Ghost Of Frankenstein (1942)

When Ygor brings the Monster to Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein for care, Ludwig gets the idea of replacing the Monster's current criminal brain with a normal one.

The Ghost of Frankenstein is an American monster horror film released in 1942. The movie is the fourth in a series of films produced by Universal Studios based upon characters in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and features Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Monster, taking over from Boris Karloff, who played the role in the first three films of the series, and Béla Lugosi in his second and final appearance as the demented Ygor. The supporting cast features Lionel Atwill, Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy and Evelyn Ankers.

The citizens of the small German town of Frankenstein are once again incensed about Castle Frankenstein. Even though Wolf Frankenstein, son of the original "mad doctor" Heinrich/Henry, has been exiled, and the Monster and Ygor are supposedly dead, the villagers are claiming to have seen Ygor, and they believe that the presence of the Frankensteins has left a curse on their town. So they ask the mayor for permission to destroy the castle; it's granted. After they spot Ygor at the castle their fervor is increased. The destruction reveals the Monster encased in hardened sulfur, which apparently has been therapeutic for him. Ygor takes the Monster and escapes to Vasaria, home of another Frankenstein son, Ludwig. Of course chaos ensues.

An often overlooked and under-appreciated entry in Universal's classic "Frankenstein" series that succeeds as an atmospheric, effortlessly paced monster movie. Dark, stormy nights, crashing thunder and lightning -- all add in setting the stage for a thoroughly satisfying night of chills.

After having played the definitive version of Frankenstein's Creation three times already, Boris Karloff vowed not to continue with the series at this point. It must have been a formidable task for Lon Chaney to take over the part for The Ghost Of Frankenstein, but while he doesn't make as compassionate a monster as Karloff did, Lon does manage to endow the character with an awesome display of brute strength with his otherwise stone-faced performance.

You can't keep a good monster down!

The real star of the movie is Bela Lugosi as Ygor, continuing his role from `Son of Frankenstein. `Ghost of Frankenstein' comes across as insubstantial when you compare it to the first three Frankensteins.  If you're a fan of Universal monster movies you'll find plenty to enjoy in this movie. It's one of the better/more enjoyable movies that is part of the official Frankenstein franchise and it certainly doesn't have a bad ending.

Oddly enough, even though Colin Clive (who died in 1937) is clearly seen in the flashback sequence as Henry Frankenstein, it is also clearly Hardwicke portraying Henry's "Ghost". Dwight Frye also seen in the flashback, has a small role as a villager at the beginning of the film.

Ghost of Frankenstein is far from being the best of Universal's Frankenstein series, but as a middle-of-the-pack entry, it's quite worthwhile. And for serious fans of The Monster who feel that the later "team-up" entries in the series are abominations (that is to say Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein), then this film is pretty much the end of the Frankenstein Monster story.

The material is not as deep and thoughtful as it's highly regarded predecessors, but the patchwork script ends up turning into b-grade shenanigans shooting at the straight and narrow. At least the nippy pace makes sure it never truly flags about, and there are some effective set-pieces laid out by Earl C. Kenton's able direction. The music score on the other hand, can fall into the overkill category and tries to hard to leave a mark in every possible sequence. There's no harm to the legacy, but neither is it an impressive addition. But otherwise I've always enjoyed these Universal monster features, no matter what the quality is.

Trivia:

Lon Chaney Jr. was known for his hard-drinking ways. During production of this film, Chaney became inebriated while in full costume and got "lost" in the intricate mazes that were part of the laboratory sets. It took several minutes for him to find his way free. A similar incident occurred many years later when Chaney played the Frankenstein Monster on an episode of Tales of Tomorrow. Once again, Chaney became intoxicated and mistakenly believed that the show's live telecast was actually the final dress rehearsal. For much of the performance, Chaney stumbled about, picking up breakaway props he was supposed to destroy and then setting them back down.

It was reported that the rubber headpiece used for the Frankenstein monster make-up was very uncomfortable for Lon Chaney Jr. to wear. It sat directly on his forehead and he constantly complained. Once he asked for it to be removed. Angry and frustrated when no one listened, he ripped it off himself, tearing open a bloody gash in his forehead. Production on the film was shut down for a couple of days.

Ygor and the Monster weren't the only characters who came back from the dead. Michael Mark and Lionel Belmore, who play the two council members murdered in Son of Frankenstein (1939) are back as council members in this one, seemingly none the worse for wear.

During breaks in filming, Lon Chaney Jr. would often treat child cast members to ice cream.

Dwight Frye appears as 2 different characters. First as one of the villagers who destroys the Frankenstein castle at the beginning of the film. Later in flashbacks to the original Frankenstein (1931) where he played Fritz, the hunchbacked assistant to the original Dr. Frankenstein.

The first draft of the script was written by Eric Taylor was considered too depressing. The original Taylor treatment brought Wolf von Frankenstein back into play, as well as Ygor, plus a misshapen hunchback, Theodor. Ygor's plan was to create a vengeful mob of society's rejects, ala Freaks (1932), led by himself, with the Monster as brute force. A rewrite was ordered and given to veteran writer Scott Darling who retained the fundamental scenario but made significant changes.

Lon Chaney Jr. was cast while he was still filming The Wolf Man (1941).

Lon Chaney Jr. finished The Wolf Man (1941) on November 27, 1941, then started this film on December 15, finishing on January 15, 1942. Release took place on April 3.

Boris Karloff, then acting in the hit Broadway show which became Arsenic and Old Lace(1944), had no interest in working on the film. Producer George Waggner wisely decided to retain Karloff's make-up out of fear that the public would not accept any change in the monster's appearance.

Ralph Bellamy had previously played a member of law enforcement who hunts a murderous monster. The first film was The Wolf Man (1941). In both movies Lon Chaney Jr. plays the monster.

Four of the principal actors from Universal Pictures' The Wolf Man (1941), which had finished shooting just a few weeks before production began on this film and which was released during production, also appeared in this movie. Lon Chaney Jr., Ralph Bellamy, Bela Lugosi, and Evelyn Ankers all also appeared in this film; with the exception of Lugosi, each portrays a character very similar to their roles in The Wolf Man.

This film featured the smallest budget for a Universal Pictures' Frankenstein franchise film up to that point. Budgets would continue to be slashed in the future films, and this would prove to be the final Frankenstein film shot by Universal's A-unit production crews.

Lon Chaney Jr. would play the Monster a number of times later: footage from this film appears as stock shots in House of Dracula (1945); he doubled Glenn Strange for three shots in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) when Strange twisted his ankle; he played the role in a half-hour version of "Frankenstein" on TV's Tales of Tomorrow(1951); and he appeared (masked) in two comedy sketches with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello on a 1952 The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) show.

Lon Chaney Jr. developed a serious allergic reaction to the makeup required to play the Monster. At one point, he developed such a bad rash that production had to be halted for several days in order for him to recover.

In addition to the woes Lon Chaney Jr. experienced from wearing Jack P. Pierce's makeup and prosthetic devices, the makeup he had to wear in order to portray the Monster emerging from the dried sulfur was a particularly difficult burden for Chaney. In order to get the right look for the Monster trapped in the dried sulfur from the sulfur pit, Pierce essentially covered Chaney with cement and only provided a hole for him to breath out of by placing a straw in his mouth. The makeup process lasted from around 6:00 am until noon, at which point the cast and crew all went to lunch, leaving Chaney alone on set while his cement-based makeup dried.

The miniature of the burning castle shown at the climax of The Ghost of Frankenstein is identical to the miniature of the burning mansion shown at the climax of Night Monster(1942).

Universal Studios developed a marketing campaign for the film that encouraged theaters to place an empty chair in the lobby with a sign reading: "Will you lend me your brain?".

The outside scenes shot in the fictional town of Visaria reused the town square set from All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).

This is the final Frankenstein film to feature the Monster by himself. Each remaining Universal Pictures' Frankenstein sequel featured a pairing of Dr. Frankenstein's creation with one or more of the title monsters from the rest of Universal's horror canon.

Ygor and Dr. Frankenstein

Part of the SON OF SHOCK package of 20 titles released to television in 1958, which followed the original Shock Theater release of 52 features one year earlier.

Reaching a height of 6'3" and weighing in at 220 pounds, Lon Chaney Jr. was a large man even before he was "enlarged" for the role of Frankenstein's Monster. After Chaney had donned Jack P. Pierce's makeup and prosthetic devices, he stood 6'9" tall and weighed 284 pounds.

Although this film refers back to its predecessor, Son of Frankenstein (1939), and derives much of its plot from events that happened in the previous film, it rather notoriously revives several characters who had died in the previous film. The Monster, Ygor, and the councilmen played by Michael Mark and Lionel Belmore all return after meeting their ends in Son of Frankenstein. Universal Studios refused to acknowledge this perplexing revival as an error, and instead publicly announced that the return of these characters (even the rather minor councilmen characters) provided a continuity to the rest of the franchise that the public craved.

The King of all Monsters strikes again! No chains can hold him! No tomb can seal him in! 

Lionel Atwill's character (Dr. Bohmer) is responsible for ensuring Ygor's (Bela Lugosi) brain is switched with that of the monster (Lon Chaney Jr.) making him far more dangerous than he was before. In Man Made Monster (1941) Atwill plays a mad doctor who makes Chaney Jr.'s character dangerous via electricity (which originally brought life to the Frankenstein Monster)

This is the only film in Universal Pictures' Frankenstein franchise in which a member of the Frankenstein family, in this case Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein, is killed. Several characters in several of the sequels mention that the original Dr. Frankenstein (whose name changes from film to film) is deceased, but his death occurs off screen and does not take place in any of the films.

Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943)

After being awakened, Larry Talbot chips Frankenstein's Monster out of a block of ice. When Talbot changes to the Wolf Man, the two creatures battle each other.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a 1943 American monster horror film produced by Universal Studios starring Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of "ensemble" monster films combining characters from several film series.

Larry Talbot finds himself in an asylum, recovering from an operation performed by the kindly Dr. Mannering. Inspector Owen finds him there, too, wanting to question him about a recent spate of murders. Talbot escapes and finds Maleva, the old gypsy woman who knows his secret: when the moon is full, he changes to a werewolf. She travels with him to locate the one man who can help him to die - Dr. Frankenstein. The brilliant doctor proves to be dead himself, but they do find Frankenstein's daughter. Talbot begs her for her father's papers containing the secrets of life and death. She doesn't have them, so he goes to the ruins of the Frankenstein castle to find them himself. There he finds the Monster, whom he chips out of a block of ice. Dr. Mannering catches up with him only to become tempted to bring him back to life while using Frankenstein's old equipment.

Poor Bela Lugosi. After achieving big-screen stardom in 1931's "Dracula," he turned down the role of the Monster in "Frankenstein," calling the inaudible creature a part for an "idiot" or a "tall extra" (according to William Gregory Manks' fine book on the Frankenstein series, "It's Alive"). As a result, a bit player named Boris Karloff accepted the part and became the cinema's number one boogieman, far eclipsing the proud Hungarian actor who would soon be reduced to supporting roles, often second-billed to the lisping Englishman he is often said to have envied and despised. For Lugosi, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" may have been more traumatic and embarrassing than the Ed Wood films he would soon be reduced to appearing in, because here the rarely employed actor was cast in the very role he so proudly declined, the role that helped put his more successful rival on the map.

As the Monster, Lugosi is pretty terrible but his ineffective performance was made worse in the editing room where his dialogue was cut out after it was decided that the Monster should not have an Hungarian accent. Yet Lugosi's lips move and he flails his arms about as if he were speaking. It's a rather sad footnote to what is an enjoyable horror film.

This movie is carried by Chaney Jr. who is totally inside the character of the Wolf Man. It is probably Chaney's best performance as beast, and he steals every scene he is in. As Talbot, he shows the horrible trauma of being an unwilling murderer, giving the character a greater presence that fills the screen with charm.

The rest of the cast is surprisingly good, with old friends like Lionel Atwill and Dwight Frye in small supporting roles. Beautiful Ilona Massey plays Elsa Frankenstein who in an odd change appears as a cold smart businesswoman vastly different from the character's traits in "Ghost of Frankenstein". Nevertheless, Massey plays the role with grace and her beauty shines in the screen.

Its wonderfully atmospheric, thanks to Roy William Neill's moody direction, crisp cinematography and sincere performances from the actors. The opening shot is one of the best in Universal's horror cannon, the camera dollying over a gloomy cemetery while crows hop and croak as two grave robbers make their way to the Talbot tomb. They didn't choose the time particularly well, for it is a full moon, and all that's needed to bring the Wolfman back from the dead is its silver-white touch on Talbot's dead hand.

Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman even has a barnstorming musical song as the village celebrates the Festival of The New Wine, "For life is short and death is long" being verbal torture for Talbot. The monster comes searching for his new friend and certainly puts a dampener on things for the villagers!

Worth watching for fans of the old Universal horrors, this one is entertaining even if it is not one of the best of the bunch.

Trivia:

Several photos exist showing the deleted scenes (the fireside chat between the Monster and Talbot beneath the icy catacombs of the castle for instance; where Talbot & the audience learn that the Monster is still blind). This has been confirmed by several sources, including screen writer Curt Siodmak. In the mid-'80s a search was made through the Universal Studio vaults for a print or negative of the uncut prerelease version. As of this date, it has not yet been found.

When The Monster's dialogue was deleted (see Alternate Versions), also removed were any references to The Monster being blind - a side-effect of Ygor's brain being implanted into The Monster at the end of The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942). As a result, Lugosi's sleepwalker-like lumbering gait with arms outstretched is not explained and became the subject of ridicule. It also established the Frankenstein Monster-walk stereotype.

The dialogue spoken by the Monster in the film was edited out before the film's release. His dialogue in the film spoke of his desire to control the world but Universal executives feared that World War II audiences would find it too close to Adolf Hitler's own rhetoric.

The film was shot during WWII, amid a notorious anti-German public campaign by the United States government. Screen writer Curt Siodmak, a German Jew himself who had fled his country after hearing anti-Semitic speeches there in 1937, deliberately changed the location of Frankenstein's castle from Germany to the fictional "Vasaria." "Vasaria" translates loosely to "water place" in German, obviously correlating the dam, waterfall and hydroelectric turbine that are integral to the film.

Originally, Lon Chaney Jr. was to play both the Wolf Man and the Frankenstein Monster, but the producers decided the make-up demands and schedule wouldn't permit this. Late in life Chaney stated in an interview that he did, however, play both monsters in the film. He may well have been referring, correctly, to Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) where he briefly doubled Glenn Strange after Strange broke an ankle throwing a woman through the laboratory skylight near the end of the film. You can actually see Strange stumble but keep upright after the throw.

The Frankenstein Monster, played by Bela Lugosi, is mute in this film, even though Boris Karloff's monster spoke in the earlier The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Interestingly, Lugosi had refused the role in the original Frankenstein (1931) because he would have had no lines. When Lugosi accepted the part in this film, the original script contained dialogue for the Monster, which was later edited out.

This is the first Frankenstein movie to not feature a "Dr. Frankenstein." Lawrence Talbot seeks Dr. Frankenstein for help, but never does meet him. However, there is another "Frankenstein": Ilona Massey's Baroness Elsa Frankenstein, possibly named after Elsa Lanchester who played both Mrs. Shelley and the Female Monster in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). According to the opening scene of the same "Bride" movie, the Monster's name is also Frankenstein within this film continuity, regardless of what it says "in the book."

Evelyn Ankers who played Elsa Frankenstein in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) does not reprise her role in this film. It was decided that Lawrence shouldn't have two love interests played by the same actress so Ilona Massey was cast. This is not the first time in a Frankenstein film that the female lead was re-cast from an earlier film. Mae Clarke played Elizabeth in Frankenstein (1931) while Valerie Hobson took over the role for The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

When Larry Talbot discovers a photo of Elsa Frankenstein, you can see the Monster's mouth moving, but without sound coming out. Most scenes that included the Monster's dialogue were cut completely from the film or dramatically shortened. Here, Bela Lugosi's voice track was simply erased.

With Bela Lugosi's dialogue scenes cut, he's only on screen for five minutes and 6 seconds, with stunt men and doubles appearing in almost two additional minutes.

The dog (Bruno) in the film is a German Shepherd named Moose, whom Lon Chaney Jr.adopted from the Universal Lot just after Moose's earlier appearance as the wolf that attacks Lawrence in The Wolf Man (1941).

In the screenplay, the transplantation of Ygor's brain (in The Ghost of Frankenstein(1942)) caused the Monster to become both blind and deaf.

This film marks the first time that two of Universal Studio's classic monsters appear on screen together.

Stuntman Gil Perkins doubled for Bela Lugosi in the action scenes, as well as the scene of the Monster being released from the ice. In the climactic fight scene, Eddie Parkerdoubled Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman, while Gil Perkins took over as the Monster. Based on interviews given years later, Perkins may have also doubled Chaney's Wolf Man in the chase scene through the woods into the castle ruins. Some film scholars insist Eddie Parker appears as the Monster in a handful of shots in the climax.

The matte painting of the town of "Vasaria" is lifted from Universal's My Little Chickadee (1940).

This was Bela Lugosi's only stint in the role made famous by Boris Karloff, and was shot October 12-November 11, 1942, released March 5, 1943 (copyright 1942) .

Part of the original Shock Theatre package of 52 Universal titles released to television in 1957, followed a year later with Son of Shock, which added 20 more features. 

A Death Fight . . . Between Two Beasts !

House Of Frankenstein (1944)

An evil scientist and his hunchbacked assistant escape from prison and encounter Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster.

House of Frankenstein is a 1944 American monster, crossover, horror film starring Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr., directed by Erle C. Kenton, written by Curt Siodmak, and produced by Universal Studios as a sequel to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man the previous year. The cast includes a mad scientist (Karloff), the Wolf Man (Chaney), Count Dracula (John Carradine), a hunchback (J. Carrol Naish), and Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange). This "monster rally" approach would continue in the following film, House of Dracula, as well as the 1948 comedy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

In 1943 Universal teamed up Frankenstein and the Wolfman and made a fortune. So the theory was if the public loved 2 monsters, let's toss five at them!!  Strangely enough this works. 

The mad doctor Niemann(Boris Karloff) and his hunchback assistant are locked in prison. Seems the old doc was doing some rather frowned upon experiments. A convenient lightning bolt destroys the prison walls and the doctor and his hunchback escape. They are picked up by Lampini's travelling sideshow.The hunchback kills the owner and the doctor takes his place. They head to the town that vilified the mad doctor years before. Without giving too much away the doctor stumbles upon Dracula(John Carradine),Wolfman (Lon Chaney) & the Frankenstein Monster (Glenn Strange).They all figure into his plot of revenge against the men who sent him to prison.

Boris Karloff returned to the Frankenstein Series with this installment, and it's an asset to the picture to have him. He portrays the mad Dr. Niemann, who once dared to follow in the footsteps of the original Frankenstein, and as a result was jailed for his unethical experiments along with his hunchbacked assistant, Daniel. When a severe thunderstorm destroys the foundation of the prison he's housed in, Niemann manages an escape and attempts to locate the original diary of Dr. Frankenstein, running into Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Frankenstein Monster along the way.

J. Carrol Naish scores high points with his portrayal of the sympathetic hunchbacked assistant to Karloff, and manages to stir up our emotions as he pines away for cute gypsy girl Elena Verdugo. Lon Chaney plays The Wolf Man for a third time here, and though he's saddled with some silly dialogue ("why have you freed me from the ice that imprisoned the beast that lived within me?") he has now made the tragic character of Larry Talbot the werewolf all his own. He is desperate to aid Dr. Niemann however he can, in the hopes that the scientist may be able to return the favor by curing him of his curse.

All the Screen's Titans of Terror - Together in the Greatest of All SCREEN SENSATIONS!

John Carradine is exceptional as Dracula, playing the part differently than Bela Lugosi had. What Carradine lacked in the creepy "otherworldliness" of Bela, he made up for with aristocratic evil. His physical look is actually much closer to how Bram Stoker described the character in his novel, "Dracula". 

Glenn Strange takes on the role of the hulking and imposing Frankenstein Monster for the first time, and is the next best to Karloff's interpretation of the creature, in terms of appearance. Hans J. Salter again provides a wonderfully haunting music score. Director Erle C. Kenton accentuates the proceedings with gloomy sets, dark nights and the customary thunder and lightning.

House of Frankenstein will never reach up to Whale's Frankenstein,or Bride of Frankenstein, Browing's Dracula,or Waggner's Wolf Man, but it is fun,and a good pop corn film.  And Jazzy and I love popcorn.  The coolest part is when Karloff strangles a prison guard so he can get some chalk to write more scientific diagrams on his jail cell wall.  That's a scientific mother fucker son.

Trivia:

Bela Lugosi was slated for the role of Dracula, but the film was dependent upon the presence of Boris Karloff being released from the stage tour of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). Shooting was delayed, and John Carradine was cast instead of Lugosi, who had a prior engagement: ironically, playing Karloff's "Jonathan Brewster" role in another touring company of "Arsenic and Old Lace."

Originally Kharis the mummy, another Universal "classic monster", was to be in the movie but was removed because of budget restrictions.

Originally titled 'The Devil's Brood', this was given a $354,000 budget and a relatively generous (by Universal standards) 30-day shooting schedule. Star Boris Karloff earned $20,000 and Lon Chaney Jr. received a flat $10,000 for his third appearance as the Wolf Man. John Carradine and J. Carrol Naish were both paid $7,000 each. Lionel Atwill earned $1750 and George Zucco was paid $1500. Glenn Strange was paid $500 for his role as Frankenstein's monster.

The title "House of..." could refer to the ruins/house owned by Ludwig Frankenstein, the second son of Henry Frankenstein (portrayed by Cedric Hardwicke) in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942). It's also the same "house" where Lawrence Talbot discovers the Monster in ice in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943); and, of course, where Neiman discovers the Wolfman and the Monster in this film. (The castle is entirely washed away in the flood at the climax of " - Meets the Wolf Man," but is inexplicably semi-intact here.

Although this film boasts three monsters, the Dracula scenes are completely separate from the Frankenstein and Wolf Man scenes. A true meeting of all three monsters would have to wait until House of Dracula (1945).

This is the first of the Universal Frankenstein films in which a member of the Frankenstein family does not appear, unless you count the monster himself as part of the family. According to The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), his name is Frankenstein as well.

Glenn Strange was the fourth actor to play the Monster in Universal's Frankenstein series. The actor who played the original Monster, Boris Karloff, was also present in the film, playing the role of Dr. Niemann. Being on the set, Karloff was able to personally coach Strange in the way the Monster should be played.

Universal usually employed an actress to dub actresses' screams for their horror films, but Elena Verdugo's scream worked so well, it was retained in the final version.

Shooting lasted from April 4-May 8, 1944, released December 15.

The spelling of the town of Vasaria from the previous film in the series, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), is changed to Visaria.

Of the 5 'Wolf Man' films featuring Lon Chaney Jr.; this is the only entry that does not feature the Wolf Man's growl or howl. It may be there but, if it is, it's drowned out by Hans J. Salter's music score.

According to film historian Calvin Beck in "Heroes of the Horrors" Elena Verdugo's Spanish ancestors owned the land where Universal Studios now stands.

The archetype of the Hunchback and his unrequited love for the kindly Gypsy dancer comes from the classic French epic novel Notre Dame de Paris (often called The Hunchback of Notre Dame) by Victor Hugo.

According to film historian John Cocchi in "Second Feature" J. Carrol Naish found a hunchbacked derelict in order to study his walk and gestures. The actor paid his expenses during the period.

The three villages that figure in Universal's Frankenstein saga get rather confusing. In "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein" take place in or near the village of Frankenstein. In "Ghost of Frankenstein," The Monster and Ygor travel from Frankenstein to the village of Vasaria, where "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man" takes place. However--in a geographical disconnect--in "House of Frankenstein," The Monster and The Wolf Man are found in ice near the village of Frankenstein. They are revived and move on to the village of Visaria.

Part of the Son of Shock package of 20 titles released to television in 1958, which followed the original Shock Theater release of 52 features one year earlier.

When Daniel (J. Carrol Naish) is thrown off the roof his scream is that of Boris Karloffas the Frankenstein Monster when he finds Ygor's body in Son of Frankenstein (1939).

House Of Dracula (1945)

Count Dracula and the Wolf Man seek cures for their afflictions; a hunchbacked woman, a mad scientist and Frankenstein's Monster have their own troubles.

House of Dracula is a 1945 American monster, crossover, horror film released by Universal Pictures. It was a direct sequel to House of Frankenstein and continued the theme of combining Universal's three most popular monsters: Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange), Count Dracula (John Carradine) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.).

Dracula arrives at Dr. Edelman's office asking for a cure to his vampirism. However, this is a ruse by Dracula to get near Dr. Edelman's beautiful female assistant and turn her into a vampire. Meanwhile, a sincere Lawrence Talbot, AKA the Wolfman, arrives seeking a cure for his lycanthropy. When Dr. Edelman's first attempt fails, Talbot tries to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, but instead finds a network of underground caves where Frankensteins Monster is in stasis. Chaos ensues as the three monsters fight for dominance of each other.

The super scary horrible hunchback

If you take a quick peek at the picture above and the poster up top, you'll see one of the monsters. A drop dead beautiful woman that has a hunchback. Who the fuck came up with this idea?  We have Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula and a Playboy model Hunchback.   

Overall, this film isn't as good as the earlier House of Frankenstein. The 1944 film put its plot together better than this entry in the series does, as the plot here doesn't give equal time to each Universal monster. Dracula's plot is the biggest at first, but soon fizzles out only to resurface at the end. The Wolf Man is the star of the show, but his story never really develops, and is essentially just another version of the plot he always finds himself in. Frankenstein's Monster is given the coldest hand, as he appears in the movie merely as an afterthought, and an obvious excuse to ensure that all three monsters appear in the movie. The story of the doctor who binds all three together is the most interesting.

I will tap dance for your blood.  

Carradine actually gives a very good performance as Dracula. He isn't chewing up the scenery as he will in later roles. It's hard to repress giggles when he appears in a fucking top hat though.The cape/cloak is traditional but that ugly ass top hat has to go son. Is this the vampire king or fucking Fred Astaire about to tap dance for your blood?  And Lawrence Talbot (Wolf Man) now has a 70's porno mustache.  I bet he likes it doggy style.  I'll see myself out now. 

The film, however, belongs to Onslow Stevens who manages both facets of the doctor's personality - the intellectual, rather cold scientist who finds logic even in the supernatural and, when infected with Dracula's blood, the prowling Hyde-like menace who re-activates the Frankenstein monster (whom he just happens to come across in a cave, by the way) for his sinister purposes.

Never Before...So Much Horror Under One Roof !

The settings are atmospheric and creepy, the music is appropriate (many themes rehashed from previous entries) and the acting is good considering the same inane dialogue the actors were required to deliver. Unfortunately the powers-to-be made such drastic cuts in the budget that footage from the ending of 'Ghost of Frankenstein' was stolen to fill in the final closing seconds (the original ending, as written, was staged in the catacombs beneath the laboratory, with the floor giving way to engulf Edelmann and the Monster). The only saving grace is that Universal made up for it by concluding the saga with 'Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein'.

Director Erle C. Kenton is back again and this time he finally captures the dark nature of these three characters, a nature that was apparently lost in the previous film. Despite the low-budget, Kenton crafts a Gothic horror that while simple, is quite effective, and even manages to present old partners such a these characters in a fresh way. While it's never on the level of the originals, "House of Dracula" recovers that charm that Universal Studios horror films used to have, and Kenton makes sure that at least for a last time the monsters receive a chance to shine.

"House of Dracula" is a nice closure to one of the best times for the horror genre, a time when ghosts and ghouls roamed the foggy nights, and mad scientists gave life to hideous monsters.

The Super-Shock Sensation Of All Time... All Together... All Terrific... Bringing All NEW Thrills!

Trivia:

Actor Glenn Strange suffered greatly during the shooting of the scene in which the Frankenstein Monster is discovered in quicksand. After sitting for three hours in the makeup chair each morning, having his makeup applied by Jack P. Pierce, Strange would spend the rest of the day buried in cold liquid mud (which doubled for the quicksand). "Then everybody else went out for lunch," Strange recalled. "By the time they came back, I was so cold, I could barely feel my legs." Strange's co-star, Lon Chaney Jr., suggested that Strange use alcohol to keep himself warm. Throughout the day, Chaney passed a bottle of whiskey to Strange in between takes. By the end of the day, Strange recalled, he was so drunk he could barely dress himself after removing his monster makeup and costume.

Lionel Atwill was terminally ill with cancer during filming and died six months after the production wrapped.

House of Dracula actually features four different actors in the role of the Frankenstein Monster. In addition to Glenn Strange, Boris Karloff plays the Monster in footage lifted from The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and the climax uses scenes of both Lon Chaney Jr. and his stunt double, Eddie Parker, as the Monster from The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942).

This is the only film in which Lon Chaney Jr.'s character Lawrence Talbot sports a mustache.

Shot September 21-October 25, 1945, released December 7. Last of Universal's original FRANKENSTEIN series of seven films, except for 1948'S Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Although the Frankenstein Monster is found still clutching the skeleton of Dr. Niemann after wandering into quicksand in House of Frankenstein (1944), the resurrections of Larry Talbot/the Wolf Man and Count Dracula from their "deaths" in the same film are not explained.

Lon Chaney Jr. here completed his pact with Universal, which began in December 1940, with Man Made Monster (1941). John Carradine would go on to play Dracula on stage, once on television (in Matinee Theatre: Dracula (1956)) , and in two more features, Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966) and Nocturna (1979).

Part of the Son of Shock package of 20 titles released to television in 1958, which followed the original Shock Theatre release of 52 features one year earlier.

The top hat of doom

The climatic scenes of the Monster trapped by the fire were "borrowed" from the ending of The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), where Lon Chaney Jr. played the Monster. Therefore, when Chaney (as Talbot) shouts to the villagers to "Get out! The Frankenstein Monster!", he's actually running away from himself (and Eddie Parker, who doubled for Chaney in the earlier film).

According to the Universal Film Script series entry for "House of Dracula", the film grew out of an earlier script, "The Wolf Man vs. Dracula", a proposed follow-up to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) in which Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) would do battle with Dracula (Bela Lugosi, to be doubled by a "giant bat". At the climax, villagers attack the house and the Wolf Man kills a large number of them. The Hays Office flat-out rejected the script as too violent, so a more toned-down version was written, and eventually became this rather tame film (although Lionel Atwill does get electrocuted again, this time by Dr. Edelmann.)

Don't laugh at my mustache mother fucker. 

My Bloody Valentine (1981)

A decades-old folk tale surrounding a deranged murderer killing those who celebrate Valentine's Day turns out to be true to legend when a group defies the killer's order and people start turning up dead.

My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film directed by George Mihalka and written by John Beaird.  I saw this was back in the 80's and thought it was rather shitty.  However after watching it again nearly 30 years later I realized it's not really that bad. It's a pretty solid slasher film.

Valentine's Day is coming around and the young people of the small mining town of Valentine's Bluffs are organizing a party. A few decades earlier an explosion at the mine trapped six miners underground. One, Harry Warden, survived, though in a deranged state. Warden is sent to a mental hospital but escapes and murders those he deems responsible for the mine accident. Now people are being brutally murdered again, and the townsfolk suspect that it is the work of Harry Warden.

Harry's out to steal your heart

While the film doesn't re-invent the wheel for slasher movies, it still manages to stand out well from the rest of it's kind.  Although the acting isn't remarkable, I found that the three leads were competent enough and the script gave us enough time to get to know them. There's an interesting sub-plot that builds between T.J. (Kelman), Axel (Affleck) and Sarah (Hallier). Apparently T.J. was with Sarah before he went away for a while without telling anyone where he was going. Now he's returned and his buddy Axel is with his old flame. Cue the flying sparks! The rest of the wacky cast members are so cheery and carefree that you just know something dreadful is going to happen to them! There's a practical joker (who surprisingly isn't the fat guy), a couple of overly randy teens and even a hammy old guy who tells the kids that they're doomed just like Ralph over at Camp Crystal Lake!

This film has a number of strengths. A man dressed in full mining gear is in fact quite scary. The gas mask he wears also gives his breathing a Darth Vader kind of effect. A pick ax is one hell of a weapon, too. There are some very funny characters that make up this town. The mayor and the police chief are so serious it's almost laughable. The young men who work in the mine are a rowdy bunch who love to drink Moosehead beer. It's my guess that Moosehead beer donated a good chunk of change to this movie due to how much you see of their product.

It's such a coal movie, you'll want to see it over and over again

"My Bloody Valentine" has also been the source of much controversy in the 28 years since it was released, largely due to the fact that at least five minutes of on-screen gore were cut from the film (additionally, none of this lost footage contains any extra sex or nudity); virtually every death scene in the movie was trimmed in some fashion by the MPAA. This lost footage was restored in the recently released extended cut of the film. If this movie were released today, I seriously doubt that these cuts would be enforced by the MPAA, but I guess one can understand why they were made back in '81; they are quite nasty and will surely please gore-hounds, but with this new extended cut of the film you get the feeling that you're watching the complete movie, one that is finally free of the ugly influence of censorship.

Go in with fairly limited expectations, a sense of humor, and 'My Bloody Valentine' will prove a fun experience,

Cross your heart...and hope to die.

Trivia:

The film was shot in authentic mines which were often as much as 900 feet underground. Only certain lighting devices could be used in the mines because of the potential danger of methane explosions.

In an interview with TerrorTrap.com director George Mihalka said that the shooting location at Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia was chosen because of its rustic atmospheric appearance. However when the locals found out that a movie was to be shot there they decided to spend $50,000 to have the mine painted and cleaned! This, of course, diminished the reason that the production wanted the location to begin with. Mihalka said that $75,000 of the films budget was then used to return the mine to its original state for shooting.

In a recent interview, actor Neil Affleck revealed that he still has the miner's helmet that he wore in the film.

Producers André Link and John Dunning said the films origin came about when they sought to find a holiday which a slasher film had not been set on during the "slasher flick boom" of the early 1980s. They settled on Valentine's Day and in order to keep the idea from being copied they made the films working title "The Secret", though they had the release title in mind the whole time.

Sarah, be My Bloody Valentine!

According to makeup effects artist Thomas R. Burman, one of his gory creations was realistic enough that director George Mihalka threw up at the sight of it.

The caption near the beginning states "Thursday February 12th", indicating that the dance will be on Saturday the 14th. That means Friday the 13th falls in between them. The Friday the 13th (1980) series was released by Paramount and the plot of My Bloody Valentine (1981) is similar to the Friday the 13th (1980) films.

Actor Carl Marotte said while in his death scene makeup that no one would eat lunch near him.

The folk ballad that plays over the ending credits was added by composer Paul Zaza as an afterthought. The uncredited singer who does the vocal for the ballad was Scottish-Canadian tenor John McDermott.

Quentin Tarantino has named My Bloody Valentine as his all-time favorite slasher film.

George Mihalka approached Paramount in 2001 with a synopsis for a sequel, but due to poor box office records with the original film, they declined.

According to an interview by The Terror Trap, composer Paul Zaza spoke about wanting to create a different kind of musical motif for each of the individual murders, as well as make the music have a "dripping, damp, creepy sound to it, like in the mine setting itself." He also stated that the end credits song, "The Ballad of Harry Warden", was written because the movie producers wanted a song that could be a hit single on a vinyl record, but they ran out of funding and so "The Ballad of Harry Warden" was written instead. Most of the soundtrack to My Bloody Valentine (1981) was never commercially released.

There's more than one way to lose your heart...

In the ending credits the song lines say, "and those still alive, know the secret survives..." this is referring to the movie's originally intended title, 'The Secret'. 

One of the makeup designers once shipped a dummy corpse to the set in a coffin, which caused much alarm when it arrived at Canadian customs.

My Bloody Valentine (1981) was filmed in Sydney Mines during Cape Breton's economic crisis with the Sydney Steel Corporation. They had pollution problems and were trying to decide whether or not to shut the factory down. It was thought that the filming of My Bloody Valentine (1981) would promote tourism in the province, but it wasn't very effective.

In the Sysco book series, taking place in the same location as this movie was filmed in, the main character Sysco quotes the movie when speaking to her friend, Alecto. She says, "Alecto, be my bloody valentine!" which is a line in the movie, the memorable line the killer shouts as he goes down into the tunnels shouting, "Sarah be my bloody valentine!"

Most of the houses seen in the scenery of the film were company houses (houses built by the Cape Breton coal mining companies for miners). As of 2015, several of them were still standing.

In the fiction novel "Smog City" (ISBN 978-1502469748), the main character visits the small town of Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia while wearing a My Bloody Valentine movie t-shirt. In an interview, the author of the novel stated that this was a homage to My Bloody Valentine (1981) because it was her favorite movie and she often visited Sydney Mines in real-life.

Heart. Burn.

Nowhere in the film does it ever say what kind of mine the fictional Hanniger Mine is. However, the general assumption from viewers is that it's a coal mine, and it was filmed in a coal mine setting.

The MPAA cut more than 5 minutes out of the film before it came out; mostly because the movie was released shortly after John Lennon died, and there was a major backlash against violent movies

The Esso gas station, seen when Chief Newby drives away and radios in to the police station, still exists as of 2015, though it has been modernized a great deal in the past few decades.

Entertainment Weekly ranked this Number 17 on their "Guilty Pleasures: Testosterone Edition" list in their March 30, 2007 issue.

Star Neil Affleck said that the identity of the film's killer was kept a secret even from the cast because the filmmakers liked the idea of the mystery being real among the actors. However, Affleck figured out that he was the killer when, after being cast, he was sent to the make up effects department to be fitted for a fake arm that would be ripped off the killer in the film's finale.

Body Count: 12

This Valentine's Day, romance is DEAD.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought

The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes and starring Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.

Beyond being in the same class at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois, Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, John Bender, Brian Johnson and Allison Reynolds have little in common, and with the exception of Claire and Andrew, do not associate with each other in school. In the simplest and in their own terms, Claire is a princess, Andrew an athlete, John a criminal, Brian a brain, and Allison a basket case. But one other thing they do have in common is a nine hour detention in the school library together on Saturday, March 24, 1984, under the direction of Mr. Vernon, supervising from his office across the hall. Each is required to write a minimum one thousand word essay during that time about who they think they are.

They only met once, but it changed their lives forever.

The fact is, every teen character in this movie can be related to someone we knew in high-school. As a child of the 80's, I can honestly say that this is a representative cross-section of every high school in North America. The geek, the jock, the outcast, the rich pretty-girl snob, and the future criminal. They all exist, to some degree or another, in the classrooms of every high school on the continent.

If you really want to understand this film, think back to your own high school days. Think about your last year there. Dig out your old diary or book of angstful poems and reacquaint yourself with who you were then, when you felt things more deeply. "The Breakfast Club" does not exist not for high school kids, as some suggest. Why would they need it? They live there. It exists for all of us who have already been through there, who feel that they are above it now. It exists so that we can remember what it was like and better understand ourselves, and the next generation. Because you can't dismiss something you understand.

Judd Nelson gives a convincing performance of 'Bender' the criminal. He managed to sway from angry to emotional - making you feel for him when he is describing what things are like at 'his house'. He seemed to have a lot of great lines including the Manilow comment! The emotion in this film is immense considering it is a teenage film - and touches on 5 lost characters who seem to be searching for some type of approval or acceptance. (Just like our-selves) Ringwald shows just how versatile she is, and very different from Pretty in Pink.

"The Breakfast Club" presents no-doubt stereotypical characters, and every member represents countless real-life examples. But what makes it so enjoyable is that applies a variety of themes to its context: prejudice/discrimination, acceptance/tolerance, diversity, class/status differences, family matters, group dynamics, etc. It also encourages us to look at others and ourselves beyond surface-level appearances. Finally, "The Breakfast Club" has great 1980s pop culture and societal integrations, from the soundtrack with Simple Minds "Don't You (Forget about Me), to wealthy, surburban American life (haves and have nots), and superficial values of the "me" decade. It reminds us that there truly is diversity in all of us. We are different, but we are all "the same" in one way or another.

I rock

An important character to consider that is often overlooked is the assistant principal, Richard Vernon. Throughout the film he is portrayed as a villain of sorts, out to get the group of students being punished that particular Saturday. Completely unable to relate to his students or any of their situations, he only sees what is on the surface. It is pointed out by the janitor later on in the plot that while Vernon assumes the students are the problem in his lack of understanding the new generation, he never bothered to look closer and realize it was he who had changed. This plays a major role in the overall theme of the movie, which is the inability to see past the surface of a problem or character and judge solely by a look.

I felt that this was a personal film for Hughes and that he really cared for these characters. He achieved in crafting something that is so deep and at the same time entertaining which allows for one to revisit this film time and time again. What make Hughes so clever is creating young characters in his films that do not feel like they have been recycled from his other work. His most personal moment of this film, I assume, is the scene where they all sit down together and share their personal feelings and views. It really felt like Hughes has been in the situation before and just recreated it for this film.

This is probably the King of teem films. Although if I was in the movie with Bender I'd have whipped his ass across the library. 

Women can't hold their smoke

Trivia:

The scene in which all characters sit in a circle on the floor in the library and tell stories about why they were in detention was not scripted. John Hughes told them all to ad-lib.

Judd Nelson stayed in character off-camera, even bullying Molly Ringwald. John Hughes nearly fired him over this, but, ironically, Paul Gleason defended Nelson, saying that he was a good actor and he was trying to get into character.

It was originally suggested that there would be several sequels to The Breakfast Club (1985), occurring every ten years, in which "The Breakfast Club" would get back together. This did not come to pass due to the volatile relationship between John Hughes and Judd Nelson. John Hughes stated that he would never work with Nelson again. Also, it was unclear whether or not Hughes still held ill will against his oft-cast starlet, Molly Ringwald. They had a falling out in the late eighties after Ringwald decided to move on from the teen film genre to pursue more adult roles, thus severing her relationship with Hughes.

John Hughes wrote the screenplay to this movie in just two days (4 and 5 July 1982).

Shot entirely in sequence.

At the very closing part of the film where Bender raises his fist in defiance, that was actually ad libbed. He was supposed to just walk into the sunset, so to speak, and John Hughes asked him to play around with a few actions. When he was done and they were finishing up, Judd Nelson threw his fist up without running it by anyone. Everyone loved it, and it has become an iconic symbol of the 1980's.

The dandruff that Allison shakes onto her penciled drawing for snow was achieved by sprinkling Parmesan cheese.

John Hughes later said that his biggest regret about this film was using the breaking glass effect during the marijuana scene.

Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall dated for a while after filming this movie.

The ages of everyone in the principle cast at the time of filming are: Judd Nelson (25), Molly Ringwald (16) (her 17th birthday was only 3 days after the film's release), Emilio Estevez (23), Anthony Michael Hall (16) and Ally Sheedy (23).

Judd Nelson's outfit in the movie was the same exact outfit when he auditioned for the role John Bender.

The David Bowie quote at the beginning of the movie is pulled from his song 'Changes'. It can be found on the 1971 album, 'Hunky Dory'. Ally Sheedy suggested the quote to John Hughes, who liked it and thus included it in the opening.

Anthony Michael Hall's mother Mercedes Hall and younger sister Mary Christian play his character Brian's mother and sister in the movie.

Molly Ringwald was originally asked to play Allison but wanted to play Claire. She eventually convinced John Hughes and the studio and was given the part.

Bender's flinch when Vernon fakes a punch was genuine. Judd Nelson really thought Paul Gleason was going to hit him.

Judd Nelson went undercover at a local high school outside Chicago near where the film was shooting and convinced the teenagers there that he was a legitimate student. After buying beer for them with his "fake ID" (he was 24 at the time), Nelson told them to drop him off at the hotel where the actors were staying. Years later, reflecting on his antics, Nelson said, "They would ask me why I was staying there, and I told them my dad was in jail. I'm staying at the Westin O'Hare while my dad's incarcerated."

John Kapelos jokingly warned the young actors to not overdo their intensity, laughingly noting that Martin Sheen once suffered a serious heart attack while filming Apocalypse Now (1979). Emilio Estevez was enraged by the remark, and Kapelos was then stunned to learn that Martin was Estevez's father. While Estevez accepted Kapelos' apology and filming was unaffected, Kapelos said years later he still felt terrible about what he said, even though he hadn't had any idea about the connection between Sheen and Estevez and had offended Estevez completely inadvertently. When Kapelos guest-starred on The West Wing (1999) in 1999, he told Martin Sheen this story. Sheen thought it was very funny, which provided Kapelos a small amount of relief from the chagrin he had felt about the incident since it happened.

John Hughes originally wanted "The Breakfast Club" to be a 2-1/2 hour movie. However, many of the scenes were cut out and the negatives destroyed. John Hughes said in Première that he had the only complete copy of The Breakfast Club on film. Among the cut scenes from the movie (some filmed, some only written) are: -Carl predicts where the five kids will be in 30 years. Bender will have killed himself, Claire will have had "2 boob jobs and a face lift," Brian will have become very successful but die of a heart attack due to the stress of the high paying job. Allison will be a great poet but no one will care, and Andrew will marry a gorgeous airline stewardess who will become fat after having kids. -In a dream sequence, Allison imagines Andrew as a gluttonous Viking, Bender as a prisoner, Claire as a bride, Brian as an astronaut, and herself as a vampire. In an unfilmed alternative to this dream sequence, all five kids imagine random things, including cars, naked women, Godzilla, beer, and fighter planes, and these things end up filling the room until Vernon interrupts. -John Bender was not going to walk to school in the original script. He was going to be driven by his dad in a rusty tow truck, and have a brief fight with him before his dad drives off. Bender also tossed a bagged lunch, his father saying "You are a waste of lunch meat!" -After Bender demonstrates "Life at Big Bri's house" Brian stops Bender and corrects him with a much more pessimistic version of the skit. Claire then proceeds to act out her life before asking Bender to demonstrate his version. Bender's routine changes as well here. After Bender mimics his mom, he stops, commenting that "then they make me work to pay off the dentist for the teeth HE busts." -The scene where Andrew and Allison are walking to get the sodas is extended to a point where Allison pulls out a pack of cigarettes and smokes one. -After getting the sodas, Bender shakes his can violently and places it among the five to see who gets the rigged one. Allison ends up getting it, and when she opens the can, all the soda squirts directly into her mouth. -After Vernon asks who has to use the lavatory, the five go to the bathroom. Vernon gives the boys 2 minutes and the girls 3 minutes. Claire catches Allison in a stall eating a bag of chips, repulsing her. Bender mocks Brian for sitting down to pee instead of using a urinal. -When the group is sitting in the circle and Allison mentions that she can write (and do other things) with her toes, she was going to follow up with an actual demonstration. -Several staff members were cut out of the script before filming. Dr. Lange, a social studies teacher who dresses oddly, and Robin, a gym teacher. Robin helps Vernon on a few workout machines until Vernon injures his back, and she eventually visits the students while they are in their circle in the library. Robin initially replaced many of Carl's scenes and Carl was originally set to be a minor character with only two scenes.

During a cast reunion in honor of the film's 25th anniversary, Ally Sheedy revealed that a Director's Cut existed but Hughes' widow did not disclose any details concerning its whereabouts.

The joke that Bender tells but never finishes (while crawling through the ceiling) actually has no punchline. According to Judd Nelson, he ad-libbed the line. Originally, he was supposed to tell a joke that would end when he came back into the library and said, "Forgot my pencil", but no one could come up with a joke for that punchline.

Ranked at #1 for Entertaiment Weekly's 50 Best High School Movies (2006).

The Coke cans that the teenagers drink from have the symbol from the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles on them.

The theme song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)", was written for the film by Keith Forsey. It was a number one hit for Simple Minds, and both Billy Idol and Bryan Ferry turned down offers to record it first (although in 2001, Billy Idol recorded Don't You (Forget About Me) as a bonus track for his Greatest Hits album). The song was also turned down by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders who then suggested they offer it to the band fronted by her husband at the time, Simple Minds.

Ally Sheedy had first auditioned for the part of Samantha Baker in Sixteen Candles(1984), which went to Molly Ringwald. When Sheedy auditioned, she had two black eyes from a set building accident. The black eyes gave her a dark, gothic image which stayed with John Hughes. When it was time to cast the part of Allison, Hughes remembered and called Sheedy.

The film's title comes from the nickname invented by students and staff for detention at New Trier High School, the school attended by the son of one of John Hughes' friends. Thus, those who were sent to detention were designated members of "The Breakfast Club". "The Breakfast Club" at that school probably took its name in turn from the title of American radio's longest running network entertainment show, broadcast from Chicago, 1933 to 1968.

In reality, Molly Ringwald could not do the lipstick trick. They had to use different camera angles to make it appear that she could.

Ally Sheedy nicknamed Anthony Michael Hall "Milk & Cookies" because she thought he was sweet. Hall never liked the nickname.

Rick Moranis was originally cast as the janitor; he grew a thick beard and decided to play the character with a Russian accent. Writer-director John Hughes planned to let Moranis reinterpret the character, but producer Ned Tanen so vehemently opposed Moranis's comical creative liberties that he had actor replaced by John Kapelos.

When Bender is distracting Vernon while the others make their way back to the library, part of the song he sings is a few lines from "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors. The other part he sings while running down the hallway are lines from a US Military cadence: "I wanna be an Airborne Ranger"

When high on marijuana, Brian says, "Chicks cannot hold their smoke, that's what it is" which is from a Richard Pryor stand up routine.

John Hughes was so impressed by Molly Ringwald's performance that he had her mom come in and watch the dailies.

The cast and crew often played basketball in the gym between set ups.

Other proposed titles were "The Lunch Bunch" and "Library Revolution".

The BMW driven by Claire's father, in actuality, belonged to John Hughes.

Judd Nelson went to a laundromat in character. The looks he was giving to women made someone call the cops.

Jim Carrey auditioned for the role of John Bender

The Chicago Public Library donated over 10,000 books to be used in the movie.

You can't stop love

John Hughes originally wrote Andy as a football player but decided teen movies already had too many of those.

Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy both played sisters in Betsy's Wedding (1990), five years after this film.

In the beginning of the movie you see different shots of the school hallways and classrooms, you can see what the flare gun did to Brian's locker. Also there is a picture of a former Shermer High School student "Man of the Year". The guy in the picture is the janitor Carl Reed.

Bender continuously provokes Vernon into giving him extra Saturday detentions early on in the film. It is later implied during lunch by the burn mark on his forearm that he may have done that intentionally because he'd rather be alone with Vernon at school on a Saturday instead of being stuck at home with his constantly bickering parents, especially his violent and abusive father. It's also implied during the scene where Vernon escorts him to the closet and proceeds to rip into him that he only acts the way he does because he'd rather have people think he's a tough troublemaking delinquent type instead of a troubled and abused victim. Overall, it shows that he has more tolerance (and possibly more respect) to deal with Vernon than his parents.

The theatrical trailer shows brief footage that was ultimately never used. One shot shows Allison sitting by herself in a small room (presumably while the rest of the kids are getting high). Another brief clip shows Allison (post makeover) exclaiming to Andrew that she doesn't wanna be alone anymore, to which he responds that she doesn't have to be.

Five strangers with nothing in common, except each other.