UNSOLVED MYSTERY: DRACULA PAINTING

I came across this original painting by comic artist Rudy Palais at an auction site and noticed it was titled, "Illustration - Bela Lugosi as Dracula". Nothing against Mr. Palais' artistic capabilities, but after scrutinizing it for a few moments--and in consideration of his unique style--I concluded that, other than a blunted widow's peak, none of the subject's other features are remotely similar to those of Bela Lugosi. Since he passed away in 2004, I suspect Palais likely wasn't afforded the opportunity to comment one way or another about identifying his painting as such.

It was sold on April 9, 2023 by Broward Auction Gallery LLC of Dania Beach, Florida for $200 plus $75 shipping and insurance. The painting itself is an oil on canvas and measures 19" W x 27" L. There is no provenance and it is undated. One thing it has going for it is that it's signed.

The auction history for this piece indicates it first came up for auction on January 23, 2021. At that time the description of the painting was listed as: "Illustration - Portrait of Man".

It was listed six more times without selling, from April 4, 2021 to July 3, 2022. Then, abruptly it was re-titled and newly identified as a portrait of Bela Lugosi as Dracula. It went unsold the first time under it's new title on October 9, 2022 and again on January, 2, 2022 until it was finally picked up for 200 bucks, six months later, at considerably less than the estimated value of $400-$500.

Now, I don't know about you, but this has the taint of chicanery about it if you ask me. If it was misrepresented in the earlier listings, there is no statement that the title was changed because of any new discovery. Consequently, if there is nothing to support the change, I suspect it was done in a deceitful attempt to add value to it. My hope is that the buyer purchased it solely because it was a work by Palais and not because it was claimed to be a portrait of Lugosi by him.

The art world has been historically rife with scams, and the foregoing only proves that they can find their way anywhere from multi-million dollar masterworks to a simple comic artist's painting. Caveat emptor!

BELA LUGOSI'S WHITE ZOMBIE TAILCOAT AND VEST

One of the more memorable villains from early sound horror films was Bela Lugosi's Murder Legendre in WHITE ZOMBIE (1932). The role fit Lugosi perfectly and he made the most of bringing out the mephistopholean wickedness that the character demanded.

His costume was a cross between undertaker and plantation master with his wide-brimmed had and long, dark clothing. Amazingly, years later, two of these pieces were found in a studio vault after 80 years and put up for auction. When the gavel dropped, the ensemble sold for an astonishing $100,000!

NOTE: There is one error in the lot details shown below: Lugosi made Universal's MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE before he was cast in WHITE ZOMBIE.

Lot 0783 Details:

783. Original Bela Lugosi tailcoat and vest from White Zombie.(UA, 1932) Bela Lugosi's followup to 1931's Universal Studio blockbuster, Dracula, was the ultra-low budget White Zombie, produced and directed by the Halperin brothers, setting the stage for a career that frequently bounced back and forth between A studio pictures and B movies. Lugosi played the infamous Murder Legendre, a Haitian plantation owner who turns his former enemies into zombies, whom he employs as slaves in his sugar mill. The 1932 film cemented Lugosi's reputation as a strangely seductive leading man. This iconic costume, consisting of dark blue three-button jacket with tails and five-button vest, each with internal United Costumers, Inc. tags handwritten "Lugosi" and "Bela Lugosi".The jacket was originally shot with a five-button design with the top button nearly reaching the collar. Studio tailors closed the holes (evident upon close examination) and the collar was modified for later use. The costume was worn by Lugosi in a key sequence, and was discovered buried in a studio vault where it had remained for the nearly 80 years since White Zombie finished shooting. Comes with a Warner Bros. certificate of authenticity.

RARE AURORA STORE DISPLAY MODELS

Back when the Aurora monster models were a big thing, the company would send hobby shops and other retail outlets kits that were pre-built and painted for display. Amazingly, a few more of these still exist and two of them went up for auction last month.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame kit was first released in 1963 and was designed after the 1956 Anthony Quinn film version. It was sold for $350.00.

The Guillotine was first produced in 1964 as a proposed "Chamber of Horrors" line. Parents pushed back on this one as being too morbid for their youngsters and the series was discontinued. This display model sold for a whopping $1,375.00.

The Witch came out later, in 1965, and was not based on any particular monster movie. The Witch sold for $450.00.

View my Hunchback re-issued kit build HERE.

RARE MOON MONSTER POSTER

Up for auction is this rarity from the pages of comic book advertising. It's unlikely that anyone reading comics in the early 1970's didn't come across the ad to join "The Monster Club". For a mere buck you got quite a bit of stuff including photos, masks and this poster.

What struck me as odd is that there is an obvious difference between this poster and the one from earlier years. Perhaps they sold out of the first one and upgraded it. Any ideas?

Old and new posters side-by-side.

The poster is estimated to bring in $1,000-$2,000.

Read more about the Moon Monster HERE.

HOLY GRAIL ISSUE OF FAMOUS MONSTERS SELLS AT AUCTION

The first run of the legendary FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND ended decades ago but it's cult status has maintained a healthy sales record over the years. This is due in part to the seemingly endless supply of copies that were originally printed and made available from remainders and "warehouse finds" after its demise. However, there is one particular issue that stands out among the others as being unique and as a result has become quite rare.

The June 1960 issue of FM included a random "Lucky 7" sticker inside that, if the page was torn out and sent in the reader would receive a lifetime subscription. Accounts vary as to how many of these there were but 100 and 250 are usually cited. For years an intact copy has been considered the holy grail of FM issues and rightly so -- what kid wouldn't send it in for a lifetime sub?

There were also two variant covers to this number, both advertising Roland/Zacherley's WOR-TV show.

On 24 June 2024 a slabbed copy of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #7 (June 1960) with a CBG rating of 2.0 (Good) was sold at Heritage Auctions for $8,400. I'm not a particularly huge fan of clam-shelled collectibles, especially for this when you'd have to break the seal to get a look at the sticker!

I believe it is also the first time since this issue was published that the actual page number (17) that the sticker was on is mentioned. Prior to this it was kept quiet for fear of counterfeiting.

FM #7, page 17 -- without the sticker, of course!

PRE-CODE HORROR COMICS SELL BIG AT AUCTION

A week ago, Heritage Auctions in Dallas, TX hauled in the biggest sale of a comic book ever with a copy of ACTION COMICS #1 going for a whopping $6,000,000. It turns out that a number of pre-code horror comics fared pretty well, too, as seen here in these top examples. Heading the pack was a CGC-graded 9.2 copy of Farrell's HAUNTED THRILLS #6 that sold for a scary $50,400. Overall, horror comics have been holding -- and in many cases increasing -- in value over the past few years. Whoever thought that these hunks of newsprint would become  such a hot commodity after almost 70 years?

Chamber of Chills #19 (Harvey) - Cover: Lee Elias - $18,000.

Diary of Horror #1 (Avon) - Cover: Alvin Hollingsworth - $3,600.

The Haunt of Fear #14 (EC) - Cover: Graham Ingels - $4, 080.

The Haunt of Fear #16 - Cover: Graham Ingels - $4,680.

The Haunt of Fear #17 (EC) - Cover: Graham Ingels - $12,000.

Haunted Thrills #6 (Ajax) - Cover: ? - $50,400.

Haunted Thrills #18 (Ajax) - Cover: Iger Shop - $3,120.

Horrors #13 (Star) - Cover: L.B. Cole - $3,840.

Startling Terror Tales #11 (Star) - Cover: L.B. Cole - $10,200.

Startling Terrors #12 (Star) - Cover L.B. Cole - $8,400.

Tales from the Crypt #23 (EC) - Cover: Al Feldstein - $4,560.

Tales from the Crypt #31 (EC) - Cover: Jack Davis - $6,600.

Tales from the Crypt #35 (EC) - Cover: Jack Davis - $7,500.

This Magazine is Haunted #14 (Fawcett) - Cover: Sheldon Moldoff? - $4,320.

Tomb of Terror #15 (Harvey) - Cover: Lee Elias - $12,600.

Vault of Horror #13 (EC) - Cover: Johnny Craig - $7,500.

Web of Evil #11 (Quality) - Cover: Chuck Cuidera? - $3,600.

Web of Evil #14 (Quality) - Cover: ? - $2,640.

Web of Mystery #8 (Ace) - Cover: Lou Cameron - $4,100.

Weird Mysteries #5 (Stanley Morse) - Cover: Bernard Bailey - $16,200.

CLASSIC MONSTER MOVIE HERALDS

Before computers and social media, movie heralds were one of the ways for theaters to promote the films they were showing, or were about to. First used in the 1910's, heralds were one or two page 5" x 7" or 6" x 9" flyers, some larger and some with multiple pages. They were often included in the film studio's press kit, which was sent to the exhibitor. Copies were made of the herald and they were passed out in front of the theater or street corner to passersby.

Heralds stopped being printed in the 1970's, and replaced with postcard-sized  promos. Now, the internet supplies most of the promotional advertising for movies, which makes movie heralds attractive to the collector of movie memorabilia. They were printed in the many thousands, so they are not as valuable as other advertising, such as one-sheets and window cards.

Here are several examples of movie heralds from classic monster movies. They are currently up for bid at Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas.

HAMMER MEMORABILIA UP FOR AUCTION

Bonham's June auction features a number of items of interest to horror fans. Included in the lots are numerous scripts and ephemera from early Hammer Films productions, including THE MUMMY and the Dracula series.

You can view the "Hollywood Then and Now" catalog HERE. A great chance for a glance at classic horror history!

Hammer The Mummy Final Shooting Script.

Hammer, 1959. Studio bound and bradded final shooting script. Stamped with title and date handwritten to top right corner, "Peter Alchorne" who was a member of production. The script also includes a 4-page appendix in the back listing Shepperton Studios Interiors, Bray Studio Interiors and Bray Studio exteriors to be used in production. Covers are bent at outer edges, but all else remains clean and well preserved. Includes a small The Mummy promotional card. Acquired from the studio at time of production. Exhibiting age and production handling.

Hammer's The Mummy Group of Items Including Photos and Original Sketches from Production Designer Bernard Robinson.

Hammer, 1958. Archive of 18 personal materials from Hammer production designer Bernard Robinson including 9-black and white and sepia photographs of the set, props, and design from The Mummy. Photos range in size from 5 x 4 in. to 15 x 12 in. 1-original sketch from a western, 1-brown line print of an "Inquisitor's Procession", 2-black and white 15 x 12 in. photographs from The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, and 5-color 10 x 8 in. lobby cards from The Hound of the Baskervilles with all but one featuring Peter Cushing. All exhibit expected age.

Largest: 15 x 12 in.

Hammer Dracula - Prince of Darkness Annotated and Edited Producer's Shooting Script.

Hammer, 1966. Studio bound and bradded 111-multi-color revision page shooting script including some carbon copy typed pages tipped between printed pages. Interior title page attributed as written by "John Sansom" and dated "4th March. 1965". While this script is marked for the publicity department, it obviously came from a person of authority as there are copious notes, production markings, dialog changes, comments, cuts, and edits. One clue is a butter yellow revision page 45 with "A. Keys" handwritten at the top, indicating legendary Hammer Producer Anthony Nelson Keys. Handwritten highlights include technical notes like "Candles. No Wind" and during a stake-through-the-heart-scene, "Dummy required for Japanese version." In a scene marked for a close-up of "Dracula" (Christopher Lee) "No Colored Eyes" then later in the scene "Eyes in for Drac". There are also some examples of leavening of language for an international audience as when the line, "There's something the matter" has been changed to "There's something wrong." An insider's look at the making of a Hammer Horror Classic. Exhibiting age and production wear.

Dracula Prince of Darkness 40+ Pages of Musical Score by James Bernard.

Hammer, 1966. Archive of 40+ pages of music handwritten on 11 x 15 in. manuscript/music paper with printed staves. Film composer Bernard was a Hammer Film Productions staple composing scores for The Quatermass Xperiment. He scored Hammer's first Horror movie; The Curse of Frankenstein, and continued on with Dracula (1958) Kiss of the Vampire (1962), The Gorgon (1964), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Devil Rides Out (1968), Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974). He also scored non-horror Hammer films such as The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Stranglers of Bombay (1959), The Terror of the Tongs (1961), The Damned (1963), The Secret of Blood Island (1964), and She (1965), as well as non-Hammer titles including Windom's Way and Torture Garden. In later years, historian Kevin Brownlow prevailed upon Bernard to write an original score for F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent Vampire film Nosferatu. This unique manuscript incorporates Bernard's original motifs for what is arguably the most influential horror movie score of all time; 1958's Horror of Dracula. The manuscript features many hand annotations and marks. Exhibiting expected age and production handling.

Hammer The Satanic Rites of Dracula (Working Title: "Dracula is Dead...and Well and Living in London!") Crewmember Shooting Script.

Hammer, 1973. Studio bound and bradded 120-page screenplay with additional 100+multi-color loose revision pages. Attributed as written by Don Houghton and dated on the interior title page "26 October, 1972". Front cover and some interior pages handwritten at the top, "Charles Crafford" who was an established sound engineer of the era. Exhibiting expected age and production handling.