DWIGHT FRYE
"Though he’s not likely to be the first (or second, or third...) name to come to mind when you think of classic horror stars, Dwight Frye created some of the most memorable characters ever to grace the genre, and possessed a maniacal energy that very few actors could possibly match.
Frye was at his best playing mentally disturbed characters – his most famous role being that of Renfield in the 1931 version of
Dracula. Despite the plethora of brilliant performances in that film, Frye steals the show in every single scene that he’s in. The laugh, the eyes, the spectacular vocal control, his body language...all of this came together to create a terrifying, yet pitiful madman among the best every seen on film.
Later that same year, Frye gave the other performance for which he is most remembered: Fritz, in James Whale’s classic
Frankenstein. This performance has more than stood the test of time – it’s hard to find a mad-scientists assistant that hasn’t been influenced by Frye’s Fritz in some way.
As I’m sure many of you know, I am an actor myself and, like most actors, I have certain rituals that I like to go through before a performance. I like to have some quiet, alone time. I like to have a nice, cold can of coke. But above all else, I always try to re-watch Frye’s scenes as Renfield on the day of a show. His energy, mania, and sheer presence are both incredibly inspiring and a great way to get pumped up, no matter what kind of part I might be playing.
Though the extent of his legacy these days seems to be through spoof of his
Frankenstein character and an Alice Cooper song dedicated to him (
The Ballad of Dwight Fry, without the “E”), he lives on in the heart of horror fans around the globe and his impact on the genre is indelible." -
The_Return
ED WOOD
"Writer, director, actor, producer...crossdresser? Ed Wood is doubtlessly one of the most colourful and inspirational men to ever call himself a filmmaker – even though he was rather lacking in talent, he more than made up for it with determination.
Eddie’s life was always interesting – when he was born, his mother was disappointed. She wanted a girl, not a little boy. She didn’t let that phase her however; she dressed the poor little guy in girl’s clothes all through his childhood, which turned into a lifelong habit. According to legend, during his service in World War II he was more terrified of getting wounded than of getting killed – because if he was shot dead, he wouldn’t have to explain to the medic why he was wearing ladies underwear underneath his uniform.
Though he made movies in his backyard all through his childhood, his first major film was the semi-autobiographical “
Glen or Glenda”, in which he starred alongside his good friend Bela Lugosi.
Lugosi went on to star in many of Ed’s movies. In fact, Ed actually wrote parts into his scripts specifically to feature the once famous actor, as a favour to his ailing, drug-addicted friend.
Ed’s films were universally panned by critics and audiences alike – his “masterpiece”,
Plan 9 from Outer Space, appears on pretty much every list you’ll ever see of the “
Worst Movies Ever Made”. He didn’t let this get him down though – despite being dead broke and battling alcoholism late in his life, Ed kept writing right up to his death in 1978. In a sad and ironic twist of fate, his movies began to receive a cult following not long after he passed away...poor Eddie would never see all the love and admiration that he was to receive.
In 1994, Tim Burton made a film about Ed’s life, starring Johnny Depp as Eddie and Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi (for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor). Depp gives the performance of his career as Eddie, and portrays him as the great man that he was – upbeat, optimistic, determined and loyal to the very end.
Here’s to you, Eddie – may you find success and admiration in the next life." -
The Return
EDGAR ALLAN POE
ELSA LANCHESTER
F. W. MURNAU
"After World War I, Germany's film industry was booming, but because of the hard economic times the country was facing, filmmakers found it hard to compete with the extravagant films coming from Hollywood. So, the German filmmakers developed their own style, rich with symbolism and a dark visual style (which was further accented by painting the shadows), and German Expressionism was born in 1920. F.W. (Friedrich Wilhelm) Murnau (b. 1888) was one of the most influential directors in this movement.
After being a pilot in WWI, Murnau went onto director his first silent feature in 1919,
The Boy in Blue. It was his 10th feature that would put him into history as a horror icon in 1922 with
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Originally, an adaptation of Bram Stroker's
Dracula, they failed to obtain the rights and ended up changing a few names and details, with Dracula's name being changed to Count Orlok.
This film established one of the two vampire depictions (the other with Browning's
Dracula in 1931), with Orlok's appearance akin to a corpse with rodent features and is neither charming nor erotic.
Nosferatu also established the legend that vampires are physically harmed by sunlight as Orlok is killed by the sun in the end.
Murnau went onto make other silent films in Germany, the notable
Faust being his last in 1926. He then immigrated to America and made
Sunrise in 1927. While not a financial success,
Sunrise did win several Oscars at the first Academy Awards in 1929. Murnau then went on to talkies, getting limited success and cited silent films as being his preferred medium.
Murnau died in 1931, but his legacy lives to this day. In 2000, the film
Shadow of the Vampire debuted and tells a fictionalized account about the making of
Nosferatu. It was hugely popular, which shows that Murnau is still as much a horror icon today as he was in his day." -
Papillon Noir