BOB BURNS: A MONSTER KID ORIGINAL

I had the great pleasure of meeting Bob Burns in 2013 at Monsterpalooza in Burbank, CA. He was easy-going, gregarious, had a great sense of humor and always willing to talk about his second love, monsters (his first being his wife, Kathy, who sadly passed away in 2021 at the age of 86). That year the 80th "birthday" of King Kong was being celebrated which included a ceremony with a birthday cake commemorating the legendary giant ape. Burns brought along his King Kong armature designed by Willis O'Brien and built by Marcel Delgado. It has the unique distinction of being the only complete armature from the film known to still exist.

Following are two features about the young Bob Burns from FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND (#4, August 1961 and #6, January 1962 respectively).

BOB BURNS: BEAST WISHES Youtube:

Visit Bob's Official Website HERE.

DO YOU HAVE A DOLL FETISH?

One of the most memorable images in modern horror films is the "Zuni Fetish Doll" from the 1975 Dan Curtis TV movie, TRILOGY OF TERROR. The creepy little figure can be seen in action menacing Karen Black in one of the episodes.

The doll is coming up for auction after another version sold in 2019 for the princely sum of $204,000.

Lot description:

Actress Karen Black's Personal Screen Used "Zuni Hunter" Fetish Hero Puppet Body from Trilogy of Terror (ABC-TV, 1975). Vintage original iconic creature puppet body constructed of hollow cast composite torso and solid limbs expertly assembled on articulating metal and wire armature allowing arms to swing and legs to swivel. Studio painted and finished to appear as carved wood and wrapped in original fabric skirt purposely charred from the penultimate sequence when the figure was thrown into the oven. The brainchild of legendary horror, science fiction and fantasy writer Richard Matheson, "Amelia" was adapted from his short story, "Prey". To this day, the vision of "Amelia" (Karen Black) being terrorized by the vicious, tiny warrior remain indelible in the minds of audiences. The puppet body, measures 9" x 7" x 2" with a 3" long twisted, white-jacketed, insulated wire protruding from the neck. The original puppet's head was stolen from Karen Black's home, so a meticulous cast resin reproduction head with black string hair and white painted jagged teeth was fabricated by FX artist Tom Spina for display. Accompanied by a replica spear. The puppet body exhibits age, minor production wear, and light soiling. The charred skirt is fractured and in poor condition. Profiles in History sold a complete Zuni Hunter puppet from this production in December 2019 for an astounding $204,000. Without question, one of the most iconic artifacts of horror from the past half century. In vintage, production used Very Good to Fine condition. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions

POTA LAWGIVER STATUE UP FOR AUCTION

"In the beginning, God created beast and man, so that both might live in friendship and share dominion over a world at peace. But in the fullness of time, evil men betrayed God's trust and, in disobedience to His holy word, waged bloody wars...not only against their own kind, but against the apes, whom they reduced to slavery. Then God, in His wrath, sent the world a savior, miraculously born of two apes who had descended on Earth from Earth's own future. And man was afraid, for both parent apes possessed the power of speech. So both were brutally murdered. But the child ape survived and grew up to set his fellow creatures free from the yoke of human slavery. Yet, in the aftermath of his victory, the surface of the world was ravaged by the vilest war in human history. The great cities of the world split asunder and were flattened. And out of one such city, our savior led a remnant of those who survived in search of greener pastures, where ape and human might forever live in friendship, according to divine will. His name was Caesar, and this is his story in those far off days. … We still wait, my children. But as I look at apes and humans living in friendship, in harmony and at peace, now some 600 years after Caesar's death, at least we wait with hope for the future."

Thus spoke The Law Giver, the orangutan prophet on the Planet of the Apes. Statues of The Law Giver (played by John Huston later in the series) were seen around Ape City as a reminder of the fragile relationship between ape and human.

Up for auction is this incredible 8.5 ft., screen-used statue of The Lawgiver seen in PLANET OF THE APES and BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES. Cast with fiberglass over a wood frame, no mention is made of its weight, but there is a note that the winning bidder must arrange their own transport of this marvelous piece. Can you imagine having this in your yard?

Here is the lot description. Bidding begins on July 5th.

Monumental Iconic Screen Used "Lawgiver" Statue Prop from Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (TCF, 1968/1970). Vintage original screen used, instantly recognizable "Lawgiver" statue constructed of hollow cast fiberglass over wood substructure, expertly painted and finished in a natural sandstone palette, and distressed to appear weather-worn carved stone statue. The "Lawgiver" is an important central orangutan prophet deity in the Planet of the Apes franchise, appearing throughout scenes of ape culture and in the form of this towering statue in both Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Measuring approx. 8.5 ft. tall and 51" x 44" at the base with integral table and scrolls. Two Lawgiver statues were created and used in the first two feature films. One Lawgiver statue was used on set on stage 22 of the Fox lot, and the other was used out on location at the Fox Ranch "Ape City" set. So, both statues did appear in the films as well as publicity shots for promotional materials. PotA collectors have been aware of this piece and have coveted it for decades. Originally from the collection of Planet of the Apes producer Arthur P. Jacobs (of APJAC Productions), the consignor acquired this figure in December 1998 from Jacobs' widow, Natalie Trundy Jacobs, who played "Albina" in Beneath the Planet of the Apes and other characters in all subsequent PotA films. The piece was professionally repainted and subsequently exposed to outside elements. Exhibiting age, production wear, and expected weathering. Some minor surface cracks in areas. The integrity of the fiberglass shell is very strong. In vintage Good to Very Good condition. NOTE: The winning bidder must arrange pick up or shipping of the item from Beverly Hills, CA within 2 weeks of the auction, otherwise storage fees will apply. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions.

WAS BORIS KARLOFF A MUSLIM?

In Universal's 1932 film, THE MUMMY, Boris Karloff, in his guise as Im-Ho-Tep is seen wearing a hat that is common in African and Asian countries. Called a tarboosh, the headpiece is customary wear for those of the Islamic faith. While the hat is more commonly known here as a Fez, named after the city in Morocco, it is more properly called a tarboosh in most other Islamic countries.

Shown below is the tarboosh that was worn on screen by Karloff. A part of The Joe Franklin "Memory Lane Collection" is was auctioned off in 2004 for the price of $7,000.

And as for Karloff, he was only a Muslim on screen. Instead, he was true to his Hindi heritage and after his passing, was cremated in the customary fashion.

TALES OF A MOVIE PROP COMIC BOOK

An undiscovered EC comic? An undistributed title from Pacific Comics? Reportedly found in a warehouse (in Somewhereville, U.S.A.), this "comic book" turns out to be a prop from the movie, BACK TO THE FUTURE!

At first glance it looks like a lost EC comic by the cover design and Wally Wood-esque artwork. In fact, the cover was done by production illustrator, Andrew Probert, who is better known for his work for STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, and BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA.

Only the front and back cover were produced and attached to the "real comics", DC's SECRETS OF SINISTER HOUSE #9 (February 1973) and LOVE STORIES #148 (1973).

The prop was reproduced as an unauthorized edition in 2014 by an unknown publisher.

An Andrew Probert illustration titled, "Invaders".

NEW WOLF MAN STATUE AND PROP

New from Iron Studios is this atmospheric statue of Lon Chaney, Jr. as Universal's The Wolf Man. The sculpt looks pretty nice; the clothing look like the outfit that Chaney wore while he was the monster, but the face, while well done, looks a little off the mark in capturing Chaney's lycanthropic visage.

Pre-orders are available now at various online retailers, but you'll have to wait for almost a year (October, 2022) before it ships.

Wolf Man 1941 Lon Chaney Deluxe 1/10 Scale Statue Wolfman Universal Monsters

Retail price: $179.99

Lurking through the night, between concrete headstones in an old cemetery, a hybrid human and wolf creature watches the full moon illuminate its hunting ground and command its cursed metamorphosis. Once a gentle and a quiet man, of whom only the clothes of that time remain and now a predatory beast with sharp fangs and claws. Using his keen animal senses to locate his next victim, he howls, announcing his presence and in growls, lunges for the attack like a deadly beast. Adding to the collection of the most iconic movie monsters, Iron Studios presents its statue "The Wolf Man Deluxe - Art Scale 1:10 - Universal Monsters", featuring another horror classic, acclaimed and worshiped by fans since the 1940s.

Part of the Universal Monsters horror film franchise, produced by Universal Pictures between the 1930s and 1950s, The Wolf Man of 1941 features the story of Larry Talbot, played by Lon Chaney Jr. When he returned to his ancestral home in Wales for his brother's funeral while defending a young girl from a werewolf attack, despite having defeated the beast, he was wounded by the animal, thus becoming the heir to this curse, and this prediction had been made by a Gypsy fortune-teller named Maleva. On the night of the full moon following this episode, he transformed and killed several villagers. After the film's success, Lon Chaney Jr. repeated his classic role as Wolf Man in four sequels and was the only Universal monster played by the same actor in all of his 1940s film appearances.

Wolf Man is added to Iron Studios' collection as one more pop icon inspired by the horror movies that introduced the first shared universe of characters. They were immortalized in distinct film productions, which defined the visual identity of these monsters and are present in world pop culture to this day.

Product Size: 8.2" H (208.28mm) x 6" W (152.4mm) x 6" L (152.4mm)

Factory Entertainment is re-issuing the prop replica of the Larry Talbot Wolf Man cane Lon Chaney, Jr. used in the 1941 film. The first version was available in 2013, but since then their creative team was supplied with some "never-before-seen" reference photographs of the cane. This new version is claimed to be as accurate as possible.

Wolf Man 1941 Larry Talbot Cane Prop Replica Wolfman

Retail price: $349.99

Today, only a single rubber stunt cane head survives in the personal archive of collector extraordinaire Bob Burns, and the replica previously produced by us in 2013 was based on that piece. However, our team was recently provided with access to never-before-seen vintage reference photography of the hero prop, which allowed us to create a new, highly-detailed 3D model, from which we have recreated the hero prop as it appears when first seen in the Conliffe Antique Shop.

Not only is this edition of the cane more accurate to the hero prop, it now features an upgraded all metal handle construction and a solid acacia wood shaft.

Purchased as a harmless gift, this cane ultimately becomes the instrument of Larry Talbot's destruction.

Multiple props were created for the production of 1941's The Wolfman by noted prop-maker Ellis Burman Sr., a functional hero prop and stunt props which were cast in rubber for actor safety.

The wolf head design was based on and hand-sculpted over an existing boar head cane, a popular motif on traditional walking canes.