LOW BUDGET HORROR MOVIE AUTOGRAPHS 1930s-1970s

I grew up in the 1960s and early 1970s as a Monster Kid addicted to old horror and sci-fi movies.   Monster Movie Matinee and Chiller Theater aired tons of great old movies from the 1930s to the early 1960s.  Younger viewers roll their eyes at the cheesy special effects and lack of blood and gore.  Like most of my work on here, it is done for my own enjoyment, and the couple of friends who are often kind enough to read it.  I intend to discuss only low-budget films, not those considered horror classics.  So, no great Universal monsters or Hammer movies.  It will be limited to those more obscure independent films and a few made-for-TV movies.  These movies are usually low-budget (sometimes no-budget), and they did not have a staff of makeup and special effects geniuses.  The king of this type of movie is the notorious Ed Wood.  A big step-up from Wood were American International Pictures better known as AIP.   Richard Gordon and his brother Alex Gordon were also producers of low budget fare.  Many movies that fit into this category are in the so bad they are good field.  
Living in a simpler time, I was often terrified by the black-and-white monsters.   The very first movie I ever remember seeing was The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959).  Not surprisingly, my opinion of the movie differs from that of the "professional" movie critics.  Movie critics are one of the best rackets for those who have no talent for anything but criticism.  I admit I may be seeing the movie through five-year-old eyes, but I still love it.  One of the favorite actors I have met was Don Sullivan, the young star of The Monster of Piedras Blancas and later The Giant Gila Monster.  Today, I can spot a computer-generated special effect a mile away, and to me, they often ruin a movie for me.   I am one of those who hate to be told how a special effect is done. I do not want to know how the tornado was made in the Wizard of Oz (although, regrettably, I have seen the documentary).   Movies are a suspension of disbelief, allowing you to be a child again and experience and enjoy them.  I also respect almost anyone who makes movies for the love of making them.  I find it hard to be critical of a low-budget movie for not having realistic effects or top-notch actors.  Bert I. Gordon was a master at making fun low-budget movies.
Examples of the type of movie I mean are Attack of the Giant Leeches, The Alligator People, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Attack of the Puppet People and scores of others.   I would like to steer clear of the Universal Horror monster movies even though some of them were low budget.
Richard Gordon (1925-2012) his brother Alex helped found AIP. Richard Gordon was the producer of movies such as Fiend Without a Face (1958), The Electronic Monster (1958), The Haunted Strangler (1958), Corridors of Blood (1958), First Man Into Space (1959),The Playgirls and the Vampire (1960), Devil Doll (1964), Curse of the Voodoo (1965), The Projected Man (1966), Island of Terror (1966), Tower of Evil (1972), Horror Hospital (1973), The Cat and the Canary (1978) and Inseminoid (1981).  He also produced the documentary Buster Keaton: The Great Stone Face (1968) narrated by Henry Morgan.

Below is the wonderful gentleman, Richard Gordon. I've met him many times, and sadly, few others have paid him much attention.  He was so kind the first time I met him I picked this photograph and tried to hand him $20 (the going rate of others at the conference), he refused to take it. He said he was just glad to meet me and happy someone enjoyed his work.  Every time I met him, he was the same he provided a photograph and refused to take money for it.  
 

Tags: Horror, movies

Views: 228

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on July 14, 2025 at 9:42am

DON SULLIVAN (1929-2018) got his start in the 1950s in westerns such as the movie Seven Guns to Mesa (1958) and television programs such as The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, and Death Valley Days. His first horror movie (mentioned in above) was The Monster of Piedras Blancas in 1959. He then appeared in the western horror combination movie Curse of the Undead in 1959, starring Michael Pate, John Hoyt, Bruce Gordon, Edward Binns and Helen Kleeb. It was a great vampire western. Sullivan again was starring in The Giant Gila Monster (1959), and Teenage Zombies (1959). He did some television afterward but by 1962 was out of the acting business. Sullivan did make a cameo return in 1982, with Gila a remake of The Giant Gila Monster. After leaving acting he became a vice president of Vidal Sassoon Inc. I think his appearance at The Monster Bash Conference was one of the only autograph signings he did. I told him how much I enjoyed The Monster of Piedras Blancas and The Giant Gila Monster. Unfortunately, he did not have a photograph from the former movie.  He was one of my favorites to meet since he was in the very first movie I remember seeing. 

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on July 15, 2025 at 8:28am

BOBBY VAN. (1928-1980) the original "Dobie Gillis" in the movie The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953) starring Debbie Reynolds.  Although he worked in movies and television, he was prolific as a theater star on Broadway.  

Van co-starred with Mamie Van Doren and Billy Gray, of Father Knows Best fame in the low-budget horror film The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966).  Actually, the premise of The Navy vs. the Night Monsters is not that bad. A Navy transport C-47 crashes on a desert island (where else?) destroying the communications tower.  Killer trees may have been a better title.  

Bobby Van died at the age of 51 of a brain tumor. The following is from a Playbill cover.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on July 15, 2025 at 9:32am

Excellent post. Here is my bit - a true classic:

Pardon the watermark. I have yet to scan the thing. Original still signed 1990 during a radio interview.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on July 15, 2025 at 9:48am

Thank you Eric, I absolutely love The Mole People (1956) with the great John Agar who went from John Wayne westerns to the king of B-Horror flicks!   The movie was one I watched as a boy probably on Monster Movie Matinee.   With Hugh Beaumont aka Ward Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver fame.  Also the high priest being none other than Alan Napier the trusty butler from Batman.  Kay Kuter better known as Newt Kiley from Green Acres had a bit part as a priest in the movie.   Nestor Pavia who was in Revenge of the Creature, Tarantula, and The Andy Griffith Show was one of the professors.  That is a great vintage still and autograph.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on July 15, 2025 at 10:05am

Thank you Scott. Me too! :-) Saturday mornings here. I miss the 70's. Finding true original stills from this is not easy. Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956 is very hard. I have another still from JOMMS, the last one. I beat Nestor's  daughter to get it with my zeal and a few dollars. The scene when they first find the lamp - Paiva, Agar etc. Right after they find the tablet. I also love the "scientific" into. It is hysterical to listen to.

JOMMS also provided the Sunset Blvd still I have that shows the first shoot of the ending (bedroom, not staircase) which was later re-shot (she was too "crazy" even for her!). I might even be dated 1949.

Paiva's lines reactions are also a riot in the films you mentioned, especially The Mole People..

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on July 15, 2025 at 10:18am

The "Professor" at the introduction of The Mole People was Frank Baxter an actor.  Many people believed that he was a real professor!!!  He always reminds me of Dean Jagger.  The Mole People also co-starred Phil Chambers another TAGS alumni.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on July 15, 2025 at 10:45am

Yes, Frank Baxter. I could not remember his name. You always a find a TAGS connection ;)

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on July 15, 2025 at 12:57pm

That incredible odd dance - that dancer before the sacrifice was (uncredited) Yvonne De Lavallade. I simply cannot recall the name of the other film.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on July 15, 2025 at 1:54pm

She was born in 1931 and amazingly she is still alive!  

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on July 15, 2025 at 2:32pm

Holy smokes! NEED AN ADDRESS!  Incredible. Modern dancer. Thanks Scott. :-)

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on July 15, 2025 at 10:26am

And true 1970's classic gold. Blacula!

First film to show many things, according to the director. There is more.

Blacula was the first black vampire film.

It had the first black vampire hunter.

It showed a man being bitten by another man onscreen for the first time

It had the first interracial gay couple on screen.

It had the first vampire suicide.

This original still was purchased directly from his son, along with Mr. Marshall's personal 3" stereo color trailer of this film. The still is from his first film, Lydia Bailey, is from 1953. There is an original Blacula lobby card, one of a complete set of Lydia Baily originals stills, a index card, and the official preprint as well. This is everything I have.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on July 15, 2025 at 10:45am

And one of your favorite ink colors as well Scott on the 1953 portrait.

RSS

© 2025   Created by Steve Cyrkin, Admin.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service