A revised edition that really adds value - Mank's first version of this was pretty good but the expanded one is even better. This is an affectionate, well researched but accessible account of the collaborations between two of Hollywood's greatest horror icons. It focuses on their films together - The Back Cat, Gift of the Gab, The Raven, The Invisible Ray, Son of Frankenstein, Black Friday, You'll Find Out, The Body Snatcher - plus looking at their overall careers.
Lugosi and Karloff make two great protagonists, especially Lugosi with his exotic background (war hero, fleeing unstable Hungary) and unhappy life (poor finances, drug addiction, unhappy marriages) and career (descent into Bowery Boys and Ed Wood films) - but also Karloff was pretty colourful (sexually promiscuous, whip smart with money). The two contrast so well, which is presumably why they've gripped the memory of horror film fans.
It also helps that their key films were so different - The Black Cat was Edgar Ulmer weird arse masterpiece; The Raven was solid Universal horror; Invisible Ray was sci fi; Son of Frankenstein was a superb sequel; Black Friday was a weird gangster horror masterpiece with the leads miscast; The Body Snatcher was a Val Lewton masterpiece. So you don't get the feeling of repetition.
Mank has scored a nice amount of interviews (a lot of actors went on to have good lives... Don Dugan from Frankenstein III become a tough marine! several of the actresses married very well). I like the way Mank tries to couch some of his criticisms of Lugosi because he knows he's going to get his head bitten off by rabid Lugosi fans!
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