CLASSIC HORROR BEHIND THE SCENES: MONSTER BASH JULY 2024
I got a taste of the MONSTER BASH Conference this year, and was inspired to offer my readers a chance to get a free copy of CHANEY’S BABY!
By Bill Fleck, author of the Rondo-nominated book CHANEY’S BABY, available here.
Did you know? Two-time Rondo-Award winning filmmaker Thomas Hamilton is in the process of making VINCENT PRICE & THE ART OF LIVING. (I’m lucky enough to be a producer on the project.) Check out Tom’s latest HORROR ICONS update—featuring interview clips with Jessica Rains, Elizabeth Shepherd, and Yours Truly—by clicking here. For information about possibly joining the Ignition Group and helping to get HORROR ICONS produced, click here. Thanks!
Check out other articles on this Rondo-nominated blog by clicking here.
I want to give one of my readers a free, personalized copy of my Rondo-nominated nonfiction book CHANEY’S BABY. And the reason is because I attended my first Monster Bash Classic Monster Movie Conference last month.
I was inspired.
Sure, I’ve been to a variety of conferences over the years. Union conferences at the beautiful Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown NY. English conferences at the Desmond in Albany, NY. I performed at the National Association of Jazz Educators Conference in St. Louis, MO back in 1981. And I’ve been a regular at Chiller these past few years in Parsippany, NJ, where I was privileged to meet Sara Karloff.
But I hadn’t yet gone to a Monster Bash.
My trip to Monster Bash in Cranberry-Mars, PA—roughly six hours from my neck of the woods in upstate New York (if 75 miles north of New York City is really “upstate”)—was for a very cool purpose. I was to be interviewed by two-time Rondo-winning filmmaker Thomas Hamilton (BORIS KARLOFF: THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTER) for two of his upcoming HORROR ICONS documentaries: VINCENT PRICE & THE ART OF LIVING and THE CHANEYS: HOLLYWOOD’S HORROR DYNASTY.
Unfortunately for me, I could only attend for the better part of one day—Saturday, July 20…reason being that my mother-in-law had died only a few weeks before, and my own mother had moved out of state shortly thereafter to a retirement community, meaning my wife and I have TWO houses to clean out and put on the market. (Anyone who would like to throw me a pity party is encouraged to do so.)
There was no room left at the beautiful Pittsburgh Marriott North by the time I got around to booking. But a Hampton Inn about 45 minutes away served my purposes quite well when I arrived on July 19 for a quick bite, a couple of cold drinks, and some serious review of my notes.
I hit the conference Saturday morning all charged up. There were some pretty big names on the program: actresses Jessica Rains, Elizabeth Shepherd, and Diane Baker, as well as actor Daniel Roebuck and special effects legend Tom Savini.
[Above: Frank J. Dello Stritto’s latest book should prove to be interesting. A gifted writer and scholar, Frank is also a great guy.]
But the folks I really wanted to meet were my Monster Kid writing heroes: Frank J. Dello Stritto, Tom Weaver, and Gregory William Mank. Those folks—and others like them, such as Calvin Thomas Beck—did a lot of heavy lifting in Classic Horror scholarship, back in the day when research meant endless hours winding microfilm through a creaky contraption in the hopes that THE READER’S GUIDE TO PERIODICAL LITERATURE was correct. (Can you guess that I too have spent a little time on research projects prior to the internet?)
And they talked to a vast number of film legends who are no longer capable of giving interviews.
In short, a guy like me owes writers like them a huge debt.
My first encounter was with Frank, who has written both fiction and nonfiction books that set fire to the imagination (think A WEREWOLF REMEMBERS—THE TESTAMENT OF LAWRENCE STUART TALBOT). Frank is as nice as he is knowledgeable, and we had a great chat regarding CHANEY’S BABY and his latest, PATRON SAINTS OF THE LIVING DEAD, which has to do with intriguing backstories related to WHITE ZOMBIE (1932).
[Above: More Monster Bash loot by Greg Mank, Tom Weaver, Frank Dello Stritto, and a host of other distinguished contributors. Greg and his wife Barbara are very warm, friendly people, and Tom is as funny as he is talented. It was great to meet them all.]
Next, I ran into Greg Mank and his exuberant wife Barbara. Greg’s a tall guy—I’d say two-to-three inches above my six feet—with a warm personality. Barbara, who Greg will tell you is essential to his work, is very much the same. They smiled ruefully when I mentioned that I’d read IT’S ALIVE at the age of 18 when it came out in 1981, and graciously accepted my compliments on their work. As it turns out, Greg and I are both retired high school English teachers. We exchanged email addresses, so I hope to be in touch with the Manks in the future.
Finally, I found Tom Weaver and Lucy Chase Williams working a Creepy Classics table. Lucy was instrumental in helping Toby I. Cohen—her 90-year-old neighbor—complete CLAUDE RAINS: AN INVISIBLE MAN, the definitive biography of that distinguished actor. Tom is the author of hundreds of books and articles that have presented exciting new information to Monster Kids, and is the epitome of a scholar (or, as he’ll joke, “scholuh”).
So, imagine my surprise when Tom saw the “Bill” on my name tag and asked, “Are you Bill Fleck?”
Blown away, I stammered that I was, and Tom told me that I had to compete in his trivia contest later that morning.
[Above: Lucy Chase Williams was instrumental in helping her 90-year-old neighbor Toby I. Cohen put together this definitive biography of actor Claude Rains. Incidentally, Jessica Rains was at Monster Bash, and was interviewed by filmmaker Thomas Hamilton for his HORROR ICONS series.]
The contest—run with humor and flair by Tom and Lucy—centered on SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939). Among the questions:
1. Where is Wolf’s wife from? (America)
2. Who gave Benson his pocket watch? (His father)
3. About how many years have supposedly eclipsed from the end of BRIDE to the start of SON? (About fifty)
With Lucy being the perfect foil to Tom’s impish humor, everyone in the packed auditorium had a great and informative time.
About noon, I took an elevator and ascended to the eighth floor, where Thomas Hamilton greeted me via Zoom from London. Jenny Mettee of Voltage Films mic’d me up and lit the room expertly, and we spent the next three hours doing deep-dives into Lon Chaney, Lon Chaney Jr., and Vincent Price. Tom and Jenny have been sharing some clips with me as the projects evolve, and I’m here to tell you that this series of films is going to be groundbreaking.
[That’s me, being interviewed by filmmaker Tom Hamilton for HORROR ICONS. In this instance, I’m telling the story of the time I met Vincent Price (if interested, you can read that story by clicking here. You can view my interview clip here.)
But enough about me. Let’s get to this month’s Main Event…
Inspired by Tom Weaver and Lucy Chase Williams, I’m throwing a trivia contest of my own. It consists of 40 Classic Mystery/Horror questions. The first reader to send me an email (billfleckenterprises@gmail.com) with all 40 questions answered correctly will win a free, personalized, paperback copy of my Rondo-nominated book, CHANEY’S BABY.
Ready? Good luck!
1. Who was the stunt performer that Lon Chaney, Jr. sent flying through a prop glass window in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN?
a. Lenore Aubert
b. Helen Thurston
c. Jane Randolph
d. Bud Wolfe
2. Who understudied for star Lionel Atwill in Broadway’s DEBURAU (1920)?
a. Rouben Mamoulian
b. Irving Pichel
c. Fredric March
d. J. Edward Bromberg
3. Who punched Evelyn Ankers on the arm—which made her cry—while making NORTH TO THE KLONDIKE (1942)?
a. Brod Crawford
b. Andy Devine
c. Lon Chaney, Jr.
d. Richard Denning
4. What was the working title for the film eventually released as MAN MADE MONSTER (1941)?
a. THE ELECTRIC MAN
b. THE ATOMIC MONSTER
c. THE MAN IN THE CAB
d. THE MYSTERIOUS DR. R
5. Which KONG KONG actor was forced into giving up a successful motion picture company as a condition of signing with Universal?
a. Noble Johnson
b. Robert Armstrong
c. Bruce Cabot
d. Frank Reicher
6. What major award did Boris Karloff think looked “like a doorstop”?
a. The Oscar
b. The Grammy
c. The Toni
d. The Golden Globe
7. How much did Bela Lugosi earn per week making DRACULA (1931)?
a. $500
b. $750
c. $1000
d. $1250
8. Which actor turned down the part of Wolf in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939)?
a. Vincent Price
b. Cedric Hardwicke
c. George Zucco
d. Peter Lorre
9. Which actor toured with a popular lecture called “The Villains Still Pursue Me”?
a. Vincent Price
b. Basil Rathbone
c. Christopher Lee
d. Peter Lorre
10. Who is the cartoon genius behind TV’s HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966)?
a. Lee Mendelson
b. Chuck Jones
c. Tex Avery
d. Ralph Bakshi
[Above: Karloff and friend…but who was the genius behind the TV special? Monster Kids need to know…]
11. Who was Lon Chaney’s chauffeur and—as falsely rumored—“makeup man”?
a. Jack Pierce
b. George Westmore
c. Maurice Seiderman
d. John Jeske
12. Which pivotal artist on DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931) thought that Fredric March’s Hyde makeup would have “audiences rolling in the aisles”?
a. Cinematographer Karl Struss
b. Makeup artist Wally Westmore
c. Screenwriter Samuel Hoffenstein
d. Actress Rose Hobart
13. What was actor Glenn Strange’s nickname?
a. Tiny
b. Big Boy
c. Puny
d. Pee Wee
14. Who was the stunt performer for Boris Karloff on HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944)?
a. Gil Perkins
b. Cary Loftin
c. Bud Wolfe
d. Walter De Palma
15. The success of THE RAVEN (1963) inspired which subsequent film?
a. THE COMEDY OF TERRORS
b. TALES OF TERROR
c. THE TERROR
d. Dr. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS
16. In which Sherlock Holmes film does a clock strike 13?
a. THE HOUSE OF FEAR
b. SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH
c. THE SCARLET CLAW
d. THE WOMAN IN GREEN
17. Which of the stars of ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN could not stop laughing at Lou Costello’s ad-libs?
a. Bela Lugosi
b. Lon Chaney, Jr.
c. Glenn Strange
d. Lenore Aubert
18. Which author of Classic Horror books described the Mummy as “so slow-moving that escaping from his clutches is child’s play”?
a. Calvin Thomas Beck
b. Denis Gifford
c. R.H.W. Dillard
d. William K. Everson
19. Which film director was allegedly born Roland de Gostrie (or de Gastrie) in Dublin Bay?
a. Rowland V. Lee
b. Roy William Neill
c. Erle C. Kenton
d. Lew Landers
20. Lon Chaney biographer Michael F. Blake asserts that which actor was Universal’s first choice for DRACULA (1931)?
a. Chaney
b. John Wray
c. Conrad Veidt
d. Ian Keith
[Above: Was Lon Chaney Universal’s first choice to play DRACULA? I’ll never tell…you’re on your own.]
21. KING KONG (1933) was the childhood favorite movie of which actor in the 1976 remake?
a. Jeff Bridges
b. Charles Grodin
c. Jessica Lange
d. Ed Lauter
22. Which voice actor contributed to Kong’s roar in the 1976 remake?
a. Dan Castellaneta
b. Frank Welker
c. Don LaFontaine
d. Peter Cullen
23. Who designed the Gill Man from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)?
a. Bud Westmore
b. Jack Kevan
c. Milicent Patrick
d. Gabriel Figueroa
24. Which co-star of Vincent Price’s could not get through the finale of THE FLY (1958) without laughing hysterically?
a. Herbert Marshall
b. Charles Herbert
c. Herbert Lom
d. Percy Herbert
25. Legend has it that Lionel Atwill took home the live python from MURDERS IN THE ZOO (1933) as a pet. What did he name it?
1. Louise
2. Elsie
3. Paula
4. Sacha
26. Creighton Chaney sings “Thou Art My Baby” in the film GIRL O’ MY DREAMS (1934). Which film director wrote it (along with composer Edward Ward)?
a. Erle C. Kenton
b. George Waggner
c. Roy William Neill
d. Ida Lupino
27. Actress Evelyn Ankers’ dream was to become…
a. A ballerina
b. A radio star
c. A film producer
d. A stunt performer
28. According to director Robert Florey, he wanted Bela Lugosi to play which part in FRANKENSTEIN (1931)?
a. The Monster
b. Frankenstein, the scientist
c. Dr. Waldman
d. Ygor
29. Before cameras turned on THE COMEDY OF TERRORS, which two stars switched roles?
a. Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone
b. Basil Rathbone and Peter Lorre
c. Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff
d. Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone
30. According to Greg Mank, Boris Karloff plays which role in THE BLACK ROOM
(1935)?
a. Anton
b. Gregor
c. Anton and Gregor
d. Anton, Gregor, and Gregor pretending to be Anton
[Above: Boris Karloff in THE BLACK ROOM (1935). According to scholar Greg Mank, how many characters does Karloff play in the movie?]
31. Which arm of Inspector Krogh’s is the fake one in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939)?
a. The right
b. The left
c. Neither
d. Both
32. In what non-Wolf Man film does the Wolf Man’s feet appear in anyway?
a. NIGHT MONSTER
b. HORROR ISLAND
c. SON OF DRACULA
d. THE SHE-WOLF OF LONDON
33. Which eye of Chaney’s Mummy is blocked?
a. The right
b. The left
c. Both
d. Neither
34. In ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955), what is the Mummy’s name?
a. Im-ho-tep
b. Ardeth
c. Kharis
d. Klaris
35. In WHITE ZOMBIE (1932), who is Silver?
a. Beaumont’s butler
b. A missionary
c. A former executioner, now a zombie
d. Madeleine’s husband
36. “I told you never to come in this room,” Vollin chides his butler in THE RAVEN (1935), “unless I send for you!” Where is “this room”?
a. The torture chamber
b. The laboratory
c. Vollin’s office
d. The elevator bedroom
37. This stunt performer doubled both Fredric March and Spencer Tracy as Mr. Hyde…
a. Eddie Parker
b. Gil Perkins
c. Yakima Canutt
d. Edgar Metz
38. In Stevenson’s novella THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, Ivy…
a. was Hyde’s abuse victim
b. was Jekyll’s intended wife
c. was Jekyll’s maid
d. didn’t exist
39. In DR. X (1932), X is…
a. short for Xavier
b. the spot where the Moon Killer always attacks
c. the nickname of reporter Lee Taylor
d. the spot on the map indicating the location of the doctor’s lab in New York City
40. In THE WOLF MAN (1941), werewolves appear…
a. when “the moon is full and bright.”
b. when “the autumn moon is bright.”
c. “to instinctively kill the thing it loves best.”
d. “when science runs away with common sense.”
[Above: Moose hangs with Chaney on the set of FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943).]
Whew! There you go! How’d you do? Send those answers to: billfleckenterprises@gmail.com.
And don’t forget to check out the proposed HORROR ICONS series, and the new products available from the great folks at Creepy Classics (click here), proud sponsors of Monster Bash!
Note: The pictures used herein are intended for educational purposes only; I do not own the copyrights, and I do not make any money from this site.