 feature film, "John Paul Jones", starring Robert Stack, George Riviere, made motion pictures in either Argentina, or France. Afterwards, he mainly made films in his native France.
Silvano Tranquilli, using the American sounding name of Montgomery Glenn, portrayed "Edgar Allan Poe". Tranqiilli had portrayed "Malcom", in a 1960 Italian television version of William Shakespeare's, "Macbeth". Using the name of Montgomery Glenn, the actor was in 1960's, "The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock".
The story has "Alan Foster" enter the "Four Devils Inn" and, there, he meets "Lord Thomas Blackwood", played by Umberto Raho, using the American sounding name of Raul H. Newman, and the American Gothic author, "Edgar Allan Poe".
The three men start a conversation and Poe claims his stories on based on his own eyewitness accounts of the supernatural and not literary fiction. "Foster" is skeptical of what "Poe" is saying and "Lord Blackwood" challenges the skeptic to spend the night in the "Blackwood Castle". Reminding "Foster", that it is, "All Soul's Eve", and the ghosts of the castle have murdered many people who dared to enter. "Alan Foster" accepts the challenge and "Poe" and "Blackwood" take him there, and give him one last warning, before he decides to walk through the gate. Lord Blackwood and Edgar Allan Poe wish Foster luck and leave him to enter the castle's property alone.
Once inside,"Foster" meets several people, are they alive or dead (?), and is shown to
"His Room". Later, as he moves through the castle, meeting different people, "Foster" is still not convinced they're ghosts. One of the people that "Foster" meets, is
"Elisabeth Blackwood", and he starts to have feelings for her as the night progresses.
Above left, isthe other woman of this story is a ghost named "Julia", portrayed by Margarete Robsham. She is a Norwegian actress best known to European audiences for this movie and for American audiences in 1963's "The Young Racers", directed by Roger Corman, that starred Mark Damon, from Corman's "The House of Usher", and was filmed in Europe.
"Foster", now watches, as
the castle's occupants deaths are repeated during the night, but he still believes that
"Elizabeth" is a real person, and so are some of the others.
Finally, "Foster" is told that to survive,
the ghosts must have the blood of the living, but "Elisabeth" wants to help him and tells "Alan" that
all he needs to do is walk out the gate he entered. "Elisabeth" accompanies him into the court yard, as it nears morning. They reach a spot near the gate, but "Elisabeth" says she cannot go any farther. Then she falls to the ground and disappears,
as "Alan Foster" realizes he is staring at her grave marker."Alan" walks through the gate, relaxes that he is now safe, as the gate swings shut from a sudden wind and
he is pierced by one of the gate spikes. "Alan Foster" dies dripping his blood to feed the ghosts. "Edgar Alan Poe" and "Lord Thomas Blackwood" arrive to find his body.
For my readers interested in other European Gothic Horror, my article is "Edgar Allan Poe Through the Eyes of European Film Makers" to explore at:
Part Two, Gothic Science Fiction:
There can be no real discussion that Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's, "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus", is not Gothic Science Fiction. However, the "Gothic" of her tale, just was dropped, and the association with her work, just became a name used by filmmakers. In 1957, the novel became the basis for, "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein", in 1965, it was "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster", that same year, in Japan, was the American co-production, "Frankenstein Conquers the World". While, in 1966, the novel went Wild West, as "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter", and of course, from 1964 through 1966, television had "Herman Munster".
The point, such as it may be, is that the name "FRANKENSTEIN", depending upon the year it is used, adapts to interpretation. So, is the use of the word "Gothic"!
METROPOLIS premiered in Berlin, Germany, on January 10, 1927
The motion picture was directed by Fritz Lang. Among his films are 1929's, "Frau im Mond (Women in the Moon)", 1930's "M", that introduced Peter Lorre to the world as a child murderer, the American Western classics, 1940's, "The Return of Frank James", starring Henry Fonda, 1941's, "Western Union", starring Robert Young and Randolph Scott, and 1952's, "Rancho Notorious", starring Marlene Dietrich, Arthur Kennedy, and Mel Ferrer.
The screenplay was by Thea von Harbou, Lang's wife and collaborator at the time, based upon her 1924 novel. Among their work together is the screenplay's for "Frau im Mond", and "M". The Jewish Lang left Germany in 1933, with the rise of Adolph Hitler, but his non-Jewish wife remained and they divorced.
My article about Fritz Lang, also is about Hitler's favorite film maker and propagandist, Leni Riefensthal. "Fritz Lang and Leni Riefensthal: Their Films" at:
Of interest to my reader, is that portraying one of many uncredited workers, was Kurt "Curt" Siodmak the future "Universal Pictures" creator of 1941's, "The Wolf Man". Who joking came up with mixing his character with Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's monster, to become 1943's, 'Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man". With his film-noir director brother,Robert Siodmak, the two came up with a tribute to the German Expressionist motion pictures of their youth, 1943's, "Son of Dracula". The brothers had also left Germany with the rise of Hitler in 1933. My article is "CURT and ROBERT SIODMAK: Horror and Film Noir" found at:
Alfred Abel portrayed "Joh Fredersen, the Master of Metropolis". Among the work of the German stage and motion picture actor where F. W. Murnau's, 1922, "Phantom", Fritz Lang's, 1922, "Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler", and the still unknown, Alfred Hitchcock's, 1931, "Mary".
Gustav Frohlich portrayed "Freder Fredersen - Joh Fredersen's son". His film acting work in the German cinema started in 1922 and didn't end until 1981.
Rudolf Klein-Rogge portrayed "Erfinder C. A. Rotwang - the inventor". During this period, actually born, Friedrich Rudolf Klein, was a major villain for Fritz Lang, among his films for the director were 1921's, "Destiny", followed by creating the title role in 1922's, "Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler", and 11-years later, in 1933's, "The Testament of Dr. Mabuse".
Brigitte Helm portrayed both "Maria" and "Maschinenmensch (Machine Human)". Actually born Brigette Gisela Eva Schittenhelm, only appeared in 37-movies between 1927 and 1935.
The Basic Story, can be blamed on New York City, with its running time of 2 hours and 33-minutes:
Metropolis, you know, was born from my first sight of the skyscrapers of New York in October 1924… I thought that it was the crossroads of multiple and confused human forces, blinded and knocking into one another, in an irresistible desire for exploitation, and living in perpetual anxiety.
The above quote by Fritz Lang, is found on the website, "Web Urbanist", at:
What the viewer sees on screen has been called, my some reviewers, a Communist future, but neither Lang, or Harbou had such political leanings. However, one must remember that "Unionization", especially after the First World War, of a work force was seen during the 1920's and even into the 1950's as communism.
Metropolis"is a city of Gothic Buildings, blended with Art Deco, and Bauhaus Architecture. All firmly tied into an atmosphere of German Expressionism, both, above ground in the world of the rich, and below ground, in the subterranean world of the slave like workers.
In the future, the wealthy industrialists, business oligarchs, and their top employees live above ground in the sunlight. They are the lord's of "Metropolis".
While the workers that keep the cities running, live, almost like slaves, in over crowded, underground-dwellings. The machine's must run, the life blood of "Metropolis"!
That Basic Story:
"Joh Fredersen" is the master of "Metropolis", he is the sole ruler and master planner for the city. He also has the sole responsibility of running it. His son "Freder" is a perfect example of the wealthy ruling class, whose life is sports, and pleasure gardens.
"Freder" is interrupted by the arrival of "Maria" with a group of worker children to see the lifestyle of their "Rich Brother's".
The children are ushered away, but "Freder" is fascinated by "Maria". Against the strict rules of "Metropolis", his father's."Freder" enters the lower depths of the city into the subterranean world of "Maria".
Entering the machine hall, "Freder" witnesses an explosion of a huge machine that kills and injures many workers.
That causes "Freder" to have a hallucination that the machine is the Hebrew God, "Moloch", and the workers are being fed to it.
When the hallucination ends, and the workers are being carried away on stretchers. "Freder" hurries to tell his father about the accident. Meanwhile, "Grot, the guardian of the Heart Machine (the colossal power generator and clock for all of Metropolis)" portrayed by Heinrich George, brings two maps found in the pockets of two of the dead worker's pocket, to "Joh Fredersen". "Fredersen" immediately fires his assistant "Josaphat", portrayed by Theodor Loos, for not being the first to inform of the explosion, and bringing him the maps. "Josaphat" is also a close friend of "Fredersen's" son, "Freder. Witnessing his father's cold indifference to the harsh conditions of the workers and those who both died, or injured. "Freder" decides to rebel against his father, he enlists "Josaphat's" help and "Freder Fredersen" takes the place of a worker who collapsed from exhaustion.
"Fredersen" takes the maps to the cities greatest inventor,
"Rotwang", to learn their meaning. "Rotwang" had been in love with a woman named "Hel", but she married "Joh" and died in childbirth, giving birth to "Freder". Before he looks at the maps, "Rotwang" shows "The Master of Metropolis" a female robot he has created to "Resurrect" "Hel" in his life.
The two men follow the maps in to catacombs under "Metropolis", that even the master of the city didn't realize existed. The overhear a meeting taking place that includes "Freder", and "Maria" speaks to the gathering of a prophecy of a mediator who will come to "Metropolis" and will bring both the ruling class and the worker class together as one (The source of the Communist thought about the motion picture). "Freder speaks up, as he believes the reason he is there is to bring the prophecy to fruition, while declaring his love for "Maria".
"Fredersen" now orders "Rotwang" to turn the robot into the likeness of "Maria" to be used to discredited the workers and his son. What he doesn't know is that it has always been "Rotwangs" plan to use the robot to get his revenge for the other marrying the woman he loved, and destroy "Metropolis". He kidnaps "Maria", and begins the process of changing the robot into "Maria".
Later, "Freder" finds his father embracing "Maria", believing she has betrayed him.
The real "Maria" is held prisoner in "Rotwang's" house. Meanwhile, Robot "Maria" is preaching to the workers that they must rise up against the surface world. This is the inventor's revenge plan becoming reality.
Next, "Freder" accompanied by "Josaphat" head for the catacombs and he accuses this "Maria" as being false, but the workers do not believe him.
They workers proceed to destroy the machines and trigger an underground flood that threatens the lives of the children.
Maria" has escaped from "Rotwang's" house and joins "Freder" and "Josaphat" in the rescue of the children. While, "Grot" now berates the workers for abandoning their own children, and gets the workers to turn on the Robot "Maria". They capture it, tie it to a stake, and burn it, as a horrified "Freder" watches until the fire reveals the robot beneath the synthetic skin.
The children are safe, but "Rotwang" has a vision that "Maria" is "Hel" and now chases her to the roof of the building. In pursuit is "Freder", he arrives, and the two men fight each other, as below on street level, "Fredersen" stands with the workers watching. Suddenly, as the watch,"Rotwang" falls to the street below.
The film ends with "Freder" fulfilling his destiny of uniting the two groups of "Metropolis", by holding the hands of both "Grot" and his father.
Which brings me to the following words from the definition of "Gothic", described on the "Master Class" website:
- - - -Gothic literature gets its name from the Gothic castles, churches, ruins, and abandoned estates it uses as a setting for the haunting storyline.- - - -
BUT WHAT IF, that "Castle" could be replaced by a space ship returning from a mission to the planet Mars?
IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE released August 7, 1958
The story and screenplay for "It! The Terror from Beyond Space", was by Jerome Bixby. Bixby also wrote "The Curse of the Faceless Man". He would go on to co-write the story for the 1966 motion picture, "Fantastic Voyage", and four scripts for the original "Star Trek".
The motion picture was directed by Edward L. Cahn, who started directing in 1931. He had just directed the John Agar, 1958, "Jet Attack", and the same years, "The Curse of the Faceless Man". His directing work also included the 1955, Cult classic, "Creature with the Atom Brain", 1956's original "The She Creature", and in 1957, "Voodoo Women", and "Zombies of Mora Tau" that starred Allison Hayes. For this movie, Edward L. Cahn had wisely, chosen to use shadows and not show the complete "Alien", except when truly necessary.
"IT", had been designed by 1950's, Monster maker, Paul Blaisdell. Besides this picture, Paul created monsters for the above mentioned "The She Creature" and "Invasion of the Saucer Men". Some of his other creations were found in Roger Corman's, ,1955. "The Day the World Ended", 1956's, It Conquered the World", and 1957's, "Not of this Earth". My article is "Paul Blaisdell: 'American International Pictures' Creator of Aliens and Other Creatures" at:
There actually were three reasons for Cahn's filming decision. One was to keep the suspense mounting. Two, "B" Cowboy actor Ray "Crash" Corrigan never went for costume fittings and Blaisedell guessed the head size and it didn't fit properly. Corrigan's chin kept popping out of the head piece. The last reason was the actor had been constantly drunk on the set.
Marshall Thompson portrayed "Colonel Edward Carruthers". Thompson had been appearing on television at this time. The following year he would star in the excellent science fiction picture, 1959's, "First Man in Space".
Shirley Patterson billed as Shawn Smith, portrayed "Ann Anderson". As Shawn Smith, the actress co-starred in two classic science fiction films, 1956's, "World Without End", and 1957's, "The Land Unknown".
Kim Spalding portrayed "Colonel Van Heusen". Spalding had been appearing on television programs since 1951, after portraying an uncredited "Army Orderly", in 1951's, "The Day the Earth Stood Still". He finished his 33-role career after this film, still on television.
Jerome Bixby's Story:
The year is 1973, and Earth Mission Control had lost all contact with the first manned expedition to Mars. Below, a second space ship has arrived to investigate what happened to that first mission.
The crew of the investigative space craft, finds only one survivor from the first space craft. That survivor is the mission's Commanding Officer, "Colonel Edward Carruthers". Next, he crew of the second ship finds the skeletal remains of "Carruthers's" crew. Each skull has a large puncture wound, which is believed to be from some weapon of opportunity "Colonel Carruthers" used to kill each crew member.
Although, from his first meeting with the members of the other space ship, "Colonel Carruthers" has claimed, some unseen, "Alien Force" killed his crew. The Commanding Officer of the second space craft, "Colonel Van Heusen", arrests his fellow officer for the murder of his crew members. Adding, that "Colonel Edward Carruthers", needed them dead to have enough food to survive until a possible rescue mission arrived on Mars. What is overlooked, is how could "Carruthers" be killing his crew, one by one, without the surviving member' discover him, and take action to save their own lives?
The second space ship now takes off from the surface of Mars to return to the Earth.
Unknown to the crew, is that "Alien Force", actually a "Martian Creature", has entered the ship just before the external exhaust vent was completely closed.
"Colonel Van Heusen", because, IN SPACE, THERE'S NOWHERE FOR "COLONEL CARRUTHERS" TO GO, gives him the run of the ship. In short, this modern space craft has now been turned into that "Gothic Castle", with the crew trapped, not with a "Ghost", but with a "Martian Killing Machine", also needing to survive.
.
Odd noises are starting to be heard below the command, and crew decks. Crewman "Joe Keinholz", portrayed by Thom Carney, goes to investigate, is killed by the "Alien", and stuffed in an air duct. A search for the missing "Keinholtz" is made and his body discovered.
,
An autopsy is performed, and "Four Things" are confirmed"
One, is that "Joe Keinholz's" head has the same large puncture wound as the skeletal remains of "Colonel Carruthers" crew members.
Two, all of "Joe's" bodily fluids have been drained out.
Three, "Colonel Van Heusen", has to now acknowledge, that "Colonel Carruthers" story must be fact.
Fourth, the "Alien Force" is loose somewhere within the space craft, and there's nowhere for the crew to run from "IT".
While the autopsy was being performed, crewman "Gino Finelli", portrayed by Richard Benedict, disappears. A search of the air ducts begins, and the barely alive "Finelli" is found, but "It" attacks, and "Gino" is left to die.
The crew first uses a combination of hand and gas grenades to kill the creature. (Don't even consider the obvious plot point of the hand grenades blowing a hole in the space ship, or at the least damaging major equipment. This is the 1950's people, and the youth target audience couldn't care less for reality.) The plan doesn't work and the crew retreats to the perceived safety of the command deck.
During the battle with the Martian creature, "Colonel Van Heusen" is injured, and he develops an "Alien" virus that starts destroying his immune system. As a result, "Colonel Carruthers" takes over command.
Next, the crew rigs up an electrical trap for the Martian creature on the staircase leading to the next higher level within the space ship, but when charged, the creature takes the voltage like it was a light shock to its system.
Now, as this is a 1973 nuclear-powered space ship. "Carruthers" comes up with a plan to expose the Martian to radiation, but the only problem is how to get into the area the creature is at without going down the ladder from above and being observed? So, with another crewmen, the two men take a space walk, and enter a storage area through the air lock from the outer
hull.
Once there, they will contact the other crew members to make noise to distract the "Alien". Simple, if it works.
The plan is working, but the "Alien" sees the two men and attacks. The crewman with "Carruthers" is injured and his spacesuit damaged. However, "Carruthers" shooting at the creature forces it back into the nuclear-power pile room and secures the door. The nuclear shielding is opened from the outer control panel, exposing the "Alien" to extreme radiation, but as before it doesn't kill "It". Before "Carruthers" can help the other man up the ladder to the next level. The creature breaks through the steel door, as if it was made of paper, and the crewman moves into a corner with protection, as "Carruthers" makes it safely up the ladder.
The surviving crew know its only time before the "Alien" breaks through the other two compartment hatches into the command deck were they're assembled. Once again it is "Colonel Carruthers" that notices that the ship is using an unusually large amount of oxygen. He believes it because the creature had to have a large lung capacity in the thin Martian atmosphere. A plan is developed to deprive the space ship of oxygen and kill the "Alien". The crewman below is told of the plan so he can protect himself.
All the remaining crew put on their spacesuits as the "Alien" has moved to the deck below the command deck. The hatch is opened and as the creature starts to come up through it.
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The Martian creature starts to punch the metal of the between decks hatch, that once open, will permit entrance to the command deck. Which is occupied by the remaining crew and the outcome will be their death. It is now that "Colonel Carruthers" discovers the Martian is using up the crews breathable air, and formulates a plan to kill the creature. (Again, don't ask how a Martian creature breathes oxygen on a planet without it). He orders everyone into their space suits, opens the air locks to the vacuum of space, letting out the breathable air from the entire space ship. While the "Alien" is now partly through the hatch, struggling to get breathable air, and is killed. The airlock is closed, and oxygen is sent throughout the space craft. (Again don't ask how the crewman with the damaged spacesuit survived, or how a Martian creature can breathe oxygen?
The following Italian Science Fiction is also about a rescue mission and made by an Italian master of Gothic horror, Mario Bava.
TERRORE NELLO SPAZIO (TERROR IN SPACE) released in Italy on September 15, 1965
As showing on the above Italian poster, the artist behind the feature film as director, was also co-Italian screenplay writer and story creator, the special effects supervisor, and co-cinematographer, Mario Bava. Some his films as director were 1960's, "La maschera del demino (Mask of the Devil)" aka: "Black Sunday", 1963, "l tre volti della parua (The Three Faces of Fear)" aka; "Black Sabbath", and 1964, "6 donne per l'assessino (6 women for a killer)" aka: "Blood and Black Lace". My article is "Dario Argento and Mario Bava: Two Italian Masters" found at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/07/dario-argento-and-mario-bava-two.html
The motion picture was co-production of Italy's, "Italian International Film Castilla Cooperativa Cinematographica", and the United States, "American International Pictures". The United States release was renamed:
PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES released October 25, 1965
The initial story was "One Night of 21 Hours", by Italian novelist, short story writer and essayist, Renato Pestriniero.
The initial story outline and screenplay was by American Ib Melchior. Among Melchior's work are 1959's, "Gigantis, the Fire Monster", the English language version of 1955's,"Godzilla's Counter Attack". Along with 1959's, "Angry Red Planet", 1961's, "Reptilicus", 1962's, "Journey to the 7th Planet" and both 1964's, "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" and "The Time Travelers". During World War 2, Ib Melchior was one of the original "Monument Men". My article is "Ib Melchior: Office of Strategic Service to 'The Angry Red Planet" exploring space at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/06/ib-mechior-from-world-war-2-office-of.html
Barry Sullivan portrayed "Captain Mark Markary". Americana actor Sullivan started on-screen in 1936. He was known as a "Second Division Actor", which translates into a very solid and dependable non-leading man. He is probably best known for portraying 5th billed, "Fred Amiel", in the Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon and Dick Powell, 1952, "The Bad and the Beautiful". The controversial Vincent Minnelli Directed picture, exposing the steamier side of the Hollywood Studio System with recognizable characters. On television, Barry Sullivan starred as "Pat Garrett" in the 1960 through 1962 Western series, "The Tall Man". After which, he primarily guest starred on many television programs into 1987.
Norma Bengell portrayed "Sanya". Argentinian actress, singer, film director and screenplay writer, Norma Almeida Pinto Guimaraes d'Area Bengell, started her acting career in 1959. During the 1960's she appeared in many Italian feature films. In 1967, she appeared in Director Sergio Corbucci's Spaghetti Western, "The Hellbenders", starring American actor Joseph Cotton, Right before this feature, Bengell was in the Peplum film, 1965's, "Captain from Toledo", and followed "Planet of the Vampires", with an appearance on the forgotten American television series, 1966's, "T.H.E. Cat".
Angel Aranda portrayed "Wes Wescant". Spanish actor Angel Perez Aranda started his acting career in 1955. Among his films was the Steve Reeves', 1959, Peplum entry, "The Last Days of Pompeii", American actor Rory Calhoun's 1961 Peplum, "The Colossus of Rhodes", and the Spaghetti Western, 1967's, "The Hellbenders".
Evi Marandi portrayed "Tiona". Greek actress Eyh Maranih began her acting career in 1959. Among her work is the Alan Ladd and Franca Bettoia, 1961 Peplum, "Duel of the Champions", a role as a "Receptionist" in the filmed in Rome, James Darren and Cindy Carol, 1963, "Gidget Goes to Rome", and the 1964, Spaghetti Western, "Three Dollars of Lead', billed as Evy Marandi.
The Basic Story:
Two Interplanetary Space Craft, the "Argos" and "Galliott", traveling together, receive a long message signal coming from "Aura", an unexplored planet. They are able to translate the first part and it appears to be a "Distress Signal", but unfortunately, later, after landing on the planet, when the complete message is decoded. It is actually a warning to stay away from "Aura".
Both ships attempt to land on "Aura's" fog covered surface, but on decent. The crew of the "Galliott" become possessed by an unknown force and attempt to kill each other. Resulting in the "Galliott" crashing onto "Aura's" surface. While, on board the "Argos", "Captain Markary" is able to withstand the same force as his crew starts to go mad and attack each other. "Markary" lands the "Argos" with some damage, and the force seems to leave his crew upon landing. "Captain Markary" and some of his crew go in search of the wreckage of the "Galliott", find all the crew dead, and bury the crew members.
Another space craft of enormous proportions is seen in the distance and some of the crew go to investigate, and enter it. They find the remains of "Giant Aliens" and determine that the distress message appears to have orginated on that space craft .
Later, as the crew of the "Argos" are resting and a small guard has been set. The bodies of the dead crew of the "Galliott" come to life and head for the "Argos". This will lead to some disappearances and killings of the "Argos" crew.
"Captain Markary" begins a log above what has been happening so far. He records his belief that they will not escape death, before repairs are completed.
What will be discovered is that another space craft had met the same fate as the "Galliott" and "Argos", long before the giant ship also crashed on "Aura". That first space ship contained "Alien" invisible beings, that needed bodies to escape the planet, and are the real source of the original distress message. Their message was designed as a lure to passing space craft. It was the giant spacemen that added the warning not to land on the planet. Additionally, the giants were not compatible to the "Aurians", as the invisible beings call themselves, but the crews of the "Galliott" and "Argos" are perfect hosts.
To finish repairs on the "Argos", the crew must retrieve the "Meteor Rejector" from the "Galliott". The living crew of the "Argos" has been reduced to "Markary", "Sanya", "Dr. Karan", played by Fernando Villena, "Tiona" and "Wes". However, the possessed crew members attack and both "Karan" and "Tiona" will be killed.
"Captain Markary" and "Wes" are able to seal off the "Argos" from the possessed bodies and the ship takes off. After which, "Markary" and "Sanya", reveal themselves to be possessed by the "Aurians", and want "Wes" to join them. "Wes" refuses, and while destroying the "Meteor Rejector", accidentally electrocutes himself. Now, "Markary" and "Sanya" are faced with a decision, as they cannot safely make it home.
The two decide to change course and take their fellow "Aurians" to a nearby planet called "Earth"!
Motion picture storylines are known to look similar. For example, the majority of the "B" Westerns starting in the silent era into the mid-1950's followed a predictable pattern. Bad guy controlled town, wanted girl and small ranches. Good guy stops him and gets girl. During the late 1930's through the 1940's, Detective Mysteries had interchangeable leading character's, such as Michael Shayne, The Falcon, Mr. Moto, and Charlie Chan.
The following Gothic Science Fiction was released 21-years after, "It! The Terror from Beyond Space", and only 14-years, after "Planet of the Vampires", but it seems so familiar.
ALIEN released both in Canada and the United States on May 25, 1979
The original Gothic storyline came from Dan O'Bannon. His previous story and screenplay was for director John Carpenter's, 1974, "Dark Star". His next work was the uncredited John Huston's, 1980, "Phobia", followed by his credited work for Gary Sherman's, 1981, "Dead and Buried".
The second story writer was Ronald Shusett, who work, at this time, was exactly as shown for O'Bannon.
Ridley Scott directed the motion picture, he had just directed 1977, "The Duelists", and followed by the fantasy short, starring John Huston, "Channel No. 5: The Swimming Pool".
The title role was portrayed by Nigerian visual artist, Bolaji Badejo
Tom Skerritt portrayed "Dallas". Skerritt had just been seen in the sport love story, 1978, "Ice Castles", and followed it was an animal horror story, 1981, "Savage Harvest".
Sigourney Weaver portrayed "Ripley". Weaver had just appeared in 1978's, "Madman", and followed this feature with 1981, "Eyewitness".
John Hurt portrayed "Kane". Hurt provided the voice of "Aragon" in Animator Ralph Bakshi's, 1978, "The Lord of the Rings". He followed this motion picture with the lead in the 1979 mini-series, based upon Russian writer Fyodor Dostoesky's, "Crime and Punishment".
Ian Holm portrayed "Ash". Holm had just portrayed "Thenardier" in a 1978, television production, of Victor Hugo's, "Les Miserables". He followed this film with the 1979 television movie, "S.O.S. Titanic".
Above left to right, Ian Holm, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt.
The Basic Gothic Science Fiction Story:
All is still on-board the Commercial Space Tug, "Nostromo", as the entire crew of seven, and one cat, named "Jones", are in stasis (suspended animation). As the tug heads home to the Earth, with their supercomputer, code name, "Mother", is running the uneventful return mission.
Unexpectedly, "Mother" wakes the crew, she had detected an "S.O.S." message from a nearby planetoid. Only that part of the message has been translated, "Mother" is working on the untranslated portion.
Their company's policy is to investigated any sign of intelligent life, "Dallas" leaves the "Nostromo's" payload, a refinery, in orbit around the planetoid and proceeds to land the ship.
The "Nostromo" is damaged in the landing, warrant officer "Ripley", science officer "Ash", engineers "Parker", portrayed by Yaphet Kotto, and "Brent", portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton, remain on-board. While, captain "Dallas", executive officer "Kane", and navigator "Lambert", portrayed by Veronica Cartwright, go to locate the "S.O.S." signal.
What the three discover is an ancient giant space ship, and they enter it. Inside are the remains of "Giant Aliens".
While exploring the ship, "Kane" enters a chamber with 100's of very large eggs. At the same moment, "Ripley" translates the other part of the message. It is not an "S.O.S.", but a WARNING BEACON TO STAY AWAY FROM THE PLANETOID. TOO LATE!
"Kane" touches one of the eggs, and an arthropod life form jumps out, attaching itself to "Kane's" helmet.
"Brent" and "Parker" are busy with repairs to the tug. While "Dallas" and "Lambert" are bringing "Kane" back to the ship, but "Ripley" refuses to let them back on-board "The Nostromo", citing company quarantine procedures. However, "Ash" disobeys "Warrant Officer Reply" and opens the hatchway and the two carry in "Kane" with the alien thing attached now to his face. Immediately, "Kane" is transferred to the medical bay and "Science Officer Ash" proceeds to try and remove the alien life form from "Executive Officer Kane".
"Ash" stops working on removing the creature from "Kane's" face, when highly corrosive acid pours out from scalpel's cut. The creature seems to die and detaches itself from the "Executive Officer's" face.
Next, the repaired "Nostromo" has returned to space, picked up its load, and continues toward the Earth. "Kane" wakes up, seems perfectly normal, until he has joined the crew at a meal, before re-entering stasis. Suddenlly, "Kane" starts to convulse and his stomach is ripped open, as an alien creature appears and runs into the ship.
"Kane's" body is launched into space, and is followed by a search for the tiny alien creature that Science Officer "Ash" seems overly interested in. While the rest of the crew starts using tracking devices to find the alien. "Brett" sees "Jones" going toward something and he follows the cat, only to meet the full size alien.
After the discovery of "Brett", the crew believes the creature is using the air ducts to move throughout the "Nostromo". "Dallas" enters on of the ducts to find and kill the creature, but it will be "Dallas" that is killed.
"Ripley" now takes command, and "Lambert" wants to escape the "Nostromo" by using the shuttle, but it wouldn't hold everyone still alive. "Ripley's" decision is to "Flush out the Alien".
"Ripley" accesses "Mother" and discovers a secret company directive. "Ash" MUST RETURN with a the alien, EVEN IF RISKS ALL THE CREWS LIVES. "Ash" now attempts to kill "Ripley", but "Parker" intervenes and knocks the head of "Ash" off his body, revealing him to be an "Android".
The androids head reveals that the "Alien" cannot be killed and actually revealed his respect of the creature. "Parker" now incinerates "Ash", "Ripley", "Lambert", and "Parker" agree to set the ships self destruct and leave in the shuttle, but as "Lambert" and "Parker" gather supplies, the "Alien" attacks and kills both.
Now alone, "Ripley" starts the self destruct sequence, but is blocked by the "Alien" to enter the shuttle. "Ripley" gets back to the self destruct systems control panel, but can't get it shut off. Taking "Jones" she now is able to make it to the shuttle and launches it as the "Nostromo" blows up. "Ripley" now prepares herself and "Jones" for stasis, but the "Alien" appears, having hidden itself in a small part of the shuttle.
"Ripley" now dons a space suit, with "Jones" also inside it, loads a grappling hook gun, secures herself to a chair and start releasing gases to drive the "Alien" out of hiding place. The creature now starts to go for her, but "Ripley" opens the shuttle's hatch. This causes the shuttles air to depressurize, pulling the "Alien" into holding on to the open hatch's frame. "Ripley" shoots the grappling hook gun at the "Alien" causing it to fly into space as the hatch now closes. The film ends with "Ripley" and "Jones" going into stasis.
Gothic Science Fiction doesn't need the confined spaces of a rocket ship, or castle to create horror. It might not be nothing more than the lighting.
THE MAN FROM PLANET X premiering in San Francisco, California on March 9, 1951
The motion picture story and screenplay came from two writers, who also happened to be the motion picture's producer's.
Aubrey Wisberg, the British-American screenplay writer's other films, include the 1952 science fiction, "1,000 Years from Now (Captive Women)", the 1953 science fiction, "Port Sinister", about a pirate island that rises from the sea, and the same years, "The Neanderthal Man". Jack Pollexfen, also co-wrote, and co-produced, the same three additional motion pictures.
The director was Edgar G. Ulmer, the Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, 1934, "The Black Cat", John Carradine, in 1944, "Bluebeard", the classic 1945 film-noir, "Detour", starring Tom Neal, and Ann Savage.
Margaret Field portrayed "Enid Elliot". Like Robert Clarke, she appeared in 1952's, "1,000 Years from Now (Captive Women)". The "B" actress is probably best remembered for being the mother of actress Sally Field. She was also married to Western actor, Jock Mahoney, and acted on films and television as "Maggie" Mahoney.
William Schallert portrayed "Dr. Mears". Schallert, had a small role in the 1951 remake of Fritz Lang's classic, "M":, he would appear in 2-episodes of television's "Space Patrol", and, yes, he was in 1952's, "1,000 Year from Now (Captive Woman)", and the same years science fiction about an Atom Bomb attack on the United States, "Invasion U.S.A.". He also co-starred as "Ted Richards" in the classic science fiction cliff-hanger, 1952's, "Commando Cody: Sky Marshall of the Universe", keeping his science fiction roles going. There was the kindly ambulance EMT in 1954's, "THEM!", "Dr. Arthur Bramson", in 1957's, "The Incredible Shrinking Man", the "weather announcer" in 1957's "The Monolith Monsters", but of course, I can't forget to mention his television role as Patty Duke's father on "The Patty Duke Show", 1963 - 1966.
The Basic Screenplay:
The story takes place on the Scottish Moors covered deeply in fog, giving the black and white photography an Eerie, Gothic look. Especially with the alien space craft seemingly just siting there, awaiting whatever is about to take place. The story actually starts within a Gothic Scottish Castle, as the audience meets American Newspaper Reporter, "John Lawrence", awaiting the action of the British military on "The Man from Planet X", telling them in flashback, what has led to this very moment.
American newspaper reporter "John Lawrence" was invited to Scotland by his friend "Professor Elliot" portrayed by Raymond Bond. "Lawrence" is picked up by the Professor's daughter, "Enid Elliot", and on the drive to the converted Scottish gothic castle. In which "Elliot" has installed a powerful telescope and turned into an observatory, the car suddenly stops. The two are forced to walk to the castle across the moor. Once there, "John Lawrence" is also introduced to the professor's assistant a "Dr. Mears", and they reveal the discovery of "Planet X".
Every once in a while, there seems to be something flashing out on the moor. "Professor Elliot" and "John Lawrence" go out to investigate and discover what seems to be a spacecraft.
Moving closer to apparent space craft, "Elliot" and "Lawrence" discover a space man and they attempt to communicate with him, but without success.
The space man is brought to the Professor's observatory, and "Dr. Mears" also attempts to communicate without the same success, but he picks up on something. He not only figures out how to communicate with the alien, it speaks in musical tones, and now speaking to the alien. The ambitious "Mears" wants to know the secret of the space craft's metal. So that he can recreate and turn that knowledge into a money making venture. However, the alien will not give him the information, and "Dr. Mears", in retaliation, shuts off the alien's breathing apparatus leaving it for dead.
"Lawrence" soon discovers the alien is missing, along with the Professor's daughter "Enid", and the Professor and the local, "Constable Tommy", portrayed by Roy Engel, tells him also many of the villagers. They are all discovered under the control of "The Man from Planet X". However, when a "Scotland Yard Inspector Porter", portrayed by David Ormont, and his assistant, "Sergeant Ferris", portrayed by Franklyn Farnum, arrive and are informed of the alien and the missing villagers. A decision is made to use the military to destroy the alien and his spacecraft at the cost of the people under its control."Lawrence:" wants to rescue "Enid" and the villagers and is given a time limit ending of 11 PM. As it has been discovered that the alien's home planet will come very close to Earth at midnight and the alien is an advance scout for an invasion. "The Man from Planet X" has used the captured people to increase protection and assist in making changes to his space craft. Thereby turning it into a relay station to bring his people to Earth."Lawrence" succeeds in rescuing everyone, but "Dr. Mears" is killed when the space craft is blown up along with the alien. The planet comes extremely close to the Earth. While in fear of what could still happen from that passing, "Lawrence" and "Enid" watch it pass.
Don't look for realism as the alien's planet comes within what seems only a few miles of colliding with the Scottish Moors, but go with it. The movie is really well written for the year it was made.
How about a train ride with "The Thing from Another World"? My article "WHO GOES THERE? 1938, 'THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD' 1951, 'THE THING' 1982, 'THE THING' 2011, 'HORROR EXPRESS' 1972" at:
Contains at its opening:
In August 1938 a 69 page novella under the pen name of Don A. Stuart appeared in "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine. Stuart's real name was John W. Campbell, Jr. and he would eventually become the editor of that publication. Which later on changed it's name to "Analog Science Fiction and Fact". John W. Campbell, Jr's impact on science fiction writing was described by Issac Asimov in "Asimov A Memoir" as:
the most powerful force in science fiction ever, and for the first ten years of his editorship he dominated the field completely.
PANICO EN IL TRANSIBERIANO (PANIC ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN) AKA: HORROR EXPRESS premiered at the Stiges, Spain, Catalonian Film Festival
The screenplay was by two writers:
Arnaud d'Usseau, the Los Angeles, born writer's work only number's 13. They include the 1941, crime drama, "Lady Scarface", starring Dennis O'Keefe, and Dame Judith Anderson, the Lloyd Nolan as detective "Michael Shayne", crime horror comedy, 1942's, "The Man Who Wouldn't Die", and the Fredric March, Betty Field, and Agness Moorehead, 1944, war drama, "Tomorrow the World!"
Julian Zimet billed as Julian Halevy, the Bronx, New York, writer's work numbered 17 screenplays. He originally wrote "B" Westerns for Gene Autry, however, he was one of the writers on the John Wayne, Rita Hayward, and Claudia Cardinale, 1964, "Circus World", the Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, and Kieron Moore, 1965, "Crack in the World", and the Robert Shaw, and Mary Ure, 1967,"Custer of the West", directed by Robert Siodmak.
This is a Spanish motion picture and depending on the country of release, determines the cast listing on the posters and opening credits. I choose another list of the top three actors:
Christopher Lee, in some versions billed as, Cristopher Lee, portrayed "Professor Sir Alexander Saxton". Lee just portrayed the title role in "Hammer Film Productions", 1972, "Dracula A. D. 1972". He followed this movie with Gary Sherman's, 1972's, "Raw Meat/Death Line".
Peter Cushing portrayed "Dr. Wells". Cushing was just in 1972's, "Asylum", and followed this picture with 1973's, "The Creeping Flesh".
Telly Savalas portrayed "Captain Kazan". Savalas was last seen in the Spaghetti Western, 1972's, "La banda J. & S. - Cronaca criminale del Far West (The J. & S. gang - A criminal chronicle of the Wild West", aka: "Sonny and Jed". He followed this feature film with "L'assassino....e al telephono (The killer is on the phone)".
"Who Goes There? Spanish Style:
The first twists to John W. Campbell, Jr's, 1938 novella, comes with the year and location. The year is 1906, the location, China.
"Professor Sir Alexander Saxon", has made a discovery in a Manchurian cave of an "Ape like Humanoid", portrayed by Juan Olaguivel, encased in ice.
At the train station loading dock, "Professor Saxon" has the creature in a crate. The crate waits to be loaded onto the Peking, China, to Moscrow, Russia, "Trans-Siberian Express". While "Professor Saxon" is taking care of a problem with his reservation. The crate comes to the attention of a thief, who specializes in picking locks, and opening safes. The thief is found dead, next to the crate, and strangely to a policeman who knows him. The thief's eyes are now those of a blind man.
As the police investigate the dead thief, boarding the train is a friendly rival of "Professor Saxon", "Dr. Wells". The crate is loaded onto the train's baggage car,
The "Trans-Siberian Express" takes the place of John W. Campbell, Jr's, Arctic scientific research base.
Actually, the claustrophobic size of a train car, makes battling the alien life form more problematic to the passengers survival. Adding to the Gothic like, dark setting, not of a Gothic Castle, but of a train ride, just one-year after the Russo-Japanese War ended. Below, an actual drawing of the railway circa the year of this story.
All the elements of the novella are in place with just a touch of the 1951 screenplay thrown in.
As in the novella the alien life form can move from one person to another. At one point ", "Saxon" and "Wells", believe the yet as identified alien has been killed by a "Police Inspector Mirov", portrayed by Julio Pena, after the Ape humanoid killed a woman.
When the life form has actually moved into the police inspector. One of the added elements is if this "Thing" gets off the train in any form. It becomes free to take over Moscow, the Russian Far East, or by connecting trains, Mongolia, China, and Korea.
This screenplay blends Czarist Russia with Outer Space Alien Invasion. We have a Russian Orthodox Church Monk, "Father Pujardov", portrayed by Alberto de Mendoza, a thinly veiled Grigori Rasputin, who believes "Professor Saxon's" crate to be pure evil. He was present after the thief was killed and could not put a chalk marked cross on the crate the thief was lying next too, because the Monk believes it's the work of the Devil. This character adds a religious element to the story not mentioned in the novella.
Unlike the other passengers, the Monk will permit himself to be taken over, to save his new master the alien.
"Dr Wells" and his assistant, "Miss Jones", portrayed by Alice Reinheart, perform an autopsy on one of the victims and discover the creature wipes the person brain completely clean through their eyes. Thereby, gaining that person's entire knowledge. The audience has seen this used by the alien in Ape form. When the alien picked the locks on the crate is was confined in, to escape, as if it was the thief."Professor Saxton", "Dr. Wells", and "Miss Jones", discover that images are retained in a fluid within the apparently sightless eyes of the creature's victims. This leads to finding out it is not of this Earth.
The original creatures eye fluid reveals a prehistoric Earth and what appears to be the alien's arrival on the planet 2 millions years prior. "Professor Saxton" and "Dr. Wells" theorize that they are dealing with an entity that possessed the original creature found in the Manchurian cave and is now loose on the train hiding as somebody else. The questions become how to prevent more deaths and stop "The Thing" for good. It is killing specific passengers, to absorb their knowledge, so that he can build another space craft and leave the Earth.Meanwhile the train is stopped, and a brutal Cossack officer,"Captain Kazan", and his men board it to look for rebels against the Czar. When he is told about the alien, he thinks both "Saxton" and "Wells" are madder than he appears to be to everyone else. However, this changes very quickly. 
This leads to the climax, as the alien possessing the Monk's body, kills "Kazan", and all his men.
Then confronting "Professor Saxon", explains how it came to Earth, and its plans. "Saxon" has determined that the creature must kill in the dark and is sensitive to light. Using light, he saves the "Countess Irina Petrovski", portrayed by Silvia Tortosa, whose husband was just killed.
Then the Alien within the Monk has a surprise for "Saxon", "Wells", and the "Countess". He brings all his victims back to animated life and they start to go on a killing spree.
"Dr. Wells" has been able to get all the living train passengers into the car closest to the tender and while being chased "Professor Saxon" and the "Countess Petrovski", just make it. The train is decoupled and the cars carrying the alien and his victims goes off a cliff bursting into flames.
PART THREE: GOTHIC ROMANCE
When speaking to "Gothic Romance" motion pictures, one of the best pieces of Gothic Romance Literature is actually, Bram Stoker's, "Dracula". Yet, from the first confirmed film version, 1922's, "Drakula Halala", made in Austria, to the classically made, below, 1992, "Bram Stoker's Dracula". The majority of the filmed versions, especially those made by "Hammer Film Productions", of Bram Stoker's novel, have the "Count" portrayed as an emotionless, blood sucking vampire. Always looking for his next, usually, young female victim. While, the 1992 motion picture's screenplay brought the audience a tormented man, who searches for his lost love, taken away from him 1435-years earlier than this story's beginning.
JANE EYRE
Her name was Charlotte Bronte, a poet and novelist, she was her parent's third of six children.
Her father was Irish Anglican Priest, Patrick Brontë.
Her mother was Maria Branwell, daughter of a wealthy Penzance merchant, a town on the Cornish Coast of England.
Their first child, also named Maria, died on May 6, 1825, from tuberculosis, she was 11-years-old. Their second, Elizabeth, died on June 15. 1825, also from tuberculosis, she was 10-years-old.
Charlotte would marry Arthur Bell Nicholls, just nine-months, before her death on March 13, 1855.
On October 19, 1847, "Smith, Elder, & Co.", published her second, and most famous novel, under Charlotte's pen name of "Currer Bell", her first had been rejected by another publisher, . The novel's original title was, "Jane Eyre: An Autobiography".
"Jane Eyre" is a Gothic Edwardian Romance Novel. The following paragraph describes the basic plot line.
The novel is a first-person narrative from the perspective of the title character. Its setting is somewhere in the north of England, late in the reign of George III (1760–1820). It has five distinct stages: Jane's childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is emotionally and physically abused by her aunt and cousins; her education at Lowood School, where she gains friends and role models but suffers privations and oppression; her time as governess at Thornfield Hall, where she falls in love with her mysterious employer, Edward Fairfax Rochester; her time in the Moor House, during which her earnest but cold clergyman cousin, St John Rivers, proposes to her; and ultimately her reunion with, and marriage to, her beloved Rochester.
Over the years "Jane Eyre" remains as popular today, as when it was first published in three-parts. Charlotte Bronte's novel was first turned into a stage play in 1849, a motion picture in 1910, a radio production in 1938, and a television production in 1949.
As of this writing, the latest stage production was in 2024, at the "Oregon Shakespeare Festival", in the United States, the latest radio production was on the "British Broadcasting Company (BBC) Radio 4", in 2016, and the last television performance on the "BBC" in 2011.
Which brings me to motion pictures:
JANE EYRE released in the United States on May 6, 1910
The first known film production was the lost, one-hour and 2-minute, 1910, "Jane Eyre". There is debate over who directed this United States production made by the "Thanhouser Company" motion picture studio, in NewRochelle, New York. The company was founded in 1909, by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude, and his brother-in-law, Lloyd Lonergan.
Theodore Marston was the writer, but he is also, on some lists, shown as the film's director. The two other people considered to have directed the feature are "Thanhouser Studio's", own director, Lloyd B. Carleton, and Barry O'Neil. As there are no surviving copies of the motion picture, or clear records, which person actually directed the 1910, "Jane Eyre", remains a mystery.
While there is no mystery to the cast:
Marie Eline portrayed "Jane, as a child". This was the second of her 127-roles through 1919.
Irma Taylor portrayed "Jane, as an adult". This was her first of only three roles, Irma Taylor also wrote four silent movie scripts.
Charles Compton portrayed "John Reed". This was the first on his twelve film roles through 1916.
Above, Irma Taylor and Charles Compton.
Frank Hall Crane portrayed "Lord Rochester", his eighty-two roles went into 1938.
Amelie Barleon portrayed "Insane Mrs Rochester", She portrayed "The Old Lady" in Mel Brook's, 1967, "The Producers".
Above, Frank Hall Crane in the center with Irma Taylor, on the right, Amelie Barleon.
Some reviewers state the 1910, "Jane Eyre", was the first British production, that is incorrect.
However, there would be seven more silent productions of "Jane Eyre", including one produced in Italy, and another in Germany, which is the last silent film version of the novel.
The first sound version of "Jane Eyre", came from "Hollywood's, Poverty Row" studio, "Monogram Pictures", released on August 15, 1934. The movie ran a very thin, 62-minutes, and is only remembered for its two stars.
Above, "Universal Picture's", 1931, "Dr. Henry Frankenstein", Colin Clive, portraying "Edward Rochester", and the same studio's, 1940, "The Invisible Woman", Virginia Bruce, portraying "Jane Eyre".
Back on September 18, 1938, Orson Welles, "Mercury Theatre of the Air", did a radio production of "Jane Eyre", with the actor as "Rochester".
Moving forward, horror producer Val Lewton, released on April 21, 1943, his classic, "I Walked with a Zombie", directed by Jacques Tourneur. According to both Edmund G. Bansak's, 2003, "Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career", and among other work, Peter Bowen's, 2010,"I Walked with a Zombie", the producer approached screenplay writer Curt Siodmak, 1940's, "The Invisible Woman", and 1941's "The Wolf Man". He asked him to give him a West Indian version of Charlotte Bronte's, "Jane Eyer". According to Bansak, Siodmak's original storyline had the wife of a domineering West Indian plantation owner preventing his wife from leaving him to go to Paris, France, by turning her into a Zombie. That was changed to the story seen on screen, but still contains strong "Jane Eyre" influences.
Staying in 1943, I look at what is still considered the classic film version of Charlotte Bronte's novel, although many other's are more true to it than this "Hollywood Version".
JANE EYRE premiered in both London and Ireland on December 24, 1943
The motion picture was directed by British director and screenplay writer, Robert Stevenson. In 1937, Stevenson directed African-American singer and actor, the great
Paul Robeson, and
Sir Cedric Hardwicke, in British author,
H. Rider Haggard's, "King Solomon's Mines". In the
1950's, and
1960's, he went to work for
Walter Elias Disney, and among his
Disney film's are both,
1957's, "Johnny Tremain", and
"Old Yeller", 1959's, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People", and of course,
1964's, "Mary Poppins".
Besides Robert Stevenson, the screenplay based upon Charlotte Bronte's Edwardian Gothic Novel, were two other interesting names.
British writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley. Huxley had just been the primary screenplay writer on British authoress Jane Austen's, "Pride and Prejudice", that co-starred Sir Laurence Oliver, and Greer Garson. Back in 1932, Huxley, published his novel "Brave New World". In 1945, Walter Elias Disney would commission Aldous Huxley, to write a script based upon British author Lewis Carroll's, "Alice in Wonderland".
Co-founder of the "Mercury Theatre" with Orson Welles, John Houseman, had co-written 1941's, "Citizen Kane". Like Welles, he was also actor, his primary film work, but he was also a legitimate stage director.
Music is important in setting the tone to a Gothic film. It this case it was provided by composer Bernard Herrmann and if you don't recognize his name, you may his films. Among his work is the score for 1941's,"Citizen Kane", and 1942's, "The Magnificent Ambersons". However, should you be into science fiction and fantasy, I first mention the score for 1951's, "The Day the Earth Stood Still. For stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen, it was 1958's, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", 1960's, "The Three Worlds of Gulliver", 1961's, "The Mysterious Island", and 1963's, "Jason and the Argonauts". Not to forget the composer's work for director Alfred Hitchcock, starting with 1955's, "The Trouble with Harry", 1956's, "The Man Who Knew Too Much", 1956's, "The Wrong Man", 1958's, "Vertigo", 1959's, "North By Northwest", and 1960's, "Psycho".
The Main Roles:
Orson Welles portrayed "Edward Rochester". Welles's three films were all "Mercury Theatre Productions", 1941's, "Citizen Kane", 1942's, "The Magnificent Ambersons", and 1943, "Journey into Fear". "Orson Welles: 1948 Through 1951 ('MacBeth', 'Count Cagliostro', 'Cesare Borgia', 'Bayan of the 100 Eyes', and 'Othello')" at:
Joan Fontaine portrayed the "Adult Jane Eyre". Fontaine had just co-starred with Cary Grant in director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1941, "Suspicion", and would be seen the adventure romance, 1944's,"Frenchman's Creek", by authoress, Daphne Du Maurier.
Margaret O'Brien portrayed "Adele Verans". O'Brien was 6-years-old at time, and followed this feature films with 1944's, "The Canterville Ghost", co-starring with Charles Laughton and Robert Young, and 1944's, "Meet Me in St. Louis", co-starring with Judy Garland.
Peggy Ann Garner portrayed the "Jane Eyre as a child". Garner was 11-years-old at the time, and followed this feature film with the Gregory Peck, 1944, "The Keys of the Kingdom", and a co-starring role in 1945's, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" with Dorothy McGuire.
John Sutton portrayed "Dr. Rivers". Sutton had just appeared in the World War 2 drama, 1943's, "Tonight We Raid Calais" co-starring Annabella and Lee J. Cobb. He followed this feature film with American author, W. Somerset Maugham's, 1944,"The Hour Before Dawn".
Some Supporting Roles:
Sara Allgood portrayed "Bessie". Allgood was an Irish-American stage and film character actress. Among her films was the Spencer Tracy, 1941 version of Robert Louis Stevenson's, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Director John Ford's, 1941, "How Green Was My Valley", and the Vivian Leigh and Sir Laurence Oliver, 1941, "That Hamilton Woman".
Henry Daniell portrayed "Henry Brocklehurst". Daniell's face is more recognizable than his name. Among his films are the Bette Davis and Errol Flynn, 1939, "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex", the Errol Flynn and Claude Rains, 1940, "The Sea Hawk", the Basil Rathbone, and Nigel Bruce, 1942, "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror", and "Sherlock Holmes in Washington". Along with the Robert Wise, Val Lewton produced, version of Robert Louis Stevenson's, "The Body Snatcher".
Agnes Moorehead portrayed "Mrs. Sarah Reed". Moorehead was an active member of the "Mercury Theatre", had appeared in all three film productions,1941, "Citizen Kane", 1942's, "The Magnificent Ambersons", and 1943, "Journey into Fear". From 1964 through 1972, she portrayed the witch, "Edora", for 254-episodes of the comedy television series, "Bewitched".
Above left to right, uncredited Ronald Harris portraying "John Reed", Agnes Moorehead portraying "Mrs Reed", and Henry Daniell portraying "Henry Brocklehurst".
Hillary Brooke portrayed "Blanche Ingram". Brooke's films and television work covered several genres. Just before this feature, she had co-starred with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, in 1943's, "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death", and had appeared in 1942's, "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror". After this film it was in 1945's, "The Woman in Green". Brooke appeared with another popular duo, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, in 1949's, "Africa Screams", 1952's, "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd", and from 1952 through 1953, was a regular on televisions "The Abbott and Costello Show". While fans of science fiction, know the actress as the mother in 1953's cult, "Invaders from Mars", from director William Cameron Menzies, and she was in the director's 1953, 3-D horror entry, "The Maze".
Elizabeth Taylor had the uncredited role of "Helen Burns". This was 11-years-old Taylor's 3rd motion picture. Her second, with full credit, was 1943's, "Lassie Come Home", that starred 15-years-old, Roddy McDowall.
John Abbott portrayed "Richard Mason". Abbott was in to excellent overlooked horror movies, 1944's. "Cry of the Werewolf", and the vampire in 1945's, "The Vampire's Ghost", which might be described as the movie "Casablanca" meets "Dracula".
Ethel Griffies portrayed both "Grace Poole", and "Bertha Mason". Character actress Griffies appeared as "Grace Poole" in the 1934 version of "Jane Eyre". Her other work included the roles of "Miss Twinketon", in the 1935 version of Charles Dickens's, "Mystery of Edwin Drood", "Mrs. Whack" in the same years "Werewolf of London". Fans of director Alfred Hitchcock know her as the ornithologist, "Mrs. Bundy", in 1963's, "The Birds".
The Basic Gothic Screenplay:
Prior to the start of this screenplay with the actor's, the audience is told that the "Reverend Eyre" has died from typhus contracted in Africa, leaving his wife to rise their daughter "Jane". However, his wife also dies from the disease one-month-later, and her brother, the kind "Mr. Reed", now takes ten-years-old, "Jane Eyre" into his home to raise. However, shortly afterwards, "Jane's" "Uncle" also dies. Leaving, "Jane Eyre's", aunt, "Sarah Reed", as her legal guardian. "Mrs. Reed" was against her husband taking in his sister's child, for one thing, the two have a son of the same age to raise. After her husband's death, "Mrs. Reed" is cruel to "Jane", and self centered as "The Mistress of Gateshead Hall". While the girl can do nothing right, her son "John" is the opposite, he can do nothing wrong.
The movie's story:
The audience meets "Jane", the year is 1830, being treated like a poor orphan, not a relative of "Mrs. Reed", and lower than the servant's, but there is a resilience to her. Which infuriates her Aunt and causes the girl to be treated even her more harshly. After "Jane" and "John" have a fight, caused by him, "Mrs. Reed" doesn't punish her son, but punishes "Jane". "Mrs. Reed" "orders" the servants to drag the screaming, frightened girl to "The Red Room" and "lock her in it".
Although the motion picture is in black and white, the room is described by Charlotte Bronte as being dominated by everything in the color red. The choice of black and white filming, not Technicolor, was to be able to emphasize the Gothic Look of the story.
The "Red Room", is the room in which her uncle died in, and according to "Mrs. Reed" and others, it is haunted by "Jane's" "Uncle's Ghost" and why it is locked and in disuse. Knowing this story, "Jane" sees a light and believes it to be her "Uncle's Ghost", She screams for help, but no one comes, and the fear of the ghost causes her to faint. As a result of this experience, "Jane" becomes ill and a doctor is called, he suggests that perhaps a school might help her. This becomes "Mrs. Reeds" means of getting rid of the girl, and enter "Mr. Henry Brocklehurst", who runs a girl's school.
"Mr. Brocklehurst", a severe disciplinarian, believing the description of "Jane", given him by "Mrs. Reed", that the young girl is a liar and troublemaker. He introduces "Jane Eyer" to the other girls, and immediately punishes her for nothing more than the lies told by her aunt. "Jane" is ordered to stand on a chair for hours.
During this time she meets a friend, another girl, "Helen Burns".
"Brocklehurst" now orders that "Helen's" naturally curly hair be cut, removing the curls. "Jane" protests to him about that, and both girls are ordered outside into the courtyard to walk in circles until he decides to bring them back into the building. It is pouring down rain and sympathetic "Dr. Rivers", brings both girls into the school, but "Helen" becomes very ill and dies.
The screenplay moves forward ten-years to 1840. Now, 20-years-old, "Jane Eyre", is offered a teaching position by "Henry Brocklehurst", she refuses his offer, but accepts one as a governess for a young girl named "Adele Varens" at "Thornfield Hall".
Entering "Thornfield Hall", "Jane Eyre" meets "Mrs. Fairfax", portrayed by Edith Barrett, whom "Jane" assumes is her employer, but is only the housekeeper. The "Master of "Thornfield, Edward Rochester" is away.
"Jane" is introduced to "Edward Rochester's" ward, the young girl she will be governess for, "Adele Verans".
Time passes and "Jane Eyre" is settling in to both her young charge and the routine at "Thornfield Hall". One night, she decides to go out for a walk and comes upon a man sitting upon his horse.
Her sudden appearance out of the thick fog spooks the horse and it throws the rider off, slightly injuring him. He gets back on and rides away, but after "Jane" returns to "Thornfield Hall". "Mrs. Fairfax" informs her that "Mr. Rochester" has returned and wants to see her in the library.
Entering the library, "Governess Jane Eyre", meets the man on the horse, "The Master of Thornfield Hall, Edward Rochester".
"Edward" is very abrupt in his tone to "Jane". She remans quiet, has a gentle demeanor in her responses to him, which throws him off. Finally, he just dismisses her with a wish that "Jane Eyre" will enjoy her stay at "Thornfield Hall".
All is still that night, when "Jane" is awakened by a strange laughter, and she goes into the hallway to investigate.
"Jane" sees smoke coming from beneath a bedroom door and goes to it. She next opens the door and flames are coming out and in bed, asleep, is "Edward Rochester".
"Jane" screams his name, it takes a couple of times before he awakes. "Edward" gets out of bed and the two takes the flaming curtains down and get the first out.
Luckily, no one else in "Thornfield Hall" heard the commotion. Next, "Edward" asks "Jane" to stay where she is and he goes to another wing of the house. He shortly returns, telling the governess that everything is now under control. This leaves "Jane Eyre" wondering, what was under control? Along with what transpired in that wing of "Thornfield Hall", were, to "Jane", the mysterious seamstress, "Grace Poole" resides and only the servants go, bringing "Poole" food.
"Edward Rochester" leaves, first the winter, next the spring go by, without knowledge of "Edward Rochester". Then he returns with a large group of guests that includes the very snobbish, "Blanche Ingram", and her mother "Lady Ingram", portrayed by Barbara Everest.
"Jane" is told by "Mrs. Fairfax" that everyone expects "Blanche" will marry "Edward".
Above left to right front, Hillary Brooke, Orson Welles, and Barbara Everest
However, "Edward" confides to "Jane" that he knows "Blanche" is only interested in him, because of his wealth. Now, a "Richard Mason", from Spanish Town, Jamaica, arrives and "Jane" notices his arrival upsets "The Master of Thornfield Hall", more than she has ever seen.
That night, everyone is asleep, when their rest is broken by a painful and piercing scream echoing throughout the halls of "Thornfield Hall". However, "Edward Rochester" assures his guest's that the scream was nothing more than one of the servant's having a nightmare. Everyone returns to their rooms, but he stops "Jane" and asks her to come with him into the tower.
In the tower, "Jane Eyre" sees a locked wooden door shaking as if somebody is attempting to get out of it. Before "Jane" can approach the door, "Edward" has her tend to bloody wounds on "Richard Mason's" face and arms. She is told he is leaving to get a doctor, BUT!
SHE IS TO IGNORE EVERYTHING SHE SEES AND HEARS.
"Edward" leaves for a short time, and returns with the doctor for "Mason". The doctor now takes "Richard Mason'" with him and they leaves the property. As "Jane" is left wandering, who is in the locked room, in the wing of "Thornfield Hall" that "Grace Poole" lives in?
This is all followed by a private meeting between "Edward" and "Blanche", where very bluntly, he calls her out as a gold digger and that there is no chance of a marriage. Offended by being faced with the truth, "Blanche" and his guests now leave.
"Jane Eyre" approaches "Edward Rochester" to speak about her future employment elsewhere, after he marries "Blanche",. and confesses she does not want to leave "Thornfield Hall". "Edward" reveals he loves "Jane", and proposes marriage, she happily accepts.
The wedding ceremony is about to take place away from "Thornfield Hall", but an attorney appears to stop it.
The attorney, a "Mr. Biggs", portrayed by Erskin Sanford, tells all those assembled that he represents the wife of "Edward Rochester", "Bertha Antonietta Mason". "Mr. Biggs" admits that "Bertha Rochester" is mentally ill and deranged.
"Edward" calls off the marriage and takes "Jane" and "Richard Mason" back to "Thornfield Hall". "Bertha", below, is insane to the point of animalistic behavior. She is guarded in the tower room by "Grace Poole".
"Edward" tells "Jane". that this was an arranged marriage when he was a teenager. He never really knew "Bertha Mason", and after she drove herself mad. He felt helpless and started looking, no, searching for a partner to make him happy and live with and finally he found "Jane Eyre".
Although, both "Jane" and "Edward" admit to being in love, she will not break her principles, and does not accept being his mistress. She leaves "Thornfield Hall", once her funds are exhausted, "Jane Eyre" is forced to return to "Gateshead Hall".
At "Gateshead Hall" she discovers her "Aunt, Mrs. Reed", has suffered a stroke. This was due to worry over her son, that could do no wrong, "John". Who, himself, finally committed suicide over his gambling habits. "Mrs. Reed" is happy to see her niece, and the two reconcile. After her aunt passes away, "Jane" can't decide what she could do with her life, even considering going to work for "Henry Brocklehurst", WHEN SHE HEARS "EDWARD ROCHESTER'S" VOICE CALLING TO HER DURING A STORM.
"Jane Eyre" return to "Thornfield Hall" to find it ALL IN RUINS.
"Mrs. Fairfax" tells"Jane" that "Berth" escaped confinement and set the house on fire.
While, "Mrs. Fairfax" took "Adele" to safety, "Edward" followed his wife up set of stair that led to the roof of the burning house, the staircase collapsed on "Edward" just after "Bertha" jumped off the roof to her death in the flames.
"Jane Eyre" now reunites with "Edward Rochester", who has been blinded by the fire.
"Edward" tells "Jane" she should not waste her life with a crippled man, but she has made her choice to stay. The two reaffirmed their love and were married. When their son was born, his eyesight was sufficiently restored to see their son.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Her name was Emily Jane Bronte, poet and writer, and the fifth child of Patrick and Maria Brontë.
The above painting of Emily was by her brother, painter, and writer, Patrick Branwell Brontë, the sixth child of Patrick and Maria Brontë.
On November 24, 1847, "Thomas Cautley Newby", published Emily Brontë's only novel, "Wuthering Heights", using her pen name of "Ellis Bell".
The first known filmed version of Emily Bronte's novel was a 1920, British production from "Ideal Film Company".
The following is from "The Leeds Mercury" newspaper, dated May 17, 1920.
The motion picture is considered lost, but we do have the following from a review in "The Guardian", dated August 7, 1920:
It is a credit to the British film industry that the screen version of the book shown yesterday in Manchester should be so good,” and give praise to Milton Rosmer's performance, "It is violent, blustering, turbulently melodramatic: just the kind of acting that Emily Brontë would have wanted for her Heathcliff.
In 1953, Richard Todd appeared in a "British Broadcasting Company (BBC)" production of "Wuthering Heights". Besides the future Sir Richard Todd, this production was of interest, because of the writer being Nigel Kneale. Who would go on to create the classic British science fiction character of "Bernard Quatermass", for the 1953 mini-series, "The Quatermass Experiment". The 1954 television version of George Orwell's, "1984", starring Peter Cushing, and 1957's, "The Abominable Snowman", among other British science fiction classics.
In 1958, an American television adaption of the novel over the "Columbia Broadcast System (CBS)", was shown on television's "Dupont Show of the Month", starring British actor's, Richard Burton and Rosemary Harris.
There have been several more television adaptions of Emily Bronte's novel, even in France, but I am looking at what is still considered the classic motion picture version.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS premiering in Hollywood, California, March 24, 1939
William Wyler directed this Samuel Goldwyn production. Wyler had just directed Bette Davis in 1938's, "Jezebel", and followed this motion picture with the David Niven and Olivia de Havilland, 1939, "Raffles". My article is "Director WILLIAM WYLER--Director BILLY WILDER: Clearing Some of the Confusion Among Classic Movie Lovers" found at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2021/09/director-william-wyler-director-billy.html
The novel covers two generations, the second generation is cut from the screenplay. Which only uses 16, of Emily Bronte's 34-Chapters. There are two credited writers, the first is Charles MacArthur, he was the main writer for 1932's, "Rasputin and the Empress", starring John, Ethel, and Lionel Barrymore. Just before this feature, MacArthur wrote the screenplay for 1939's, "Gunga Din". He followed this picture with 1940's, "His Girl Friday", based upon the Broadway play he co-wrote, "The Front Page".
The other writer was Ben Hecht, the co-writer of 'The Front Page" and "His Girl Friday". Hecht was also the co-writer on "Rasputin and the Empress", and "Gunga Din". Hecht also wrote 1932's, "Scarface". Ben Hecht was one of the writers on both John Ford's, 1939, "Stagecoach", and "Gone with the Wind".
There was a 3rd uncredited writer, future director John Huston.
The Three Leading Actors:
Merle Oberon portrayed "Catherine 'Cathy' Earnshaw Linton". Oberon was just seen opposite Rex Harrison in 1939's, "Over the Moon", and followed this feature film with her husband producer Alexander Korda's, Second World War feature, 1939's, "The Lion Has Wings", co-starring with Ralph Richardson.
Laurence Olivier portrayed "Heathcliff". Olivier had just been seen in the spy film, 1939's,"Clouds Over Europe", co-starring with Ralph Richardson, and followed this motion picture with 1940's, "21 Days Together", co-starring Vivian Leigh, she had just married Olivier.
David Niven portrayed "Edgar Linton". Niven had just co-starred with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone, in 1938's, First World War, "Dawn Patrol", and followed this feature film with the Ginger Rodgers comedy, 1939's, "Bachelor Mother".
Selected Supporting Roles:
Flora Robson portrayed "Elllen Dean". Robson had just been seen with 4th billing as "Livia", in director Joseph von Sternberg's, 1937 production of "I, Claudius", starring Charles Laughton, Merle Oberon, and Emlyn Williams. She followed this feature film with the 1939 drama, "Poison Pen", co-starring Robert Newton, and Ann Todd.
Donald Crisp portrayed "Dr. Kenneth". Crisp had just been in, ready for this, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart Western, 1939's, "The Oklahoma Kid". He would follow this feature with 1939's, "Juarez", starring Paul Muni and Bette Davis.
Leo G. Carroll portrayed "Joseph". Carroll, for fans of 1950's science fiction is known for 1955's, "Tarantula", and television views for two series, as the bank executive with two friends that are ghosts, "Topper", 1953-1955, and as "Alexander Weaverly" on both "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", 1964-1968, and "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.", 1966-1967, may not realize he was in director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1940, "Rebecca", 1941, "Suspicion", 1945, "Spellbound", 1951, "Strangers on a Train", and, 1959, "North By Northwest".
Miles Mander portrayed "Mr. Lockwood - the stranger". Mander had just been seen in the Shirley Temple, 1939, "The Little Princess", and followed this role with director James Whale's, version of French author Alexander Dumas's, 1939, "The Man in the Iron Mask".
The Very Basic Story Line:
A traveler named "Lockwood" becomes caught in a snow storm and finds house that turns out to be an estate called "Wuthering Heights". However, his host under the circumstances, seems a cold, unsociable man named "Heathcliff".
"Lockwood" is shown to a room for the night, that appears to have been a bridal chamber at one time. The he goes to sleep, but is awaken by a cold blast of air and finds the window's shutter loose and flapping back and forth on the window seal.
Suddenly, he feels an icy hand clutching his own, but there is no one in the room, but "Mr. Lockwood". This is followed by the voice of a women outside in the snow storm calling:
Heathcliff, let me in! I'm lost in the moors. It's Cathy!
"Lockwood" goes to his host and tells him what he just heard and saw. "Heathcliff", throws "Lockwood" out of the room, and once he is gone. "Heathcliff" runs downs the stairs and out in the snow storm calling for "Cathy".
The housekeeper, "Ellen Dean", tells "Lockwood", that he has seen the ghost of "Cathy Earnshaw", "Heathcliff's" only great love, who died years ago. "Lockwood" replies that he doesn't believe in ghosts.
If she told "Lockwood" the story and the screenplay goes into a flashback.
A boy, "Heathcliff", portrayed by Rex Downing, is found on the streets of Liverpool, attempting to survive, by "Mr. Earnshaw", portrayed by Cecil Kellaway, and brought back to the "Earnshaw" home, "Wuthering Heights", to live with his two children "Cathy" portrayed by Sarita Wooton (Wooten), and "Hindley", portrayed by Douglas Scott.
Above, Sarita Wooton, Flora Robson, Rex Downing, and Cecil Kellaway.
At first, "Cathy" is reluctant towards having "Heathcliff" in their house, almost as a brother, but the two soon become close. Below, the two at Penistone Crags.
While, "Hindley, treats "Heathcliff" as an outcast below his station in English society.
About ten-years later, "Mr. Earnshaw" has died, "Heathcliff" and "Cathy" have fallen in love and continue to meet at Penistone Crags.
While, "Hindley", portrayed by Hugh Williams, has become dissolute and tyrannical toward his sister "Cathy", the servants, and forced "Heathcliff" into becoming the stable boy, or leave.
Above at the table, Hugh Williams, standing, Flora Robson, and at right, Laurence Olivier.
One night as "Cathy" and "Heathcliff" are out, they hear music coming from their neighbors, the "Linton's" and know they're having a party. The two climb over the wall to gate a closer look at the party, but the "Linton's" dogs attack and one of them bites "Cathy" and she suffers a severe leg injury. As a result, "Heathcliff" is forced to leave "Cathy" in the"Linton's" care. "Heathcliff" is enraged that "Cathy" would be entranced by the wealth and glamor of the "Linton'" and curses the family.
"Cathy" after several months is recuperated and "Edgar Linton" escorts her back to "Wuthering Heights". However, "Edgar Linton" has fallen in love with her and proposes marriage. "Cathy" now tells "Ellen" everything and "Ellen" reminds "Cathy" about "Heathcliff". After being apart of "Edgar's" world while recuperating, "Cathy" flippantly remarks that she would degrade herself by marrying "Heathcliff".
Overhearing above, "Heathcliff" leaves, before he can hear "Cathy" realize that she belongs to him, not "Edgar", despite their class difference. When "Cathy" realizes that "Heathcliff" overheard her flippant remark, she runs after him into the moors during a raging storm. "Edgar" finds her cold and ill, takes her back to his home and summons "Dr. Kenneth". After "Cathy" recovers, she marries"Edgar".
"Heathcliff" disappears, and after several years, returns wealthy and very elegant looking.
"Heathcliff" has deliberately refined his look and manners to impress "Cathy". Also, secretly, he purchased "Wuthering Heights" from "Hindley", whose gambling debts, and heavy drinking has brought him to financial ruin.
However, "Cathy" remains with "Edgar", despite her obvious strong love for "Heathcliff". This leads to "Heathcliff" courting "Edgar's" naive sister, "Isabella", portrayed by Geraldine Fitzgerald.
Despite "Cathy's" objections, "Heathcliff" marries "Isabella Linton". A brokenhearted "Cathy" falls gravely ill, and "Heathcliff" rushes to her bedside. "Isabella" has become very bitter before this, knowing that her husband and her brother's wife are still in love with each other.
At "Cathy's" request, "Heathcliff" carries her to the window, so she can see the moors, one last time before dying.
"Heathcliff" asks "Cathy" TO HAUNT HIM UNTIL THE DAY HE DIES.
"Ellen Dean" finishes her story for "Mr. Lockwood" as "Dr. Kenneth" arrives at "Wuthering Heights". Hr tells the two of seeing a woman on the moors speaking to "Heathcliff", only to discover "Heathcliff's" body in the snow.
"Ellen Dean" realizes that "Dr. Kennth" saw the ghosts of "Cathy" and "Heathcliff" now haunting Pentistone Crags.
Besides the Bronte Sister's there was one other classic Gothic Romance novelist. By 1932, her proper name was Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning.
On August 5, 1938, "Victor Gollancz Ltd. published her novel "Rebecca".
There would be a controversy over this novel that continues to this day. Apparently, in Brazil, novelist
Carolina Nabuco had written a novel entitled
"A Succesora", originally published in
1934, four-years before "Rebecca".
When du Maurier's novel was published, there were very close similarities between her work and Nabuco's earlier novel. She claimed otherwise, but "The New York Times", in an article dated November 16, 1941, looks in detail to the possible plagiarism that the authoress claimed was false, at:
https://www.nytimes.com/1941/11/16/archives/an-extraordinary-parallel-between-miss-du-mauriers-rebecca-and-a.html
However, according to, again, a "The New York Times" article, "Tiger in a Lifeboat, Panther in a Lifeboat: A Furor Over a Novel", dated November 6, 2002, by Larry Rohter, at:
https://archive.ph/20220318003451/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/books/tiger-in-a-lifeboat-panther-in-a-lifeboat-a-furor-over-a-novel.html#selection-609.0-613.345
My reader will find:
Brazilian critics and writers have long claimed, for example, that Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel, ''Rebecca,'' was plagiarized from Carolina Nabuco's book ''The Successor,'' published here in 1934. Ms. Nabuco had translated her novel into French and sent it to a publisher in Paris, who she learned was also Ms. du Maurier's only after ''Rebecca'' became a worldwide success. The novels have identical plots and even some identical episodes.
''When the film version of 'Rebecca' came to Brazil, the producers' lawyer sought out my lawyer to ask him that I sign a document admitting the possibility of there having been a mere coincidence,'' Ms. Nabuco recalled in her memoirs. ''I would be compensated with a quantity described as 'of considerable value.' I did not consent, naturally.''
Speaking of that motion picture:
REBECCA premiered in Miami, Florida, on March 21, 1940
It took four writers to turn Daphne du Maurier's novel into a screenplay.
Philip MacDonald was the first of two writers that adapted the novel into a treatment for a screenplay. Writer MacDonald is best known for his 1959 mystery, "The List of Adrian Messenger", that director John Huston turned into an excellent 1963 motion picture. Among his other screenplay's are director James Whale's, 1935, "Bride of Frankenstein", producer Val Lewton's, 1945, version of Robert Louis Stevenson's, "The Body Snatcher", and 1954's, "Tobor the Great".
Michael Hogan was the other adaptor of the novel. His work includes the 1937 version of British author, H. Rider Haggard's, "King Solomon's Mines", and the same years version of British author, Russel Thorndike's, "Dr. Syn" aka: "Dr Syn the Scarecrow".
Another two writers turned their work into the actual screenplay.
Robert E. Sherwood wrote the stage play and screenplay, that director James Whale based is 1931, "Waterloo Bridge", he wrote the play and screenplay, for the 1936, "The Petrified Forest", that introduced an actor named Humphrey Bogart on stage and in the film version, and again, the play and screenplay for 1940's, "Abe Lincoln in Illinois".
Joan Harrison, hired to be the secretary for Alfred Hitchcock, you became a writer on this film, 1939's, "Jamaica Inn", 1940, "Foreign Correspondent", 1941, "Suspicion", and 1942, "Saboteur".
Alfred Hitchcock directed the motion picture, which was his first American movie. Although the cast is basically English actors, temporally working in, or now living in the United States. Hitchcock's last released movie was the British made, 1939, "Jamaica Inn", starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, and Robert Newton, "Hitch" followed this feature with 1940's, "Foreign Correspondent", starring Joel McCrea. My article is "HITCHCOCK: A Scarf and a Medical Bag, A Conscience, 19th Century Ship Wreckers, The Third Dimension, and a Roving Dead Body" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/01/hitchcock-scarf-and-medical-bag.html
The Main Roles:
Laurence Olivier portrayed "George Fortescue Maxilian 'Maxim' de Winter", owner of Manderley". As I previously mentioned, between 1939's, "Wuthering Heights" and this motion picture, Olivier co-starred with his wife, Vivian Leigh, in 1940's, "21 Days Together". The actor followed this motion picture with the 1940 version of British authoress, Jane Austin's, "Pride and Prejudice", co-starring Greer Garson.
Joan Fontaine portrayed "the second Mrs. de Winter". Fontaine just had 6th-billing, in 1939's, "The Women", starring Norma Shearing, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell. She followed this feature by co-starring with Cary Grant, in Alfred Hitchcock's, 1941, "Suspicion".
George Sanders portrayed "Jack Favell, Rebecca's first cousin". Sanders had just co-starred with Margaret Lindsay and Vincent Price, in the 1940 production of Nathaniel Hawthorne's, "The House of the Seven Gables", and followed this feature film co-starring with Wendy Barrie in 1940's, "The Saint Takes Over".
Judith Anderson portrayed "Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper at Mannerly". Anderson was both a stage and screen actress born in Adelaide, Australia. Her previous film work had been 1933's, "Blood Money", co-starring with George Bancroft and Francis Dee. She would follow this motion picture with the Eddie Cantor comedy, 1940's, "Forty Little Mothers".
Florence Bates portrayed "Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper, employer of the second Mrs. de Winter". Stage and film character actress Bates, had just been seen in an uncredited role, her first film role, in the 1937 crime drama, "The Man in Blue". She would follow this feature film with the 1940 comedy, "Calling All Husbands".
The Very Basic Story Line:
The screenplay can be seen as divided into three parts.
Part One: The 2nd Mrs. de Winter
As in the novel, the name of, and the background of the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" remains unknown. She is known only s the "2nd Mrs. de Winter"! Therefore, she exists as an insignificant person to the deceased "1st Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca".
The screenplay opens with a voice over by, Joan Fontaine, with Daphne de Maurier's iconic opening line:
LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I WENT TO MANDERLEY AGAIN!
While the unseen narrator speaks, the mist-covered landscape moves as the ruined mansion, "Manderley" comes into view.
The screenplay switches to the French Rivera, as "Maxim de Winter" stands on a cliff contemplating suicide, by jumping off.
A young woman is walking on a path that runs parallel to the cliff the man is standing upon. She yells at him, making the man stop from jumping off, but curtly asks her to move on.
Later, in a Monte Carlo Hotel, the young woman is with the aging "Mrs. Van Hopper", who had hired her as a paid traveling companion. The two are sitting in the Hotel's Lounge, when "Maxim de Winter" has come over and started a conversation with "Mrs. Van Hopper". Only because he recognizes the young companion as the woman who attempted to stop him from jumping off the cliff earlier.
Not realizing that her paid companion has previously met "de Winter", "Mrs. Van Hopper" suggests to her that:
This is followed by "Mrs. Van Hopper" becoming ill and confined to her hotel room. Next, "Maxim" invites the companion to go on little excursions with him. Slowly she is becoming infatuated with the debonair "de Winter". Time passes, "Mrs. Van Hopper" is up and around and finally decides to leave Monte Carlo. The young woman finds "de Winter" and informs him that the two women are leaving. To her surprise, "Maxim de Winter" proposes marriage and she accepts.
When "Mrs. Van Hopper" is informed of these events by her companion. She tells the young woman that she is only a distraction for "Maxim de Winter" from the death of her previous wife,
"Rebecca". Adding that she cannot see the young companion as both the
"2nd Mrs. de Winter", and be able to run the stately mansion,
"Manderley".
Part Two: Rebecca the 1st Mrs. de Winter
"The 2nd Mrs. de Winter" enters the spender that is "Manderley".
The "2nd Mrs. de Winter" is introduced to "Mrs. Danvers" and the staff of "Manderley".
The meaning of "Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper's" words stand before the "2nd Mrs. de Winter". She now finds that the spirit of "Rebecca, the 1st Mrs. de Winter's", never seen in the film, seems to hang over the household and especially in the domineering presence of "Mrs. Danvers", forever loyal to "REBECCA", even in death!
Meanwhile, "Maxim" has outbursts of anger and seems restless. He's not the man the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" married. She is trying to understand what's causing both, but "Maxim de Winter" won't open up to her.
While "Danvers" considers the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" a usurper of "Rebecca's" love for "Maxim". She feeds off of the "2nd Mrs de Winter's" insecurity, "Danvers" takes her into the lavished, locked, and denied her use of by "Maxim", bedroom suite, of "Rebecca de Winter".
As the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" moves throughout the mansion, there are items from the first, all containing "Rebecca's" monogram on them.
As time starts to pass, the"2nd Mrs. de Winter" comes to the conclusion that her husband is still in love with his first wife, who tragically drowned. Which seems to explain to her his restlessness and outbursts of anger. Something needs to be done, and the "2nd Mrs. DeWinter" decides to take charge, and reinstate the costume party that "Maxim" and "Rebecca" annually did. Falling into a trap set by "Mrs. Danvers", who suggests she wear a copy of a dress one of "Maxim's" ancestors wore in a painting.
When the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" appears in the dress in front of "Maxim". He is appalled that she would wear the same dress that "Rebecca" wore at her last costume party, before her death.
When the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" confronts "Danvers". "Danvers" tells her she can never take "Rebecca's" place and tries to persuade the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" to kill herself by jumping out of the second floor window from "REBECCA'S BEDROOM" that they're in.
At that very moment, an alarm is sounded for a ship that has run aground in the fog below "Manderley", and during the rescue, The rescue crew has discovered a sunken boat containing the body of "Rebecca de Winter" in it.
Part Three: The Truth Comes Out
"Maxim" now confesses that his first marriage was a sham. "Rebecca" from the start, told him that she had no intentions of keeping her vows, but for appearance sake, would pretend to be the perfect wife and hostess at "Manderley". "Rebecca" implied that she was pregnant by her cousin, "Jack Favell". Adding, what would "Maxim" feel, if he knew his estate and wealth could pass to someone other than his legitimate line? The two got into a heated argument and "Rebecca" struck her head, fell, and died. "Maxim" took her body out, placed it in a small coat, scuttled the boat, and a few days later, a woman's body washed ashore. It wasn't "Rebecca", but "Maxim de Winter" identified the body as her.
This has finally gotten the "2nd Mrs. de Winter" to stop being naive, and take charge. An inquest into the death of "Rebecca de Winter" is now held.
When the inquest looks at the possibility of
"Rebecca de Winter" committing suicide, "Jack Favell" sends a
blackmail letter to
"Maxim de Winter", threatening to reveal his cousin was pregnant.Which, of course, would seem to make the possibility of suicide improbable. However, calling "Jack's" bluff, "Maxim" reveals to the police the blackmail letter, forcing them to investigate that
he murdered his wife. However, further investigation with
"Dr. Baker, Rebecca de Winter's personal doctor", portrayed by
Leo G. Carroll, reveals that she had terminal cancer, and the suicide verdict stands.
Now, "George Fortescue Maxilian 'Maxim' de Winter", realizes that "Rebecca" had been trying to goad him into killing her as means of ruining him.
As a free man, "Maxim" leaves the inquest and returns home to find "Manderley" burning. The deranged "Mrs. Danvers" has set the mansion on fire, all will escape, except her, as the walls come down trapping "Danvers" with the spirit of "REBECCA". Unlike Daphne du Maurier's novel's ending, the screenplay leaves "Maxim" and the "2nd Mrs. de Winter", uncertain about their futures together.
The novel ends with the couple heading back to "Manderley" and seeing it burning. Who set it on fire, or how the fire was set, is left ambiguous by du Maurier. One other change, in the novel, "Maxim" shoots and kills his first wife. After she taunts him about being pregnant, and having had affairs with many other men.
That cause of death was in the original script, as producer David O. Selznick wanted, but it ran afoul of Joseph Breen of the "Hayes Censorship Office", and so it was removed. Next, the idea of "Rebecca" committing suicide was also against the "Motion Picture Production Code of 1934", and ran afoul of Joseph Breen. What was no compromised in the screenplay, was the idea of director Alfred Hitchcock, which Breen agreed too. However, producer Selznick, according to author John W. Billheimer, in his 2019, "Alfred Hitchcock and the Censors", stated:
the whole story of Rebecca is of a man who has murdered his wife, and it now becomes the story of a man who buried a wife who was killed accidentally!
His name was
Anthony Walter Patrick Hamilton, dropping the first two names to write both novels and plays as
Patrick Hamilton.
His 1929 play, "Rope" would be turned into a 1948 motion picture from Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart. However, it is his 1938 play, "Gaslight" that I am interested in.
It should be noted that Hamilton's play was written during a dark period in his life. Which is reflected in his work that is considered Gothic in overall feeling. What had happen was six-years prior to writing the play, he was hit by a car, dragged through several London streets, leaving him with a limp, a paralyzed arm, and permanently disfiguring his face. This would be followed, two years prior to Hamilton starting to write his play, by his mother committing suicide.
GASLIGHT premiered in London, England, on June 25, 1940
The motion picture did not come to the United States until November 10, 1952, under the title of "Angel Street". Which is the title of Patrick Hamilton's play in the United States.
This production is very close to Patrick Hamilton's original play.
The screenplay was by two writers:
A. R. Rawlinson was actually British Army officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Richardson Rawlinson, Military Intelligence in both World War One, and World War Two. He co-wrote Alfred Hitchcock's, 1934, "The Man Who Knew Too Much", and took a break on screenwriting between 1941 and 1946, for the Second World War.
Bridget Boland was a playwright, novelist, and screenplay writer. Among her work are director King Vidor's, 1956 version, of Leo Tolstoy's, "War and Peace", and 1969's, "Anne of a Thousand Days".
The director was Thorold Dickinson, among his films was the Lionel Atwill, 1937, "The High Command", and the Anton Walbrook and Edith Evans, 1949, "The Queen of Spades".
Anton Walbrook portrayed "Paul Mallen". Born Adolf Anton Wilheim Wohbruck in Austria. He came to Hollywood in 1936, and changed his name to Anton Walbrook. Stories circulated that he was a Nazi spy, and he was attacked by American Jewish organizations. In fact, he was not only Jewish, but homosexual and would have been persecuted in his native Austria. Even though this was cleared up with the Jewish groups. Walbrook left the United States for England, and settled in London, in 1937. Ten-years later, he became a British citizen.
Diana Wynland portrayed "Bella Mallen". Wynland was mainly an English stage actress, her first film role was as "Natasha", in 1932's, "Rasputin and the Empress", starring John, Ethel, and Lionel Barrymore. She co-starred with Ralph Richardson in a 1937, British television production of William Shakespeare's, "Othello". She next co-starred again with Richardson, in 1939's, "The Fugitive".
Frank Pettingell portrayed "B. G. Rough". Pettingell may have been an actor by trade, but he collected actual 18th Century published literature and play-scripts into the 20th Century. The Bodleian Library in 1966, purchased his collection of 800, 19th Century, "Penny Dreadful's (cheaply made Victorian Era serial publications)".
Cathleen Cordell portrayed "Nancy, the promiscuous maid". For fans of Dan O'Bannon's, 1985, "Return of the Living Dead", Cordell was the "Colonel's Wife". Starting in 1947, Brooklyn Born, London's, "Royal Academy of Dramatic Art" graduate, primarily appeared on American television shows in various roles.
Robert Newton portrayed "Vincent Ullswater". Newton had just been seen in the Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier, 1940, "21 Days Together", and would follow this feature with the Robert Montgomery comedy mystery, 1940's "Haunted Honeymoon". My article is "Robert Newton IS 'Long John Silver': The Definitive Motion Picture Pirate of the Caribbean" searching for "Treasure Island" at:
The Basic Screenplay That Is Very Close to the Stage Play:
The screenplay takes place during the 1880's, in Pimlico, within the City of Westminster, within the City of London, "Alice Barlow", portrayed by Marie Wright, is murdered by an unknown man. The man, whom the audience cannot see his face, starts ripping apart furniture, and generally ransacks "Barlow's house" without finding anything. However, his destruction has a purpose, and, obviously, he was looking for something specific.
20-years pass and the house remains empty. One day, retired detective "B. G. Rough", sees a man on the street that seems familiar. "Rough" worked the "Barlow" murderer. However, that may be nothing more than coincidence, but when he discovers that newly wed couple, "Paul" and "Bella Mallen" have moved into "Alice's" old house, coincidence is to coincidental, to the retired detective. "Alice Barlow" was "Bella Mallen's" AUNT! The question comes to his mind, which explains why "Paul Mallen" looks familiar to the retired detective. Even after all these years, could he actually be "Louis Bauer", the man he believed actually committed the murder?
"Bella" slowly starts to misplace small objects, and "Paul" slowly gets his wife to question her sanity.
"Bella" starts seeing the gas lamps in the house dim slightly, and there are strange noises throughout the house. Both are disturbing and frightening her. This could only be happening, if somebody else is within the house and lighting more "GASLIGHT"! All the servants tell her there is nobody else in the house, but, "Paul", "Bella", and themselves. One night, an old brooch that"Bella" has, just disappears.
"Rough" gets wind of a plan by "Paul" to have his wife institutionalized as insane, because he wants to carry on his affair with the maid, "Nancy". However, the retired detective can't get it out of his mind that there is more to "Paul's" plan. "B. G. Rough" now summons "Bella's" concerned cousin, "Vincent Ullswater", to help get "Bella" away from "Paul".
Basically, "Vincent" confirms the history of the house, and "Paul's" maneuvering control over "Bella", to the retired detective. "Vincent" also confirms that it appears "Paul" wants to show that his wife is unstable and needs to be placed in an asylum. His information is helping confirm "Rough's" theory that "Paul Mallen" might be "Louis Bauer",
After "Paul" verbally abuses "Bella" and leaves the house to go to the music hall show with "Nancy", "Rough" arrives.
He shocks her by revealing that "Paul Mallen" is really "Louis Bauer", wanted for murdering her "Aunt Alice Barlow". Using her to return to "Alice's" house to search for her hidden rubies he couldn't locate 20-years ago, in fact he has been on the second floor turning up the gaslight's to see better in his search, and was causing the strange sounds "Bella" was hearing.
Furthermore, "Bauer" is still married to a woman in Australia, making his marriage to "Bella" invalid. The two go to "Paul's" always locked roll top desk and as "Rough" forces it open, looking for evidence that "Paul" is "Bauer". Is stopped, when "Bella" notices the 'GASLIGHT'S FLICKER". "Louis Bauer" now enters the room. Assured that there is no evidence in the roll top desk, he opens it for "Rough". Inside is "Aunt Alice's Brooch". "Bella" now reveals that the brooch has a secret compartment which she opens to show the two men. Inside that secret compartment are the initials of "Alice Barlow". "Bella" next tells the retired detective that she had removed the rubies and hid them in plain sight inside a vase on the mantelpiece. The cornered "Bauer" now attacks both "Bella" and "Rough" with a chair, but is knocked unconscious by the retired detective. Waking up and finding his hands restrained, "Louis Bauer" attempts to coerce "Bella" into removing them. Instead, holding a knife at his throat, "Bella" denounces "Bauer", before he is taken away by the police.
On May 4, 1944, "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" released a lavish version of "Gaslight", with a rewritten screenplay with many changes to the setting and characters starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and Joseph Cotton. However, the idea of the husband driving his wife insane was left intact.
Apparently, "MGM" didn't want anyone in the United States to know that the British film existed. The following comes from the "British Film Institute's" website about director Thorold Dickinson, at:
With Gaslight, his next job, undertaken for British National at three weeks' notice, he cemented his status as one of Britain's liveliest directors. Out of Patrick Hamilton's stage play Dickinson created a harrowing and claustrophobic film of domestic fear and trembling, with a darkly insidious Anton Walbrook, and Diana Wynyard, fragile and tortured as the wife whose sanity is under siege. The success of Gaslight on stage and film encouraged MGM to buy the remake rights, with a clause insisting that all existing prints of Dickinson's version be destroyed. New prints were secretly made, but unlike George Cukor's Hollywood film of 1944, Dickinson's Gaslight was forced to lead a shadowy existence for decades.
The story continues on the website for the "American Film Institute" at:
Following its successful run in London, Patrick Hamilton's play Gas Light opened in New York on 5 Dec 1941 under the title Angel Street. Shepard Traube directed Judith Evelyn, Vincent Price and Leo G. Carroll in the long-running Broadway production. In May 1940, British National Pictures released the first screen version of Hamilton's play, titled Gaslight. Columbia acquired the American distribution rights to the British film, which was directed by Thorold Dickinson and starred Diana Wynyard and Anton Walbrook, in 1941, and planned to release it under the title A Strange Case of Murder. Although SAB indicates that Columbia was still cutting the British film as of Feb 1942, the studio never released the picture. According to an Oct 1942 HR news item, Columbia was enjoined from releasing the film in the U.S. by Traube, who owned the American dramatic rights to the play. Modern sources note that M-G-M approached Traube about doing a screen version of his Broadway production, but as Traube did not control any screen rights, M-G-M was forced to negotiate with the English holders of the rights and eventually agreed to film the play under its original title. According to HR, the studio paid $150,000 for the film rights to the London production. In Aug 1944, NYT reported rumors that M-G-M had destroyed "the negative and every copy" of the British film, "except for one (possibly) forgotten print in the British Film Institute." Despite the rumors, the British version was released in the U.S. by Commercial Pictures in Apr 1953 under the title Angel Street. M-G-M's Gaslight was released in Great Britain under the title Murder in Thornton Square.
My last entry under the heading of "Gothic Romance" isn't about romance between two people, but one person and a haunted house.
THE HAUNTING released September 18, 1963
The film was produced and directed by Robert Wise. As an uncredited producer, Wise, had just produced the Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine, psychological drama, 1962's, "Two for the Seesaw". As a director, his last film was "Two for the Seesaw". As both a producer and director, Robert Wise's next motion picture was the 1965 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "The Sound of Music", starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. My article is "Director Robert Wise: Horror, Science Fiction and the Greek Homer" found at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2020/01/director-robert-wise-horror-science.html
The screenplay was based upon Shirley Jackson's, 1959, Gothic Horror novel, "The Haunting of Hill House".
The screenplay was written by Nelson Gidding. Between 1952 and 1956, Gidding was turning out nothing but scripts for a variety of television shows. Then in 1957, he wrote the screenplay for his first motion picture. It was director Michael Curtiz's, "The Helen Morgan Story". The picture starred actress Ann Blyth as the legendary "Torch Singer" and co-starred Paul Newman and Richard Carlson. In 1958, Nelson Gidding first worked with Robert Wise and wrote the screenplay for Susan Hayward's, "I Want to Live!". Wise liked what Gidding wrote, and hired him for the screenplay for 1959's, "Odd's Against Tomorrow". The motion picture co-starred Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan and Gloria Grahame. Also in 1959, Gidding crossed paths with another Val Lewton director, Mark Robson. Robson had directed "The 7th Victim", "Isle of the Dead", and "Bedlam". Gidding was now hired to write the screenplay for Robson's, "Nine Hours to Rama", about a plot to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi.
Like director Robert Wise's, 1944, "The Curse of the Cat People", for producer Val Lewton. "The Haunting", was about "Ghosts", but unlike the previous film. The audience never sees one. Director Wise is playing with the Val Lewton school of what you think you're seeing, or what the characters think they're seeing, may not be what is upon the screen. Also like that previous motion picture. Nelson Gidding's screenplay is a "Psychological Gothic Horror Film", but made with a bigger budget.
Robert Wise also went against the current motion picture grain and filmed "The Haunting" in black and white, to obtain, once more, that Val Lewton eeriness.
A Detailed Look at the Cast of Victims, or Not!
Julie Harris portrayed
"Eleanor 'Nell' Lance". Harris started her non stage career on the
1948, television anthology series, the
"Actor's Studio". Her first motion picture was
1952's, "The Member of the Wedding" by director
Fred Zinnemann. Over her career prior to this feature
Julie Harris was seen in
James Dean's, 1955, "East of Eden", the
1958 made for television version of the classic,
1948, Jayne Wyman, Oscar Winning, movie
"Johnny Belinda". A
1959 television production of
Henrik Ibsen's, "A Doll's House", a
1961, made for television motion picture, portraying
"Queen Victoria",
"Victoria Regina", and immediately before this film.
Julie Harris was in director
Ralph Nelson's motion picture version of the
Rod Sterlingplay,
"Requiem for a Heavyweight", co
-starring with
Anthony Queen, Jackie Gleason, and
Mickey Rooney. Claire Bloom portrays "Theodora". In 1952, Bloom was Charlie Chaplain's co-star in "Limelight", in 1955, she was part of the ensemble cast in Sir Lawrence Olivier's film version of William Shakespeare's, "Richard III". While in 1956, she portrayed Richard Burton's mother in "Alexander the Great". In 1958, Claire Bloom was in Cecil B. DeMille's remake of his "Buccaneer" ,staring Yul Bryner as "Jean Lafitte" and Charlton Heston as "General Andrew Jackson", and 1962, saw the actress in producer George Pal's, "Cinerama" production of "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm".
Richard Johnson portrayed "Dr. John Markway", Starting in 1950, Johnson was a regular on both the BBC and ITV dramatic television productions. In 1959, Richard Johnson got his first motion picture break in a war movie set in Burma, "Never So Few". He was billed 5th behind Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford and Steve McQueen. Next, it was back to British television until this motion picture. Which he would follow with 8th billing in, 1964's, "The Pumpkin Eater", starring Anne Bancroft, Peter Finch and James Mason. In 1966, Johnson co-starred with Charlton Heston and Sir Lawrence Olivier in the "Cinerama" historical drama about the 1885 siege of "Khartoum".
Russ Tamblyn portrayed "Luke Sanderson". Tamblyn started acting in 1948, and the following year, he portrayed the future "King Saul of Israel" in Cecil B. DeMille's, "Samson and Delilah", starring Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr. In 1954, he was the youngest brother in the musical, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". While in 1957, he was part of the motion picture cast in Grace Metalious's scandalous novel "Peyton Place". In 1958, producer George Pal cast Tamblyn in the title role of "Tom Thumb". Which featured unknown out of England, British actors, Peter Sellers and Terry-Thomas. In 1961, Robert Wise cast him as "Riff" the leader of the "Jets", in the musical "West Side Story". The following year he was back working for George Pal, in "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm".
Lois Maxwell portrayed "Mrs. Grace Markway". Maxwell had been a regular in "British B Movies" since 1946. In 1956, she co-starred with Kieron Moore and Donald Wolfit in the excellent Science Fiction motion picture "Satellite in the Sky". At that time Maxwell started appearing on television, and in 1962, was featured in two major motion pictures. The first was director Stanley Kubrick's version of Vladmir Nabokov's shocking novel "Lotlita"starring James Mason, Sue Lyons and Shelley Winters. The second was a spy movie, that along with the star, she had signed a contract to appear in the next one, if the first was a success. The title was "Dr. No" and Lois Maxwell was "Miss Moneypenny". My article is "LOIS MAXWELL: Not Only 'James Bond's Miss Moneypenny" at:
"The Haunting", was not about fake ghosts, or was it?
The story opens with "Dr. Markway's" voice telling the history of the 90 year old, Massachusetts, "Hill House". The house was designed, and built, by "Hugh Crain" for his first wife. "Hill House" contains oddly built, large maze like walls, with angles slightly askew. This causes off-center perspectives for people in the different rooms, and doors the actually open and close by themselves. The vast library, is in a room that contains a spiral staircase leading to an attic, and the conservatory, contains some strange looking statues.
When "Hugh Crain's" wife came to her new home for the first time. For some unknown reason, she never reached the front door, as her carriage crashed into a tree killing the woman. "Hugh" remarried, and they had a daughter, but for some unknown reason his second wife, fell down a large staircase and was killed. "Hugh Crain" raised his daughter in the house, but for some unknown reason, "Abigail Crain", never left "Hill House" and died there.
"Abigail's" nursing companion inherited the house, but for some unknown reason she hung herself from the spiral staircase in the library.
Over time the house was inherited by a "Mrs.Sanderson", but for some unknown reason, she never entered it, and "Hill House" has stood empty for years.
"Dr. Markway" is an investigator of paranormal activity and obtained a lease, from "Mrs. Sanderson", to investigate the house. There was a condition for that lease. He must take "Mrs. Sanderson's" grandson,"Luke" with him, during whatever length his investigation takes.
"Markway" had reviewed possible applicants for his investigation and chose two women. The first is "Theodora" a psychic also known as "Theo". In the screenplay it is implied she is a lesbian, the word is never used, because of both the motion picture censors, and the "moral values" of the time.The second woman is, "Eleanor Lance", a spinster that had poltergeist experiences as a child, and spent her entire life taking care of her invalid mother until she died.
Above the four investigators of "Hill House".Their first night finds "Eleanor" joining "Theo" in her room to discuss the investigation and getting to know each other. Suddenly, there is deafening banging on "Theo's" door, and what sounds like a little girl laughing. The two woman become terrified when suddenly both just stop.
However, neither "Dr. Markway", or "Luke" heard anything and both slept soundly through the night. Despite the frightening event "Eleanor Lance" feels an affinity to "Hill House".
The next day the group explores "Hill House", and discover a "Cold Spot" (Which, according to "Ghost Hunter's", is an area of localized coldness, or a sudden decease of ambient temperature).
That night "Dr. Markway" tells his group of the other reported disturbances at "Hill House". Then everyone returns to their rooms for the night. However, strange sounds are heard, and the following morning a message is discovered scrawled on a wall:
HELP ELEANOR COME HOME
This emotionally upsets "Eleanor", and that night, "Theo" moves into "Eleanor's" room, and they fall asleep in the same bed. In the middle of the night, "Eleanor" hears what sounds like a man speaking to a woman laughing. Afraid, "Eleanor" asks "Theo" to hold her hand, and feels a strong grip, as the voice of a young girl crying is heard by her. "Eleanor" shouts out for whoever is causing the girl to cry to stop.This awakens the sleeping "Theo", and "Eleanor" discovers she isn't in the bed with "Theo", but on the couch across the room. Who held her hand?
The next day, "Dr. Markway's" skeptical wife "Grace" arrives. This upsets "Eleanor", who didn't know "Markway" was married, and started to develop feelings for him.
After touring the house ,"Grace Markway" announces she plans to stay for the rest of his investigation.For some unknown reason,"Mrs. Markway" also wants, specifically, to stay in the nursery. Which her husband warns is the source of all the disturbances, but "Grace Markway" DEMANDS the room. Why?That night, the original four hear loud banging, and experience some force trying to make its way through the room they're in. At this time "Grace Markway" is upstairs in the nursery. 
The force seems to be moving through the house and ends up to the second floor. Next, the four hear the sounds of destruction coming from the nursery. "Eleanor" starts to running up the stairs. She enters the nursery, but the room is empty, and a search for "Grace Markway" begins. By morning the group confirms that "Grace" appears to have disappeared from "Hill House". This causes "Eleanor", who has been showing worrying signs of mental instability, to go further that way. Which adds to "Dr. Markway's" concerns, as he now thinks she might have wrote the message on the wall without realizing it.Seemingly under the spell of "Hill House", the others see "Eleanor" walk into the library, and start to climb the dilapidated spiral staircase.
"Dr. Markway" follows her up the staircase. "Eleanor" reaches the top, a trap door in the ceiling suddenly opens revealing "Grace Markway"---
---it closes, and "Grace" has disappeared back into "Hill House". The startled "Eleanor" starts to fall, but "Dr, Markway" saves her. However, he never saw his wife."Dr. Markway" is now extremely worried about "Eleanor" and her too obvious obsession with "Hill House". He orders her to go home, but she pleads to stay. "Markway" asks "Luke" to drive her away from the mansion and back to her own home.However, before "Luke" can join "Eleanor" in her car. She speeds off down the driveway towards the front gate. Suddenly, the car seems possessed and the steering wheel starts to move on its own as the car goes faster and faster. Ghost like, "Grace Markway" steps out from behind a tree. Next, the car crashes into the same tree killing "Eleanor"."Luke" tells "Dr, Markway" it seemed to him that "Eleanor" deliberately aimed the car at that tree. "Markway" ads that the tree is the one the first "Mrs. Crain's" carriage crashed into killing her."Theo" remarks that "Eleanor" got what she wanted. To stay forever at "Hill House". The film also gives the viewer the idea that all the phenomena seen by "Theo" and "Eleanor" were created by the later, and probably were from her youth.The audience hears "Eleanor's" voice saying how happy she is now, because SHE'S COME HOME!
I began this article by mentioning a "Dark Fantasy", so I will end it with that "DARK FANTASY"!
ALICE IN WONDERLAND premiered in London, England, on February 25, 2010
His name is
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, but we know him by his pen name of
Lewis Carroll. In
1865, "Macmillan" published
Carroll's, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".
Below the author in 1863, his work was a critique of Victorian societal norms, a political satire of the government, and the "Queen of Hearts", who of course was a satirical "Queen Victoria".
The first film version of the novel was made by the British, "Hepworth Picture Plays", and released on October 17, 1903, starring May Clarke as "Alice". The production ran just over 8-minutes.
In 1933, "Paramount Pictures" made a live action film using all their contract players in costumes designed by art director and co-screenplay writer, William Cameron Menzies.
Above, William Austin as "The Gryphon", is speaking to Charlotte Henry as "Alice", and Cary Grant as "The Mock Turtle". Below, Gary Cooper as "The White Knight".
In 1951, Walter Elias Disney released a classic animated version of Lewis Carroll's tale.
Which brings me to the "Walt Disney Productions" movie I am speaking about.
The screenplay based upon both Lewis Carroll's 1865's, "The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland", and its sequel, 1871's, "Through the Looking Glass", was by Linda Woolverton. Should you not recognize her name. You might know her other screenplays, as the first woman to ever write an animated feature screenplay. Her first was 1991's, "Beauty and the Beast", the first animated feature ever nominated for the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Best Picture Oscar". She next, co-wrote 1994's, "The Lion King", and received a "Tony Award Nomination" for her adapted "Broadway Play", of "The Lion King".
Which brings me to this quote from Linda Woolverton, from an interview by Mark Salisbury, in "The Daily Telegraph", February 15, 2010:
I wrote this at a very dark time in my life. A lot of bad things had happened—death, divorce, moving across the country—so I was kind of down the rabbit hole myself at the time… I got an image of her [Alice] standing at a very crucial moment in her life, looking over and seeing this rabbit leaning against the tree, looking at her, knowing she had to put a pin in this crucial decision and follow this rabbit, because that was her destiny.
The director was Tim Burton, he had just directed 2007's, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", and would follow this feature film with his version of Dan Curtis's, "Dark Shadows", in 2012.
The Five Main Wonderland Characters:
Johnny Depp portrayed "Tarrant Hightopp", better known as the "Mad Hatter". Depp had just been seen portraying criminal "John Dillinger", in 2009's, "Public Enemies", and would follow this motion picture co-starring with Angelina Jolie in 2010's, "The Tourist".
Mia Wasikowska portrayed "Alice Kingsleigh". The Austrian actress had just appeared in 2010's, "The Kids Are All Right", and followed this feature film with the title role in the 2011, British-American co-production, of Charlotte Bronte's, "Jane Eyre".
Helena Bonham Carter portrayed "The Red Queen". Bonham Carter recently was seen, once more, portraying "Bellatrix Lestrange", in 2009's, 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". She would follow this feature with 2010's, "The King's Speech", portraying "Queen Elizabeth".
Anne Hathaway portrayed "The White Queen". Hathaway had just co-starred with Julie Roberts and Jamie Fox, in 2010's, "Valentine's Day". She followed this motion picture with 2010's, "Love & Other Drugs".
Crispin Glover portrays "Ilosovic Stayne" aka: "The Knave of Hearts". Glover had just starred in the 2009 historical drama, "The Donner Party", and followed this film with 2010's, "The Hot Tub Time Machine".
Instead of Lewis Carroll's opening of a bored "Alice" sitting by a riverside, listening to her sister reading a boring book.
The year is 1871, the location is a garden party on an estate in London, "Alice Kingsleigh's" father has recently passed away and she has been having strange dreams about strange creatures. The 19-year-old has also received an unwanted marriage proposal from "Hamish Ascot", portrayed by Leo Bill, the son of "Lord Ascot", portrayed by Tim Pigott-Smith.
Trying to avoid "Hamish", his father, and her older sister, in fact "Alice Kingsleigh" wants away from the stifling expectations of Victorian, England, and the social status she was born into it. Which her father had found ways to feel free of the expected conformity presented by a marriage to "Hamish".
Suddenly, apparently unseen by anyone else, but "Alice" is a "White Rabbit, wearing a waistcoat, looking at a watch", voiced by Michael Sheen. Something about him is familiar, but what?
"Alice" now follows the "White Rabbit" to a rabbit hole that the rabbit enters. Looking down the hole, "Alice" falls into it.
The "White Rabbit" goes through a tiny door, but "Alice" cannot. Looking around, she finds a table with a bottle with the tag saying "Drink Me", which "Alice" does, finds herself at a door, but its locked and the key is on the table next to the bottle. Then she finds a cake with the words, "Eat Me", and "Alice" was now a giant. Thinking the situation through, she is able to use both the bottle'd liquid and the cake to get her the right size to use the key and open the door. "Alice Kingsleigh" walks through the door and - - - -
enters not Lewis Carroll's "Wonderland", but Linda Woolverton's "UNDERLAND!". The characters are Carroll's, but they've been twisted into Woolverton's.
"Alice" is greeted by the "White Rabbit", a "Dormouse", voiced by Barbara Windsor, the "Identical Twins, "Tweedledum" and "Tweedledee", both voiced by "Matt Lucas", a "Dodo", voiced by Michael Gough, and the "Talking Flowers", voiced by Imelda Staunton.
The problem for "Alice Kingsleigh" is that each of the above knows her, but she doesn't remember them or anything about "Underland". "Alice Kingsleigh" now makes the positive statement that this is all a dream, but next, the "Caterpillar, Absoleom", voiced by Alan Rickman, speaks up. and informs her, that she is destined to slay the "Jabberwocky (Jubbawokkie)", voiced by Danny Emes, and the tyranny of the "Red Queen".
"Alice", "Absolem", and the others are interrupted from an attack by the "Red Queen's" knight's and the "Bandersnatch", led by the "Knave of Hearts".
Everyone is captured except "Alice" and the "Dormouse". The "Knave of Hearts" now informed the "Red Queen" that "Alice has returned".
Meanwhile, "Alice" walks lost until she comes upon the "Cheshire Cat", voiced by Stephen Fry, first as a voice, then a smile, and finally a cat in a tree.
In its own way, the "Cheshire Cat" guides "Alice" to the "Mad Hatter" and his tea party.
Below, the "March Hare", voiced by Phil Whitehouse.
"Alice" now learns from the "Hatter" how the "Red Queen" took over "Underland", but usurping her kind sister, "The White Queen". The "Hatter" and "Alice" are walking through the forest discussing what has happened. When they're attacked by the "Red Queen's" knight's and the "Hatter" gives himself up as a diversion to allow "Alice" to escape. She is found by the "Knave of Heart's" bloodhound, "Baynard", voiced by Timothy Spall, who actually is a member of the resistance. After some discussion, "Baynard" takes "Alice" to the "Red Queen's" courtyard. Where the "Queen" is playing croquet and the gardener's are painting the white roses red. Eating another piece of the "Eat Me" cake, "Alice" becomes as tall as everyone else. She is discovered by the "Queen" hiding behind some scrubs without her clothing, and is able to get some by order of the "Red Queen". Afterwards, the unknowing "Red Queen", thinks "Alice" is just a young woman from her court, named "Um". Which was a word that came out of "Alice's" mouth, as she attempted to decide how to answer the "Red Queen" after being discovered.
"Alice Kingsleigh" now finds herself in the middle of a war between two sisters. The Good "White Queen" and the evil and ambitious "Red Queen". As an accepted courtier of the "Red Queen's" court, even rebuffing a pass by the "Knave of Hearts", she learns of the "Vorpal Sword", the only sword that can kill the "Jabberwocky". This will all lead her to taking sides with the "White Queen" in a war to regain the freedom of the people of "Underland".
To end it, "Alice Kingsleigh" must defeat the "Jabberwocky".
I leave my reader to find out for themselves what comes next! However, the following like shows that their was always a "Dark Side" to the work of, and those who followed, Walter Elias Disney. My article that starts with 1929 Darkness is entitled, "Walt Disney: Dark Fantasy and a Freudian Science Fiction Movie" to enter at:
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