Topic: Who's Picture Is On The Frankenstein Box Art
Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted May 07, 2009 09:07 AM
"Bride Of Frankenstein" and "A&C Meet Frankenstein" Castle Cover graphic on the top show an image of the actual actors in the movie. On the bottom is a graphic of the monster with his hands clasped together as if he were praying. Now, I've searched the web high and low for the identical photo and have come to the conclusion that the actor in the monster makeup is indeed NOT Glenn Strange nor Karloff nor Chaney, but an identified actor who merely posed in the makeup for the cover image(s). Would you all agree or am I way off here?
Good question! I've never looked that close at the photo before, but on the "Bride" cover, it appears to me that the Monster's left hand is actually drawn in to make it appear that he's pleading to his potential mate. The left hand is nowhere to be found on the A&C cover.
I seriously doubt that Castle would've gone to the expense or trouble to stage a cover shoot. I'm sure that's a Universal publicity still that they've manipulated (in the days before photoshop!). It could be one of the four actors (the three you mentioned and Bela Lugosi) who played the monster.
Doug
-------------------- I think there's room for just one more film.....
Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted May 07, 2009 11:15 PM
I just wish we could find the actual still that the photo is from. I don't recall any scenes in a "Frankenstein" film where the monster struck such a pose. If I was to pick who I think it resembles the most - I'd have to say Strange simply based on the facial structure and makeup design. I agree that the left hand does appear to be sketched in or it could even be a reverse image of the right hand.
posted May 07, 2009 11:21 PM
I think it's Strange, too. The face is too young and not gaunt enough (he took out his bridge) to be Karloff. And in the 40s they shot lots of publicity stills of the cheap actors. I worked at Universal TV publicity in the early 90s and I can tell you the publicity stills in the later "monster rally" films were always second unit and fast and cheesy.
Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted February 17, 2017 01:04 AM
I found it. It's actually Glenn Strange in the exact position. He's kneeling next to Bud and Lou in a comically posed publicity still for "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein". Found it on Google. Caption reads "a funny pose from A&C Meet Frankenstein". Yes his hands are clasped in the photo.
Posts: 108
From: Lincoln, DE, USA
Registered: Feb 2014
posted February 17, 2017 11:30 PM
When I got Castle Films 200ft The Bride of Frankenstein for Christmas, back in 1967, I always knew it was Glen Strange on the cover and always wondered why they showed a picture of him and not Boris Karloff.
Posts: 452
From: Bromley, Kent
Registered: Nov 2010
posted February 23, 2017 05:44 PM
Definitely Glenn Strange, and many periodicals (including Radio Times) still mistakenly print his picture when referencing Boris Karloff.