Tom Weaver

Phil Brown, who played Luke Skywalker's uncle in Star Wars, said, In my long life in films, there are ones I'm proud of and those I'm not proud of. The Jungle Captive and Weird Woman fall into the latter category. House of Wax co-star Paul Picerni was fired by the film's director when he refused to put his head in a working guillotine during a climactic fight scene.Packed with wonderful tidbits, this volume collects 22 interviews with the moviemakers responsible for bringing such films as This Island Earth, The Haunting, Carnival of Souls, Pit and the Pendulum, House of Wax, Tarzan the Ape Man, The Black Cat, Them! and Invasion of the Body Snatchers to the movie screen. Faith Domergue, Michael Forest, Anne Helm, Candace Hilligoss, Suzanna Leigh, Norman Lloyd, Maureen O'Sullivan, Shirley Ulmer, Dana Wynter and many more are interviewed.

Conversations with 22 SF and Horror Filmmakers

I was a Monster Movie Maker

David Hedison, who plays a tiny human-headed insect menaced by a spider at the climax of The Fly (1958), says the moviemakers spoiled the scene by giving him a squeaky voice. “Imagine if, as the camera moved in closer, you actually heard me screeeeaming for my life. That is horror. That is horror.” In Tom Weaver’s eighth interview book, Hedison—and 22 other moviemakers—talk about their horror and science fiction movie experiences as part of such films and TV series as The Blob, It Came from Outer Space, Tarzan the Ape Man, Star Trek, The Wild Wild West, Somewhere in Time, The Devil Bat and Forbidden Planet. Among those interviewed are Dan O’Herlihy, Kate Phillips, John Alvin, Anthony Cardoza, Tod Griffin, Alex and Richard Gordon, Suzanne Kaaren, and Warren Stevens. Full credits are provided for the actors, actresses, and producers.

Interviews with 23 Monster Stars and Filmmakers

Science Fiction Confidential

Bob Burns

Monster Kid Memories chronicles Bob Burns' role in science fiction and horror film history over the course of more than 65 years. Inside, read all about Bob and his friendships with legendary SF producer-director George Pal (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine); Glenn Strange, the last of Universal's classic Frankenstein Monsters; William Castle, king of the 'gimmick' horror movies; makeup legend Jack Pierce; the men who made the great Republic serials; Hollywood's greatest "gorilla guy" Charlie Gemora, and many more!

Monster Kid Memories

These men and women saved the planet from aliens, behemoths, monsters, zombies, and other bloated, stumbling threats--in the movies, at least--and now they tell their stories. Julie Adams, John Agar, Richard Anderson, John Archer, Jeanne Bates, Billy Benedict, Turhan Bey, Lloyd Bridges, Ricou Browning, Robert Cornthwaite, Louise Currie, Richard Denning, Anne Francis, Mark Goddard, June Lockhart, Eugene Lourie, Jeff Morrow, Lori Nelson, Rex Reason, William Schallert, Don Taylor, George Wallace and Jane Wyatt give behind-the-scenes insights into such classic movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon, Forbidden Planet, Destination Moon and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. They also discuss the impact monster-fighting had on their careers and what they are now doing. Some interviews were previously published in different form in fan magazines.

Interviews with 23 Classic Horror, Science Fiction, and Serial Stars

They Fought in the Creature Features

"I talked with a zombie"--it DOES seem like an odd thing to say! But for more than 25 years, Tom Weaver has been chatting up zombies and many other vintage movie monsters, along with the screenwriters, producers, directors and actors responsible for bringing them to life. In this compilation of interviews, 23 more veterans share their stories--strange, frightening and even a little funny--this time with an increased emphasis on genre television series courtesy of the stars of The Time Tunnel; Rocky Jones, Space Ranger; Tom Corbett, Space Cadet; Planet of the Apes; and The Wild Wild West. The many other interviewees include Tandra Quinn (Mesa of Lost Women), Eric Braeden (Colossus: The Forbin Project), Ann Carter (The Curse of the Cat People), Laurie Mitchell (Queen of Outer Space) and monster music maestro Hans J. Salter.

Interviews with 23 Veterans of Horror and Sci-Fi Films and Television

I Talked with a Zombie

David Hedison, who plays a tiny human-headed insect menaced by a spider at the climax of The Fly (1958), says the moviemakers spoiled the scene by giving him a squeaky voice. "Imagine if, as the camera moved in closer, you actually heard me screeeeaming for my life. That is horror. That is horror." In Tom Weaver's eighth interview book, Hedison--and 22 other moviemakers--talk about their horror and science fiction movie experiences as part of such films and TV series as The Blob, It Came from Outer Space, Tarzan the Ape Man, Star Trek, The Wild Wild West, Somewhere in Time, The Devil Bat and Forbidden Planet. Among those interviewed are Dan O'Herlihy, Kate Phillips, John Alvin, Anthony Cardoza, Tod Griffin, Alex and Richard Gordon, Suzanne Kaaren, and Warren Stevens. Full credits are provided for the actors, actresses, and producers.

AA Files 71 features essays on Brunelleschi, by Pier Vittorio Aureli, on the Museum Insel Hombroich, by William Firebrace, on Louis Bonnier, possibly the most boring architect in nineteenth-century France, by Andri Gerber, on the relationship between the artist Joseph Beuys, the architect Hans Hollein and the curator Johannes Cladders, by Eva Branscome, and two conversations, the first with Irish-American architect Kevin Roche, and the second with the Japanese architect Hiroshi Hara.

AA Files 71

David Hedison, who plays a tiny human-headed insect menaced by a spider at the climax of the SF classic The Fly (1958), says the moviemakers spoiled the scene by giving him a squeaky voice. "Imagine if, as the camera moved in closer, you actually heard me screeeeaming for my life," the actor rhapsodizes. "That is horror. THAT is horror." In Tom Weaver's eighth interview book, Hedison-and 22 other moviemakers-talk about their horror and science fiction movie experiences as part of such films and TV series as The Blob, It Came from Outer Space, Tarzan the Ape Man, Star Trek, The Wild Wild West, Somewhere in Time, The Devil Bat and Forbidden Planet. Among those interviewed are Dan O'Herlihy, Eve Brent, Kate Phillips, John Alvin, Anthony Cardoza, Tod Griffin, Alex and Richard Gordon, Denny Miller, Andrey Dalton, Suzanne Kaaren, and Warren Stevens. Full credits are provided for the actors, actresses, and producers.

Gary D. Rhodes

Gary D. Rhodes guides a ghostly ship through the bayous and backwaters of Louisiana, casting his lantern’s light on the vampires of Universal’s 1943 classic Son of Dracula. Also illuminated are the film’s production history and its original script. Unmoored from the errors of the past, Rhodes, Tom Weaver, Robert Guffey and Robert J. Kiss do that research voodoo that they do so well. “An engaging, thoroughly researched and accessible book that will appeal to film researchers and fans alike. Son of Dracula is finally receiving the attention it deserves.” - Dr. Alison Peirse, After Dracula: The 1930s Horror Film “This is the ultimate tribute to Son of Dracula, an underrated jewel in Universal’s 1940s horror pantheon: a reproduction of director Robert Siodmak’s annotated script, plus some superb bonuses. Sink y9our fangs into it now!” - Steve Kronenberg, Universal Terrors 1951 - 1955 Contains the script, production history, fun facts, the pressbook, and essays by Robet Siodmak and Curt Siodmak.

Son of Dracula

Alex Gordon

Gary Don Rhodes

Ed Wood's Bride of the Monster

Scripts from the Crypt Collection

Poverty row horror films were usually inexpensively (some would say cheaply) produced with writing that ranged from bad to atrocious. Yet these movies with their all-star horror casts (Carradine, Lugosi, Karloff, et al.) and their ape men, mad monsters, devil bats and white zombies still have a loyal audience 50 years after their release.Essays contain full filmographic data on the 31 horror chillers made by the three studios from 1940 through 1946 and are arranged by year of release. Each entry includes the date of release, length, production credits, cast credits, interview quotes, and a plot synopsis with critical commentary. Filmographies for prominent horror actors and actresses, from John Abbott to George Zucco, are provided in the appendices.

Monogram, PRC, and Republic Horror Films of the Forties

Poverty Row Horrors!

The laws of man end at Baron Sardonicus’ gate. When lights burn inside, the castle façade looks like a skull. Wolfbane and hemlock grow in the garden. Why is Sardonicus masked? The peasants do not know. They only know that within the castle, there are no mirrors. This book is a tribute to prize-winning author Ray Russell (1924-1999), whose works include the novella “Sardonicus” and the script for the 1961 movie adaptation Mr. Sardonicus. “Sardonicus” is reprinted herein – alongside the new sequel “Sardonicus Reincarnate” by Ray’s daughter Amanda Russell; a reminiscence of Ray by his son Marc Russell; a Mr. Sardonicus production history and extensive cast bios; an examination of its score, and an introduction by its leading lady Audrey Dalton. This Scripts from the Crypt book is also armed to the teeth with the usual blitz of bonus material.

Sardonicus - Scripts from the Crypt #11

Scott Gallinghouse

He made the Universal back lot his own personal preyground: Rondo Hatton, who attained B-movie stardom at the very end of his life via the role of the spine-snapping serial killer The Creeper. The victim of a disfiguring disease, Hatton needed no makeup when he played this night stalker in The Pearl of Death (1944), House of Horrors (1946) and The Brute Man (1946). A lot of misery and physical pain were packed into Rondo Hatton’s 51 years on Earth and he met his challenges with courage. This book tells his full story and pays tribute with a biography chapter, the lowdown on The Brute Man’s production and theatrical release, artist George Chastain’s tribute to other “brute men” of the movies, and more. Also: Rondo’s miraculous 21st-century “rebirth” as a coveted award for the finest in Monster Kid achievement.

Scripts from the Crypt: The Brute Man

Best Book of the Year (2017) - Classic Images The Merrill T. McCord Research Award 2017 - from Classic Images and Best Cover of the Year 2017 - Classic Images Shovel in hand, the redoubtable Gary D. Rhodes returns to the Graveyard of Forgotten Facts, unearthing a treasure trove of terrific illustrations and a casket-full of new information and insights on Bela Lugosi, Ed Wood and Bride of the Monster (1956). Also exhumed are Bride’s shooting script and a vault full of decaying extras. Accompanying him in this 60th anniversary “Bela-bration” of the film’s release is partner-in-crime Tom Weaver, as well as contributors Sam Sherman, Robert J. Kiss and Michael Lee. “Brings back a lot of good memories... That's what I live for. This is history, and I'm living it all over again.” – Conrad Brooks, Ed Wood’s friend and actor in Bride of the Monster “Ed Wood’s Bride of the Monster isn’t the director’s most famous film, or the most beloved, either, but it is the best work the obsessive and resourceful Wood ever did. Loopy and retro even in its own day, Bride gets fabulous treatment in this engrossing volume, with Gary D. Rhodes’s carefully researched account of the picture’s development, shoot, and exhibition. I enjoyed exploring details of the film’s tangled chronology, Bela Lugosi’s casting and performance, and differences between script and finished film. Plus, images and extras I never imagined I’d see. I love Ed, I love Bela and I love Bride of the Monster.” —David J. Hogan, author of Dark Romance: Sexuality in the Horror Film and Film Noir FAQ. “When it comes to throwing the spotlight on American cinema’s dark corners that have been forgotten or ignored by critics, few people possess the breadth of knowledge, archival research expertise and ability to construct fascinating histories as Gary D. Rhodes. In this volume, and continuing his long-standing work on Bela Lugosi, Rhodes unearths and contextualizes with his usual, meticulous scholarship a wealth of material related to the final film in which Lugosi starred. A real treat not just for Lugosi fans, but also for those with an interest in the way American filmmaking was practiced in the periphery of Hollywood.” – Yannis Tzioumakis, Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool and author of Hollywood’s Indies: Classics Divisions, Specialty Labels, and the American Film Market

For fans of SF and horror films, will there ever be a decade to compare with the 1950s? Actors, directors, producers, and crews prevailed over microbudgets and four-day shooting schedules to create enduring films. This book turns a long-overdue spotlight on many who made memorable contributions to that crowded, exhilarating filmmaking scene. John Agar, Beverly Garland, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Gene Corman, and two dozen more reminisce about the most popular genre titles of the era. Lengthy, in-depth interviews feature canny questions, pointed observations, rare photos, and good fun.

Writers, Producers, Directors, Actors, Moguls and Makeup

Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers

Barbara Bibas Montero

Dr Robert J. Kiss

Tense, true, dramatic stories about the mysterious, baffling, unexplainable events in our lives. In 1958, Frank P. Bibas blazed a ghostly trail when he created the anthology TV series The Veil, hosted by "The King of Monsters" himself, Boris Karloff. Its weird tales were reportedly all based on true-life accounts of frightening phenomena. Ten of the planned 39 episodes were shot, all with Karloff as host and as leading characters. Then the Hal Roach Studios were swallowed up by financial quicksand, and The Veil vanished like a spook at sun-up. The episodes ended up not on TV but in warehouse storage. For decades, the fact of their existence was known to practically no one. This book unVeils all the secrets of the supernatural series and its accounts of ghosts (on land, sea, and air), visions, possession, and reincarnation. Appendices include three Veil scripts, synopses of unproduced scripts, an exhaustive history of Karloff's career as a TV host and rare Karloff photos from the John Antosiewicz Collection. And an Introduction by Boris Karloff.

Boris Karloff's the Veil

As a 12-year-old, Richard Eyer costarred with Robby the Robot. In Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Paul Mantee's costar was a monkey named Barney who received billing as Mona, the Woolly Monkey. Actress Randy Stuart played the wife of The Incredible Shrinking Man. Alan Caillou wrote the original pilot outline for television's The Six Million Dollar Man. Asked to look over the final script six months later, he noticed that exactly one of his lines was being used (and that out of context) and that 27 writers were being given writing credit!Tom Weaver--author of Attack of the Monster Movie Makers, Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes, They Fought in the Creature Features, and Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers--returns with a new collection of interviews that go behind the scenes of Golden Age science fiction, horror and fantasy filmmaking. Among the interviewed are Casey Adams, John Badham, Antony Carbone, Robert Clarke, Sidney Hayers, Lewis Allen, Gene Evans, Alex Gordon, Jackie Joseph, Ken Miller, John Moxey, Arthur Ross, Arianne Ulmer, Debra Paget and Edward Dmytryk.

Conversations with 24 Actors, Writers, Producers, and Directors from the Golden Age

Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Flashbacks

Tom Weaver's classic fifth volume of interviews is now back in print. Originally published as It Came from Weaver Five in 1996, this collection goes behind the scenes with 20 of the most talkative people of Hollywood's horror, science fiction and serial films of the 1930s through 1960s. Delores Fuller loaned Ed Wood her angora sweater, but didn't fully realize he was a transvestite until Glen or Glenda was released. Tom Hennesy played the title role in Clint Eastwood's first movie--Revenge of the Creature. The interviewees include Fuller, Hennesy, Junior Coghlan, Charlotte Austin, Les Baxter, John Clifford, Mara Corday, Kathleen Crowley, Michael Fox, Anne Gwynne, Linda Harrison, Michael Pate, Gil Perkins, Walter Reed, Joseph F. Robertson, Aubrey Schenck, Sam Sherman, Gloria Stuart, Gregory Walcott and Robert Wise. Also included is "A Salute to Ed Wood," with illustrations by Drew Friedman.

Interviews with Moviemakers in the SF and Horror Tradition

It Came from Horrorwood

Back in the era of black-and-white horror and sci-fi movies, “we didn't have special effects, or the money for 'em,” says Peter Graves, one of the genre's most popular stars. “But in those days, an unlimited amount of money wouldn't have gotten us much better special effects, because they didn't exist. We had to go with the stories and try to make them as believable as possible, and flash the outlandish things by quickly, so the audience never got a good, in-focus look at them!” Perhaps no films attracted more rabid fans and less critical acclaim than the genre movies of that era. The men and women who made the characters come to life are interviewed here, talking about their work, the behind-the-scenes action, and the impact the movies had on their careers. The interviewees are Gene Barry, Gary Clarke, Gary Conway, Merian C. Cooper, Robert Dix, Donnie Dunagan, Alex Gordon, Peter Graves, Gary Gray, Arch Hall, Jr., Stephen Kandel, Carolyn Kearney, Ken Kolb, Robert L. Lippert, Jr., Jan Merlin, Mary Mitchel, Elliott Reid, Stanley Rubin, Frankie Thomas and Burt Topper. Extensively illustrated.

20 Interviews

Earth Vs. the Sci-fi Filmmakers

Twenty-eight terrific interviews with some of the sharpest and most talkative stars and movie makers of the classic (and c-r-a-z-y!) SF and horror films of the past: Richard Matheson, Janet Leigh, Acquanetta, Hazel Court, Kim Hunter and others reminisce at length and with great good humor about their days on the sets of Psycho, Planet of the Apes, Superman; the Poe, Hammer and Lewton films, and exploitation greats like Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Tom Weaver

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