hollywood legends of horror collection

THE FLICKS: Although it has arrived with little fanfare, Warner Brothers’ Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection deserves a good bit of trumpeting. The six-DVD set (packaged very similarly to last year’s Val Lewton Collection) contains some once fabulously rare examples of MGM studio’s forays into the cinema of the macabre, if not quite all-out horror films. The Mark of the Vampire (1935) holds the distinction of being Lugosi’s first time donning the cape since his breakout role in Dracula, although as it turns out, (spoiler) he and his vampire daughter are actually actors hired to scare a murderer into confessing his crimes. Muddled and mixed in tone, the film wraps around itself so many times, this legendary plot confusion is almost part of the appeal. What remains is some superb set design and atmospheric photography by Dracula director Tod Browning, whose technical skills seem to have improved dramatically, along with actress Carrol Borland striking pose as a (faux) undead temptress, who even sprouts wings in one unforgettable 3-second shot! Even more impressive is The Mask of Fu Manchu, starring Boris Karloff in his first speaking horror film role. And what delicious speeches he gets as the “yellow menace” incarnate, out to raid the tomb of Genghis Kahn and proclaim himself the new emperor of Asia. The film is full of perverse torture devices (bells, whips, spikes and alligators) all wielded with immense glee by Fu Manchu and his sadomasochistic daughter, played by a sexy Myrna Loy. This is the uncut version which includes many suggestive scenes and racist comments chopped out of the film nearly 40 years after its release. But Fu Manchu holds up as a deliriously fun serial-type adventure, with wickedly sharp dialogue and outstanding effects. Doctor X is a rare example of the two-strip Technicolor process – with the end result heavy on the muted greens and browns prevalent in the look of the Matrix trilogy – that mixes horror with comedy in the form of a wise-acre reporter on the trail of a “moon-killer” monster. The eponymous Doctor X runs a research facility full of likely suspects who gather at his Long Island estate to ferret out the guilty party. Fay Wray plays the beautiful damsel in distress while the monster itself is realized with a creepy “synthetic flesh” effect. Although the transfer, courtesy of the UCLA film archives, suffers more damage than any other film in the set, Doctor X is great fun and moves at a lively pace. The Return of Doctor X is a sequel in name only, starring Humphrey Bogart as a pasty-faced bad guy who always seems to show up at crime scenes where victims have been completely drained of blood. Another curious reporter leads viewers through the proceedings which involve medical experiments on the blood meant to cure disease, but used for far more dastardly purposes. The most recent film of the bunch, The Return of Doctor X falls into a more traditional sci-fi / horror formula which would continue into the ‘50s and beyond. But it’s also the most pristine-looking. Peter Lorre would soon become an icon of the macabre, immortalized in everything from cartoons to recent efforts like Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. But his first English-speaking role came on director Karl Freund’s Mad Love, with Lorre playing a brilliant surgeon obsessed with a married actress whose pianist husband loses his hands in a train accident. Lorre re-attaches a recently executed murderer’s hands, which soon develop a mind of their own. Less a horror film than a study in psychological depravity, Mad Love is perhaps the ultimate showcase for Lorre’s particular brand of eeriness; with his bug eyes, bald head and sinister whimper. And finally The Devil Doll stars Lionel Barrymore as an escaped convict who poses as an aged toy shop owner (in drag, no less!) using technology that shrinks down humans to doll-like size and forcing them carry out his revenge against those who sent him to prison. Directed once again by Tod Browning, whose themes of perversity and mutilation somehow always seem to squeeze past the censors, this one is most memorable for the nicely done optical effects and oversize sets used to create the illusion of tiny assassins out to do their master’s bidding. THE FEATURES: The set contains commentaries on every film except The Devil Doll. Kim Newman and Steve Jones provide a tag team approach on Mark of the Vampire, focusing mainly on the fact that the film was a remake of the legendary “lost” film, London After Midnight, starring Lon Chaney. Greg Mank contributes particularly well on Fu Manchu, with a well researched list of cuts from various countries. Scott MacQueen tackles Doctor X while Steve Haberman is joined by director Vincent Sherman (who died just a few months later) on The Return of Doctor X. And Haberman returns for a solo turn on Mad Love. There are also some truly unique trailers attached, with Lugosi delivering more dialogue on the promo for Mark of the Vampire than he does in the entire film. And Lorre shows flashes of his famous sense of humor in the clever coming attractions spot for Mad Love. It’s great to see Warner blow the dust off of these lesser-known but superior genre entries. With no compromises in quality, the Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection is easily the “best buy” for classic horror fans this year.