OH, MAE! OH, HELEN!

What are the chances of two of Universal horror's leading ladies appearing in the same issue of a Hollywood fan magazine? Pretty good in 1932 it seems, when it came to Mae "Frankenstein" Clarke and Helen "Dracula" Chandler. Both were enjoying rising fame and popularity at the time and these two feature articles from SCREENLAND magazine (February 1932) tell about their personal lives and work in the best that Hollywood fan mag jargon could describe.

EXTRA! SCREENLAND also regularly printed a page with information on how fans could write to their favorite stars.

BEFORE THEY WERE SCREAM QUEENS: MAE CLARKE

This photo of the lovely Mae Clarke is from her first film, BIG TIME. It came before her most famous role as Elizabeth in the original FRANKENSTEIN. It is currently up for bid at HERITAGE AUCTIONS.

UPDATE: The final bid for this lot was $74.00.

Description of Lot #53241:
Mae Clarke in Big Time by Max Munn Autrey (Fox, 1929). Fine/Very Fine. Autographed Portrait Photo (8" X 10"). Miscellaneous. From the collection of Evie Goldich, Assistant to Gale Sondergaard. Vintage gelatin silver, single weight, glossy finish portrait photo of actress Mae Clarke in the movie Big Time by studio photographer Max Munn Autrey. This striking photo of the actress is signed on the front "To Evie, Sorry to be so late, Mae Clarke, Feb. 1980." It is also signed on the verso "To Evie- sorry to be so late. Best Wishes, Mae Clarke Feb. 14-1980. Happy St. Valentine's Day." An unrestored photo that displays signs of use. May include light edge or handling wear, slight curling in the corners, dust shadows, faint toning due to age, or unobtrusive stains. Fine/Very Fine.

MAE CLARKE: PRETTY AS A PICTURE

Born Violet Mary Klotz, Mae Clarke starred in James Whale's WATERLOO BRIDGE, but she is most famous for her role as Elizabeth in Whale's FRANKENSTEIN, and for having a grapefruit smashed into her mug by James Cagney in THE PUBLIC ENEMY, all released in 1931.

This flattering portrait of Miss Clarke appeared in PICTURE PLAY, May 1932. The caption reads that her next film will be NIGHT CLUB, which was released as NIGHT WORLD. In it, she starred again with Boris Karloff. The photo is by Jack Freulich, the stills photographer for FRANKENSTEIN.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAE CLARKE!