{"id":18537,"date":"2021-11-07T13:00:33","date_gmt":"2021-11-07T18:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawrencecconnolly.com\/archive\/?p=18537"},"modified":"2023-07-07T22:43:24","modified_gmt":"2023-07-08T02:43:24","slug":"more-than-a-monsterkarloff-reveals-the-man-behind-the-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawrencecconnolly.com\/archive\/2021\/11\/07\/more-than-a-monsterkarloff-reveals-the-man-behind-the-icon\/","title":{"rendered":"More than a Monster:
Karloff<\/i> Reveals the Man behind the Icon<\/br>"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Arrayed with costumes and memorabilia, the set of Karloff: The Man and the Monster<\/em> presents a snapshot of the actor\u2019s career. There\u2019s a sheep\u2019s wool vest from Son of Frankenstein<\/em><\/a>, sarcophagus from The Mummy<\/em><\/a>, gurney from The Bride of Frankenstein<\/em><\/a>, wheelchair from the set of Targets<\/em><\/a>. Behind it all, a projection screen displays the iconic image of a flattened head and scarred brow\u2014instantly recognizable as that of Jack Piece<\/a>\u2019s design for Universal\u2019s iconic monster.<\/p>\n

Enter David Nackman. Slim, grizzled, and sporting the moustache that Karloff often wore when not playing the Frankenstein monster\u2014Nackman effectively projects the image of the man behind the icon.<\/p>\n

<<< Actor David Nackman as Boris Karloff, contemplating one of the platform boots that helped transform the 5\u2032 11\u2033 actor into the towering monster in James Whale’s <\/em>Frankenstein (1931). Photo courtesy of Prime Stage Theatre.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what the play is about\u2014the man who was more than the Universal icon.<\/p>\n

Written by Randy Bowser and Directed by Arthur DeConciliis, Karloff<\/em> provides a look beneath the cotton, collodion, gum, and greasepaint to tell the story of the actor who struggled for years before his big break … and then struggled even harder thereafter to balance his perceived image with who he really was.<\/p>\n

Prime Stage Theatre\u2019s Karloff: The Man and The Monster<\/em> runs through Sunday, November 14 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Thereafter, the production will be available via video-on-damand through November 28. More information is available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Last night’s premiere also featured a post-show discussion<\/a> during which I had the pleasure of joining Arthur DeConciliis and Prime Stage’s Producing Artistic Director Wayne Brinda in a conversation about the play, Karloff’s legacy, and next season’s premiere<\/a> of our new adaptation of Frankenstein<\/em>. During the Q&A session that followed, someone asked if Karloff was Universal’s first choice to play the monster. Interestingly enough, he wasn’t–as can be seen in this early trade advertisement for the film.>>><\/span><\/p>\n

Created before anyone knew how the monster was to be portrayed, the advertisement presents a towering man with rays shooting from his eyes. The promotional text reads: “… with BELA LUGOSI (Dracula himself) … as the leading spine-chiller.” Interestingly, the artwork does a better job of anticipating Merian C. Cooper’s King Kong<\/em> (1933) than James Whale’s Frankenstein<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A second post-show discussion–this one featuring actor David Nackman and director Arthur DeConciliis as well as virtual appearances by playwright Randy Bowser<\/a>, Sara Karloff (daughter of Boris Karloff<\/a>), and Stephen Jackobs (author of Boris Karloff: More than a Monster<\/em><\/a>)–will follow the performance on November 12. Not to be missed!<\/p>\n

Until then, I’ll leave you with a trailer and commentary by Joe Dante for the film that established Karloff and his monster as pop-culture icons.<\/p>\n