SheWalksSoftly – Page 140

Vintage Lab Week: Metropolis

August 31st, 2012

Little introduction is needed for Metropolis, a 1927 film by Fritz Lang; written by his wife Thea von Harbou. Complete with a futuristic city set only 100 years in the future, this science fiction morality tale features amazing alchemical laboratory sets. The neon lighting is a great touch.

Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) is a scientist ordered by the master of the city, Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel), to make a robot doppelganger of Maria (Brigitte Helm). Maria’s spirit transcends the class system–by sending a robot imposter back to the oppressed working class, the master of the city hopes to suppress an uprising. Rotwang has some really great neon light accented minimal lab sets.

Joh Fredersen, Rotwang and robot.

Sparse laboratory where the real Maria is encased–her form will be transferred onto the robot through Alchemy and Science!

Totally tubular!

A flick of the switch…

zap

whirrrr

zzzzt

zzzzt

zzzzt!

Rotwang with the fleshed-out Robot Maria.

Mad Science at work!
Vintage Lab Week: Bela Lugosi does Science

August 30th, 2012

From the archive and some image searches to supplement my material, today’s installment proves you can almost never have enough Lugosi. The man always gave his all in a film, no matter how bad it may be.

Bela Lugosi with Arlene Francis in the 1932 Poe adaptation Murders in the Rue Morgue. A fun film; having Lugosi meant Universal Studios would take license with the story and inject a Mad Scientist!

But why is it when you try to breed apes and humans you always end up with tainted blood? Bela gets cross with Arlene… groan.

Lugosi is seen below in The Phantom Creeps, a 1939 serial in which he tries to create an army of Atomic Supermen.

Without much of a film budget, it is only an army of one. What, no Atomic Superwomen?

Ah, here we find Dr Brewster in his lab. The 1943 B-movie is not quite the right answer to big studio hit The Wolfman, but the film The Ape Man is entertaining. Dr. Brewster is not quite your average Mad Scientist. He walks stooped over, swaying his arms, and talking like, well, Dracula. And he wears a morning suit!

Jumping to 1955, Mad Scientist Bela is, after a slew of experiments, confronted by his servant Lobo (Tor Johnson) in Bride of the Monster. As much as I like monsters, I rather fancy director Ed Wood’s original title, Bride of the Atom!

I will wrap up today’s post with a rare archival negative find from ten years ago (even though it has made its way around the Internet a bit). Circa the mid 1950’s here is a publicity still of Bela with Maila Nurmi, aka Vampira. No doubt from some variety TV performance, Vampira Show publicity, or Ed Wood promotion.
Vintage Lab Week: Mad Men and Miscreants

August 29th, 2012

Some lesser known films may not be as evident with their Mad Labs. Or perhaps they do not put them to as good use as say Frankenstein or The Mask of Fu Manchu. Below are sets from a smattering of 1930’s Universal Horror Films and B-movies into 1940’s.

The iconic Dracula, Bela Lugosi as Roxor in the 1932 film Chandu the Magician.

Bela Lugosi is seen here in The Invisible Ray (1936), a film which also stars Boris Karloff.

Henry Hull is The Werewolf of London, 1935. Botony, botony, no escaping, not for me!

Dr. Neiman (Boris Karloff) and Daniel (J. Carol Naish) prepare new brains for Frankenstein and the Wolf Man in House of Frankenstein, 1944. It is sad to see how unimportant the filmmakers attention to a laboratory could be in a Frankenstein film!

While not very inspired, this secret laboratory is featured prominently in The Devil Bat, 1940. What does the apparatus do, exactly? Why, it makes giant vampire bats! Why would you want giant vampire bats? To use them to murder your enemies! How would these giant bats murder your enemies? Train them to kill anyone wearing a special aftershave you devise. Then give it to your enemy as a gift!

“Goodbye.”
Vintage Lab Week: The Mask of Fu Manchu

August 28th, 2012

Boris Karloff brings a delightfully sadistic performance to Sax Rohmer’s literary character in the 1932 film The Mask of Fu Manchu.

This adventure film with lavish sets and costumes features some great special effects using more of Ken Strickfaden’s electrical devices. Check out these great laboratory settings!

Fu Manchu’s quest for the sword and mask of Genghis Khan shows a relentless and evil Pre-Code performance.

With his seductive daughter Fah Lo See (Myrna Loy) at his side, Fu Manchu looks to destroy and enslave the “white race.” Fah Lo See tortures the man she loves, but spurns her…

Like all adventure films of the period, peril and danger are overcome by good. In this case evil is trumped, and the sword of Ghengis Khan is removed as a threat to world domination. But not before a good dose of supernatural Mad Laboratory effects!
Vintage Lab Week: The Invisible Man

August 27th, 2012

H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man made it to the screen in 1933. Today may I introduce you to Professor Griffin (Claude Rains), the Mad Scientist behind the bandages? Don’t mind the hair plugs and rubber nose. At least there is a small travelling test lab to set the scene.

Something is missing! Must be a good sized Mad Lab!

His fiancee (why must the beautiful, intelligent ladies always take the back seat to this madness?) and her father may have what it takes to cure him. (Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers)

He is rather dashing in his robe and glasses, but bear in mind, when you cannot see him he is running around in the altogether!

For further viewing, in 1940 the Invisible Man Returns, and we then meet The Invisible Woman; in 1944 we have The Invisible Agent and Invisible Man’s Revenge–a string of increasingly silly attempts to have fun with an invisible character built on the foundation of Claude Rain’s tragic character.
Vintage Lab Week: Frankenstein

August 26th, 2012

Through the fantastic laboratory creations of Ken Strickfaden, electrical special effects creator, Universal Studios brought one of the most fantastic tales of a Mad Scientist to the Silver Screen. Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) brings his creation to life in Frankenstein (1931) and the tale resumes in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

In the shadow of the monster, Dr. Frankenstein is unaware of the terror his machinations will release!

“This storm will be magnificent. All the electrical secrets of Heaven. And this time we’re ready, eh Fritz? Ready.” (with actor Dwight Frye)

Put a laboratory in a towering medieval structure and next thing I find is that my mouth is watering!

Moving on to the sequel–a magnificent film–we find that Dr. Frankenstein has given up meddling with Science, until Dr. Septimus Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) coerces him to produce a mate for the monster.

Henry, as you see, is always so happy to be working with Septimus. But how could he not have this huge ear to ear grin with all that apparatus at hand?

Shy of posting too many similar images from these great sets, I will leave you with one more jolt from The Bride of Frankenstein.
Vintage Lab Week: Jekyll & Hyde

August 26th, 2012

I am honoured to be posting while the mistress of this blog walks ever more softly. I hope that you will enjoy this week’s posts as much as I have enjoyed being part of this audience. Without further fanfare…

Vintage laboratories invoke all sorts of emotions for me. There’s nothing like setting a beaker atop a Bunsen burner to get the Science juices flowing; to feel your place as part of the microcosm of scientists, both Good and Mad, who have gone before. Lets start with some scenes showing laboratory equipment from classic horror films. Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provides us with two very notable films…

Here we have a stern John Barrymore in “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” 1920. Unfortunately there are not many good images of his laboratory.

Mr Barrymore’s film was quite the thing for 1920, but in 1932 Fredric March took it to a whole new level. And wrap your orbs around that laboratory! March as Jekyll…

March as Hyde…

Stay tuned tomorrow–we’ll continue the week with some images from the Frankenstein films, The Invisible man, and more.
Guest Author and Theme Week

August 26th, 2012

Some of you may recall me briefly alluding to my precarious health from time to time. For rather complex medical reasons, I’m allowing my trusted cohort The Headless Hearseman to take over the blog for a theme week involving one of my favorite subjects: Vintage Laboratories.

I’m sure you will love The Headless Hearseman’s posts…we’ve unearthed some spectacular images and he’s got great things to share.

Onto medical ventures…let us see what awaits…

I’ll see you all soon!
Samuel Silva

August 23rd, 2012

Samuel Silva, a.k.a VianaArts is a master of the ballpoint pen. Can you believe the following images were done in that medium alone?

As I’ve said before, I do appreciate some well done hyper-realism.

There are some great creations that are not exactly from everyday life, too.

See more here.
Source
Mike Peter Smith

August 22nd, 2012

I really like something about Mike Peter Smith’s skull sculptures.

Perhaps I can’t help but find meaning in the art pieces I enjoy. I was just pondering the worlds we build in our heads…and here it becomes literal…

It goes both ways…

See other sculptures here.