Book review - "Hollywood's Maddest Doctors" by Gregory William Mank

Mank is one of the leading historians on the great horror period of the 30s and 40s - he penned a strong work on Karloff and Lugosi, and here he turns his attention to three lesser known but equally skilled performers: Lionel Atwill, Colin Clive and George Zucco. All British with strong stage backgrounds (Atwill was one of the biggest names on Broadway in the 20s, Clive was in the original Journey's End), all played mad doctors at some time or another, all had tragedy in their lives: Atwill's career was damaged by (from all accounts accurate) rumours of his orgies and prediliction for cross dressing, Clive drank himself to an early grave, Zucco was pleasant and mild mannered but suffered a stroke and spent the last ten years or so of his life basically ga-ga. Careers often crossed: they'd play the same role (eg Moriarty), do a stint in Journey's End, co-star with each other. Mank runs through the main films and career details of each, has done his research including some interviews (notably with Zucco's widow, who defends her husband from the slandering he received in Hollywood Babylon II). Mank writes with affection and enthusiasm and all three tales are worth telling.