OF COMICS AND CRYPTS

This Canadian fanzine from November 1971 is split between a combination of comics and horror films, hence the title. Included are interviews with Jack Kirby and Carmine Infantino and a discussion on Kirby's Fourth World. The second half has features on Hammer's Dracula. Nice pro and fan art sprinkled throughout.

Lots more fanzines HERE.

THANK YOU, MR. MOTO

Filmed during Hollywood's era of ethnicity be damned, Peter Lorre starred in a series of Mr. Moto films based on the novels by John P. Marquand. Marquand wrote six Mr. Moto books and there were eight films featuring his character produced between 1937-1939 by 20th Century Fox. Rarely did an Asian actor play a lead role in Hollywood, especially in these types of films.

Mr. Moto was a Japanese secret agent/detective and Marquand wrote the stories when the SATURDAY EVENING POST was looking for a similar series after the death of Earl Derr Biggers, who had been writing the successful Charlie Chan series for them.

Peter Lorre as the titular character in "Thank You, Mr. Moto".

Released on 24 December 1937, THANK YOU, MR. MOTO was adapted from the novel of the same name that had been published just the year before. The screenplay was written by Wyllis Cooper, the creator of the old time radio shows, LIGHTS OUT and QUIET, PLEASE. He scripted several Mr. Moto films, as well as the screenplay for SON OF FRANKENSTEIN. Having watched it recently, I found it to be a quaint and enjoyable movie.

Lorre as Mr. Moto in disguise in the opening segment of the film.
Makeup is by Ben Nye.

Second in the series, the film is typical of the mystery/detective stories that were cranked out by Hollywood by the busload during this period until film noir became the theme du jour in the next decade.

Lorre, Pauline Frederick in her last film as Madame Chung (another Caucasian playing an Asian) and Philip Ahn as Prince Chung. 

This and other Mr. Moto movies were populated by a host of regular character actors that could be seen in many productions, both before and after. Many found a second career when television became a viable form of home entertainment. Other than murderers, there are no monsters in Mr. Moto movies, but as you can see, some of these actors played in horror and other genre films and shows.

Lorre and the lovely Jayne Regan.

Here is a list of some of the more well-known supporting cast members in THANK YOU, MR. MOTO.

• Sydney Blackmer as (CHARLIE CHAN AT MONTE CARLO, THE LADY AND THE MONSTER, as Roman Castavet in ROSEMARY'S BABY, numerous TV shows including, THRILLER, THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E. and THE OUTER LIMITS).
• John Carradine as Piereira (famous actor of stage and screen, including his performances in Universal's THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE BLACK CAT, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN, THE MUMMY'S GHOST, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HOUSE OF DRACULA).
• Victor Wong as Chinese curio shop merchant (SHADOW OF CHINATOWN, KING KONG, SON OF KONG and MR. MOTO TAKES A VACATION).
• James B. Leong as Peiping cop (THE MASK OF FU MANCHU, SON OF KONG, THE MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG, MR. MOTO TAKES A CHANCE and TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE).
• Philip Ahn as Prince Chung (THINK FAST, MR. MOTO, CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU, DRUMS OF FU MANCHU and many TV shows including as Master Kan in KUNG FU).

A review of THANK YOU, MR. MOTO from MOTION PICTURE HERALD (November 1937):

One sheet poster:

MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD CLASSIC RE-POST NO. 2

An early post I thought was worth taking another look at was this one -- actually two, as one was a follow-up to the other. These represented some of the first investigative topics that I wrote about in MMW.

Reprinted from MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD, December 31, 2010. This is an edited version of the original post.

FRANKENSTEIN'S 100th ANNIVERSARY

Another film celebrating a milestone this year -- this time a centennial -- is Thomas Edison's production of FRANKENSTEIN (1910). Long thought to be a lost film, the discovery in the Edison Archives of a copy of the March 1910 advert magazine, THE EDISON KINETOGRAM, offered a frightening glimpse of a Frankenstein monster that had after that became the stuff of legend. Unknown at the time, the remaining extant print was being jealously guarded by a private collector for many years. Short clips, sold for thousands of dollars per foot, were slowly and judiciously introduced into the market (to maximize profits, of course!). Finally, the owner was coaxed into a deal and a full print finally appeared. It is one of the very few success stories of a lost film being found . . . and intact.

Readers of early monster magazines got their first glimpse of the silent actor, Charles Ogle, in full make-up and costume as the monster in both FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND (issue #23) and CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN (issue #3 and later reprinted in the 1967 Fearbook).

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND NO. 23, June 1963

CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN NO. 3, 1963

CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN 1967 FEARBOOK

This is the follow-up post, reprinted from MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD, December 15, 2012.

THE EDISON FRANKENSTEIN CONTROVERSY

“I don’t think it’s egotism or conceit when I say I can’t honestly conjure up a vision of many filmonster fans standing at a newsstand confronted by FM and a couple of other titles, with only enough money to purchase one, and buying a title other than FM.”

– Forrest J Ackerman

In December, 2010 I published a post celebrating the 100th year of the Edison FRANKENSTEIN silent film. In it I mentioned the first two magazines that showed actual pictures from the EDISON KINETOGRAM cover depicting the monster.

I was wrong.

It turns out that -- like many historical events -- the truth is sometimes overshadowed by the pomp and circumstance surrounding their occurrence. As shown below in the editorial by Alan G. Barbour, recognition for the first “modern” magazine to carry the now-famous photo actually belongs to SCREEN FACTS (Vol. 1 No. 4, Fall 1963).

This claim is further bolstered by the discussion by author Frederick C. Wiebel, Jr. in his book, EDISON’S FRANKENSTEIN (Bear Manor Media, 2010). He mentions the discovery of the March 15, 1910 issue of the EDISON KINETOGRAM while researching an article about the FRANKENSTEIN films for SCREEN FACTS. Interestingly enough, while Mr. Wiebel comments on himself seeing the KINETOGRAM photo in both FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND and CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN, he fails to mention its earlier appearance in SCREEN FACTS, including listing it in as a source in the "Periodicals" bibliography of the book.

Nevertheless, editor Barbour asserts he was the first to run the photo according to his explanation:

“In the June 1963 issue of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, a magazine devoted primarily to printing pictures of monsters and its editor, a picture of the first Frankenstein Monster was presented. Since that time we have received many letters from our readers asking whether or not that was the FIRST publication of that picture in recent times. The answer is, of course, NO! The first publication of this picture was in SCREEN FACTS magazine number one (now out of print and a collector’s item). So that the record may be set straight on this rare SCREEN FACTS scoop, here are the facts (all backed up by indisputable evidence).

"November 1962: On a tip from Kirk Bond, Edward Connor uncovers the picture in the archives of the New York Public Library.

"January 1963: SCREEN FACTS magazine publishes the picture for the first time in recent history.

"January 1963: SCREEN FACTS gives a copy of the picture for publication to CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN magazine.

"February 1963: Forrest J. Ackerman orders ten copies of SCREEN FACTS number one which were shipped directly to his home by ENTERTAINMENT FILMS here in New York. (We still have his dated order form).

"June 1963: FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND publishes the picture of the Frankenstein Monster using such eye-catching front cover headlines as "THIS ISSUE - MOST UNUSUAL FRANKENSTEIN PICTURE EVER", and inside "50 Year Search Ends in FM Triumph!" The find was credited as follows: "Motion Picture historian Clark Wilkinson helped track the monster down & bring you this magic moment in FM history" (Ed. Mr. Wilkinson is also a SCREEN FACTS subscriber and received issue one in January 1963). Nowhere in the article does Mr. Ackerman credit the actual source (45 pages away in the front under the credits and acknowledgements listing SCREEN FACTS is listed, which we assume justifies the omission in the actual article). In fairness to the magazine, nowhere does it actually mention that it was the FIRST to print the picture. But then, did it actually have to?

"July 1963: CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN publishes the picture, understandably believing they were the first major magazine to have it (and they credited SCREEN FACTS!).

"We were content to let the matter ride, knowing full well that all our readers would, of course, know the truth. However, after reading the asinine and thoroughly unprofessional attack leveled by FAMOUS MONSTERS against a competitor in FM's current issue, we felt just a little TRUTH should sprout forth.

"We know Mr. Ackerman would NEVER fail to give credit where credit is due. We even wish FM well on their latest contest (the one where the kids must spend FOUR DOLLARS to buy two original scenarios). We are sure it will be as successful as the last (in which the kids had to buy a 4.95 make-up kit in order to enter).”

Interview with FJA from Famous Monsters #24 , March 1963.

The “attack” mentioned by Mr. Barbour was leveled against the short-lived WORLD FAMOUS CREATURES magazine. Admittedly, like a few other monster magazines of the day, WFC was a bit on the rough side, but to be singled out by Forry as a hack job was downright vicious -- and ultimately – unnecessary, especially when he explained earlier in the interview that he was dismissive of any rival publications.

Another curious point to ponder is that, in the two-part, multi-issue interview of the editor of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND (issue #’s 24 and 25), Mr. Ackerman pontificates on many ‘a topic, including his acerbic comments on FM’s competition. The comments are rather imperious to the point of being arrogant – strange coming from a person whose own ‘zine was, although benefited by somewhat more appealing art direction, mainly targeted for a teenage-and-younger audience.

There is no question that FJA and his publisher, Jim Warren, were protective of their product. After all, it was these two that launched the industry of the monster magazine in the first place. Combined with their unabashed self-promotion (how many pictures have you seen of Forry without a copy of FM in his hands?) and aggressive marketing, they were, indeed, a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, I do not have an example of the issue of SCREEN FACTS where the Edison Frankenstein is pictured. For now, I will be taking film historian Alan Barbour’s word as printed in his editorial.

And that is, indeed, a screen fact!