American Cinematographer - November 1999 - 114

THE

crat of the horror-film genre.

by Tom Weaver

terizations of Count Dracula in Univer¬

McFarland &

Company, Inc.

408 ppscasebound

AC
HAT

John Carradine: The Films

($65)

ISBN 0-7864-0607-0

John Carradine may seem an

unlikely choice for a "Films of"-type
book, but during the course of his 60-year
career, the omnipresent character actor
appeared in more than 200 films, and
worked for a vast array of directors rang¬
ing from John Ford to Ted V. Mikels.
This is the first book to deal exclu¬

sively with Carradine's oeuvre, and it
was obviously a labor of love for its
author and his fellow contributors. In

a

pair of engaging introductions, directors
Ray share many

Joe Dante and Fred Olen

recounts

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WHITE (20111)
KHAKI (20112)
NAVY BLUE (20113)
BLACK & RED

$15.00
PLUS

Carradine's life, both onscreen

painting a well-rounded portrait
of the actor's Hollywood years, which
included "drinking and eccentricities" as
well as "garish marital woes."
What is obvious from a perusal of
this work (not to mention its subject's
appearances in many grade-Z horror
films towards the end of his career), is
that Carradine viewed

acting not so
profession but as a calling.
Indeed, he was perhaps the ultimate
screen villain. Adding weight to this
assessment, Mank relates a legend
concerning a 1940 movie-star parade on
Hollywood Boulevard. As Carradine,
sitting on the back of an open car, passed
by the crowd, one fan was heard hissing,
much

as a

"There's that rat who

shot Jesse

Besides his

portrayal of the

800.448.0145
323.969.4333

(U.S. ONLY)
(ALL AREAS)

James,

some

of Carradine's most

memo¬

preacher

FAX ORDERS

Carradine co-stars, many compiled by
ardent fan Jack Gourley. Reviews from
The

Hollywood Reporter and Variety ate

so complete that even
small appearances in films like 1984's
Gremlins (which includes a photo of

Carradine on display outside a movie
theater), or 1985's Fright Night (in which
a portrait of Carradine is seen on a wall)
are also listed. Now that's complete I ■

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Next Month in AC:

Sleepy Hollow
Director:

Tim Burton
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC

The World Is Not
Michael

malevolent

Cinematographer:

oner

Sergeant Rankin in The Pris¬

of Shark Island, a doleful Abraham

Enough

Director:

Casey in The Grapes of Wrath, the

Apted

Adrian Biddle, BSC

Lincoln in Of Human Hearts and the

enig¬
matic Hatfield of Stagecoach. All told,
Carradine appeared in 11 of John Ford's

323.876.4973

definitive and includes interviews with

treacherous Bob Ford in the 1939 Jesse

rable creations include the
PHONE ORDERS:

DeMarco) are of the "so bad it's good"
variety, and the latter pages in this book
read like a veritable encyclopedia of
trashy horror films.
The filmography here is truly

Cinematographer:

James!"

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Ted V. Mikels's 1968 effort The Astro

Zombies (in which Carradine played Dr.

filmography is

working with the then-grizzled
villain. A biographical piece
contributed by Gregory William Mank
and off,

LOGO

as

humorous and affectionate anecdotes

COTTON

CINEMATOGRAPHER

horror films also provided the actor with
work in his later years, right up until his
death in 1988. Many of these films, such

about

W/ EMBROIDERED
AMERICAN

sal's House of Frankenstein (1944) and
House of Dracula (1945) are classic, and

also included. Carradine's appearances
on television are documented, and the

screen

100% BRUSHED

His charac¬

pictures.
Carradine

was a

genuine aristo¬

The

History of British
Cinematography
American Cinematographer - November 1999

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - November 1999
