The Face of Marble (Monogram) (1946)

DOG-LOVING ACTORS CAST IN "THE FACE OF MARS It might be true that all the world loves a lover, is a certainty that all actors do not love dogs. And this gave the studio an extra problem when it was selecting players newest thyiller, ring John Carradine, now showing at the ——— for Monogram’s theatre. A Great Dane called Brutus} figured prominently in the script. | A canine actor named General st Te ili Chiller the part—and also a standin named | Captain. On almost every day during | | the filming of the picture these two | huge animals were scheduled to be | on the set. The producers figured that any} fear or mistrust on the part of the) human actors would reflect itself | not only in their own performances, | but also in the performance of the dog. So before each human actor was called in for an interview, he| was first asked if he liked dogs. If) not, he was eliminated. When the cast was set, it was diss covered that most of them had pets | of their own, and a party was given for the animals when the picture was completed. Among the dog loving actors in “The Face of Marble” hua was not overly friendly with the two Great Danes), Robert Shayne, Maris Wrixon, Willie Best, Thomas E. Jackson and Rosa Rey | (who has three dogs plus several cats). William Beaudine directed from a script by Michael Jacoby, and William Thiele and Edmund Hartman created the original story. DANGEROUS ROLE The curious array of electronic and chemical apparatus used by John Carradine and Robert Shayne to bring dead people back to life in Monogram’s “The Face of Marble,” now at the theatre, almost turned out to be more dangerous than life-giving to beautiful Claudia Drake. Just before the young actress was put into the complicated machine, the cameraman had a test made to see how brilliantly the giant sparks, | which climb up glass rode from the branches of multiple mercury tubes, would register on the film. Part of the equipment crashed onto the} table where Miss Drake was supposed to be placed. When the machinery was reconstructed, it was checked and double checked several times to against such a dangerous accident occurring when the actress was on the table. As an added precaution, a net was placed above her body, just out of camera range. are Claudia: Drake (whose tiny hairless Chihua| insure | | {drama, “The Face of Marble, BOWING ere aie Wd eo cee laterals cat to the) Peds Sem a EM oes a theatre. Others in| LE" FILM | | but it | | “The Face of Marble,” star | | | | Cast Add Spooks John Carradine has the starring role in Monogram’s weird mystery the cast are Claudia Drake, as Carjradine’s wife, and Robert Shayne, las his assistant. Maris Wrixon, Willie Best, Thomas E. Jackson, Rosa Rey, Neal Burns, Donald Kern and Allan Ray are also seen in the mystery that shrouds “The Face of | Marble.” | William Beaudine directed the picture, while Michael Jacoby wrote the screenplay. The original story was by William Thiele and Edmund | Hartmann. HOBBY HOUSE | An especially designed room at his home furnishes the den where John Carradine spends his hobby hours. He follows a wide range of activities from radio construction and sculping to model-train building. Carradine also goes in for gardening, yachting and photography in his leisure moments. The actor can now be seen at: the... io... theatre as the star of Mono | | | | | | 'on the screen of the gram’s spine-tingling “The Face of Marble,’ mystery drama. Claudia Drake and Robert Shayne are among the featured players in the production. SHAKESPEAREAN John Carradine, who will be seen theatre starting next............. Monogram’s exciting drama, “The Face of Marble,’ is Hollywood’s most unusual split personality. To the nation’s film goers he is |/most remembered for his mad doc tor roles. In this film he switches that slightly to become a sane doc| tor, but the thrills and chills of bringing people back to life are all} there. In spite of his famous roles horror films, Carradine prefers appear in Shakespearean dramas. few months before he appeared in “The Face of Marble,’ the actor in | to A made an extensive stage tour play| ing the tragic Hamlet. “THE FACE OF MARBLE” EXPERIMENT | 5-29 Star John Carradine as a billiant doctor and Robert Shawne, his assistant, attempt to restore life in Monogram’s “The Face of Marble,” eerie mystery melodrama coming next Two Column Scene Mat No. 820 |} pleted her part to the theatre. G-4. Claudia Drake is featured in Monogram’s thrilling horror film, “The Face of Marble,” due at GY le eA theatre, with John Carradine as the star. One Col. Scene Mat No. S4 ‘Real Live Corpse’ In Horror Film A Hollywood casting office can expect wild orders from producers for anything from a talking bird to a dancing worm, but the Monogram casting office got a special order for “The Face of Marble,” thriller starring John Carradine, at the se Pa ART ere meade eens theatre, that would make the most blase talent scout think twice. Casting Directress Menifree I. Johnstone thought she had comin making “ “The Face of Marble.” Contracts had been signed with all the performers scheduled to appear in the film. The picture had even been before | the cameras for three days. But since anything can, and often does, happen in Hollywood, Director Beaudine, filming the picture, next morning dashed into her office. The following conversation then occurred: “Menifee, what have you done about My corpse?” “The prop department has a big selection of dummies.” “But they won’t do.” “If they don’t have one that fits, they can order a special one made ‘up for you.” “But the corpse is the title role |of the picture. We need something special. I want a real live corpse!” So a casting call was sent out, and the producer interviewed six thespians before he found an actor suitable to play the dead man. Clark Kuney got the part. The studio was so pleased with his quiet performance that he was given a bonus. GLAMOUR TO MURDER While many of Hollywood’s beautiful glamour girls are begging producers for unsympathetic roles that accent acting ability more than pul chritude, Claudia Drake, seen with John Carradine at the theatre, in Monogram’s “The Face of Marble,’ is making that plea in reverse. “Tve been so mean in my last six pictures,” she told Director William Beaudine, “that I’m afraid it might become permanent.” Her role in “The Face of Marble” is an answer to both appeals. For the first half of the picture she is sweet, innocent and beautiful. In the last half, under the influence of a voodoo cultist, she. does “unsympathetic, but real acting,” and becomes a murderess. "| Lovely AcTREsS |f"FACE OF MARBLE" FILM RATED GOOD FOR GOOSE PIMPLES (Review) Raising goose pimples is the order of the day at the theatre this week, with John Carradine serving as the stimulant in Monogram’s latest chiller, ‘““The Face of Marble,” which opened an engagement last night. Carradine, who has proved himself an accomplis master in the fine art of frighten-*—— ing movie patrons and making them | love it, outdoes himself in this one. | ‘Carradine had announced that he would not make another “mad doc| tor” film, but the screenplay by Michael Jacoby which lured the star back to Hollywood is chuck full | of bringing people back to life, mur| ders, voodoo magic and ghost people | walking through closed doors. The new angle is that the doctor, played by Carradine, is completely sane. Claudia Drake does a beautiful job with her role as the wife of Doctor Carradine. High point of the | melodrama is reached when the doctor and Robert Shayne, his handsome young assistant, restore her to life after she has been murdered — by mistake — by her houseKeeper, Rosa Rey, who is so devoted to the young wife that she murders people who stand in the way of Miss Drake’s happiness. When Miss Drake is restored to | life, the housekeeper gains control | of her mind with the aid of voodoo. ‘It is at this point that walking |} through closed doors becomes the | vogue, and no one’s life is worth an 'ice cube in a furnace. Maris Wrixon is decorative as the young girl whose romantic interest in Robert Shayne puts her on the death list. Negro comedian Willie Best is delightful in the usually routine type of the houseboy who is | almost frightened to death by all of the weird goings-on. William Beaudine directed his cast through excellent performances which bring a convincing quality to “The Face of Marble.” Photography by Harry Neumann is excellent. Hello, Hollywood --Goodbye, Hair Like Harry Lauder’s many farewell appearances, John Carradine’s goodbyes to Hollywood have the happy faculty of keeping his career | going strong. A few weeks before “The Face of Marble,” now showing at the theatre, went before the cameras at Monogram, Carradine left Hollywood in a huff, swearing he would never again portray a mad doctor in films. Monogram lured Carradine back to the kleig lights only after assuring the actor that the doctor which he portrays in “The Face of Marble” was completely sane. But it was a give-and-take proposition. In exchange for the promise of sanity, Carradine had to promise to cut off his Hamlet-like tresses to take the part. |; coming soon to the shed DON'T SHOOT! Robert Shayne stops star John Carradine from shooting at a ghostly spectacle in a scene from Monogram’s spine-tingling mystery drama, “The Face of Marble,” coming next to the theatre. One Col. Scene Mat No. S2 CARRADINE John Carradine is starred in one of his most dramatic roles in Monogram’s “The Face of Marble,” (ee © 0 2 ermine S68 le © theatre. YOUNG BEGINNING Claudia Drake, who has the feminine lead opposite John Carradine in Monogram’s newest chiller, “The Face of Marble,” coming to the theatre on started her motion picture career at the tender age of one year. She appeared with such famous oldtimers aS Kathlyn Williams, Wallace Reid, Roscoe Arbuckle and Ben Turpin, and many years later got her first big break as a matured woman when she was featured in “Enemy of Women,” rated by Boxoffice Barometer as one of the smash hits of 1945. ROBBERY PARALLELS © ZOMBIE'S ACTIONS IN FILM While Robert Shayne-was making ‘“‘The Face of Marble,” Monogram’s weird drama starring John Carradine, now at theatre, his home was robbed under strange conditions which closely paralelled part of the screen play. In the film, a huge Great Dane#———— and beautiful Claudia Drake, brought back to life by Carradine and Shayne, have the power to walk through closed windows and doors. Asleep at his home after a hard day at the studio, helping police solve a series of murders committed by the half-dead, half-alive things he created, Shayne was awakened by a soft, rustling sound. He sat up in bed, and in the dim light saw a dark body rise from a chair, and sail through the air and out a window which Shayne knew was covered by a screen. On investigation, Shayne discovered that his trousers, which he had left on the chair when he retired, were missing. By the time he got into a dressing robe and ran around | to the outside of the window, he had been robbed of $200. The thief left a full explanation of the weird apparition. In the bushes near the window, Shayne found his trousers with his empty wallet —and a fishing pole. The thief had removed the screen and literally “fished” for his loot. thers in the cast of the eerie film include Maris Wrixon, Willie Best, Thomas E. Jackson and Rosa Rey. William Beaudine directed from a screenplay by Michael Jacoby, and William Thiele and Edmund Hartman created the original Story. The actual event which brought “The Face of Marble” to life was recorded by the press as “Hollywood’s first fish-hook robbery.”