No one really likes(d) Bride of the Monster, not even the people who made it or John Landis who did the introduction to this book or even Tom Weaver who wrote this book. But it's such an engagingly silly piece it's hard not to feel some affection for it - at least, for those who like gorilla movies.
It was written and directed by Curt Siodmak, a major writer of horror films whose reputation as director is much less imposing. It has in interesting cast including Raymond Burr, Barbara Payton, Tom Conway, Woody Strode and Lon Chaney Jnr. It's also got a decent story which as Weaver points out is like an early draft of The Wolf Man.
This book packs a lot in for a slight movie - there's an account of the making, of course, and reviews etc... but also the script, a detailed look at the music, an account of the final days of Siodmak (the world of horror fans can be catty!), an interview with Tom Neal's son, a look at the life of Chaney, and much more.
The one debit of the book for me was Weaver make the occasional cheap crack at Payton, which felt mean. But the book was a lot of fun.
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