Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Time Casting

I watched House of the Long Shadows (1983) last night. It's the story of a writer who makes a bet with his publisher that he can write a book (20,000 words in the original George M Cohen play, which I have stage managed) in 24 hours. Desi Arnez Jr. is the writer. Richard Todd is the publisher who packs him off to a deserted manor house to write. And Wackiness--of the sort that involves John Carradine, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing--ensues.  It's the only time those four gentlemen ever worked together, and the last time Lee and Cushing worked together.

And it struck me watching how much Vincent Price there is in David. Davids are always John Glover in my head, a function of combining Smallville and Brimstone. But there is a LOT of Vincent's attitude, mannerisms and even his queenliness. Because when Vincent--who was bisexual in real life--takes it into his head to swish, he does so in grand style. (The movie above is worth watching for no other reason than the tiff he and Lee have at the end which has Price flouncing off with a catty, "bitch" thrown over his shoulder at Lee)

I mean who else could deliver the line "Don't interrupt me when I'm soliloquizing!" and make it convincing? Those two gentlemen alone, I suspect


I got to thinking, as today entailed much driving. What would the cast of Nikolai look like in various cinematic eras?

The answer is a pic heavy post at my LJ.



No comments: