bela lugosi
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MacKrazy — 18 years ago(October 04, 2007 04:40 AM)
I wish Bela had not played the monster. he just doesn't look right in the make-up. He was great as Yogr, his brow is two low and he looks small and weak like a normal guy although that could have more to do with lazy costume department. They really should have just had a big stunt man play the part as it was so physical and had no emotions what so ever.
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rj968 — 18 years ago(October 31, 2007 06:10 AM)
Lugosi stunk as the Monster. His movements were terrible: stiff, lumbering with out stretched arms that became a bad trademark style for the Monster. Glenn Strange adopted the same stiff mannerisms in his portrayals. I'll never know why they had the Monster become a walking mannequin.
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double_c — 18 years ago(January 23, 2008 09:20 PM)
At the end of Ghost of Frankenstein the Monster went blind from rejecting Ygor's brain. As shot, Lugosi's Monster in this film is still blind. The closeups of his eyes and his smile at Dr. Mannering when he's being shocked at the end are because his sight has been restored. Then at the last minute they changed the script so the Monster could see all the time after all, making the stretch-armed strutting the poor caricature it now is. It's not so much Lugosi's fault as the producers for making the last-minute switch.
Elvis is DEAD -
bromstaker — 18 years ago(February 05, 2008 08:53 AM)
While many knock Lugosi's performance as the monster some aspects of his performance have merit. He has a great snarl (unlike Chaney and Strange who were both silent). Bela also displays more head movements and facial expressions.
The reason why they didn't just have a stuntman play the monster in this film is because Bela Lugosi had marquee appeal as a horror actor. The combination of Chaney reprising his popular Wolfman character with Lugosi as the monster was box-office draw. -
porfle — 17 years ago(April 28, 2008 12:30 AM)
It's a shame that Gil Perkins, who was in the Monster makeup in that first great closeup and during most of the climactic fight, didn't get to play the part the entire time. He looked awesome as the Monster. And he's more than just an action stand-in in this moviehe's acting as Talbot breaks him out of the ice, and again during the fight.
He didn't have marquee value like Lugosi, but neither did Glenn Strange.
http://www.bumscorner.com
http://www.myspace.com/porfle -
jquirk-1 — 17 years ago(September 01, 2008 03:50 PM)
I really wish the original version of "Frankenstein meets the Wolfman" would turn up so we could see it the way it was filmed. I'd love to hear Lugosi perform his Ygor bit one more time.
As I stated in other threads, I always thought there was something missing from this movie even when I saw it back in the 70s as a child. It would be nice if Universal could dig up that footage (or at least find the soundtrack) and restore it. -
Mississippi20 — 12 years ago(March 08, 2014 10:29 AM)
At the end of Ghost of Frankenstein the Monster went blind from rejecting Ygor's brain. As shot, Lugosi's Monster in this film is still blind. The closeups of his eyes and his smile at Dr. Mannering when he's being shocked at the end are because his sight has been restored. Then at the last minute they changed the script so the Monster could see all the time after all, making the stretch-armed strutting the poor caricature it now is. It's not so much Lugosi's fault as the producers for making the last-minute switch.
SPOILERS They did
not
change the script so the Monster could see - his sight is never mentioned one way or the other. It is merely mentioned that the Monster is
weak
. I think the audience can easily infer that the Monster does not see well (especially if they have seen the previous film, 'Ghost of Frankenstein').
Hence, when Dr. Manningham restores the Monster's strength at the end of the film, Lugosi's wry smile still retains much effectiveness. -
fritzfassbender — 17 years ago(December 28, 2008 07:29 AM)
I don't think Lugosi's performance is as bad as horror fans generally think it is, but I don't think it's that great either.
The original script intended the Monster to be Ygor, but blind. That's why he has that wonderful smile near the end, it's Ygor realizing he has full power. Also, of course, Lugosi's dialogue was cut.
So, in essence, Lugosi was asked to play Ygor in the monster, but blind. When you know that, you realize just how screwed over he got.
However, even considering that, Lugosi was 60 years old when he played that role. When it's not a stunt double (and yes, it is a lot, even that first shot of him opening his eyes is stunt double Eddie Parker), he just doesn't look right.
His movements were terrible: stiff, lumbering with out stretched arms that became a bad trademark style for the Monster.
Yes, you always see that when The Monster is portrayed, and he was the first to do it. Kind of amazing what sticks out in people's minds.
But I contribute that to two things. One, he is supposed to be blind, and two, I don't think Lugosi ever understood that the Monster was more than just grunting and lumbering. The reason he originally turned down the role in 1931 was becuase he felt it required no talent, and frankly I don't think his opinion ever changed. -
stargazer1701-1 — 15 years ago(July 14, 2010 09:57 AM)
Consider the possibility that the monster walks in a stiff lumbering motion because rigor mortis is setting in. After all, the monster is composed of dead body parts
like zombies.
Smoke me a kipper. Ill be back for breakfast -
tbrittreid — 15 years ago(July 19, 2010 12:33 PM)
There are some significant problems with just about every claim of what was intended, filmed, and tampered with in "post," concerning this movie. See the thread "Missing Material," at this writing the 16th down, for details.
The GREEN HORNET Strikes Again! -
Mississippi20 — 12 years ago(March 08, 2014 10:41 AM)
As far as Lugosiat least he made his mark in the Frankenstein series as Ygor. A truly fantastic character in the series.
I suppose it's fun (at least for fans of horror films) to see Lugosi as the Monster, but ultimately the role is fairly inconsequential and I think the film could've turned out just as well with almost any brute actor behind the Frankenstein make-up. Especially after they cut the Monster's dialogue.
Physically, Lugosi was not only 60 at the time, but just didn't quite have the brute features of Lon Chaney or Glenn Strange behind the Frankenstein Monster make-up.
'Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man' is still a memorable film, but Lugosi's performance as the monster is, like I said, mostly inconsequential in my opinion.