Book Description

It's Alive! is a comprehensive and entertaining account of Universal's classic Monster series. It reveals the studio politics, the shameless publicity gimmicks, and the sheer Hollywood madness that made the eight films of Universal's Frankenstein saga the most successful and widely viewed horror films ever produced. It examines the personalities and analyzes the special contributions of such great horror stars as the gentle, mysterious Boris Karloff, the proud, tragic Bela Lugosi, the erratic Lon Chaney, Jr. It provides descriptions of unrivaled detail and accuracy of the ingenious makeups and the strange series of set accidents that are part of the legend and lore of these remarkable motion pictures. The book contains richly detailed production and cast credits, the most exhaustive ever published on these films. There are full synopses of all eight films, a feature sure to inspire nostalgic recollections among the legions of late-night viewers who habitually search the TV listing to see if one of their favorite Frankenstein films is playing--again. Complete production histories furnish an insider's view of how all that film magic was created. Film historian Gregory William Mank conducted numerous exclusive interviews with series survivors, adding a moving and informative personal dimension to his book. Readers get firsthand information from such central figures as Charles Barton(director of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein), leading ladies like Elena Verdugo (House of Frankenstein) and Josephine Hutchinson (Son of Frankenstein), screenwriter Curt Siodmak (who wrote the screenplay for Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man), Lugosi's ex-wife Lillian, Karloff's daughter Sara Jane, and the "Bride of Frankenstein" herself, Elsa Lanchester. An entire chapter, entitled "Denouement," details the strange fates and tragedies that awaited many veterans of the Frankenstein series. And an extensive Biographical Appendix covers the careers of virtually every significant participant in the films. A section on later Frankenstein films demonstrates the lasting impact of this classic horror theme and evaluates the more recent pictures in relation to the great prototypes. The authoritative and readable text is visually supported by over 150 illustrations: portraits, stills from the various films, candid set photographs, and poster reproductions--many never before published. It's Alive! The Classic Cinema Saga of Frankenstein colorfully and factually presents the total, candid, revealing history behind one of the most beloved of motion picture series. It is an invaluable reference volume that also promises hours of pleasure reading. -- Inside jacket flaps.