Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff

Gregory William Mank has written and recorded many DVD and Blu-Ray audio commentaries, has won four Rondo Awards, and has written numerous books on classic horror films. He lives in Delta, Pennsylvania.

• Table of ContentsIntroduction and Acknowledgments      1. “I Created My Own Monster!”      2. In the Hall of the Mountain King      3. The Friendly Panther      4. The Strangest Passion      5. “A Death Mask of a Monster”      6. Jimmy      7. Billy      8. “I Owe It All to Dr. Frankenstein’s Jolly Old Monster!”      9. Booby Prize      10. 1932      11. KARLOFF the Uncanny in The Mummy      12. Wives, Rivals, London, The Screen Actors Guild, John Ford, Broadway, Walt Disney and Others      13. “Improper Faces”—The Black Cat      14. The Film Stars Frolic      15. Gift of Gab and Other Curiosities      Between pages 214 and 215 are 8 color plates containing 10 photographs16. 1935: Bride of Frankenstein vs. Mark of the Vampire      17. The Rivals      18. “Unsubtle Acting”—The Raven      19. “They Were Both Totally Darling!”—The Invisible Ray      20. Limbo Approaches      21. Horrible, Horrible Men      22. Monster Eve      23. “All the Demons of Hell”—Son of Frankenstein      24. Feathering the Nest      25. “Stanley Ridges and Karloff ”—Black Friday      26. “Their Royal Slynesses”: You’ll Find Out      27. Arsenic and Old Lace      28. “Toneless Voice and Mr. Potato Head Features”: Young Lon      29. Universal Production # 1279      30. 1943—New Work, New Rivals      31. 1944      32. The Body Snatcher      33. Unholy Three—Bedlam, Genius at Work, and House of Dracula      34. 1946–1947      35. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein      36. 1949–1953      37. The Film That Never Was      38. “The Greatest Pain in the World”      39. The Last Bride of Dracula      40. Dracula’s Revenge—and Death      41. Karloff ’s Last Act      42. The Myth and the Rivalry      Appendix 1. The Bela Lugosi Career      Appendix 2. The Boris Karloff Career      Appendix 3. Filmography of Their Films Together      Chapter Notes      Bibliography      Index

“explores the truths behind the mysterious Karloff and the enigmatic Lugosi...brings to life the compelling and complicated saga of the horror kings...add this to your shelf”—Library Journal; “engaging...Mank’s prose is accessible and informative, weaving production history, fan gossip, suggestive analysis and lovingly detailed plot summaries into a tapestry that will appeal both to the student as well as to the interested reader. Libraries at all levels”—Choice; “meticulously researched...grandly paints a portrait of the two stars and the spooky past of Universal, Hollywood’s top scare studio of the 1930s and 1940s”—USA Today; “it is clear Mank has a huge respect for the actors he writes about”—The Idaho Librarian; “with his hyper-dramatic style and flawless research, Mank has become one of the finest classic film writers/historians working today, and he has been raising the bar of film scholarship for decades”—Midnight Marquee; “this is an incredible book. I can barely scratch the surface of the information and secrets that Mank has uncovered. Suffice to say that this book is the one book you must own if you are a fan of Lugosi and Karloff”—Fangoria; “improves upon [Mank’s] already commendable original book from nearly 20 years ago. It is a welcome expansion covering the careers of two masters of an ever-popular movie genre and is most highly recommended to any fan of horror cinema”—Rogue Cinema; “McFarland simply publishes the BEST books about film. They are always well-written and well-researched”—www.gouverneurtimes.com; “Mank’s latest offering, his monolithic dual biography of the genre’s most memorable icons...proves his storytelling prowess and acute attention to detail have only strengthened with time. Not only has Mank nearly doubled the page length (which means more story, more facts, more juicy tidbits—a definite trademark of this author) but the book is informed by scores of new interviews that Mank has conducted in the two decades since the first edition’s release...this is truly the gift that keeps on giving”—Video Watchdog; “worth every dime...Mank’s a colorful wordsmith...sets a crisp pace throughout. It’s also scrupulously researched and accurate to a fault. And the stills! Here is a gallery for fans who think they’ve seen everything.”—Greenbriar Picture Shows; “the phrase ‘revised and updated’ hardly does justice to the work Greg Mank has done in completely rewriting his original, landmark volume. Meticulously researched...and entertainingly written, this book will stand as the final word on both actors...book is like a brick, a hefty tome both in terms of physical presentation and the priceless content. Even if you’ve got the original, the new version is so different it’s worth a re-investment. You won’t be disappointed...the best example of its type. A must-have volume”—www.totalscifionline.com; “superbly written...exceptional...beautifully...illustrated...BRAVO”—Scary Monsters Magazine; “massive and fascinating...monumental...insightful...one of the finest books ever written about horror’s two greatest icons”—VideoScope; “excellently written”—Little Shoppe of Horrors; “excellent...well-written and well-researched. If Mank is behind it, you know it will be good”—Mania; “highly readable and highly recommended...once you start this book, it’ll be hard to put down”—Operaphile; “one of the most enjoyable, enlightening, and entertaining books that I’ve read in a long time...massive...Mank has obviously done decades of research on subjects for this book...If you are looking for a book on Boris Karloff and/or Bela Lugosi, then this is your book. There is so much background on these two Icons, not just them working together, but their own history as well. It really is an essential tome in any horror fans library...an incredible job bringing information about these unsung heroes of cult and B-movie productions that really need to be remembered for the stellar work they did.”—Kitley’s Krypt.