A Real Club of Two

When Christopher Lee died, I had this deep gasp, and then I let out a profound sigh as the news sunk in. Losing one of the last remaining "holdouts" to death, as a fan of the horror icons I had to accept that time takes from us and all we have left behind is the work. The great, the good, the bad, and the ugly. There's also the mediocre. But seeing those men emerge on screen--whether or not it was Carradine, Pleasence, or Price--even in the worst brought a special smile to my face and warm feeling that, despite the material, these are actors that had something special about them, a significance.




Why would Fred Olen Ray exploit the faintest of Carradine material whenever he could (or allow it to be used by others) unless he realized that this man he captured on camera meant something to an audience he hoped to draw to his film. We rehash the bad in our minds often. I know that I don't like looking back at Lugosi during the Ed Wood years unlike others who seem to revel in those movies. Like Lugosi's "pet tentacle creature" actors were wretchedly attempting to sell being killed by as his drug-usurped body was noticeable as he played yet another mad scientist in a film with zero budget. I know many just giggle away at that because of its unintended revelry in ineptitude. Ed loved Bela, and as a serious fan of the actor I respect his excited desire to feature the man in his *movies* (used loosely). If I had the good fortune of this, I guess I would, too.

I have an unfinished write-up of The Monster Club (1981) coming up in a few days for the blog. I watched it Sunday, but time has been a bit scant. That, and I wanted to give a little room for a bit of focus on Price and Carradine, two actors who work the wraparound story of the anthology directed by Roy Ward Baker. I mention in that write-up that it appeared Price was at least having fun with the cheeky dialogue and the dancing with a portly member of the titular club. He's a vampire which made me a bit giddy. He didn't portray a vampire much in the past prior to this (no role comes to mind, anyway; he did kill them in the I Am Legend inspired tale, Last Man on Earth (1964)), but I was happy to seem him take a bite out of the role. He's not sinister in the least, and this is played as pure parody. Carradine, for his role, was comfortable and relaxed as the human horror novelist who Price realizes is the right fit for the Monster Club he is a loyal member of. Price was in a weak state, needing blood for strength, and Carradine just happened to be in the right place and right time, servicing his need for nourishment. He doesn't take but what he needs and Carradine is fine (just depleted).

Seeing them together was a treat for me. It wasn't necessarily that the material was worthy of them: perhaps they fared better in Pete Walker's House of the Long Shadows. But in the latter part of their careers, as the horror genre just had little left of real quality to offer them (at least Price was beautifully cast in Edward Scissorhands), Price and Carradine together at least gave us, the viewer, one of the last pairings of legends during the twilight of their careers and lives. Price and Carradine stayed busy until the very end: they are missed.

The wealth of films we can go to and see the likes of Price and Carradine, no matter the variety or quality, means we have the chance to see them in any number of genre films. The Monster Club isn't an example of either actor at their best. Well, the film itself isn't particularly noteworthy although the two elder statesmen of the horror genre just went with it; I think they truly understood that the material wasn't exactly a knock-your-socks-off affair.

But I couldn't tell you, going into the film, how stoked I was to finally have a copy and get a chance to watch a later Price horror film featuring Carradine sharing the screen with him...even if in a limited capacity. The sheer volume of films the two starred in constitutes the chance you might actually have something available (eventually) with them you haven't seen yet. I just jive off the fact that perhaps something remains with these two I haven't seen yet. Sure, Billy the Kid versus Dracula left me feeling for Carradine as I did for Lugosi in Bride of the Monster (Adamson was a kind of Ed Wood during the 70s), but there were times he did somewhat redeem himself. Poor Lugosi, not so much. Price, however, had The Whales of August at least...