House of Dracula (45)

[bobfells]

Karloff seemed to be a lot more picky in his horror film roles and seemed to prefer landing supporting roles in non-horror films when he could have been starring in horror films.THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD and THE LOST PATROL are good examples. I understand that he was on vacation in Britain but cut it short to accept a role in CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA. His stint a Warners in the late 30s gave him an opportunity to play character parts not unlike some of Chaney's films in the 20s. By contrast, perhaps out of financial necessity, Lugosi seems to have accepted any role offered him. Has anybody ever heard of films that Lugosi rejected?

One thing has puzzled me - with their distinctive voices, why didn't Karloff and Lugosi do more radio work in the 30s and 40s? They didn't need a show of their own either, anthology series such as SUSPENSE, LIGHTS OUT, and many others would have kept them busy between films. Lugosi did star in an early episode of SUSPENSE in 1943 called "The Doctor Prescribed Death." His voice disembodied from his appearance gave it almost a hypnotic quality and it was good little story. I don't believe he appeared in another episode even though the show outlived him, not ending until 1962.

One factor about Lugosi that nobody has mentioned on this thread and I'm certainly in no position to evaluate it. That is reports that he was difficult to work with. David Manners was especially disparaging. Any thoughts on how his behavior may have affected his relationship with producers?

[bobfells]

Augustinius wrote: "I agree that Karloff deserved more parts, and to this day am stunned that they passed him over for the movie of Arsenic and Old Lace. That part just makes no sense to me without Karloff and I always pretend that it is him when I see the movie."

The movie version of AAOL was filmed in 1941 but by stipulation, was withheld from release until the play had finished its NY run, which didn't happened until 1944. Frank Capra wasn't going to wait around Warners for the NY run to end and I think Karloff was simply not available in 1941 because he was appearing in the NY play. IMO Raymond Massey did an excellent job but I'm sure the line, "He looks like Boris Karloff" would have been funnier had BK played the role.

[augustinius]

I knew the reason why he wasn't in it, I just am still amazed that he was deemed replaceable regardless.

[Richard M Roberts]

Answering several different posts.

Karloff actually did quite a bit of radio from the mid-30’s onward, including a several week stint on LIGHTS OUT in 1938, his own series for NBC in 1944-45 called CREEPS BY NIGHT, numerous appearances on INNER SANCTUM, and equally numerous guest star appearances on most of the major comedy-variety shows like Fred Allen, Jack Benny, etc. Later in life, he had a long-running five-minute syndicated show called TALES FROM THE READERS DIGEST which ran from the late 50’s until literally the week he died in early 1969. He also hosted a kid show on New York Radio from 1949-51 while he was doing Broadway and television work there.

And if you want to see Karloff in more mainstream parts, you really have to check out his busy television career. As I said earlier, Karloff really embraced television right from the start of it, partially because it coincided with one of the horror-film lulls that hit in the late 40’s, and he does all sorts of amazing work there, including two different broadcasts of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1955 BEST OF BROADWAY production with Peter Lorre re-doing Dr Einstein, and 1962 HALLMARK HALL OF FAME with Tony Randall playing Mortimer), a number of PLAYHOUSE 90’s, including playing Kurtz in a very bizarre version of Joseph Conrad’s HEART OF DARKNESS, and a slew of delightful variety show appearances where he would even sing and dance on occasion. One of his finest dramatic roles, which he played both on Broadway and in the 1958 HALLMARK HALL OF FAME was as Bishop Cauchon in Jean Anoulith’s THE LARK with Julie Harris and Basil Rathbone. You can actually see this on You Tube.


Yes, it was unfortunate that Karloff didn’t get to do the movie version of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, but the deal Warners got was that they could either have the rest of the original Broadway cast, or Karloff, and for some reason they chose the former. I’ve always liked Capra’s take on it, and though some have criticized it, I enjoy Cary Grant’s over-the-top playing.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

[augustinius]

Love Cary Grant, heck love every other part of Arsenic besides the missing Karloff. If he were the one playing the role, I would consider it a nearly perfect film to enjoy. Even without him I still love it.

[Mike Gebert]

I think Karloff was also just a little too big a star in his own realm to be used for supporting parts— he'd have made a wonderful Moriarty in a Rathbone-Bruce Sherlock Holmes movie, for instance, but from a box office perspective, I'm sure Universal would have thought that was throwing too many of their stars into a movie that would make exactly the same amount of money with George Zucco or Henry Daniell. I suppose House of Rothschild is the movie that shows you what it would have been like if Karloff had never gone into horror and had basically had Henry Daniell's career, say.

If you really want to keenly regret Karloff not being in Arsenic and Old Lace*, see The Boogie Man Will Get You, which was obviously fashioned for him as a sort of imitation-Arsenic and Old Lace. He and Lorre are quite wonderful together (even though Karloff plays more of a dotty mad scientist than a criminal type).

* I too agree that it's a swell film, despite the regrets over Karloff. I also think it's interesting that the initial setup (famous skeptic of marriage runs off to get married) was likely inspired by H.L. Mencken's marriage to Sara Haardt. For a guy who would have been flattered to be played by Edmond O'Brien, Mencken sure did well having Cary Grant and Gene Kelly as his primary cinematic interpreters.

[Michael O'Regan]

And if you want to see Karloff in more mainstream parts, you really have to check out his busy television career. As I said earlier, Karloff really embraced television right from the start of it, partially because it coincided with one of the horror-film lulls that hit in the late 40’s, and he does all sorts of amazing work there, including two different broadcasts of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1955 BEST OF BROADWAY production with Peter Lorre re-doing Dr Einstein, and 1962 HALLMARK HALL OF FAME with Tony Randall playing Mortimer), a number of PLAYHOUSE 90’s, including playing Kurtz in a very bizarre version of Joseph Conrad’s HEART OF DARKNESS, and a slew of delightful variety show appearances where he would even sing and dance on occasion. One of his finest dramatic roles, which he played both on Broadway and in the 1958 HALLMARK HALL OF FAME was as Bishop Cauchon in Jean Anoulith’s THE LARK with Julie Harris and Basil Rathbone. You can actually see this on You Tube.




RICHARD M ROBERTS

Not to forget his final appearance as the Monster in LIZARDS LEG AND OWLETS WING an episode of ROUTE 66 in the early 60's

[westegg]

Supposedly Karloff could not get out of his stage contract to do the movie, much as he'd have wanted to. Frankly, I kind of wish Bob Hope had a shot at the Cary Grant role. At least Peter Lorre was put to good use.