Customer Reviews

Monster Kid Memories: Behind-The-Scenes, First-Hand Encounters With The Men Who Made The Classic Movie Monsters!

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Being a long time lover of everything that is classic horror & sci-fi, I consider this is a great and highly recommended book from one the most beloved fans of the genre, Bob Burns. It really feels as if he is sharing all his wonderful memories about guys such as Glenn Strange (the Frankenstein monster of the 40's), George Pal (War of the Worlds, The Time Machine), and Charlie Gemora (Monster & the Girl, "the Gorilla man"), with you in your living room. It is a fun adventure to share all of Bob's wonderful memories, and gives insight to not only those actors, directors and makeup men I mentioned, but to Bob's life as well. He is THE fan that we all wished we could be, and along with "IT CAME FROM BOB'S BASEMENT", is a wonderful journey back to the days of classic horror and early sci-fi!

I read an edition of Starlog magazine about Bob Burn's Halloween extravaganas. I always wanted to attend one of these Halloween shows. Monster Kid Memories is as close as I will ever get. The book makes you feel like you were right there when it was being built and shown. Bob Burns is probably the greatest SciFi fan out there. The book is hard to put down once you start. I do wish Mr Burns would put a video out showcasing the Halloween shows. If you watch a documentary of The Time Machine you can see a portion of one of his shows.

he didn't save lots of kids from burning buildings or shoot down Zeroes, but Bob Burns sure did a lot of other cool things. A neat story of the famous and near famous as told by one of the nicest guys ever to dress up like a gorilla. The writeups on his giant halloween extravaganzas are fantastic - could you imaging being a kid and being able to look forward to these giant home-transforming shows at the end of your street every year?

To my mind, there is no greater Monster Kid than Bob Burns. Burns has lived (and continues to!) the life that every Monster Kid dreams of. He has met some of the giants in the field; become friends with many other lesser-known, but equally interesting personalities; participated in the making of some of the classic films of the genre; appeared on television as part of Shock Theater; has accumulated an untold number of props and other memorabilia over his more than 50-year association with monster and science fiction films; and produced some of the most talked-about, elaborate, and awe-inspiring Halloween "haunted attraction" spectacles of all time.

Yet, despite his extreme good fortune, which could turn lesser men selfish and possessive, Bob Burns never hesitates to share his stories, anecdotes, collection, and super big heart with others.

At long last, Burns, in collaboration with horror/science fiction genre writer Tom Weaver, has gathered a collection of his wonderful experiences in Monster Kid Memories. Here, Burns shares many of the highlights of his life with fellow fans, in addition to hundreds of amazing, seldom-seen photos (the book contains over 300 illustrations), including one very special, never-before seen shot of the Martian costume from War Of The Worlds.

Ever the selfless, generous Kid, Bob turns the spotlight on others, allowing them to shine. We: listen with envy as he describes seeing Bela Lugosi on stage and relates his encounters with Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Chaney Jr., George Pal, and William Castle; visit the sets of films (Destination Moon, Unknown Island, the 2002 remake of The Time Machine); learn the intricacies of portraying a gorilla; discover the man behind the genius that was Jack Pierce; help Bob rig the seats for a showing of The Tingler; and learn of Bob's innumerous movie prop acquisitions over the decades (he owned the original Time Machine!) and how he came to possess them - these are just a handful of the many treats awaiting the reader.

The book contains numerous highlights, but a few deserve special mention:

The chapter where Bob discusses his friendship with Glenn Strange (the man behind the Frankenstein monster in the Universal House films and Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein) is touching and sweet. The two men first met when Bob was a teen, but a genuine friendship started, and lasted until the day Strange died in 1973. The two men shared many experiences together, and such a bond developed, that Burns came to think of Strange as a second father. It's wonderful to read of a friendship between two men like this, and to have Strange step out of those huge Frankenstein monster boots (which Strange gave to Burns by the way, along with an unused Monster headpiece) and learn that he was just a down-to-earth, regular Joe.

A chapter detailing Bob's friendship with George Pal is illuminating. We learn that Pal was a warm and fun-loving man, in addition to fascinating facts about the making of Destination Moon, The Time Machine, and War Of The Worlds. Unfortunately, the chapter is also heart-breaking. To learn Bob's opinion of what really killed Pal is to want to storm the offices of today's Hollywood bigwigs with torches and pitchforks.

The fact that Bob relates the lives and stories of many "behind-the-scenes" people - people whose names won't ring any bells and often don't receive any of the credit and recognition they deserve, is refreshing and very welcome. Some of the make-up artists, stuntmen, bit players, prop and special effects people that Burns knew receive their just due here, and I was grateful to learn of some of the "invisible" people behind some of my favorite old-time films and serials.

Lastly, the chapter that details the history of each of Bob's Halloween "haunted spectaculars" made this reader greener with envy than Elsa as the monster in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Reading of the amount of time, effort, and talent that went into producing each of these shows, merely for the entertainment of friends and neighborhood children, is a testament to just how big Bob Burns's heart really is.

The mere fact that these memories, and much more, are captured in one book is reason enough to recommend it. But quite often the telling of one's life to another can make for a dull, difficult read. Not Monster Kid Memories. Although many of these memories occurred decades ago, you wouldn't know it to read it. When he's relating one of his many stories, there is such genuine excitement and enthusiasm emanating from Burns that you swear you're sitting in a chair across from him, listening, caught up in his excitement - several times while reading I found myself actually exclaiming, "Oh, wow!"

This sense of fun and "gee-whiz!" excitement, perfectly captured and transferred to the page by co-author Weaver, is the book's grand accomplishment. For several hours, the reader once again becomes a little 15-year-old boy (or girl!). Only a handful of books can accomplish magic like this, and Monster Kid Memories is one of them.

My only regret is the fear that the title might turn away a wider audience. While the book does concentrate primarily on Burns's association with monsters and science fiction, a potential reader should know that these stories will appeal to anyone. You don't have to love monsters and aliens - Bob Burns does, and the kid-like joy and genuine love that he has for his subjects spills over onto the page and will captivate any film fan.

Just a terrific book.