Chronicles the careers of 5 men who made scary, enjoyable, & sometimes classic films: James Whale (Frankenstein, 1931, & The Invisible Man, 1933), Willis O'Brien (King Kong, 1933; Mighty Joe Young, 1949), Ray Harryhausen (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, 1958; Jason & the Argonauts, 1963), Terence Fisher (Dracula, 1958; Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, 1969), & Freddie Francis (The Skull, 1965; Tales That Witness Madness, 1973). Usually working within tight budgets & short production schedule, these 3 directors (Whale, Fisher, Francis) & 2 masters of special effects (O'Brien, Harryhausen) turned out films that proved them to be not only skillful craftsmen but artists. B&W photos.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Five of moviedom's most talented creators of fantasy and horror films are given brief but surprisingly thorough biographies by Jensen (The Cinema of Fritz Lang). They are James Whale, the director of the 1930s classics Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Bride of Frankenstein; Willis O'Brien, the pioneer animator of The Lost World (1925) and the original King Kong; O'Brien's protege Ray Harryhausen, the master animator of such films as The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and The Valley of Gwangi (1969); and Terence Fisher and Freddie Francis, who directed some of the best horror films made by Britain's Hammer Films from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. Each chapter focuses on one filmmakers's working life, with detailed production histories of the important movies and an intepretive reading of each film. The filmmakers' personalities show through. O'Brien's obsessive perfectionism, for instance, is contrasted to Harryhausen's willingness to sacrifice a big budget in exchange for complete control of his films, resulting in cheerfully slapdash productions. Particularly welcome are the two chapters on Hammer horror. Fisher was making run-of-the-mill melodramas until his career took off with his superb Dracula and Frankenstein adaptations featuring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Francis has had two careers, as the cinematographer of A-list films like The French Lieutenant's Woman and as the inventive director of low-budget fright fests like Paranoiac and The Skull. Jensen, who teaches film at SUNY-Oneonta, keeps his prose free of jargon. His deep research and manifest enthusiasm for these wonderfully strange movies make this a must read for fans of the genre. Filmography; photos.
Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book on Special Effects Pioneers,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Men Who Made the Monsters (Twayne's Filmmakers Series) (Paperback)
There is no better biography of Willis O'Brien the man who brought dinosaurs to life and of his protege Ray Harryhausen who made more dinos move and was largely responsible for the original Mighty Joe Young. In addition, there are fine pieces on James Whale, Terence Fisher, and Freddie Francis who invented and re-invented the modern gothic horror film.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent for Special Effects/Hammer Fans,
By
This review is from: Men Who Made the Monsters (Paperback)
This book is well written and researched. It covers five horror film creators: James Whale, Willis O'Brien, Ray Harryhausen, Terrence Fisher and Freddie Francis.The Whale section is good but covers ground that is equally covered from other sources. The O'Brien and Harryhausen chapters are possibly the best available sources on the two greatest SPX artists. The Fisher and Francis sections provide good coverage of these Britsh horror directors. The Freddie Francis chapter is the best source I've read for his wildly uneven career and his IMHO greatly superior to the Wheeler Dixon book on Francis.
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