bhryun Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 I noticed that so far this year, TCM hasn't been showing very many classic monster movies from Universal. The closest thing to Universal Horror theyre showing is The Uninvited (A great ghost story from Paramount, but is owned by Universal) and the fifties sci fi thriller, It Came from Outer Space. What happened? Did TCM lose the broadcast rights, or just didn't feel like showing any? If anyone from TCM is reading, could you please show more of Universal's classic monster thillers, as well as re-air that great Universal Horror documentary from 1998? I would love for you the show films like House of Horrors, The Mummy's Curse, The Mad Ghoul, Dracula's Daughter, and the 1943 version of Phantom of the Opera with Claude Rains! Thanks for reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessalt Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 Oh! I want to see the Raines version of Phantom so bad! (btw let me say the new version was ok but i saw it a second time JUST for Emmy Rossum-Christine- who was truly amazing!If you don't believe me Rossum got a Golden Globe nod.for it)I'v seen a few Universal pics and i agree! Horror films in general would be nice to see more of! ~Andie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenwal34 Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I'm with you and precode when it comes to Universal horrors.I have an edge on you however in that I saw many of them when they were first released in a theater, such as Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman,House of Frankenstein,House Of Dracula,The CREATURE series etc.The Phantom of The Opera looks and sounds great on DVD ,as do all the releases in the Universal Monster series on DVD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted March 18, 2005 Author Share Posted March 18, 2005 Well, if you're patient until October, I'm sure we'll see more as TCM tends to run lots of the horror films for Halloween. I have long wanted to see the '43 PHANTOM but never had the opportunity. I know that the MUMMY and DRACULA sequels you reference are available (at a very reasonable price) on DVD from Universal's Monster Legacy collection. I think that documentary may be on one of them as well, must not sure. That was very enjoyable and I think they did run it last October so it's probably a safe bet if you can wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickdimeo Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Put my vote in for wanting to see The Old Dark House (1932). What a cast too, Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, and Charles Laughton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombi6422 Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I don't know but it seems that in the last year they have played the universal horrors many times over. Just not any recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviejoe79 Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 I would love to see "The Black Cat" again. This movie is AMAZING, especially since it stars Boris Karloff AND Bela Lugosi. And the art-deco settings are a sight to see. I missed taping it the last time TCM played it, so here's hoping... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencerl964 Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 This 1 also goes out to all-(MJ, Mongo, path40,etc) You all on this particular post/article have already collected them-(I think sagebrush has?) But, the United States Postal Stamps dedicated to Universal Horror Stars? Among my museum of sorts i have them all-(though I never got Cary & *A. Hepburn's?) Karloff, Lugosi, & Lon Chaney, Sr.-(I also got the one's on> *Cagney, *Bogey, Edward G., Marilyn & J.D.-(NOTE: There was to be 1 on *Spencer Tracy, but things got bogged-down) It's mind-boggling that the 2 most obvious still do not have a stamp-(*Charles Chaplin & *John Wayne?)-(although, the latter is coming, or has been finished? Anyone with info please drop in on it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 I would love to see more Universal or ANY classic horror films on TCM, and not just near Halloween. I had to start my own collection years ago because there just isnt enough variety in what is usually shown for my liking. The latest addition to the collection is "The Vampire Bat"- 1932 with Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill & Melvyn Douglas. (They borrowed the sets for this film from Universal.) Theres a "Horror" board in the Genre Forums where we could talk of other things horror! Scroll down the list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flickerknickers Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 The big mystery for us horror lovers is why Universal-MCA sits on a treasure trove of horror antiques and refuses to put them on either video or DVD. I've always loved "The Spider Woman Strikes Back," starring Brenda Joyce and that wondrously sinister Gale Sondergarde. There's also "House of Horror," starring Rondo Hatton, who in real life was a mishapened tragic creature. It would seem like common sense to put all the Cheela, the Gorilla Woman in the form of the luscious Acquanetta in one DVD package. Imagine having "Captive Wild Woman," "Jungle Captive" and "Jungle Woman' on one disc. And of course, those two classics from the thirties--"The Black Cat" and "The Raven"--can't be found anywhere now. They've even stopped putting out VHS tapes. A double disc of "Cat" and "Raven" could have such extras as the "making of...", maybe a voice commentary (and NOT by Rudy Behlmer whose commentaries have become jokes) by some very hip, with-it scholar who could give us behind-the-scenes vignettes and trivia about these two classics. Let's not hold our breath, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickdimeo Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 You make a good point, the Rudy Behlmer commentaries are a joke. I don't know why the manufactures of these older movie DVD's always feel the need to call up Rudy for a commentary job. I never thought anybody could be as bad as Peter Bogdanovich on the Citizen Kane DVD, until I heard Rudy on the Laura DVD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venerados Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Not sure if I've heard Behlmer do one. The first DVD I ever bought, "Bride of Frankenstein", has got a good interesting/informative commentary by (I believe) Scott MacQueen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flickerknickers Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Nick, to hear Rudy Behlmer at his worst, try listening to his horrific commentary on "Gone With the Wind." For instance, at the end of part one, when Scarlett goes to the hilltop and makes her vow, you would think the commentator would give us insight as to how this legendary scene was filmed: was a double used, did they film the close-ups in the studios, etc? No, our wonderful Rudy is babbling glibly about Thomas Mitchell and his great stage career! All he does through his commentary is tell us about the backgrounds of the actors, often when the particular actor isn't even on the screen. Another hideous commentator is Richard Schieckel (can't spell his last name)who did a horrendous job commenting on the l950 "Titanic" DVD. When Barbara Stanwyck makes her appearance, Richard says, "And here we have, eh, we have, eh, eh, Barb...Barbara..eh, eh...Barbara Stanwyck. Eh, eh, she was a great, eh, eh, actress. For the classic horror commentaries, they need someone who is passionate about the subject and who can enlighten us to details about the scenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardny4me Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 First if anyone from Universal is reading, thanks for the inexpensive DVD box sets of horror films but please release THE BLACK CAT, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1943)and TOWER OF LONDON. I would love it if TCM airs them, but I do understand the rights issues. And if there is an audio track, get Clive Barker or somebody other than Rudy Belhmer, his commentary on GONE WITH THE WIND was very disappointing, and his commentary on the new LAURA dvd is not so great either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted March 30, 2005 Author Share Posted March 30, 2005 I think TCM has shown THE BLACK CAT and TOWER OF LONDON a while back because I saw them both and I dont think any other channels I have would have run them. And I like the idea of Clive Barker doing audio commentary. He is well qualified in voice and mind to do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 you mention "House of Horrors". That is a great movie, and I also hope TCM shows it sometime. I have satisfied my love for all films Universal, by buying up all those recent boxed sets, with the Frankenstein sage, Dracula, the Mummy, the Invisible Men, and the Creatures. It helps, if TCM is not showing them enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenwal34 Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 House of Horrors with Rondo Hatten as the "Creeper" is rarely shown. The same with "The Mad Ghoul" and "Night Monster",two atmospheric thrillers from Universal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flickerknickers Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 New generations unfortunately have no idea that there used to be something on TV called "Shock Theater." When I watched it faithfully over the years, you were amazed at all the horror films made by Universal. You saw,"The Cat Creeps," "The Catman of Paris," "Mystery of the White Room," "The Spider Woman STrikes Back," all the Inner Sanctum series that usually starred our familiar favorites like Evelyn Ankers, Fay Helm, Lon Chaney Jr., Milburn Stone (who went on to Gunsmoke fame) etc. This was, of course, in addition to the classic monsters like The Mummy, The Invisible Man, etc. One station in North Carolina took Shock even further by having double-features with the Sherlock Holmes series and horror films from other studios. Those were the days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenwal34 Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Thanks for the post paty! We had Shock Theater here in the Fifties. I see that you mentioned CATMAN OF PARIS. This was from Republic with Robert Wilke as the catman.I was beginning to think I was the only fan for this one! How about VALLEY OF THE ZOMBIES,also from Republic with Ian Keith.Both are a rarity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flickerknickers Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Ken, not only was "Catman of Paris" a real goodie, but the Shock theater me and my family watched also threw in PRC, Monograms, Chesterfield Studios chillers--like "Strangler of the Swamp" (wow), "Devil Bat," "Vampire Bat," "Devil Bat's Daughter", "The Gorilla," "The Ape Man," and on and on and on. I've always had a fond spot in my memory for "The Mad Ghoul" and of course, the best of them all--"Night Monster." That photography and the great ensemble acting made this one a real treasure. If you ever try watching the SciFi channel these days, forget seeing anything classy or supernatural. It's all giant bugs, alligators, spiders and snakes. I've read where a new cable channel will be launched this fall called The Horror Channel. It'll show nothing but supernatural and ghost and monster movies. I'm ready for it! And wouldn't it be great if they had a station that showed just old serials, along with those grand old westerns? I know there's a western cable station that I used to get but I remember it showing too many recent oaters from the 50s and 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenwal34 Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 paty, Let us not forget George Zucco in THE FEATHERED SERPENT,FOG ISLAND, and THE MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR with John Loder. Have you noticed that Zucco and Lionel Atwell's name rarely come up on supporting actors lists on these boards.Yet these actors often stole movies from their more famous co-stars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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