Mr Pratt Entertains - Graig Du Theatre Players
This unusual comedy of errors has for its protagonists Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Set in the afterlife, the play takes place in a projection room where the two men are working as projectionists. The audience in the theatre is nearly three million strong and they are growing impatient because the film is running late. Spending the night out with legendary Hollywood hell raisers is not what Karloff expected of his erstwhile companion. Lugosi has the keys to the film cupboard and this is why the film has not started. Arriving worse for wear with his hangover, Lugosi immediately starts an argument. The animosity between them stretches from the time when Lugosi turned down the part of the monster in Frankenstein, Karloff accepted, and was forever associated with the part. Will the film ever be shown as these two venerable gentlemen trade insults? William Henry Pratt (1887- 1969) was Karloff’s real name and the title refers to his surname. Lugosi’s real name was Bela Ferenc Dezo Blasko (1882-1956)
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Comment by Josh Edwards on March 24, 2016 at 9:44
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Ham acting was the norm for quite a few of the Universal Pictures. John Carradine excepted for Count Alucard, what of Henry Hull in The Werewolf of London? This film has to be seen to be believed. Claude Rains in The Invisible Man is still worth a look, though it has not dated well.
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Comment by Glyndwr Edwards on March 24, 2016 at 7:30
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I forgot to add yesterday that I do not believe Lugosi was ever in the Hungarian cavalry. One film, which is rarely shown today, is "The BodySnatchers" based on Stevenson's tale in which they both appeared. The film is very persuasive, unusal for the time, and has the great Henry Daniell in the lead. Another overlooked film of Karloff's is "The Sorcerers". Ann's play is very funny and a homage to past horror films.
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This sounds very interesting. I wonder if anyone realizes that there was a two-act stage version of Frankenstein, adapted by H.M.Milner, that was seen by Mary Shelley during the early 1800s. This play influenced much that came later. I look toward to reading this. Is it true that Lugosi was in the Hungarian cavalry?
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