Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.

As tomorrow is Halloween, we're starting off the week with Michael Jackson and his "Thriller" video from 1982. It is hard to believe that this song and video are over 40 years old. 

Directed by John Landis and featuring the voice of actor Vincent Price, the video basically put MTV on the map. Those were the days when MTV actually played music videos.

In the video, Landis's catch phrase, "See you next Wednesday!" is heard. It was in all of his movies, in one way or another. He and his son attended G-FEST in 1999 and I spotted them in the dealers room. I walked up behind him and said it to him. He turned around and looked at me with a big grin. 

A 1960s Halloween Tradition

Above, a publicity still of Abbott and Costello with the monsters.

Since tomorrow is Halloween, I thought I would recount a tradition that took place every year on Halloween in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

Back before the local news gobbled up air time, the CBS affiliate in L.A., KNXT Channel 2 (now KCBS), had late afternoon movies starting at 4:00 called The Early Show.

Above, the Monster with Bud and Lou in another publicity still.

Each Halloween, The Early Show broadcast the 1948 comedy-horror classic, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. This movie marked the final appearance of Universal's classic monsters: Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange), Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.). It also featured a "cameo" of the Invisible Man (Vincent Price). Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was the perfect way to have Halloween dinner before going out trick or treating for kids.

This annual Halloween tradition went on for many years in the 1960s until the expanded local news broadcasts eliminated The Early Show. It was fun while it lasted.

Above, a display of Bud and Lou with the Monster
 at a Monsterpalooza show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Interestingly, while the movie was first released on June 15, 1948, a sneak preview of the movie was held in (nearby to me) Inglewood, California at the Academy Theater on May 18, 1948.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was the final movie Bela Lugosi appeared in for a major movie studio.

Above, the Academy Theater in Inglewood in the 1940s. 

My mother told me that she and a friend saw it at a theater during its release.

Famous Monsters #254 Arrives

Issue number 254 of Famous Monsters of Filmland arrived in the mailbox today, and what an issue it is! It is quite impressive.

The eye-popping cover of Vincent Price is only just the start. The issue commemorates 100 years of Vincent Price and there's lots of material contained for fans of "Vinnie."

There's lots of other goodies in FM #254 (for giant monster fans, there's some interesting concept art for the design of the Cloverfield monster in an article on ZBrush) to look forward to.




My 1/4 page ad for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan appears on page 40 (above). Strangely, it still has the black border (that showed up in FM #253) instead of the green one as designed Archie Waugh.

Looks like I'll have a good read tonight!

A Short Stack of Stuff

As mentioned yesterday, I worked on my first claim assignment for 2011. Hopefully, many, many more will be coming in soon.

Additional note, I was in the Chatsworth Superior Court yesterday morning for that claim assignment, and in a courtroom, an attorney was reading the Los Angeles Times' obituary page on Anne Francis. From where I was sitting, I couldn't tell who it was who died, so I walked over to see who it was. It was a surprise to see it was Anne Francis from the classic Forbidden Planet. It is weird that two stars from that movie (Leslie Nielsen) have passed away in such short order.



On The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, I am expecting the issue of Metropolis magazine to be out not too long from now. The layout on the article was received just before Christmas and I share the page (actually two of them as her article continutes to another page with mine) with Christina Aguilera.



Also, I have decided to repeat the advertisement (created by Archie Waugh) that appeared in Famous Monsters of Filmland #253 in the upcoming FM #254. Again, the issue will have variant covers and I am guessing that this one (above) of Vincent Price will be the subscriber cover. The Price cover and the others will be available at newsstands.

Point Dume Trivia: Vincent Price

Above, Vincent Price (center) with Richard Basehart (left) and David Hedison in "Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea." Photo copyright by 20th Century Fox and courtesy of David Hedison.

During the time I was working at Point Dume/Zuma Beach in Malibu, I had no idea that Vincent Price's cremains were scattered off Point Dume until I saw this:

His illness also contributed to his retirement from Mystery!, as his condition was becoming noticeable on-screen. He died of lung cancer on October 25, 1993. He was cremated and his ashes scattered off Point Dume in Malibu, California.

To read the full article, go here.