As promised, faithful Crivvies, here's the Mego figure I alluded to in a previous post, newly arrived from a seller in Australia. Had it existed in the '60s, this is the sort of toy I'd have died for when I was a kid (which is a silly saying, as what good would that do me?), as I was (and still am) a big Boris Karloff fan, and nobody ever managed to match his peerless performance as the pathetic, patchwork Frankenstein Monster.
The good thing about this figure is that it actually has built-up boots, so it's taller than other Mego figures - just as it should be. Brilliant, innit?! I think this one draws my Mego collection to a close, but you know me - never say never!
Kid, I was recently reading an article in 'The Dark Side' magazine which claimed that Bela Lugosi turned down the role of the Frankenstein Monster which gave Karloff his big break. Have you ever heard that?
ReplyDeleteYes, it's a well-known fact, CJ. There's a poster (can't recall if it's on the blog or not) which publicises the (then) upcoming movie, and it's got Bela's name on it. He didn't want to do it because it had no lines, nor did he fancy sitting in a make-up chair for hours, though I don't think Jack Pierce had come up with his classic monster design at that time, or whether he was even involved at that stage. Karloff, on the other hand, thought that the Monster shouldn't ever speak, as he did in Bride Of Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteI recently bought the Boris Karloff 60s horror anthology series Thriller on dvd. 67 episodes which I'm looking forward to watching over the Christmas period. I think he just introduces the episodes rather than appearing in them
ReplyDeleteAlthough he was the host, AL, he appeared in a handful of episodes as well. He also did a radio show (can't recall its title) in which he also starred, but I think that was in the '40s - not sure, would need to check.
ReplyDeleteBoris Karloff is so iconic as the Frankenstein Monster that it's hard to imagine anybody else in the role.
ReplyDeleteI thought Lon Chaney Jr. and Glenn Strange did acceptable portrayals of the Monster, but Bela Lugosi (who DID eventually get the role) was awful. Even allowing for all references to the Monster being blind getting excised before release, he just didn't cut the mustard. Was probably too old by then anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe place where I got my first ever Marvel comic was demolished this morning. It was a kiosk in the town bus station and the entire bus station was being demolished after a brand new one opened last June. I was watching the demolition happening and it was an emotional moment as I was thinking of my mother buying me that comic, POTA #5, all those years ago on another Saturday morning.
ReplyDeleteIt's always sad when places from our childhood disappear, never to be seen again. At least it survives in memory. Did you take a photo of it before it was demolished, CJ? Glasgow Central used to have at least a couple of old-fashioned looking kiosks, which gave the train station a touch of class and were a nice reminder of an earlier age. I'm not quite sure when they were removed - sometime in the late '80s or early or mid '90s. The station may now look more modern, but has lost something of its charm.
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