Tonight on MeTV- you can knock on wood that a certain dummy from the Svengoolie family ( one besides Sven) steps in to provide a week’s respite from werewolves-in the film that reprises Bela Lugosi’s gripping portrayal of Ygor- who is out to help his massive “friend” return to full power – and deviously try to help himself to said power- in "Ghost of Frankenstein"!
Outraged citizens of the village that Dr. Frankenstein called home feel their homeland is cursed by his legacy-poverty and anguish seem to hang over them like a dismal cloud. They feel that all of tragedies that the Frankenstein family has inflicted on them are the reason for their condition- so they decide to destroy what's left of the Frankenstein castle, in hopes it will lift the curse. They storm the castle, ready to level the evil place- and finally be rid of the wily Ygor, who somehow survived what we thought was his death in the previous film “Son of Frankenstein” and still resides among the wreckage. As they advance with their attack, Ygor realizes he must escape, and heads down to the castle's catacombs- where he discovers the Monster, hidden and preserved in sulfur (after his fall into the sulfur pit in the previous film)! Since it cannot be killed- the Monster is still alive- but devastatingly weakened. Ygor helps the Monster sneak away from the mob destroying the castle, stumbling out into a thunderstorm- where a freak lightning strike helps to re-energize the undying creature! This gives Ygor hope that there may be a way to restore the Monster to his old powerful self- but the only one with the right knowledge to do so would have to be- another Frankenstein! The lone Frankenstein offspring he knows of is surviving son Ludwig Frankenstein, who now practices medicine in Bavaria.
So- the fiendish Odd Couple wend their way there, to the place where Ludwig’s work has met great acclaim. His remarkable research has brought about a major breakthrough in brain surgery- being able to remove a damaged brain- repair it- and then put it BACK in the patient's skull - totally cured! At his side to assist him are two colleagues- Dr Kettering, and one Dr. Bohmer- who was originally his teacher, but was disgraced after a surgical error. Bohmer is grateful for Ludwig’s standing by him in spite of that mishap- but still, he is bitter and more than a little jealous of his protégé’s achievements.
The citizens of Vasaria are treated to Ygor and the Monster making a scene when the Monster innocently tries to help a young girl retrieve her ball. The townspeople, remembering what the Monster has done with another small girl ( you remember, as well-the one he thought would float like a flower?) think the massive brute has grabbed the child with evil intent! It takes many men to take the still powerful Monster into custody! Ygor hides from the crowd, dismayed by their capture of his “friend”.
He realizes that only Dr Frankenstein might be able to save his father's creation. By coincidence, the town authorities also feel that perhaps the doctor can help them deal with the huge silent brute they have restrained. Ygor secretly drops by the doctor’s clinic, and, in no uncertain terms, tells the doctor that he will reveal Ludwig’s familial ties to the hulking menace to everyone- unless he steps in to help the Monster!
Ludwig visits town to help the authorities with their powerful captive- who, upon seeing the doctor, smiles as if in recognition of some family resemblance. As usual, his treatment enrages the Monster, who breaks free and escapes from the police with the help of Ygor. The fugitives take refuge in a hidden part of Ludwig’s clinic, but soon the doctor's lovely daughter finds out the truth about her father's family; and Ludwig finds himself at odds with whether to destroy the monster through dissection- or to restore his father’s creation to his previous power, as he is urged to do by- his father's ghost! (Yes, that’s where the title of this movie comes from!) Bohmer's jealousy and yearning to have his genius recognized and his standing in the scientific community restored leads to some double-crossing as he aligns himself with Ygor -to pull off a dastardly plan that can only make the Monster even more deadly!
This 1942 film falls in the Frankenstein series between “Son of Frankenstein" and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man", which we will air next week. It gives us the final performance by Bela Lugosi as Ygor- with Lon Chaney Jr. taking on the role of the Monster. Sir Cedric Hardwicke is Ludwig, Lionel Atwill is his aide Bohmer, and stock Universal player Evelyn Ankers is Ludwig’s daughter Elsa. Learn about the cast and the production, and enjoy a visit with the funny and adorable Dana Delorenzo of the late great “Ash VS Evil Dead" TV show – along with the whole movie framed around my "brother" Fraido taking over the show-while I am allegedly out on jury duty! Between him and Sventoonie, we are in the grip of a puppet regime!
"Ghost of Frankenstein" hits your screen on MeTV tonight at 8pm eastern/pacific, 7 central – if necessary, check local listings or at www.metv.com for time and channel in your area. MeTV invites you to again join the scores of Sven fans who live-Tweet during the show on Twitter, keeping our program trending right at the top of the list across the nation- just make sure to use the hashtag #svengoolie . Chicago area viewers can enjoy a second look at Larry Talbot becoming “The Wolf Man”- at 11 am on our CW26 station!
We will be dedicating tonight’s show to our friend Gilbert Gottfried, who passed away this week. Any time he visited our dungeon studio, we knew there would be so many laughs in store. We hope to pay tribute to him in a future program. We were so honored to have him as a fan- and as a friend.
Thanks to everyone who attended the live stage show anniversary of the classic radio showcase “Those Were the Days” last Sunday in Chicago. Appearing as my alter ego, it was great fun to help recreate some classic radio shows- including a George Burns and Gracie Allen routine. It was a great surprise to learn that some of the celebrity participants were longtime fans of our show! Look for more about this event- and Gilbert- in our next monthly newsletter.
We wish those celebrating it a happy Easter tomorrow- while tonight, that bad egg Ygor leads the Monster to turn his enemies into basket cases on MeTV!
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Frankenstein: “Your fur don’t scare me!!”
I wear a hat, so nobody sees it.
That'd be a hoot for Sven to show.
(Meanwhile, the channel that is supposed to be MeTV+ here still mirrors MeTV over the air.)
This guy is a king vulture...
I hear that there’s going to be a beatdown in Vassaria tomorrow night ~ so who’s the money on , Frankie or Wolfie ?
Should be about as good as KING KONG vs. GODZILLA !
It never ends well , , , but what will end well , for one fleet-fingered fiend , is the mad dash at midnight ~
Good luck ALL ~ my $’s on , , ,
to be continued , , ,
💛 Love Yinz 💙
No tarantulas In this one Girl !
I’m pooping out too ~ nitey nite !
💤 😴 💤
As I was saying, though the Universal movies always point out that the "monster" has been inadvertently given not only a psychologically defective criminal mind, but a physically damaged one as well-though there is some characterization of the monster as having some perception of him being different, and subsequently rejected, and understandable anger. Mostly, though, it seems that the monster, as portrayed by Karloff, is trying to find a way to cope with this new existence thrust upon him, and-depending on the movie-either decides on a suicide mission, input on what kind of brain he wants, or just a slave with no will of his own.
As for Hammer, with the exception of a few of the productions, they examined how the new "creature" was traumatized by regaining consciousness and-at some point- seeing different face looking back at them in some mirror.
First, let me give my condolences to MADave concerning the loss of his niece. Good thoughts and prayers to his family-and also to anyone else facing any adversity at this time
On a happier note-welcome back, Shayla! Hope you can hang around for a while.
I want to read that article about Lon Chaney, Jr. I have always thought that he had more talent than he got credit for, though some of that-to be fair-was brought on by his own actions. You can't give an admirable, memorable performance if there isn't talent there somewhere.
There's another idea I would like to expound on further, but I'll do that in another post shortly.😁
This was not the first horror film Kenton had directed. Nine years earlier, in 1933, he had directed one of the grimmest, most envelope-pushing horror movies released during the pre-Code era, Paramount's ISLAND OF LOST SOULS. He would go on to helm several more Universal shockers, its two final monster mashes, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HOUSE OF DRACULA, and the 1946 mystery-chiller, THE CAT CREEPS.
Surprisingly, Kenton's forte and background were not in horror or melodrama, but comedy. He had started out working for Mack Sennett, first, as a Keystone Kop, and later as a writer and director. During the 1940s, between his horror film assignments, Kenton directed several comedies for Universal, including three of Abbott and Costello's better vehicles from that period, PARDON MY SARONG, WHO DONE IT? and IT AIN'T HAY.
I had mentioned in previous posts how comedy directors have used some of the skills from that genre (logical use of contrivances, timing, and pacing) and transferred them effectively to the horror medium, since such material also demands attention paid to these same features.
Besides Kenton, four other comedy directors who made effective horror and sci-fi films were A. Edward Sutherland, Charles Barton, Arthur Lubin, and Edward Bernds. Sutherland was W. C. Fields' favorite director, yet he also helmed, for Paramount, one of its most audacious pre-Code chillers, MURDERS IN THE ZOO.
Similarly, Abbott and Costello's favorite director, Barton, helmed the classic horror-comedy ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (even his earlier film with the team, THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES, featured some horror mood, in the genuinely chilling seance sequence). Speaking of Abbott and Costello, there had earlier been Arthur Lubin, who had directed their first five starring vehicles for Universal Lubin later directed the studio's lavish 1943 Technicolor remake of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, with Claude Rains.
Finally, we have Edward Bernds, who had earlier directed the Three Stooges at Columbia from 1946 to 1952. He later did more macabre fare like WORLD WITHOUT END, QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE, RETURN OF THE FLY, and VALLEY OF THE DRAGONS.
Perhaps screams and laughs are not all that different after all.
