This week on SVENGOOLIE...

[RedRiver]

it's worth the time.

How obvious is that? Lon, Jr. is ALWAYS worth the time!

[RedRiver]

I hope some of you got to see this enjoyable little horror film. A little slow. A bit talky. But some entertaining, even creepy moments. There is definitely a Siodmak look to it, in that the environment is almost a character in the story. Dark, threatening. It works well. The silly visuals are cute. Vapor coming under the door just as experts discuss the possibility of, well, vapor coming under the door! "Dude! Look!"

My favorite is Drac floating through the air in a standing position. Most flying characters go horizontal for the trip. Superman, Mighty Mouse. Not our Count Alucard! He glides over the water, upright as a royal guardsman! A cute, if forgetable vampire story.

[RedRiver]

Lon returns next week in THE MUMMY'S TOMB. Mummies don't fly or vaporize. He'll have to use his wits!

[CineMaven]

...My favorite is Drac floating through the air in a standing position. Most flying characters go horizontal for the trip. Superman, Mighty Mouse. Not our Count Alucard! He glides over the water, upright as a royal guardsman! A cute, if forgetable vampire story.

Saaaaay, floating through air in a standing position. I wonder if THIS is where Spike Lee stole that move from. It's a signature in many of his movies. Could Count Alucard have been moon-walking the wrong way?? Count Wrong-Way Alucard.

[Western Guy]

Gosh, what to say about Lon Jr. My biggest problem with him in horror roles was that he came across as too proletarian. A fine actor, as he later proved in films such as "High Noon" (which I still maintain should have garnered him at least a Supporting Oscar nod, his scene with Coop is brief but classic), but his vocal delivery was all wrong for an aristocratic European vampire. To me, his climactic rage is almost laughable. A somewhat better-versed (slightly) Lennie venting his fury against Robert Paige. He does succeed as The Wolf Man because he's become as identified with that role as Karloff (Frankenstein's creation) and Bela (Dracula). But can one really accept Lon as the son of the beautifully British Claude Rains? Takes our suspension of disbelief meter almost to the extreme (as does that wonderful first transformation scene of Larry Talbot stripping down to his undercloths only to next be seen attired in a nerw set of duds prowling through the woods - would love to have watched the beast going through Larry's wardrobe to select the proper clothing for its nocturnal prowl). But I digress somewhat . . . perhaps even ramble. Well, my point is that Universal, though I enjoy its horror output, really seemed to look more at dollars and cents, than sense. Chaney certainly had eclipsed Bela as a Universal horror "ace", but IMO he was ALL WRONG as Drac. Maybe Bela could not have been billed as "Son of Dracula", but since Alucard WAS the Count, there was only one man in my mind who should have played Dracula in this and the "House of . . . " followups. Can anyone truly argue? When Bela returned to the fold (of his cape) in the classic "A&C Meet Frankenstein" he was magnificent, proving that then and forever he WAS Dracula. The role should have been remained his, and for that I maintain a grudge against the powers-that-were at Universal.

[intothenitrate]

I've been wondering lately why they didn't get Gloria Holden back as Dracula's daughter in the later monster mash-ups of the forties. She rocked that role.

[Western Guy]

Apparently there was that talk about a goofy "monster mash" to be produced by Universal called, I believe, The Devil's Brood, which was announced in the trades and was to feature virtually all of the monsters on the Universal lot, including The Mad Ghoul. Can't recall if Dracula's Daughter was intended to be added to the mix, but of course this crazy idea was simplified into House of Frankenstein. Would love to know the highly-paid publicity brainiac who came up with that original concept. Think about it: The Universal monster team all together in a 60-70 minute B-feature. Boggles the old melon.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've not really visited this thread because I thought it was an American TV channel and that I had nothing to add, although I admit it is a strange name for a TV channel but you're talking about horror movies, I don't know much, I know I like the early 30s universal horror movies and a few odd ones here and there. I realise I need to tune in and take note, I might learn something.

[RedRiver]

SVENGOOLIE is the name of a character; the silly host of the Saturday night horror feature. It's a program out of the Chicago market, been running off and on for decades. The channel is called ME TV, for Memorable Entertainment. They specialize in old TV shows, with the occasional movie. The channel is available nationwide, but not VERY wide. A lot of systems don't carry it.

[ChiO]

It's a program out of the Chicago market

Does that include BER-WYN?

Sven (as he's affectionately called) is the alter ego of Rich Koz (a fellow Pisces, I might add). An internet search of Koz and Svengoolie provides a wealth of worthless, but fun (for current and former Chicagoans), facts.

[MichiganJ]

Apparently there was that talk about a goofy "monster mash" to be produced by Universal called, I believe, The Devil's Brood, which was announced in the trades and was to feature virtually all of the monsters on the Universal lot, including The Mad Ghoul. Can't recall if Dracula's Daughter was intended to be added to the mix, but of course this crazy idea was simplified into House of Frankenstein. Would love to know the highly-paid publicity brainiac who came up with that original concept. Think about it: The Universal monster team all together in a 60-70 minute B-feature. Boggles the old melon.

With the success of Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, the studio heads at Universal were adamant at keeping their horror supremacy, particularly keeping an eye on what Lewton was doing at RKO. With Karloff returning to Universal, they came up with the idea of a super "horror epic."

The Hollywood Reporter of June 7, 1943 announced that Universal was developing Chamber of Horrors with an all-star cast of monsters including the Invisible Man, the Mummy and "other assorted monsters." The cast was said to include Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre, Rains and Hull. Curt Siodmak was given the task of writing the script but he just came up with the basic story and the script was written by Edward T. Lowe with the original title being Destiny. The revised script was retitled The Devil's Brood, which is what the film was called until shortly before its release where it was renamed the more commercial House of Frankenstein. While Siodmak and Lowe had agreed to drop Kharis (the Mummy) from the story, Universal teamed House of Frankenstein with The Mummy's Curse and raked in the dough.

[RedRiver]

This is essentially the concept of THE AVENGERS, JUSTICE LEAGUE and other "team ups." All your favorite heroes, or monsters, in one enticing package. Serial crime novels are doing the same thing now. The detective from one series meets the ace reporter from the other. But they need a lawyer. How about...this guy? I like the "House of..." movies. They're not nearly as literate as their thoughtful predecessors. But they're silly and harmless, and remind me of a comparatively innocent time when I was perfectly satisfied to spend a Saturday night watching them!

It's for this reason that I'm OK seeing Lon, Jr. as Dracula. He's not exactly refined; he looks more at home in Larry Talbott's tattered jeans than a cape and vest. But he's Lon Chaney, and it's Universal horror. That's all I need to know. Frankly, the results of this and similar efforts are better than the multi-million dollar ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER. Count Alucard is a welcome guest in my parlor anytime!

[charliechaplinfan]

SVENGOOLIE is the name of a character; the silly host of the Saturday night horror feature. It's a program out of the Chicago market, been running off and on for decades. The channel is called ME TV, for Memorable Entertainment. They specialize in old TV shows, with the occasional movie. The channel is available nationwide, but not VERY wide. A lot of systems don't carry it.

Ah, now I know, I shall appear here more often

[Western Guy]

Well, Lon Jr. was Universal's "horror ace" for a time, but sadly he quickly wore out his welcome. Bela may have been artistically temperamental, but Lon could (when he was in his cups, which was often) just be a plain . . . pain. Put him together with his equally brutish pal Brod Crawford and trouble was sure to be in store. Name dropping again, but Bob Stack acted with both in Badlands of Dakota (where he played Brod's bro', no less) and knew well of what he spoke. Between scenes, the boys (who became known to cast and crew as "the Monsters") would go off for some potent libations and when not beating the crap out of each other (all in good fun, of course) would find other destructive diversions. Must have been fun times at Universal, with Lou Costello stealing props and Lon and Brod destroying them.

MichiganJ -- Many thanks for the blurb from The Hollywood Reporter. Yes, that is where I'd heard of this bizarro announcement. As if Henry Hull would have reprised his WereWolf of London role . . . And Claude was to be brought back from his 10 year+ death to replay The Invisible Man . . . Yeah, right.

And I thought I was a creative writer.

[intothenitrate]

I heard a story on NPR recently about the "Route 66" television program. Apparently, there was an episode where the heroes of the series arrive at a town and stumble across (I believe I've got this right) characters played by Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Lon Chaney Jr. [I would be thrilled to hear anything about this episode, if anyone has seen it].

A caller phoned into the (NPR) program and said that the episode was filmed in her town and she went to see the stars with her friends. She was able to get Lon's autograph...which he signed on her forehead. Seemed like kind of a jerky thing to do.