The march of the monster movie makers continues in Tom Weaver's ninth book of in-depth interviews with the men and women who made the horror and sci-fi favorites of the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Actors (including Mike Connors, Brett Halsey, Natalie Trundy and Richard Kiel), writers, producers and directors recall legendary genre figures Lugosi, Chaney, Jr., Tod Browning and James Whale; films ranging in quality from The Thing to Macumba Love and Eegah; behind-the-scenes tales of cult TV series (Twilight Zone, Batman, Lost in Space, more) and serials; and, of course, the usual barrage of outlandish movie menaces, this time including the Fly, Flesh Eaters, Monolith Monsters, ape men, voodoo women and spider babies! And all in the candid, no-holds-barred style that has made Weaver "king of the interviewers" (Classic Images)!
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.
This whopping big McFarland Classic brings together 43 interviews with horror and science fiction movie writers, producers, directors and the men and women who saved the planet from aliens, behemoths, robots, zombies, and other sinister, stumbling threats--in the movies, at least. The interviewees reminisce about some of their great (and not so great!) films and tell their stories. This classic volume represents the union of two previous volumes: 1994's Attack of the Monster Movie Makers ("anecdotes are frank and revealing"--Video Watchdog); and 1995's They Fought in the Creature Features ("a fun book for all SF film enthusiasts"--Interzone). Together at last, this combined collection of interviews offers a candid and delightful perspective on the movies that still make audiences howl and squeal (though fear has long been replaced with sweet nostalgia).
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.
In this jam-packed jamboree of conversations, more than 60 movie veterans describe their experiences on the sets of some of the world’s most beloved sci-fi and horror movies and television series. Including groundbreaking oldies (Flash Gordon, One Million B.C.); 1950s and 1960s milestones (The War of the Worlds, Psycho, House of Usher); classic schlock (Queen of Outer Space, Attack of the Crab Monsters); and cult TV favorites (Lost in Space, Land of the Giants), the discussions offer a frank and fascinating behind-the-scenes look. Among the interviewees: Roger Corman, Pamela Duncan, Richard and Alex Gordon, Tony “Dr. Lao” Randall, Troy Donahue, Sid Melton, Fess Parker, Nan Peterson, Alan Young, John “Bud” Cardos, and dozens more.
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.
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.
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.
What happens when a family of mice moves into a weaver's cottage for the winter? Will they tuck into his woven cloth for a long winter's nap? Will the weaver discover their presence, and if he does, what will he do? This enchanting tale is spun by master weaver Tom Knisely, author of several instructional weaving books including Weaving Rag Rugs, Handwoven Table Linens,Handwoven Baby Blankets, and his latest, Huck Lace Weaving Patterns with Color and Weave Effects. Told in compassionate detail, the story makes you wonder, has Tom had personal experience with tiny curious visitors? Illustrated by Megan Lloyd, the adorable family of mice win your heart from the very first page. Lloyd, an experienced children's book illustrator with dozens of books to her credit and also a weaver, brought both of her talents together to create accurate renderings of weaving tools and also the oh-so-cute mouse family. Age range 4-8
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.
Universal Studios created the first cinematic universe of monsters--Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and others became household names during the 1930s and 1940s. During the 1950s, more modern monsters were created for the Atomic Age, including one-eyed globs from outer space, mutants from the planet Metaluna, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the 100-foot high horror known as Tarantula. This over-the-top history is the definitive retrospective on Universal's horror and science fiction movies of 1951-1955. Standing as a sequel to Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas's Universal Horrors (Second Edition, 2007), it covers eight films: The Strange Door, The Black Castle, It Came from Outer Space, Creature from the Black Lagoon, This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, Cult of the Cobra and Tarantula. Each receives a richly detailed critical analysis, day-by-day production history, interviews with filmmakers, release information, an essay on the score, and many photographs, including rare behind-the-scenes shots.
Butcher" Benton, a crook who pulled a Los Angeles armored car robbery, trudges to San Quentin's gas chamber filled with loathing for his double-crossing partners in crime. Things take a turn for the weird when his corpse is carted off to the laboratory of a medical researcher who gives it a 287,000 volt zap, unintentionally restoring Benton to life and making his skin as hard as armor plate. The Butcher's psychopathic itch, also reborn, still needs scratching so he returns to L.A. a volatile mix of super-strength and white-hot rage. Benton is murder looking for a place to happen: Inhuman! Invincible! Inescapable! Horror legend Lon Chaney puts his considerable all into his performance as the Indestructible Man in this sci-fi/action drive-in favorite. On the 60th anniversary of its 1954 production, the thriller gets the full Scripts from the Crypt treatment: a lengthy "Making Of" essay, quotes from its writers and its producer-director, cast members memories, Production Code correspondence, a dissertation on the music, release information, pressbook and the ultra-rare script.
Revised and updated since its first publication in 1990, this acclaimed critical survey covers the classic chillers produced by Universal Studios during the golden age of hollywood horror, 1931 through 1946. Trekking boldly through haunts and horrors from The Frankenstein Monster, The Wolf Man, Count Dracula, and The Invisible Man, to The Mummy, Paula the Ape Woman, The Creeper, and The Inner Sanctum, the authors offer a definitive study of the 86 films produced during this era and present a general overview of the period. Coverage of the films includes complete cast lists, credits, storyline, behind-the-scenes information, production history, critical analysis, and commentary from the cast and crew (much of it drawn from interviews by Tom Weaver, whom USA Today calls "the king of the monster hunters"). Unique to this edition are a new selection of photographs and poster reproductions and an appendix listing additional films of interest.
The people who directed, produced, and starred in the scary and fantastic movies of the genre heyday over thirty years ago created memorable experiences as well as memorable movies. This McFarland Classic brings together over fifty interviews with the directors, producers, actors, and make-up artists of science fiction and horror films of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. From B movies to classics, Samuel Z. Arkoff to Acquanetta, these veteran vampire baits, swamp monsters, and flying saucers attackees share their memories. This classic volume represents the union of two previous volumes: Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers ("more fun than the lovably cheap movies that inspired it"--Booklist/RBB); and Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes ("candid...a must" --ARBA). Together at last, this combined collection of interviews offers a candid and delightful perspective on the movies that still make audiences squeal with fear, and occasionally, howl with laughter.
Master weaver Tom Knisely presents patterns and ideas to spruce up your table with new weaves Tom Knisely, author of bestseller Rag Rug Weaving and Handwoven Baby Blankets, has now turned his attention to one of the most popular categories of weaving: table linens. Placemats, runners, tablecloths, and napkins play a central role in creating the look of a dining room or kitchen table, and this book gives you the tools needed to realize your vision for these special items. Tom has found inspiration from things as varied as china patterns, a classic Spode Christmas tree, and traditional weaving patterns such as Shadow Weave, Wheel of Fortune, and Star of Bethlehem. For each pattern, he outlines the materials you need, how to set up your loom, and the pattern to weave. Add your own dash of inspiration if you choose different colors, and make each piece your own. The 27 patterns include simple weaves worked on 2- and 4-harness looms, as well as more complex weaves requiring more harnesses. Because Tom is at heart a teacher, he also chose each project with the thought that it should add to your weaving repertoire in some way. The techniques you learn as you work on the projects in this book are things that you can adapt and use down the road in future weaving.
A posse of Hollywood's wild Westerners recall their dusty adventures (and misadventures) with John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Burt Lancaster, Tim Holt, James Arness, Richard Boone, Chuck Connors, Charles Starrett, Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, Alan Ladd, Rock Hudson, Lon Chaney, Jr., Nick Adams, Jock Mahoney, Sam Peckinpah, Johnny Cash and many others! TV Memories of... HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL THE RIFLEMAN MAVERICK DAVY CROCKETT THE VIRGINIAN THE WILD WILD WEST THE REBEL and more!
This is the hardback version. On a South American rubber plantation stands the home of Klaas Van Gelder-a house whose claim to fame is murder. Barney the foreman, beguiled by Van Gelder's beautiful young wife Dina, pushed his employer into the afterlife, took Dina as his bride and made himself master of Van Gelder Manor. But a witch-like servant gives him a dose of jungle justice: She places a curse on him so that he transforms by night into the deadliest of jungle demons, the succarath. Curt Siodmak, creator of The Wolf Man and Donovan's Brain, devised this outlandish monster melodrama, basically an exotic remake of The Wolf Man, co-starring the Wolf Man himself, Lon Chaney. The Fabulous Fifties' first horror hit, it rates deluxe Scripts from the Crypt treatment: a "Making Of" article, a tribute to Siodmak, detailed release information, an essay on the music score, an interview with producer Herman Cohen, a Lon Chaney Timeline, Production Code correspondence, script, pressbook and more.
He was the final addition to Universal's "royal family" of movie monsters: the Creature from the Black Lagoon. With his scaly armor, razor claws and a face only a mother octopus could love, this Amazon denizen was perhaps the most fearsome beast in the history of Hollywood's Studio of Horrors. But he also possessed a sympathetic quality which elevated him fathoms above the many aquatic monsters who swam in his wake. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Gill Man and his mid-1950s film career (Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, The Creature Walks Among Us) is collected in this book, packed to the gills with hour-by-hour production histories, cast bios, analyses, explorations of the music, script-to-screen comparisons, in-depth interviews and an ocean of fin-tastic photos.
A definitive study of the 85 films produced during this era and presents a general overview. For each film, complete cast lists, credits, storyline, behind-the-scenes information, production history, commentary from the cast and crew, and in-depth critical analysis. Generously illustrated"--Provided by publisher.
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.
Appendices include three Veil scripts, synopses of unproduced scripts, an exhaustive history of Karloff's career as a TV host and rare Karloff photos. And an Introduction by Boris Karloff.
In this one-of-a-kind volume, you'll learn everything under the sun about producer-director-star Robert Clarke's 1959 monster classic: Clarke's in-depth account of the making of his low-budget independent movie; reprints of TWO versions of the script, the first set in the jungles of Guatemala; the full story of SUN DEMON's world premiere at a Texas drive-in; anecdotal memories of the frantic filmmaking process from nearly a dozen cast-and-crew participants; the original "Showmanship Manual"; an outline for a follow-up SUN DEMON film proposed by Clarke in the 1970s; scores of rare and never-seen photographs; even an afterword from sexquisite co-star Nan Peterson! This is the first in a series of such books from longtime genre fan and chronicler Tom Weaver.
Join expert weaver and teacher Tom Knisely in his exploration of Huck Lace! "Lace Weaves" are best described as loom controlled warp and weft floats on a Plain Weave ground fabric. The term "Color and Weave Effects" refers to a careful arrangement of light and dark colored threads in the warp and weft that weave into beautiful patterns. Log Cabin is probably the best known color and weave pattern. Combining Huck with Color and Weave orders opened the door to astonishing pattern possibilities. He then came up with four color arrangements: Light and Dark, Complimentary Colors, Monochromatic, and Triadic colors. With 144 patterns and four color themes for each pattern, that's 576 patterns. Each pattern includes the full draft and a woven sample for reference. Tom also includes full details for five projects that are perfect for weaving Huck: dish towels, mug rugs, baby blanket, and two scarves. Huck Lace Weaving Patterns with Color and Weave Effects is an essential resource that you will turn to for inspiration and guidance again and again.
This book tells Hatton's full story and pays tribute with a full biography, the production histories of his five horror movies, artist George Chastain's tribute to other "Brute Men" of the movies, and more.
Every weaver weaves a rag rug--or two, or three. In this long-awaited book, well-known weaver and teacher Tom Knisely shares his knowledge and expertise in this collection of favorite rag rug patterns.
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