1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:12,050 --> 00:00:15,310 Speaker 2: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh, and there's Chuck, 3 00:00:15,370 --> 00:00:19,530 Speaker 2: and Jerry Gould-Roland is here with us, too. And this 4 00:00:19,630 --> 00:00:23,140 Speaker 2: is Stuff You Should Know, kicking off the great month 5 00:00:23,180 --> 00:00:23,940 Speaker 2: of October. 6 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: That's right. One of our favorite months. I just watched 7 00:00:28,380 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: Backrooms last night. Didn't you tell me to see that? 8 00:00:30,770 --> 00:00:31,610 Speaker 2: Yeah, what did you think? 9 00:00:32,729 --> 00:00:35,490 Speaker 1: You know, I thought it was kind of cool while 10 00:00:35,510 --> 00:00:36,220 Speaker 1: I was watching it. 11 00:00:36,450 --> 00:00:38,370 Speaker 3: But it's one of those movies where after when I 12 00:00:38,390 --> 00:00:40,450 Speaker 3: thought about it, I really didn't like it very much. 13 00:00:41,830 --> 00:00:42,750 Speaker 2: What didn't you like about it? 14 00:00:43,750 --> 00:00:45,220 Speaker 3: It ended up like I liked it. I thought it 15 00:00:45,229 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 3: was cool looking and like had a lot of cool stuff. 16 00:00:47,620 --> 00:00:51,340 Speaker 3: But afterward, I was like, it felt like just some 17 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 3: kid had a bunch of cool ideas that didn't end 18 00:00:54,660 --> 00:00:56,620 Speaker 3: up making a movie. And then when I read the 19 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 3: background of the movie, I was like, oh, that's kind 20 00:00:58,820 --> 00:00:59,940 Speaker 3: of exactly what it was. 21 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,140 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess I didn't take it like that at all. 22 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,220 Speaker 2: I just enjoyed it on its face. I wasn't aware 23 00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:10,710 Speaker 2: of like the mythology behind it and everything like that, 24 00:01:10,910 --> 00:01:14,110 Speaker 2: which apparently it built on pretty well. 25 00:01:14,630 --> 00:01:14,810 Speaker 1: Yeah. 26 00:01:15,550 --> 00:01:18,250 Speaker 2: But yeah, I just liked it as it was, I think. 27 00:01:18,990 --> 00:01:19,170 Speaker 1: Yeah. 28 00:01:19,430 --> 00:01:20,789 Speaker 3: I think it felt like he was like, it'd be 29 00:01:20,830 --> 00:01:22,350 Speaker 3: cool if I did this and this would be cool 30 00:01:22,390 --> 00:01:23,110 Speaker 3: and this would be cool. 31 00:01:23,170 --> 00:01:25,750 Speaker 1: And if I introduced this agency, that'd be cool. And 32 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 1: then like none of that went anywhere. 33 00:01:27,780 --> 00:01:28,980 Speaker 3: And so I was kind of like, wait a minute, 34 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,810 Speaker 3: you can't just throw a bunch of cool things in 35 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 3: a movie and have it be a movie kid. 36 00:01:32,770 --> 00:01:34,670 Speaker 2: I don't, I disagree that that's what he did. 37 00:01:35,069 --> 00:01:35,229 Speaker 1: Yeah. 38 00:01:35,310 --> 00:01:37,850 Speaker 3: I mean, a lot of people liked it. So I'm, I'm, well, 39 00:01:37,870 --> 00:01:39,010 Speaker 3: I don't know about the minority because a lot of 40 00:01:39,030 --> 00:01:40,650 Speaker 3: people felt like I did too. So I think it's 41 00:01:40,730 --> 00:01:41,910 Speaker 3: devices what they say. 42 00:01:42,310 --> 00:01:44,750 Speaker 2: That's crazy. It's such a neat movie. Everybody just needs 43 00:01:44,770 --> 00:01:46,850 Speaker 2: to relax and enjoy a neat movie. 44 00:01:47,350 --> 00:01:47,610 Speaker 3: Yeah. 45 00:01:47,690 --> 00:01:48,970 Speaker 1: Just like everything you like. 46 00:01:48,990 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 2: Exactly. It drives me bananas. Yeah. So we are talking 47 00:01:55,310 --> 00:01:57,669 Speaker 2: about movies in particular, which I guess is why you 48 00:01:57,690 --> 00:01:58,590 Speaker 2: brought up Back Rooms. 49 00:01:58,850 --> 00:01:59,210 Speaker 1: That's right. 50 00:01:59,690 --> 00:02:01,210 Speaker 2: I got a couple of movies to shout out now 51 00:02:01,230 --> 00:02:03,970 Speaker 2: that I think about it. Have you seen Undertone? It's 52 00:02:04,070 --> 00:02:07,630 Speaker 2: a horror movie about a podcaster. So it's really like 53 00:02:07,690 --> 00:02:11,220 Speaker 2: right up your alley. I finally saw Martyrs, which is 54 00:02:11,260 --> 00:02:16,660 Speaker 2: an amazing movie that, yeah, that's a really amazing movie. 55 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,709 Speaker 2: And then I also saw The Devil's Bath. Okay. I 56 00:02:21,730 --> 00:02:25,089 Speaker 2: would not necessarily recommend that to everybody. It's a very 57 00:02:25,169 --> 00:02:28,460 Speaker 2: dark movie and it's in German and it's subtitled and 58 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:32,020 Speaker 2: it's set in the middle of the 18th century in 59 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:32,959 Speaker 2: rural Germany. 60 00:02:33,340 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: Tough watch? 61 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 2: Not in the way that you would think. It's more 62 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,140 Speaker 2: just like some of the gut punches that come through 63 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 2: are really hard gut punches. But if you're into like 64 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:47,230 Speaker 2: really disturbing, dark, psychological horror, I would recommend it. 65 00:02:47,750 --> 00:02:47,990 Speaker 1: All right. 66 00:02:48,730 --> 00:02:48,869 Speaker 3: Okay. 67 00:02:48,889 --> 00:02:53,210 Speaker 1: Okay. That sounds great. You want to talk about the uni-monsters? 68 00:02:53,470 --> 00:02:55,990 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're talking about the universal monsters, and we should 69 00:02:56,010 --> 00:02:58,250 Speaker 2: probably talk about horror films in general, because a lot 70 00:02:58,270 --> 00:03:02,070 Speaker 2: of people point to the universal monster movies starting in 71 00:03:02,130 --> 00:03:06,900 Speaker 2: the 1930s as essentially kicking off at least monster movies, 72 00:03:06,980 --> 00:03:10,340 Speaker 2: if not the horror genre itself. And there were other 73 00:03:10,820 --> 00:03:15,470 Speaker 2: horror movies that came first, but it wasn't until the 20s, 74 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,220 Speaker 2: pre-universal admittedly, that people started like, trying to scare audiences, 75 00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:23,510 Speaker 2: hence the beginning of horror movies. 76 00:03:24,110 --> 00:03:26,950 Speaker 1: Yeah. Specifically, the cabinet of Dr. 77 00:03:27,510 --> 00:03:30,530 Speaker 3: Caligari and Nosferatu in the early 1920s kind of got 78 00:03:30,550 --> 00:03:33,329 Speaker 3: that going. But like you said, it was really the 79 00:03:33,710 --> 00:03:37,510 Speaker 3: 1930s when we got Draculas and Frankensteins and mummies and 80 00:03:37,570 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 3: wolf men and stuff like that, that things really kicked off. 81 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 3: And we have a family to thank for that. If 82 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,190 Speaker 3: you I don't know if these theaters are still there. 83 00:03:46,210 --> 00:03:48,369 Speaker 3: I really hope they are. I'm sure they're still there. 84 00:03:48,390 --> 00:03:50,610 Speaker 3: I don't know if they have been taken over by 85 00:03:50,630 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 3: a different name. But the Lamley theaters in Los Angeles 86 00:03:54,570 --> 00:03:57,910 Speaker 3: were always these great sort of usually independently minded or, 87 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,820 Speaker 3: you know, showing maybe not the first run big hits 88 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 3: of the day. And there were a few Lamley theaters 89 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,420 Speaker 3: and they come from the Lamley family, which is where 90 00:04:08,460 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 3: Universal Studios comes from. A German immigrant in 1906 named 91 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 3: Carl Lamley. opened a Nickelodeon in Chicago, and a few 92 00:04:16,180 --> 00:04:19,909 Speaker 3: years later opened up the Independent Motion Picture Company, and 93 00:04:19,930 --> 00:04:22,890 Speaker 3: then merged with a few other companies to create Universal 94 00:04:22,990 --> 00:04:24,130 Speaker 3: Pictures in 1912. 95 00:04:24,130 --> 00:04:29,510 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then 1915, they opened a 230-acre studio in 96 00:04:29,650 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 2: Los Angeles. So in nine years, that guy went from 97 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 2: opening a Nickelodeon to starting a major motion picture company. 98 00:04:37,990 --> 00:04:41,070 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, not major yet because the majors were the 99 00:04:41,110 --> 00:04:44,090 Speaker 3: big five at the time. Paramount, Fox, Warner Brothers, RKO 100 00:04:44,130 --> 00:04:48,529 Speaker 3: and Lowe's. It's crazy to think about Universal and Columbia 101 00:04:48,550 --> 00:04:52,170 Speaker 3: being and United Artists being the upstarts. But that's what 102 00:04:52,210 --> 00:04:54,810 Speaker 3: they were in the early 1900s film business. 103 00:04:55,510 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 2: So, yeah, it was it was actually Lemley's son who 104 00:05:00,660 --> 00:05:03,979 Speaker 2: really put Universal on the map, as we'll see. But 105 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 2: Lemley Sr. had a part to play in that. He 106 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:12,250 Speaker 2: ended up. basically starting the star system in the movie 107 00:05:12,510 --> 00:05:17,830 Speaker 2: industry by taking one actress, Florence Lawrence. Good Lord, the 108 00:05:17,990 --> 00:05:23,170 Speaker 2: Lemley family and Florence Lawrence together at last. And he 109 00:05:23,610 --> 00:05:26,669 Speaker 2: started a publicity campaign that focused on her. And this 110 00:05:26,730 --> 00:05:30,510 Speaker 2: was new because up to that point, it was like actor, actor, 111 00:05:30,790 --> 00:05:33,230 Speaker 2: I don't care who you are. I'm here for the story. 112 00:05:33,730 --> 00:05:37,050 Speaker 2: He made Florence Lawrence like the point to go see 113 00:05:37,290 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 2: a movie. And he did it in fairly dastardly, amusing fashion. 114 00:05:42,620 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, he created a fake story about her dying in 115 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 3: a car crash and then blamed her former employer, Biograph, 116 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,260 Speaker 3: for creating that fake story to begin with because they 117 00:05:53,300 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 3: were mad that they lost her to Universal. So this 118 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,460 Speaker 3: created a lot of publicity buzz and, you know, kind 119 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:00,979 Speaker 3: of helped create that star system. 120 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 2: Sure. And it's just such a great indicator of like 121 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:10,310 Speaker 2: how kind of rogue do yourself underground the early days 122 00:06:10,410 --> 00:06:14,409 Speaker 2: of film were yeah especially when you compare it to 123 00:06:14,470 --> 00:06:17,430 Speaker 2: how the whole industry is today it's neat to just 124 00:06:17,470 --> 00:06:20,770 Speaker 2: think of it as created by initially by artists who 125 00:06:20,790 --> 00:06:23,310 Speaker 2: were dedicated to their art and were coming up with 126 00:06:23,390 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 2: neat innovative things to do is really well portrayed in 127 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 2: the shadow of the vampire with john malkovich where they're 128 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,010 Speaker 2: making nosferatu Yeah, there are. 129 00:06:32,970 --> 00:06:36,270 Speaker 3: Quite a few movies about this era because I think 130 00:06:36,310 --> 00:06:37,229 Speaker 3: it's just so fascinating. 131 00:06:37,529 --> 00:06:40,770 Speaker 2: Yeah. But moving on, getting back to the monster stuff, 132 00:06:41,620 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 2: Universal had already done a couple of monster pictures that are, 133 00:06:45,380 --> 00:06:49,219 Speaker 2: depending on who you ask, part of the Universal monster canon. 134 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:54,140 Speaker 2: The first one is pretty highly debatable. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. 135 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:57,539 Speaker 2: Hyde came out in 1913. It was the first universal 136 00:06:57,620 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 2: monster movie of any kind. But it was 26 minutes long. 137 00:07:01,540 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 2: So a lot of people are like, that's not feature length. 138 00:07:03,790 --> 00:07:05,070 Speaker 2: I don't know if we can count that. 139 00:07:05,770 --> 00:07:06,410 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. 140 00:07:06,430 --> 00:07:10,550 Speaker 3: 1920s, you got The Hunchback of Notre Dame and then 141 00:07:10,590 --> 00:07:14,310 Speaker 3: The Phantom of the Opera two years later in 1925. 142 00:07:14,310 --> 00:07:17,910 Speaker 3: These are noteworthy because Lon Chaney Sr., the man of 143 00:07:17,930 --> 00:07:20,170 Speaker 3: a thousand faces starred in these and the Chaney family 144 00:07:20,190 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 3: would figure heavily in his son's life for the Universal 145 00:07:25,820 --> 00:07:26,460 Speaker 3: Monster series. 146 00:07:26,890 --> 00:07:29,690 Speaker 2: Yeah, Lon Chaney Sr. is a really interesting guy in 147 00:07:29,730 --> 00:07:33,910 Speaker 2: and of himself. He was in 157 or 150 films 148 00:07:34,150 --> 00:07:36,070 Speaker 2: from the 20s to the 30s. And he did his 149 00:07:36,150 --> 00:07:38,330 Speaker 2: own makeup, right? He was known as the man of 150 00:07:38,370 --> 00:07:40,930 Speaker 2: a thousand faces. And he was such an expert on 151 00:07:40,970 --> 00:07:44,970 Speaker 2: makeup that he wrote the Encyclopedia Britannica entry for makeup. 152 00:07:46,010 --> 00:07:49,030 Speaker 2: And there was a joke from the 20s. It was, 153 00:07:49,130 --> 00:07:51,730 Speaker 2: don't step on that spider. It might be Lon Chaney. 154 00:07:51,750 --> 00:07:55,550 Speaker 2: That's how good he was considered in getting into weird 155 00:07:55,610 --> 00:07:56,490 Speaker 2: different characters. 156 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:57,740 Speaker 1: That's pretty fun. 157 00:07:58,160 --> 00:07:58,780 Speaker 2: I thought so too. 158 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 3: All right, so the studio is putting out spooky movies 159 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,620 Speaker 3: at this point. They're in haunted mansions sometimes. They're in 160 00:08:07,660 --> 00:08:10,580 Speaker 3: strange places. This is between like 25 and 30 when 161 00:08:10,620 --> 00:08:14,740 Speaker 3: the talkies are happening. And then in 1931 when Carl 162 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 3: Lamley Jr., I think he's taken over a couple of 163 00:08:18,140 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 3: years by this point. He started as head of production 164 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,060 Speaker 3: in 1928 at just 21 years old and then won 165 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,180 Speaker 3: an Oscar for All Quiet on the Western Front. Um, 166 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 3: even though they were like, this is a Nepo baby kid, uh, he, 167 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 3: he really was putting out some pretty good movies. And 168 00:08:33,820 --> 00:08:37,070 Speaker 3: as far as the monsters cannon goes, hit it out 169 00:08:37,110 --> 00:08:38,929 Speaker 3: of the park, out of the gate with Dracula. 170 00:08:39,550 --> 00:08:42,589 Speaker 2: Yeah. From 1931, which turned out to be a really 171 00:08:42,670 --> 00:08:45,790 Speaker 2: big year for monster movies. Um, it kicked off with 172 00:08:45,820 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 2: Dracula and Valentine's day, 1931, and it was marketed as 173 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,740 Speaker 2: a romance, which it is. It's a tragic romance in 174 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:57,860 Speaker 2: a lot of ways. And Nosferatu, the actual 1920s film 175 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:03,929 Speaker 2: starring Max Schreck, was not authorized by Bram Stoker's estate. 176 00:09:04,070 --> 00:09:08,390 Speaker 2: So it wasn't based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. It was 177 00:09:08,610 --> 00:09:12,950 Speaker 2: Nosferatu instead. This was based on Bram Stoker's version, but 178 00:09:12,970 --> 00:09:16,340 Speaker 2: they adapted it from a stage play. And they hired 179 00:09:16,380 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 2: a director named Todd Browning, who made what I think 180 00:09:19,820 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 2: is one of the great revenge movies of all time, Freaks, 181 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,780 Speaker 2: in 1932. But this was the year before he was 182 00:09:26,820 --> 00:09:27,980 Speaker 2: directing Dracula. 183 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:29,060 Speaker 1: That's right. 184 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 3: We didn't do a whole episode on Freaks, but we 185 00:09:31,700 --> 00:09:34,179 Speaker 3: mentioned it, I guess, in our– we did an episode 186 00:09:34,220 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 3: about that. 187 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 2: About Freak Shows. 188 00:09:36,780 --> 00:09:39,500 Speaker 1: Yeah, Freak Shows. I didn't know how to say it 189 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 1: in 2026. 190 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:41,690 Speaker 2: I think that's still how they say it. 191 00:09:42,140 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: Okay. 192 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 3: So Todd 1D Browning is a big shot director at 193 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:51,220 Speaker 3: this point. He's making spooky movies. He's working with Lon 194 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 3: Chaney Sr., It probably would have been Lon Chaney Sr. 195 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 3: as Dracula, but he died in 1930 of bronchial cancer. 196 00:09:59,580 --> 00:10:02,780 Speaker 3: So he looked around and he said, who can I 197 00:10:02,820 --> 00:10:03,819 Speaker 3: pick to be Dracula? 198 00:10:03,900 --> 00:10:04,780 Speaker 1: Who, who, who? 199 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:09,929 Speaker 3: And this scary looking Hungarian said, why don't you pick me? 200 00:10:10,230 --> 00:10:15,870 Speaker 2: Yeah. So Bela Lugosi, every single Dracula idea or impression 201 00:10:15,910 --> 00:10:20,030 Speaker 2: like you just did That all comes from Bela Lugosi's 202 00:10:20,030 --> 00:10:22,729 Speaker 2: 1931 performance. And the reason they picked him is, remember, 203 00:10:22,750 --> 00:10:27,290 Speaker 2: this was adapted from the stage adaptation. And Bela Lugosi 204 00:10:27,550 --> 00:10:30,110 Speaker 2: had already made a name for himself starring in the 205 00:10:30,150 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 2: stage adaptation on Broadway. They were like, we think you 206 00:10:33,380 --> 00:10:35,500 Speaker 2: got the chops for this. And it was a very 207 00:10:35,540 --> 00:10:39,300 Speaker 2: good casting decision because I watched it last night for 208 00:10:39,340 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 2: the first time. And he does an astounding job. 209 00:10:42,820 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: It's great. And by chops, you mean literal fangs. 210 00:10:45,700 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 2: That's right. 211 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 3: So what did you think of it, watching it today? 212 00:10:51,140 --> 00:10:53,500 Speaker 1: Do you ever watch old, old movies like that? 213 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:59,620 Speaker 2: Sometimes. So last night, for work, which is pretty awesome, 214 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,590 Speaker 2: I watched Dracula. I watched The Bride of Frankenstein. And 215 00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:05,070 Speaker 2: I watched The Invisible Man. All three for the first time. 216 00:11:05,090 --> 00:11:06,710 Speaker 1: The Invisible Man is good. 217 00:11:07,190 --> 00:11:09,410 Speaker 2: Yes. So was The Bride of Frankenstein. I think it 218 00:11:09,450 --> 00:11:10,910 Speaker 2: was the best of the bunch. 219 00:11:11,410 --> 00:11:12,110 Speaker 1: Yeah. 220 00:11:13,090 --> 00:11:16,670 Speaker 2: It made me more open to watching movies. old films 221 00:11:16,929 --> 00:11:21,430 Speaker 2: as well. Yeah. They were amazingly done, like the lighting, 222 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,100 Speaker 2: the direction, the shots, like all this stuff, but also 223 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,900 Speaker 2: the storytelling. It was really, it sucks you in. And 224 00:11:27,940 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 2: if you look at the runtimes of these things, they're 225 00:11:30,020 --> 00:11:31,500 Speaker 2: just barely over an hour. 226 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:32,179 Speaker 1: Yeah. 227 00:11:32,660 --> 00:11:38,290 Speaker 2: And they're still getting everything across in beautiful fashion. So, yeah, 228 00:11:38,370 --> 00:11:40,190 Speaker 2: there's a couple of movies that came up in this 229 00:11:40,230 --> 00:11:42,350 Speaker 2: research that I want to go watch now. Yeah. 230 00:11:42,390 --> 00:11:44,050 Speaker 3: I mean, if you watch movies from the 30s, that 231 00:11:44,090 --> 00:11:45,790 Speaker 3: black and white, if you have like a good TV, 232 00:11:45,890 --> 00:11:48,770 Speaker 3: it still looks incredible. It's not like this old grainy, 233 00:11:48,850 --> 00:11:52,219 Speaker 3: like weird looking thing. Like it is sharp and it 234 00:11:52,260 --> 00:11:53,700 Speaker 3: looks amazing. Yeah. 235 00:11:53,860 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 2: But you want to put your motion smoothing on your 236 00:11:57,020 --> 00:12:01,140 Speaker 2: TV to make sure you can enjoy it to its 237 00:12:01,220 --> 00:12:02,100 Speaker 2: maximum potential. Yeah. 238 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: All right, so Lugosi is doing his thing. 239 00:12:06,340 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 3: In the 1930s when the talkies were starting to become 240 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,790 Speaker 3: really popular and they didn't have other film industries yet, 241 00:12:12,809 --> 00:12:15,189 Speaker 3: it was kind of like Hollywood was the thing. They 242 00:12:15,210 --> 00:12:18,910 Speaker 3: would oftentimes shoot the same movie in a different language, 243 00:12:19,110 --> 00:12:20,390 Speaker 3: sometimes multiple languages. 244 00:12:20,929 --> 00:12:22,230 Speaker 1: And that was the case with Dracula. 245 00:12:22,290 --> 00:12:24,310 Speaker 3: Like when they were shooting Dracula on the uni lot 246 00:12:24,330 --> 00:12:27,230 Speaker 3: during the day, they were– by the way, I keep 247 00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:27,590 Speaker 3: saying that. 248 00:12:27,650 --> 00:12:28,250 Speaker 1: It's obnoxious. 249 00:12:28,290 --> 00:12:31,329 Speaker 3: That's what– when I worked out there, that's what everyone 250 00:12:31,370 --> 00:12:34,350 Speaker 3: called it. who worked in the film business, so I'm 251 00:12:34,390 --> 00:12:37,870 Speaker 3: not trying to be like, that was an insider, but 252 00:12:37,929 --> 00:12:39,070 Speaker 3: it's just ingrained in me. 253 00:12:39,630 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 2: It hasn't come across as obnoxious at all. 254 00:12:41,710 --> 00:12:44,190 Speaker 1: Okay, good. So the uni lot, everybody. 255 00:12:46,030 --> 00:12:48,340 Speaker 3: They were shooting Dracula during the day, and then at 256 00:12:48,410 --> 00:12:51,410 Speaker 3: night they had a completely separate crew and cast and 257 00:12:51,429 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 3: director and everything shooting a Spanish version of Dracula. Its director, 258 00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:00,040 Speaker 3: George Melford, was American, so didn't speak Spanish, had a translator, 259 00:13:00,620 --> 00:13:03,630 Speaker 3: and a lot of people are like, This version's better, actually, 260 00:13:03,650 --> 00:13:05,650 Speaker 3: because they saw what was going on during the day 261 00:13:05,730 --> 00:13:07,250 Speaker 3: and improved on it at night. 262 00:13:07,670 --> 00:13:11,870 Speaker 2: Exactly. Yeah, I think it has a longer runtime, too, 263 00:13:11,950 --> 00:13:16,569 Speaker 2: because when they re-released Dracula a few years after its premiere, 264 00:13:17,110 --> 00:13:20,030 Speaker 2: the Hays Code existed now, which was censorship, so they 265 00:13:20,050 --> 00:13:22,860 Speaker 2: had to cut it down even further. And the Spanish 266 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 2: version didn't have to undergo that same thing. So I've 267 00:13:25,700 --> 00:13:28,260 Speaker 2: not seen that one, but I can imagine it's pretty good. 268 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,189 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'd like to check it out. All right, so 269 00:13:31,250 --> 00:13:34,310 Speaker 3: Dracula was a big hit. I promised we were going 270 00:13:34,330 --> 00:13:35,910 Speaker 3: to introduce you to a little guy named Frank. 271 00:13:36,490 --> 00:13:39,530 Speaker 1: I lied. It's actually a big guy named Frank. Frankenstein. 272 00:13:40,429 --> 00:13:44,500 Speaker 3: This was released Thanksgiving 1931, directed by the great James Whale. 273 00:13:45,420 --> 00:13:48,500 Speaker 3: He was a Brit. I mentioned other movies made about 274 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,460 Speaker 3: this era. There's a great, great film called Gods and 275 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:55,179 Speaker 3: Monsters about the final days of James Whale that I 276 00:13:55,220 --> 00:13:55,860 Speaker 3: highly recommend. 277 00:13:56,220 --> 00:13:57,590 Speaker 2: Oh, I didn't know that was about him. 278 00:13:58,130 --> 00:13:58,929 Speaker 1: Yeah. 279 00:13:59,030 --> 00:14:01,630 Speaker 2: I noticed there's a huge difference, you can tell, between 280 00:14:01,740 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 2: Todd Browning's Dracula, the way that's directed, and the way 281 00:14:05,179 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: that The Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, which 282 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 2: James Whale did both of those, are directed. And I'm much— like, 283 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 2: I love freaks, but I'm now a big James Whale fan. 284 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:15,420 Speaker 2: He was amazing. 285 00:14:15,450 --> 00:14:16,969 Speaker 1: Oh, nice. You should check out Gods and Monsters. 286 00:14:17,050 --> 00:14:17,270 Speaker 2: I will. 287 00:14:17,290 --> 00:14:17,490 Speaker 1: Good money. 288 00:14:17,809 --> 00:14:18,150 Speaker 2: I will. 289 00:14:19,530 --> 00:14:24,390 Speaker 3: So Frankenstein adapted also from a stage play. And, you know, 290 00:14:24,410 --> 00:14:25,750 Speaker 3: like you said, he had a lot of flair as 291 00:14:25,790 --> 00:14:29,670 Speaker 3: a director, right? I think he was influenced by like 292 00:14:29,710 --> 00:14:33,630 Speaker 3: German cinema at the time, which, you know, the time 293 00:14:33,670 --> 00:14:35,540 Speaker 3: was probably a little more interesting than what was going 294 00:14:35,580 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 3: on in Hollywood. 295 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,420 Speaker 1: So lots of like really cool stuff. 296 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,300 Speaker 3: And especially in The Invisible Man, which we'll talk about, 297 00:14:41,340 --> 00:14:48,030 Speaker 3: like that invisible, like for the 1930s, the little trick 298 00:14:48,050 --> 00:14:50,650 Speaker 3: he did to make him seem invisible, like still holds 299 00:14:50,710 --> 00:14:51,430 Speaker 3: up pretty well, I think. 300 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,590 Speaker 2: I agree. I was very impressed by it. There's only 301 00:14:54,610 --> 00:14:56,210 Speaker 2: a couple of times where you're like, the thing he's 302 00:14:56,230 --> 00:14:59,510 Speaker 2: holding looks a little invisible too. But for the most part, 303 00:14:59,590 --> 00:15:02,470 Speaker 2: it was, I imagine it just knocked everybody's socks off 304 00:15:02,530 --> 00:15:05,910 Speaker 2: back then if it still holds up today. Yeah. But 305 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,300 Speaker 2: that was a, it was a really cool, interesting movie. 306 00:15:08,860 --> 00:15:12,830 Speaker 2: And it did kind of go to show just what 307 00:15:13,050 --> 00:15:15,750 Speaker 2: this studio was capable of now and the kind of 308 00:15:15,790 --> 00:15:19,510 Speaker 2: things they were doing. And this is all pretty quick, right? 309 00:15:19,550 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 2: I think The Invisible Man just came out two years 310 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,660 Speaker 2: after their first movie, Dracula. So they were gaining by 311 00:15:26,740 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 2: leaps and bounds very quickly. 312 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, and establishing sort of the tropes or the standby 313 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,090 Speaker 3: stuff that these movies would be known for forevermore, like 314 00:15:36,170 --> 00:15:39,650 Speaker 3: a mad scientist lab, a hunchback assistant. 315 00:15:39,870 --> 00:15:42,740 Speaker 1: Mm-hmm. It was Fritz in the first one. 316 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:44,420 Speaker 3: Igor came along a little bit later, I think in 317 00:15:44,420 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 3: 1939 with Son of Frankenstein. But this Frankenstein played by 318 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 3: Boris Karloff was only grunted. 319 00:15:53,220 --> 00:15:55,700 Speaker 1: It wasn't like the book version, Mary Shelley's version. 320 00:15:56,300 --> 00:16:01,300 Speaker 2: Yes. Until they made The Bride of Frankenstein. Have you 321 00:16:01,330 --> 00:16:02,710 Speaker 2: seen that one? Oh, yeah. 322 00:16:02,990 --> 00:16:03,250 Speaker 1: Okay. Okay. 323 00:16:03,980 --> 00:16:07,620 Speaker 2: In this one, the monster learns to talk. And Boris Karloff, 324 00:16:07,660 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 2: who played Frankenstein and made his career, started his career 325 00:16:11,620 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 2: by playing Frankenstein, he was like, I don't think we 326 00:16:14,020 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 2: should have let the monster learn to talk. Because he's 327 00:16:17,460 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 2: like friend good to start and ends up like telling Dr. Frankenstein, 328 00:16:24,260 --> 00:16:27,830 Speaker 2: like you can sleep after you're done working by the 329 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:30,750 Speaker 2: end of the movie. They also teach him to smoke 330 00:16:30,810 --> 00:16:31,210 Speaker 2: and drink. 331 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 1: Which is kind of. 332 00:16:32,660 --> 00:16:38,570 Speaker 2: Funny to see. And I saw that it's basically described 333 00:16:38,590 --> 00:16:40,790 Speaker 2: by a lot of people as campy, like James Whale 334 00:16:41,370 --> 00:16:45,730 Speaker 2: intentionally made The Bride of Frankenstein a little sillier than 335 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,260 Speaker 2: the original Frankenstein was, and that it kind of comes across. 336 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,630 Speaker 2: And that also Dr. Pretorius, who's the He's even more 337 00:16:54,750 --> 00:16:58,100 Speaker 2: mad than Dr. Frankenstein. He's the real bad guy of 338 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:03,300 Speaker 2: this movie, Bride of Frankenstein, that he's a clearly gay 339 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,980 Speaker 2: or queer character, I guess, is how film buffs put 340 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 2: it today. Yeah. 341 00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:11,780 Speaker 3: Well, James Whale was gay. So the gay community in 342 00:17:11,820 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 3: camp maybe have always gone hand in hand. 343 00:17:16,770 --> 00:17:17,030 Speaker 2: You know? 344 00:17:17,350 --> 00:17:17,530 Speaker 3: Yeah. 345 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,980 Speaker 1: Have you seen The Bride, the latest Maggie Gyllenhaal's film? 346 00:17:22,380 --> 00:17:26,500 Speaker 2: I have, but without sound. I watched it over someone's 347 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 2: shoulder on an airplane. And it looks pretty good. 348 00:17:30,790 --> 00:17:31,650 Speaker 1: So you really saw it, huh? 349 00:17:31,990 --> 00:17:35,490 Speaker 2: It looks good. You know what's funny, though? I noticed 350 00:17:35,530 --> 00:17:41,690 Speaker 2: there's a conversation between Dr. Pretorius and Frankenstein's monster in 351 00:17:41,869 --> 00:17:46,550 Speaker 2: a crypt. And they're talking basically about how You know, 352 00:17:46,790 --> 00:17:50,290 Speaker 2: the dead are good. The living are bad. And I 353 00:17:50,390 --> 00:17:53,149 Speaker 2: think that's kind of like the premise of The Bride, 354 00:17:53,210 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 2: isn't it? 355 00:17:55,060 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, I didn't think it was that great. 356 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: I like it was a big swing. 357 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:00,619 Speaker 3: And I like I love that she made this movie 358 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 3: and that the studio put money behind her to make 359 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:04,620 Speaker 3: this kind of weird movie. Sure. 360 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: But a lot of this stuff didn't work for me, unfortunately, 361 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:09,340 Speaker 1: is my review. 362 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,820 Speaker 2: Hey, we've always got Secretary. 363 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,139 Speaker 1: I love that movie. 364 00:18:14,180 --> 00:18:16,859 Speaker 2: Man, that's a good movie. All right. 365 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,060 Speaker 3: Well, speaking of movies, let's talk about a few more 366 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 3: of these monster movies because they start churning these things 367 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,820 Speaker 3: out in the 1930s because they realized they had an 368 00:18:24,859 --> 00:18:28,510 Speaker 3: audience that was rabid for this spooky stuff. And so 369 00:18:28,650 --> 00:18:32,810 Speaker 3: the first mummy movie came about in 1932. Keep in mind, 370 00:18:32,830 --> 00:18:35,770 Speaker 3: this is just about 10 years later after King Tutankhamen's 371 00:18:35,810 --> 00:18:39,270 Speaker 3: tomb had been opened. So, you know, we've talked before 372 00:18:39,290 --> 00:18:43,330 Speaker 3: about Egypt fever striking the United States, and that was 373 00:18:43,570 --> 00:18:45,930 Speaker 3: why they released the mummy. But this was not yet 374 00:18:46,530 --> 00:18:49,070 Speaker 3: The bandage-wrapped mummy monster at this point. 375 00:18:49,109 --> 00:18:49,770 Speaker 1: That would come later. 376 00:18:50,010 --> 00:18:54,530 Speaker 2: No, he was a very smart, very evil Egyptian high 377 00:18:54,609 --> 00:19:00,360 Speaker 2: priest that was reborn, reanimated, I guess, into modern times, 378 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:01,500 Speaker 2: wearing a fez. 379 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 1: That's right. Boris Karloff again in this case. 380 00:19:04,460 --> 00:19:08,719 Speaker 2: Yes. And it's hard to understate how big a star 381 00:19:09,100 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 2: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and some of the supporting actors 382 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,199 Speaker 2: became from these movies, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And they 383 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 2: were also, they were knocking them out. And some of 384 00:19:18,780 --> 00:19:20,780 Speaker 2: them you can definitely tell this thing was shot in 385 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,919 Speaker 2: two weeks. Others, it's amazing what they were able to 386 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,950 Speaker 2: do over very short periods of time and at first 387 00:19:28,010 --> 00:19:31,930 Speaker 2: fairly limited budgets. But these movies like were really coming 388 00:19:32,050 --> 00:19:35,550 Speaker 2: on strong. I think Frankenstein ended up being the top 389 00:19:35,590 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 2: grossing movie of 1931, not only beating out Dracula, but 390 00:19:39,619 --> 00:19:42,780 Speaker 2: beating out Charlie Chaplin's City Lights too. So people had 391 00:19:42,820 --> 00:19:44,820 Speaker 2: an appetite for this like right out of the gate. 392 00:19:45,390 --> 00:19:46,330 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. 393 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:48,369 Speaker 3: There was one in 1932, a Poe, and we'll see, 394 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 3: Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. Murders of the Rue Morgue with 395 00:19:53,100 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 3: Bela Lugosi. 396 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:55,020 Speaker 2: Yeah. 397 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 3: Again, in 1932, there was White Zombie, which is where 398 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 3: obviously where the Rob Zombie got his band name from. 399 00:20:02,060 --> 00:20:03,109 Speaker 2: Yeah. 400 00:20:03,270 --> 00:20:06,410 Speaker 3: Not an official Universal movie, but it was an independent 401 00:20:06,490 --> 00:20:09,930 Speaker 3: shot on the Universal Stages. And it did have Bela Lugosi, 402 00:20:09,970 --> 00:20:11,149 Speaker 3: so it's worth mentioning. 403 00:20:12,010 --> 00:20:13,669 Speaker 2: Yes, and it also gave us a lot of the 404 00:20:13,750 --> 00:20:18,910 Speaker 2: tropes about essentially like a person who has been resurrected 405 00:20:18,930 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 2: from the dead and is now under the spell of 406 00:20:21,100 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 2: a magician of some sort who uses them to carry 407 00:20:24,060 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 2: out evil deeds. Not brain-eating, not walking, shambling around collectively, 408 00:20:29,740 --> 00:20:32,710 Speaker 2: or even more terrifying, running at top speed at you. 409 00:20:33,710 --> 00:20:35,470 Speaker 2: But the funny thing is it was based on a 410 00:20:35,510 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 2: book called The Magic Island. By W.B. Seabrook, which is 411 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,060 Speaker 2: a nonfiction travel log. So I guess I don't know 412 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,710 Speaker 2: if those were presented as fact or what, but that's 413 00:20:45,790 --> 00:20:47,810 Speaker 2: what the movie was based on. Yeah. 414 00:20:47,970 --> 00:20:50,510 Speaker 3: So you're Invisible Man that you saw and loved and 415 00:20:50,530 --> 00:20:54,190 Speaker 3: that I loved, 1933, based on the H.G. 416 00:20:54,230 --> 00:20:54,990 Speaker 1: Wells novel. 417 00:20:55,890 --> 00:20:59,430 Speaker 3: You had another Poe adaptation in The Black Cat in 1934. 418 00:20:59,430 --> 00:21:01,980 Speaker 3: And this one is notable because it was the first 419 00:21:02,020 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 3: time they were like, hey, we got these stars. Why 420 00:21:03,660 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 3: don't we put them together in the same movie? Yeah. 421 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:08,859 Speaker 3: And see what happens. See if we get some Chris Tucker, 422 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,460 Speaker 3: Jackie Chan magic. And they put Bela Lugosi and Boris 423 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 3: Karloff together in this film for the very first time. 424 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,609 Speaker 2: Yeah. I have not seen it. I was reading about it. 425 00:21:19,570 --> 00:21:22,669 Speaker 2: And it sounds pretty amazing. I saw somebody describe it 426 00:21:22,750 --> 00:21:25,590 Speaker 2: as one of the progenitors of psychological horror. 427 00:21:26,590 --> 00:21:26,770 Speaker 3: Okay. 428 00:21:27,230 --> 00:21:28,450 Speaker 2: Okay. Have you seen it? 429 00:21:28,450 --> 00:21:29,510 Speaker 1: I have not. 430 00:21:29,670 --> 00:21:30,970 Speaker 2: Okay. We'll watch it together then. 431 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 3: That Bride of Frankenstein you mentioned, the first one was 432 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 3: in 1935. And then along with that Mummy movie, The 433 00:21:39,940 --> 00:21:45,379 Speaker 3: Werewolf in London came about in 1935, even though the 434 00:21:45,420 --> 00:21:49,900 Speaker 3: werewolf thing didn't really get its legs until Lon Chaney Jr. 435 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 3: starred as the Wolfman in 1941. That's where it really 436 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:53,100 Speaker 3: took off. 437 00:21:53,340 --> 00:21:56,300 Speaker 2: Its legs covered only in ripped short pants. 438 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: And hair. 439 00:21:58,540 --> 00:22:02,490 Speaker 2: And yeah, Lon Chaney Jr., again, another Nepo baby, but 440 00:22:03,230 --> 00:22:05,970 Speaker 2: really made a name for himself, portraying the Wolfman and 441 00:22:05,990 --> 00:22:09,010 Speaker 2: some other scary people. And just like, you know, Boris 442 00:22:09,050 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 2: Karloff and Bela Lugosi, as they would kind of go 443 00:22:12,140 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 2: on and become part of pop culture, they would just 444 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,540 Speaker 2: be tapped for like guest appearances or to play like 445 00:22:17,580 --> 00:22:21,360 Speaker 2: a spooky, scary character or something like that. I would 446 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:26,050 Speaker 2: direct you no further than the Riff Treks, Hillbillies in 447 00:22:26,090 --> 00:22:30,210 Speaker 2: a Haunted House series. Episode where Lon Chaney Jr. plays 448 00:22:30,250 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 2: a big, scary guy along with John Carradine and I 449 00:22:33,820 --> 00:22:35,910 Speaker 2: think Basil Rathbone. Oh, man. 450 00:22:36,060 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: Oh, Basil Rathbone's great. 451 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,220 Speaker 3: Yeah. So Lamley Jr. is running the studio, but not 452 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:46,100 Speaker 3: for too long. He was pretty loose with the pocketbook. He, 453 00:22:46,740 --> 00:22:48,399 Speaker 3: you know, not in a huge way, but enough to 454 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 3: put them in financial peril, at least. But they say 455 00:22:51,060 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 3: that he might have raised the typical mid-level film budget 456 00:22:55,580 --> 00:22:59,770 Speaker 3: a From $ 200, 000 to $ 260, 000, which is like $ 4. 7 million 457 00:22:59,810 --> 00:23:01,990 Speaker 3: to $ 6. 1 million today, but it's sort of apples to 458 00:23:02,030 --> 00:23:04,570 Speaker 3: oranges as far as movie budgets are concerned. 459 00:23:04,590 --> 00:23:07,330 Speaker 1: It's not like exactly one-to-one. 460 00:23:08,380 --> 00:23:11,419 Speaker 3: But his big mistake was he made a really good 461 00:23:11,460 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 3: movie from Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Show Boat. also directed 462 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,129 Speaker 3: by James Whale. It costs about 1.3 mil. And it 463 00:23:19,170 --> 00:23:22,610 Speaker 3: did well. It was a critical hit and a financial hit, 464 00:23:22,650 --> 00:23:24,969 Speaker 3: but they just spent too much money and they were 465 00:23:24,990 --> 00:23:26,330 Speaker 3: in arrears and in trouble. 466 00:23:27,090 --> 00:23:29,389 Speaker 2: And on top of that, Lamley Sr. had put the 467 00:23:29,430 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 2: studio up as collateral for a loan, almost like remind 468 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:38,380 Speaker 2: you like of a, of some tycoon putting his studio 469 00:23:38,460 --> 00:23:40,260 Speaker 2: up in a poker game or something like that. 470 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: Right, yeah. 471 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 2: This is a little more legit than that. There was 472 00:23:42,980 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 2: a company called Standard Capital. Under the terms of the loan, 473 00:23:47,070 --> 00:23:49,590 Speaker 2: if the loan was not repaid in a timely manner, 474 00:23:49,670 --> 00:23:55,169 Speaker 2: they were able to buy Universal Studios for $ 5. 5 million, 475 00:23:55,369 --> 00:23:56,109 Speaker 2: Universal Pictures. 476 00:23:56,609 --> 00:23:56,790 Speaker 1: Yeah. 477 00:23:57,330 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 2: Lamley missed some payments. The loan was called in. And 478 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,810 Speaker 2: Standard Capital bought the studio out from under the Lamley family. 479 00:24:06,190 --> 00:24:09,270 Speaker 2: And I guess Lamley Jr. took the blame because he 480 00:24:09,350 --> 00:24:13,510 Speaker 2: had potentially put the studio in these dire straits by 481 00:24:13,570 --> 00:24:18,020 Speaker 2: raising production costs. And he said, OK, it's me. I'll resign. 482 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,919 Speaker 2: But Universal kept putting monster movies out, even without the 483 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 2: family that really kickstarted them. 484 00:24:25,580 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: That's right. I want to look up. I don't know 485 00:24:27,420 --> 00:24:30,140 Speaker 1: when they started the theater, their theater stuff. 486 00:24:30,820 --> 00:24:31,199 Speaker 2: I don't know. 487 00:24:31,220 --> 00:24:33,790 Speaker 1: Look that up. Should we take a break and go look? 488 00:24:34,070 --> 00:24:34,290 Speaker 2: Yes. 489 00:24:34,310 --> 00:24:36,500 Speaker 1: All right. We'll take a break regardless. But I was 490 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 1: just teasing. I'm not going to go look right now. 491 00:25:05,660 --> 00:25:09,930 Speaker 2: Okay, so we're back. And Chuck still will not tell 492 00:25:09,970 --> 00:25:13,010 Speaker 2: me when the Lemleys opened their theater. He claims to 493 00:25:13,030 --> 00:25:15,109 Speaker 2: not know, but I think he knows as a matter 494 00:25:15,170 --> 00:25:18,609 Speaker 2: of fact. But speaking of theaters, this wasn't a Lemley theater. 495 00:25:18,630 --> 00:25:21,629 Speaker 2: This was the Regina Wiltshire Theater. Is that how you 496 00:25:21,670 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 2: say it, L.A. boy? 497 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, Wiltshire maybe. 498 00:25:27,020 --> 00:25:29,900 Speaker 2: That's right. Like in the British way. 499 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:30,979 Speaker 1: Yeah. 500 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 2: In 1938, so this is still in the midst of 501 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:38,150 Speaker 2: monster movie fever. The Regina Wiltshire Theater was like, hey, 502 00:25:38,190 --> 00:25:40,990 Speaker 2: let's just start showing some of these smash hit monster 503 00:25:41,030 --> 00:25:44,460 Speaker 2: movies again. And they did. And they were smash hits 504 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 2: all over again. So the studios were like, we should 505 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:50,220 Speaker 2: just keep making monster pictures. 506 00:25:50,940 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 1: Yeah. 507 00:25:51,420 --> 00:25:54,020 Speaker 3: And they were successful because people loved them, but also 508 00:25:54,140 --> 00:25:57,070 Speaker 3: because they were like, hey, Bella, how'd you like to 509 00:25:57,109 --> 00:25:59,250 Speaker 3: come to some of these screenings and appear? 510 00:25:59,270 --> 00:26:01,610 Speaker 1: And he said, what is the pay? 511 00:26:02,750 --> 00:26:05,370 Speaker 3: And I guess they paid him enough to support his 512 00:26:05,690 --> 00:26:06,570 Speaker 3: very sad drug habit. 513 00:26:07,550 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: And he came out and they were smash hits. 514 00:26:10,940 --> 00:26:13,940 Speaker 3: The Hollywood executives saw the writing on the wall and 515 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 3: they were like, hey, these things like they have legs. Maybe, 516 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 3: you know, it's not over for this franchise, these multiple franchises. 517 00:26:21,260 --> 00:26:23,639 Speaker 3: So they started cranking these things out again, like new movies. 518 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,810 Speaker 3: And Bela Lugosi got more work again, thankfully. And he 519 00:26:26,850 --> 00:26:30,810 Speaker 3: was in five movies in 1939 again. including Son of 520 00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:35,149 Speaker 3: Frankenstein opposite Karloff. And then this kind of fed the. 521 00:26:35,830 --> 00:26:36,150 Speaker 1: 1940s, right? 522 00:26:37,010 --> 00:26:40,340 Speaker 2: Yeah. One of the things that really characterized the 1940s 523 00:26:40,660 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 2: is what Universal called monster rallies. Not monster truck rallies, 524 00:26:46,060 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 2: just monster rallies, right? 525 00:26:47,619 --> 00:26:49,020 Speaker 1: Yeah, that was not lost on me. 526 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 2: And that was when there were crossovers between some of 527 00:26:52,060 --> 00:26:55,110 Speaker 2: their Universal monsters. So I think the first one was 528 00:26:55,160 --> 00:27:01,459 Speaker 2: Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. That was 1943. 1944 was House 529 00:27:01,530 --> 00:27:04,950 Speaker 2: of Frankenstein, and that had not only Frankenstein and the Wolfman, 530 00:27:04,970 --> 00:27:10,210 Speaker 2: but also Dracula, the Hunchback, and the Mad Scientist all together. 531 00:27:10,230 --> 00:27:11,350 Speaker 1: Yeah. 532 00:27:11,710 --> 00:27:16,050 Speaker 3: So Abbott and Costello say, hold my beer, because in 1948, 533 00:27:16,050 --> 00:27:19,570 Speaker 3: they did a comedy mashup, Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. 534 00:27:19,750 --> 00:27:21,810 Speaker 3: And what it should have been called was Abbott and 535 00:27:21,830 --> 00:27:25,290 Speaker 3: Costello meet Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, and the Invisible Man, 536 00:27:25,950 --> 00:27:29,580 Speaker 3: because that all happened in that movie. And I think 537 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,250 Speaker 3: they sort of had a little string of those sort 538 00:27:32,290 --> 00:27:34,950 Speaker 3: of comedy horror crossovers with those two guys. 539 00:27:35,070 --> 00:27:38,060 Speaker 2: Exactly. The plot of that movie, I looked it up. 540 00:27:38,350 --> 00:27:42,820 Speaker 2: The Wolfman warns Abbott that Dracula wants to use his 541 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:44,460 Speaker 2: brain to make a new monster. 542 00:27:45,300 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, it writes itself. 543 00:27:48,260 --> 00:27:48,980 Speaker 2: Exactly. 544 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:50,360 Speaker 1: Exactly. 545 00:27:51,060 --> 00:27:53,440 Speaker 2: It's hard to keep something like this up, especially when 546 00:27:54,300 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 2: your monsters start appearing with comedy legends in their comedy movies. Like, 547 00:27:59,380 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 2: that's a pretty clear sign that, like, the thing is 548 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,660 Speaker 2: going off the tracks. Jump the shark, as Fonzie would 549 00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:05,740 Speaker 2: later do, right? 550 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:05,940 Speaker 1: Yeah. 551 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:11,020 Speaker 2: And Bela Lugosi, again, started to hit on hard times. 552 00:28:11,060 --> 00:28:15,220 Speaker 2: He very, very famously, his last movie was Plan 9 553 00:28:15,220 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 2: from Outer Space, and he died during filming, which was 554 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,810 Speaker 2: directed by Edward Jr. And I can't imagine him at 555 00:28:22,869 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 2: that age as anything but Martin Landau now because that 556 00:28:26,859 --> 00:28:31,580 Speaker 2: movie ruined me. Pull the string. Exactly. But a cool 557 00:28:31,619 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 2: little fact about Bela Lugosi was buried in his black 558 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 2: cape that he wore in Dracula. 559 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. 560 00:28:38,180 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 3: And by the way, folks, if you haven't seen Ed 561 00:28:40,180 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 3: Wood from Tim Burton, it's well worth watching. Yes. 562 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,650 Speaker 2: And if you haven't heard the great Bauhaus song, Bela 563 00:28:47,670 --> 00:28:49,890 Speaker 2: Lugosi's Dead, go listen to that, too. 564 00:28:50,470 --> 00:28:52,110 Speaker 1: Well worth listening. Do it all in one night. You 565 00:28:52,130 --> 00:28:52,850 Speaker 1: can do it, everybody. 566 00:28:53,370 --> 00:28:53,970 Speaker 2: You really could. 567 00:28:54,270 --> 00:28:57,310 Speaker 1: Pretty easy. Beautiful black and white, too, from Tim Burton, 568 00:28:57,330 --> 00:28:57,650 Speaker 1: by the way. 569 00:28:58,110 --> 00:28:58,290 Speaker 3: Yeah. 570 00:28:58,530 --> 00:29:01,170 Speaker 2: It is, I think, his last great movie. 571 00:29:02,770 --> 00:29:06,070 Speaker 3: I would have to look, but I may agree with you. 572 00:29:06,090 --> 00:29:10,870 Speaker 3: I have a mixed relationship with Tim Burton, for sure. 573 00:29:11,070 --> 00:29:12,870 Speaker 2: I can tell you it ain't Dark Shadows. 574 00:29:14,110 --> 00:29:15,890 Speaker 1: No, I wasn't even a big fish guy, and a 575 00:29:15,910 --> 00:29:17,410 Speaker 1: lot of people love that movie. 576 00:29:17,610 --> 00:29:19,820 Speaker 2: Yeah, I could see that having a cult following, for sure. 577 00:29:20,490 --> 00:29:23,650 Speaker 1: I did think the Beetlejuice sequel was, like, good. It 578 00:29:23,670 --> 00:29:24,610 Speaker 1: wasn't great, but it was good. 579 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 2: I thought it was eye-bleedingly bad. 580 00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought it was good enough. 581 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 2: But that's okay. I don't like it, and you do. 582 00:29:31,180 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: Hey, I feel that way. 583 00:29:34,530 --> 00:29:35,610 Speaker 2: I do, too. 584 00:29:38,970 --> 00:29:40,470 Speaker 1: Uh all right so you got my text that said 585 00:29:40,910 --> 00:29:43,820 Speaker 1: you know yeah okay. 586 00:29:43,660 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 2: Good i didn't think you're gonna bring it up but 587 00:29:45,260 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 2: yes i did and i'm trying to behave. 588 00:29:47,540 --> 00:29:50,860 Speaker 3: All right 1950s roll around we get the creature from 589 00:29:50,900 --> 00:29:54,100 Speaker 3: the black lagoon which is it gets included in the 590 00:29:54,140 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 3: canon of monster movies for sure but it's a little 591 00:29:56,440 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 3: more science fiction than the rest Because it's, of course, 592 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 3: about a prehistoric humanoid that they discover in the Amazon. 593 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:06,300 Speaker 1: It was a 3D movie. 594 00:30:07,060 --> 00:30:09,500 Speaker 3: And I could have sworn we did a short stuff 595 00:30:09,580 --> 00:30:10,620 Speaker 3: on Millicent Patrick. 596 00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:13,870 Speaker 2: We did not. But we did mention her before, though. 597 00:30:14,790 --> 00:30:15,170 Speaker 1: Okay. 598 00:30:15,570 --> 00:30:18,750 Speaker 3: Did we, like, sing her praises as a very undersung 599 00:30:18,910 --> 00:30:21,010 Speaker 3: woman of Hollywood at a time when men were taking 600 00:30:21,050 --> 00:30:22,770 Speaker 3: credit for her great work? 601 00:30:22,930 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. And I think it was in special effects, colon, 602 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 2: a short history episode. 603 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:30,140 Speaker 3: All right. That makes sense because I was wondering if 604 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,420 Speaker 3: it was movie crush. But, yeah, the great Millicent Patrick 605 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 3: basically created the Gilman suit, which still looks amazing from 606 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:39,910 Speaker 3: Creature of the Black Lagoon or from the Black Lagoon. 607 00:30:39,930 --> 00:30:40,410 Speaker 1: Excuse me. 608 00:30:40,450 --> 00:30:43,430 Speaker 3: But it was like I said, men took credit for 609 00:30:43,470 --> 00:30:45,530 Speaker 3: her great work. And in this case, it was Bud Westmore. 610 00:30:45,590 --> 00:30:46,750 Speaker 3: So thumbs down. 611 00:30:48,930 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 2: That produced two sequels. Revenge of the Creature is worth 612 00:30:52,980 --> 00:30:55,719 Speaker 2: mentioning because this is the first time Clint Eastwood is 613 00:30:55,840 --> 00:31:00,090 Speaker 2: on film. Yeah. Although he was just a bit part. 614 00:31:00,690 --> 00:31:00,870 Speaker 3: Sure. 615 00:31:01,430 --> 00:31:05,030 Speaker 2: And then this was also the only actual classic Universal 616 00:31:05,090 --> 00:31:09,550 Speaker 2: Monster movie that Mystery Science Theater 3000 did. It was 617 00:31:09,810 --> 00:31:13,490 Speaker 2: also very noteworthy for being the first episode with Bill 618 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:14,580 Speaker 2: Corbett as Crow. 619 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: Oh. 620 00:31:16,220 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 2: Lots of MST3K stuff and Rift Trek stuff coming up 621 00:31:19,500 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 2: in this episode, thankfully. 622 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: Why haven't we done a full episode on that? 623 00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:24,540 Speaker 2: I don't know. 624 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:25,820 Speaker 1: That's weird. 625 00:31:26,060 --> 00:31:26,300 Speaker 2: All right. 626 00:31:26,420 --> 00:31:27,420 Speaker 1: That's an oversight. 627 00:31:27,810 --> 00:31:29,350 Speaker 2: All right, let's do it, Chuck, okay? 628 00:31:29,450 --> 00:31:32,610 Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll definitely do a Mystery Science Theory 3000 ep. 629 00:31:32,630 --> 00:31:33,350 Speaker 1: That'd be a lot of fun. 630 00:31:33,490 --> 00:31:33,890 Speaker 2: Yeah, it would. 631 00:31:34,870 --> 00:31:37,950 Speaker 3: All right, so 1960s are coming along. Things are changing 632 00:31:37,970 --> 00:31:41,490 Speaker 3: in the world. Things are changing culturally. Things are changing 633 00:31:41,510 --> 00:31:45,820 Speaker 3: in the media and creatively at Universal. So they're like, 634 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:47,820 Speaker 3: you know what? Let's park it. Let's start doing some 635 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 3: more fun movies. Let's do some rom-coms. We love Doris Day. 636 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 3: We love Rock Hudson. The movies find new life on TV, 637 00:31:57,140 --> 00:32:00,900 Speaker 3: on reruns, with people like Elvira hosting these late night 638 00:32:01,820 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 3: horror movie watches. And they still remain even through the 60s, 639 00:32:06,180 --> 00:32:08,900 Speaker 3: even though they're not cranking these out, like very firmly 640 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:10,010 Speaker 3: in the cultural zeitgeist. 641 00:32:10,070 --> 00:32:15,470 Speaker 2: Yeah, I saw Vampyra was the first horror TV host 642 00:32:15,550 --> 00:32:19,350 Speaker 2: in 1954. Elvira came along in 1981. Sven Gulli's been 643 00:32:19,370 --> 00:32:22,060 Speaker 2: around for a really long time, too. And then you 644 00:32:22,100 --> 00:32:24,780 Speaker 2: mentioned it being all the way into the 60s as 645 00:32:24,820 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: part of the cultural zeitgeist. I think, Chuck, you're probably 646 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:30,940 Speaker 2: referencing the Monster Mash, that song. 647 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,570 Speaker 1: Well, I mean, that's one of the things for sure. 648 00:32:35,420 --> 00:32:39,690 Speaker 2: Okay. That was Bobby Boris Pickett and the Crip Kickers 649 00:32:40,070 --> 00:32:43,830 Speaker 2: who originally recorded that. And he was doing an impression 650 00:32:43,870 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 2: of Boris Karloff, right? Right. I turned up evidence of 651 00:32:48,820 --> 00:32:54,110 Speaker 2: a ABC teen music show called Shindig from the 60s 652 00:32:54,610 --> 00:32:57,290 Speaker 2: that Boris Karloff appeared on. And not only did he 653 00:32:57,370 --> 00:33:00,430 Speaker 2: sing Monster Mash, he sang the Peppermint Twist. 654 00:33:01,450 --> 00:33:01,830 Speaker 1: Oh, wow. 655 00:33:02,170 --> 00:33:03,910 Speaker 2: This is what I was talking about, where these people 656 00:33:03,950 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 2: were so known to be like just creepy in pop culture. 657 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,020 Speaker 2: They just appeared everywhere, especially starting in the 60s when 658 00:33:10,060 --> 00:33:14,940 Speaker 2: it really became campy and silly everywhere. That's when it 659 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,770 Speaker 2: stopped being serious in any way, shape, or form. At 660 00:33:17,830 --> 00:33:21,670 Speaker 2: least people like Boris Karloff and, well, not Bela the 661 00:33:21,690 --> 00:33:26,490 Speaker 2: Ghost anymore, but they had just expanded, transcended beyond just 662 00:33:27,130 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 2: their status as universal movie horror stars. They were something 663 00:33:31,220 --> 00:33:31,660 Speaker 2: bigger now. 664 00:33:32,580 --> 00:33:34,100 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally, which is super cool. 665 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 3: Obviously, we have to mention How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 666 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:41,959 Speaker 3: in which Boris Karloff lent his voice in 1966, but 667 00:33:42,010 --> 00:33:45,950 Speaker 3: three years before he passed away. Other film companies came 668 00:33:46,010 --> 00:33:48,910 Speaker 3: along to do different kind of wacky versions of these 669 00:33:49,530 --> 00:33:53,190 Speaker 3: universal monsters later. The Hammer Film Productions in the UK, 670 00:33:53,910 --> 00:33:56,870 Speaker 3: they did a mummy movie. They did The Curse of Frankenstein. 671 00:33:57,350 --> 00:34:00,330 Speaker 3: These were in color, and a lot of them starred 672 00:34:00,350 --> 00:34:05,030 Speaker 3: the greats. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, which, man, talk 673 00:34:05,050 --> 00:34:07,260 Speaker 3: about great, creepy acting. 674 00:34:07,500 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 2: Usually Christopher Lee was Dracula and Peter Cushing was Van 675 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 2: Helsing in any of the vampire movies. I also turned 676 00:34:14,100 --> 00:34:19,339 Speaker 2: up some other notable Hammer entries using Dracula. One was 677 00:34:20,500 --> 00:34:23,569 Speaker 2: the Satanic Rites of Dracula, where Dracula is doing his 678 00:34:23,590 --> 00:34:25,310 Speaker 2: thing in modern London in 1970s, early 70s. All right. 679 00:34:28,140 --> 00:34:31,029 Speaker 2: And then get this, The Legend of the Seven Vampires 680 00:34:31,410 --> 00:34:36,270 Speaker 2: in 1974 was a Dracula slash martial arts movie. It 681 00:34:36,290 --> 00:34:39,130 Speaker 2: was a co-production with the Shaw brothers, Run Run Shaw 682 00:34:39,150 --> 00:34:43,210 Speaker 2: and his brothers, the Hong Kong Kung Fu producers. They 683 00:34:43,270 --> 00:34:48,070 Speaker 2: made a crossover movie between martial artists and Dracula fighting. 684 00:34:49,190 --> 00:34:49,570 Speaker 1: Amazing. 685 00:34:49,830 --> 00:34:51,989 Speaker 2: They should do that today. I want to see that one. 686 00:34:52,310 --> 00:34:53,810 Speaker 2: They should do it today. It'd be pretty cool. 687 00:34:54,790 --> 00:34:55,090 Speaker 1: Agreed. 688 00:34:55,969 --> 00:34:59,730 Speaker 3: You got some Western mashups with Circle Productions with Billy 689 00:34:59,969 --> 00:35:03,410 Speaker 3: the Kid versus Dracula and Jesse James meets Frankenstein's daughter, 690 00:35:03,870 --> 00:35:04,610 Speaker 3: not Frankenstein. 691 00:35:05,350 --> 00:35:06,489 Speaker 1: This is in the mid-60s. 692 00:35:06,630 --> 00:35:10,170 Speaker 3: And then when Blaxploitation comes along, we did a great episode, 693 00:35:10,210 --> 00:35:13,250 Speaker 3: I think, on Blaxploitation films. And I know we mentioned 694 00:35:13,270 --> 00:35:15,610 Speaker 3: Blackula from 1972 in that movie. 695 00:35:15,820 --> 00:35:16,220 Speaker 2: Yeah. 696 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:17,100 Speaker 1: Sorry, in that podcast. 697 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,900 Speaker 2: I think it was Exploitation films in general, if I'm 698 00:35:19,940 --> 00:35:20,580 Speaker 2: not mistaken. 699 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 1: Oh, I thought we did one on Blaxploitation. Was it 700 00:35:23,140 --> 00:35:23,890 Speaker 1: just a part of that one? 701 00:35:23,900 --> 00:35:27,089 Speaker 2: Uh-huh. Yeah, definitely. But that was a great, fun episode. 702 00:35:27,140 --> 00:35:30,339 Speaker 2: But I didn't remember that the backstory to Blackula is 703 00:35:30,390 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 2: that he's a centuries-old African prince who originally met Dracula 704 00:35:36,700 --> 00:35:38,919 Speaker 2: because he went to go ask him for his help 705 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:40,879 Speaker 2: in ending the slave trade. And Dracula's like, how about 706 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 2: I turn you into a vampire instead? And he wakes 707 00:35:43,660 --> 00:35:45,660 Speaker 2: up in the 20th century, Blackula does. 708 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:47,180 Speaker 1: That's right. 709 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:48,850 Speaker 2: Have you seen it? I don't think I've seen it. 710 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:50,380 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've seen Blackula. 711 00:35:50,500 --> 00:35:51,219 Speaker 2: How do you rate it? 712 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:53,520 Speaker 1: I mean, it's good. 713 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,980 Speaker 3: It's like I think any of those blaxploitation movies, you 714 00:35:57,020 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 3: just got to go into it within the right headspace 715 00:35:59,660 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 3: to enjoy it. It's like you can't compare it to like, 716 00:36:01,820 --> 00:36:04,980 Speaker 3: you know, some like modern film, like, you know, a 717 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 3: lot of that sort of. I mean, I think it 718 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:10,359 Speaker 3: holds up in the way that blaxploitation movies hold. Sure. 719 00:36:10,620 --> 00:36:11,060 Speaker 2: I gotcha. 720 00:36:11,180 --> 00:36:11,899 Speaker 1: Yeah. 721 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:15,540 Speaker 2: Do you remember this? They came up before you, but 722 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:17,819 Speaker 2: I'm sure they were still around. Do you remember the 723 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:19,239 Speaker 2: Groovy Ghoulies? 724 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,260 Speaker 1: Why does that sound familiar? It sounds familiar. 725 00:36:23,340 --> 00:36:25,540 Speaker 2: I think it was only on for a season in 1970, 726 00:36:25,540 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 2: but it was the Wolfman, Frankenstein, and Dracula in like 727 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:33,299 Speaker 2: a groovy band together in their adventures with all these 728 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 2: other like monsters that were in their orbit. 729 00:36:37,700 --> 00:36:40,780 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, there has to be some weird memory 730 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:43,080 Speaker 3: seed in my brain because that does sound familiar. 731 00:36:43,100 --> 00:36:45,460 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. And then also, I don't remember the 732 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 2: company that made it, but there was a company that 733 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:51,770 Speaker 2: made models that you put together that were of universal 734 00:36:51,850 --> 00:36:55,989 Speaker 2: monster like scenes and settings like you you could do 735 00:36:56,010 --> 00:36:58,870 Speaker 2: frankenstein's laboratory or whatever but that was around the same 736 00:36:58,890 --> 00:36:59,610 Speaker 2: time too. 737 00:36:59,410 --> 00:37:02,350 Speaker 1: Wow i used to be a model kid i'm surprised 738 00:37:02,370 --> 00:37:03,250 Speaker 1: i didn't get into that. 739 00:37:03,330 --> 00:37:05,509 Speaker 2: I never had one of those either i usually was 740 00:37:05,660 --> 00:37:07,410 Speaker 2: putting airplanes together. 741 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:10,140 Speaker 1: Yeah i still i do a model every spring break now. 742 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:12,520 Speaker 2: Do you do you sniff the glue sometimes. 743 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 1: That's for me to know and you to find out. 744 00:37:18,420 --> 00:37:20,420 Speaker 3: We have to mention Young Frankenstein from the great Mel 745 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,120 Speaker 3: Brooks in 1974. 746 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 1: And don't sleep on. 747 00:37:24,700 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 3: Frank Langella's Dracula from 1979 either. It's a little slow, 748 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,580 Speaker 3: but like kind of a cool movie still. 749 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 1: It is. 750 00:37:33,780 --> 00:37:37,620 Speaker 2: It looks good, especially for it just it looks like 751 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 2: a good dark 1979 Dracula movie for sure. Yeah. 752 00:37:41,660 --> 00:37:44,700 Speaker 1: And Frank Langella is great. I was I waited on 753 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:46,250 Speaker 1: his table one time in New Jersey. 754 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:49,500 Speaker 2: That's awesome. And how was he in real life? 755 00:37:50,300 --> 00:37:52,140 Speaker 1: He's a nice guy. He ate steak for lunch and 756 00:37:52,620 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: left a good tip. 757 00:37:54,540 --> 00:37:57,100 Speaker 2: I loved him in The Ninth Gate, which is one 758 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:58,069 Speaker 2: of my favorite movies. 759 00:37:58,989 --> 00:38:00,370 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's great. I love Frank Langella. 760 00:38:00,850 --> 00:38:04,630 Speaker 2: Okay, so that's basically up to the 80s. As a 761 00:38:04,650 --> 00:38:06,310 Speaker 2: matter of fact, we just came right up to the 762 00:38:06,610 --> 00:38:10,110 Speaker 2: 80s and kissed him on the shoulder because we stopped 763 00:38:10,150 --> 00:38:14,330 Speaker 2: at 1979. And the 80s were a huge time. turning 764 00:38:14,390 --> 00:38:19,870 Speaker 2: point really for all horror because the emphasis became really 765 00:38:20,170 --> 00:38:23,900 Speaker 2: heavy on slashers, right? They may or may not have 766 00:38:23,940 --> 00:38:28,240 Speaker 2: a supernatural bend to them, but they are definitely not 767 00:38:28,540 --> 00:38:30,980 Speaker 2: a Wolfman or Dracula or something like that. That became 768 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:35,850 Speaker 2: kind of passe. And then in 1999, everything kind of 769 00:38:35,890 --> 00:38:39,450 Speaker 2: came roaring back for the universal monsters because the mummy 770 00:38:39,890 --> 00:38:42,130 Speaker 2: was put out with Billy Zane and Brendan Fraser and 771 00:38:42,170 --> 00:38:45,790 Speaker 2: Rachel Weisz and And it was a huge out of 772 00:38:45,910 --> 00:38:47,190 Speaker 2: nowhere smash hit. 773 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:49,980 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was a big hit. And everyone's kind of like, 774 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,140 Speaker 3: are these things back? There was a Van Helsing movie 775 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 3: that was not good in 2004. I don't remember it 776 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:57,160 Speaker 3: being not good. 777 00:38:57,219 --> 00:39:00,020 Speaker 2: It was just so-so. Oh, yeah. 778 00:39:00,620 --> 00:39:01,819 Speaker 1: I think it was pretty bad. 779 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:04,719 Speaker 2: Well, I saw it in theater. So that was 20 780 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:08,370 Speaker 2: years ago. I don't remember, I guess. Or maybe I 781 00:39:08,410 --> 00:39:10,470 Speaker 2: liked it and you didn't like it and that's okay. 782 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:13,279 Speaker 1: Look at us. 783 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:16,700 Speaker 3: There was a Wolfman movie in 2010. Again, not a 784 00:39:16,780 --> 00:39:21,380 Speaker 3: big thing hit wise. I think Jack Nicholson was in 785 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:25,989 Speaker 3: the movie Wolf, but that was less universal monster than 786 00:39:26,030 --> 00:39:27,549 Speaker 3: just like a guy who turns into a wolf. 787 00:39:27,570 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 2: Like sexy wolf, right? He likes to. sleep with the ladies. 788 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:33,100 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know, it was Jack. 789 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 2: The wolf man, though, was Benicio Del Toro, and he 790 00:39:35,700 --> 00:39:38,009 Speaker 2: was really trying, and apparently it didn't do well. 791 00:39:38,890 --> 00:39:41,390 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it was kind of... Things weren't looking good. 792 00:39:41,450 --> 00:39:44,029 Speaker 3: They had, once the Marvel Cinematic Universe came out, they 793 00:39:44,070 --> 00:39:48,840 Speaker 3: had big plans in the 2010s to do the Dark Universe, which... 794 00:39:49,570 --> 00:39:51,550 Speaker 3: I mean, it would have been super cool, I think. 795 00:39:51,730 --> 00:39:53,430 Speaker 3: They were going to have Johnny Depp. I remember reading 796 00:39:53,469 --> 00:39:55,570 Speaker 3: about this. Johnny Depp was going to be the Invisible Man. 797 00:39:55,590 --> 00:39:58,890 Speaker 3: Angelina Jolie was going to be the Bride. Javier Bardem 798 00:39:58,910 --> 00:40:02,320 Speaker 3: was going to be the Monster from Frankenstein. And I 799 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:07,250 Speaker 3: was super stoked at reviving the monsters. But Tom Cruise 800 00:40:07,290 --> 00:40:09,310 Speaker 3: put out the 2017 Mummy, which was going to be 801 00:40:09,670 --> 00:40:11,770 Speaker 3: sort of the kickoff. 802 00:40:11,989 --> 00:40:14,610 Speaker 1: And it was a big flop. And they just scrapped 803 00:40:14,630 --> 00:40:15,209 Speaker 1: the whole idea. 804 00:40:15,270 --> 00:40:18,029 Speaker 2: Yeah, just immediately. And all the ones that they already 805 00:40:18,070 --> 00:40:20,049 Speaker 2: had in production and lying to be part of this, 806 00:40:20,090 --> 00:40:22,410 Speaker 2: they're like, these are standalones from now on. 807 00:40:23,030 --> 00:40:23,330 Speaker 3: Yeah. 808 00:40:23,410 --> 00:40:25,930 Speaker 2: And they have. I mean, there's been some. Probably the 809 00:40:25,989 --> 00:40:30,089 Speaker 2: highlight of the last 10 or 15 years was The 810 00:40:30,130 --> 00:40:35,570 Speaker 2: Invisible Man. that Jason Blum, I think, directed with Elizabeth Moss. 811 00:40:36,230 --> 00:40:38,750 Speaker 2: And it's become, I haven't seen it, but I know 812 00:40:38,770 --> 00:40:42,469 Speaker 2: that it's very well regarded, especially for being almost an 813 00:40:42,690 --> 00:40:45,310 Speaker 2: indie movie as far as I can tell. 814 00:40:46,230 --> 00:40:47,180 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was really good. 815 00:40:47,219 --> 00:40:48,780 Speaker 3: And they sort of look at it through the lens 816 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:53,219 Speaker 3: of domestic violence starring Elizabeth Moss. And, you know, she 817 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:55,319 Speaker 3: stands her ground. So it's a bit of a like 818 00:40:55,420 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 3: a rallying cry, I guess. 819 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:01,420 Speaker 2: And then probably I said the high point was Invisible Man. 820 00:41:01,460 --> 00:41:04,180 Speaker 2: I know, like I said, it's very well regarded. I 821 00:41:04,219 --> 00:41:06,219 Speaker 2: should take that back. I think The Shape of Water 822 00:41:06,930 --> 00:41:08,610 Speaker 2: is probably the high point of the last like 10 823 00:41:08,610 --> 00:41:13,270 Speaker 2: or so years as far as Universal Monsters go. I 824 00:41:13,330 --> 00:41:15,050 Speaker 2: didn't see that one either, but I know that it 825 00:41:15,110 --> 00:41:17,510 Speaker 2: was everybody was crazy for that movie. 826 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:20,759 Speaker 3: Yeah, I did not care for it, but it was 827 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,620 Speaker 3: a big, big hit and a big critical hit. Guillermo 828 00:41:23,660 --> 00:41:26,780 Speaker 3: del Toro is trying to revive all these monsters because 829 00:41:26,900 --> 00:41:30,660 Speaker 3: he did the Frankenstein movie this past year, too, that 830 00:41:30,930 --> 00:41:32,670 Speaker 3: I also didn't love that one. 831 00:41:32,910 --> 00:41:34,130 Speaker 1: But it was it was OK. 832 00:41:34,210 --> 00:41:37,609 Speaker 2: Yeah. And just for those not in the know, Shape 833 00:41:37,650 --> 00:41:42,570 Speaker 2: of Water was a tale of the creature from the 834 00:41:42,610 --> 00:41:43,230 Speaker 2: Black Lagoon. 835 00:41:44,230 --> 00:41:45,270 Speaker 1: Yeah. A take on that. 836 00:41:45,910 --> 00:41:47,410 Speaker 2: That's what I was going for. Thanks, man. 837 00:41:47,630 --> 00:41:47,730 Speaker 3: Yeah. 838 00:41:48,620 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 2: You got anything else on Universal Monsters? 839 00:41:51,700 --> 00:41:51,960 Speaker 1: No. 840 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:53,379 Speaker 3: Go out and see some of these old movies, though. 841 00:41:53,420 --> 00:41:55,450 Speaker 3: If you think you can't sit through a movie from 842 00:41:55,469 --> 00:41:57,290 Speaker 3: the 1930s, I bet you'd be surprised. Yeah. 843 00:41:57,770 --> 00:42:00,169 Speaker 2: I strongly suggest you start with The Invisible Man. 844 00:42:01,630 --> 00:42:02,129 Speaker 1: Yeah, agreed. 845 00:42:02,250 --> 00:42:05,109 Speaker 2: Okay. Well, since we just agreed on that and we 846 00:42:05,140 --> 00:42:08,820 Speaker 2: just kicked off the spookiest month in style with this episode, 847 00:42:09,180 --> 00:42:11,379 Speaker 2: I think we can treat ourselves to Listener Mail. 848 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 1: This is about reggae. It's kind of a cool little email. 849 00:42:17,540 --> 00:42:19,719 Speaker 3: Hey, guys, I really enjoyed the August 6th episode on 850 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,600 Speaker 3: reggae music. Early in the episode, you mentioned the mobile 851 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:25,500 Speaker 3: discos known as sound systems. Now they help lead to 852 00:42:25,540 --> 00:42:28,700 Speaker 3: the development of toasting. That brought back a special connection 853 00:42:28,739 --> 00:42:32,370 Speaker 3: for me because my paternal grandfather started a sound system 854 00:42:32,430 --> 00:42:36,290 Speaker 3: called Maritone Music in the 1950s, and it recently celebrated 855 00:42:36,310 --> 00:42:40,710 Speaker 3: its 75th anniversary. Maritone Music has the distinction of being 856 00:42:40,730 --> 00:42:44,470 Speaker 3: the longest continuous sound system in Jamaica. And while Maritone 857 00:42:44,510 --> 00:42:46,969 Speaker 3: music has passed its peak of the years of the 858 00:42:47,010 --> 00:42:49,290 Speaker 3: 70s and 80s, it still draws crowds and remains an 859 00:42:49,330 --> 00:42:51,890 Speaker 3: important part of Jamaica's musical history. 860 00:42:52,050 --> 00:42:53,220 Speaker 2: That's cool. 861 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:55,060 Speaker 3: Thanks for all you do and keep me company over 862 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 3: the years, guys. I've truly enjoyed listening. And that is 863 00:42:57,120 --> 00:42:58,300 Speaker 3: from Roger Blake. 864 00:42:58,540 --> 00:43:01,180 Speaker 2: Roger, that was a great email. I was not expecting 865 00:43:01,219 --> 00:43:01,620 Speaker 2: that one. 866 00:43:03,239 --> 00:43:03,439 Speaker 3: Yeah. 867 00:43:03,700 --> 00:43:05,930 Speaker 1: I mean, I got to look up Maritone music and 868 00:43:05,950 --> 00:43:06,890 Speaker 1: find out a little bit more about this. 869 00:43:06,910 --> 00:43:07,270 Speaker 3: For sure. 870 00:43:07,330 --> 00:43:09,410 Speaker 2: Maybe we'll even take a trip down to check it out. 871 00:43:10,230 --> 00:43:10,730 Speaker 1: Let's do it. 872 00:43:11,610 --> 00:43:13,210 Speaker 2: Well, if you want to be like Roger and let 873 00:43:13,290 --> 00:43:16,359 Speaker 2: us know something awesome that your ancestor did, we love 874 00:43:16,380 --> 00:43:19,180 Speaker 2: to hear about that kind of thing. They're seriously interesting 875 00:43:19,340 --> 00:43:22,600 Speaker 2: basically every time. You can send it in an email 876 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:29,219 Speaker 2: to stuffpodcasts at iheartradio.com. 877 00:43:29,660 --> 00:43:32,529 Speaker 1: Stuff You Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For 878 00:43:32,550 --> 00:43:36,670 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts 879 00:43:36,810 --> 00:43:38,610 Speaker 1: are wherever you listen to your favorite shows.