03.12.10 | George D. Allen and Irv Slifkin | Movie Buzz, Movie Buzz PodcastPrint this Post
What famous director was originally asked to direct the silent chiller classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari? Which symphony of horror received its lavish premiere at a zoo? Can you guess the name of the legendary actor who was so dedicated he brought his own houseplants to decorate the set? Find out the answers to these mystifying tidbits of Terror-ific Trivia, along with a host of other little-known facts behind your favorite fear films, as Ghouly Irv digs around the darkest corners of his crypt:
Here's my Top 10 1920s Horror:
The Unknown (1927: Tod Browning) – Watch The Penalty (1920) after this
The Man Who Laughs (1928: Paul Leni) – I wasn't laughing
Nosferatu (1922: F.W. Murnau): You know Max Schreck was a real vampire don’t you.
Phantom of the Opera (1925: Rupert Julian): Lon Chaney did his own makeup and was one of the most advanced make-up artists of his time. Lon was awesome.
Penalty, The (1920: Wallace Worsley): I'll pin-up my legs for several hours a day and damage them.
Cat and the Canary, The (1927: Paul Leni): Leni has a great eye for direction and this film especially was influential for the many similar plot oriented films that would dominate the next couple of decades including a recently DVD released version of this featuring Bob Hope.
Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928: Herbert Brenon): such a sad clown, but aren’t all clowns sad. I hate clowns by-the-way. Why are they always hiding behind make-up and trying to make little kids laugh?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923: Wallace Worsley)
Waxworks (1924: Paul Leni)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920: Robert Wiene): There is no truth to the rumour that if you called the director wiener he would lock you up in the cabinet.
Definitely influential though a bit dated; but still have some great scenes.
The Golem (1920: Carl Boese, Paul Wegener): Would there have been a Frankenstein without this?
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920: John S. Robertson): I prefer the 1930s version by far, but good performance from John Barrymore.
"The Penalty" is terrific -- a few years back I saw a great screening of "The Man Who Laughs" w/live organ -- if we had endless amounts of time and space for lists, I'd also add Murnau's "Faust" to the roster of '20s greats.
[...] will want to return to the crypt to see the trivia your humble horror host shared earlier about the silent era and another groovy decade for ghouly movies!) [...]
[...] Irv is itching to get to the next 10 years of terror-ific tidbits. He's offered his insights about the Shuddery Silent Era, the Terrifying Thirties, the Frightening Forties, the Fearsome Fifties, the Scaresome Sixties, and [...]
[...] you miss a single decade of dread? They're all here: The Shuddery Silent Era, The Terrifying Thirties, The Frightening Forties, The Fearsome Fifties, The Scaresome Sixties, [...]
[...] any of the Ghouly One's previous hauntings here at MovieFanFare, make sure you check out some Terror-ific Trivia, some More Terror-ific Trivia, visit the House of Terror-ific Trivia, and Beware of the Remake [...]