“ FRANKENSTEIN.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 521, 2 August 1932, Page 3

“ FRANKENSTEIN.”

Humorous Sidelights on a Serious Subject. It Is a popular supposition that no man is really popular unless he is referred to by nick-name. It is equally true that fame in this little world of ours begets many humorous stories. The newest candidate for fame of this character is “ Frankenstein,” a fantastic motion picture of a man-made man rated as the prize blood-curdler of the screen. It presents the absolute maximum of stimulating shock with a new sort of emotional “ kick ” that touches the peak in ’horror” plays. It is strange that public patronage has swung round so heavily to this type of film, yet everywhere it is shown it registers a strength with the emotions of the public which puts it instantly into the class of persons and things about which humorists and would-be humorists are forced to deal. In America, the first of a series of humorous stories comes from Portland, Oregon. The theatre manager, as an exploitation stunt, had a corps of girls telephoning every subscriber in the telephone book. The girls simply said on the ’phone: “Frankenstein is coming.” A bootlegger’s wife, hearing this declaration and thinking it sounded highly official, dumped her husband’s whole supply into the sewer. But the bootlegger had a sense of humour, ajid told the story on himself. All Portland enjoyed this joke at the bootlegger's expense. Following the pre-view of the picture at Santa Barbara, the story goes this way: The manager of the theatre in which it was shown was called out of bed to the telephone at 2 a.m. A male voice on the other end said: “ I saw ‘ Frankenstein ’ at your house to-night. I can’t sleep, and I don’t intend that you should either.” Louis Sobol contributes this one in his magazine column. “The Voice of Broadway”: “I overheard a very prominent ladv from the Bronx say to her husband, * Morris, I hear a warrv good Jewish peekshure is playing on Broadway. Somm’t’ing called ‘ Finklestein ’.” The “wise-cracking” of “Frankenstein ” has even invaded the fields of stage, restaurant and radio. Walter Winchell, America’s ace broadcasting star, concluded his famous broadcast talk every night for major portion of his season by snji’ • “This is Mrs Wlnchell’s had little :• - Frankenstein —boo—boo.” Eddie c.ntor nulled this “ gag ” when at the Palace Theatre recently: A gentleman in black face suddenly stuck his head out of one of the stage boxes in such a way as to attract everybody’s attention. Eddie Cantor looked up at him and said. “Ah Frankenstein! ” At Lindy’s, one of the famous theatrical restaurants, ore item on the bill of fare has now become “ Frankenstein au sauerkraut.” “Frankenstein” will be screened at the St James’ Theatre next Saturday. The box plans will open on Thursday at The Bristol Piano Company