WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Past chats with our guests.
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Sue Sue Applegate
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WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

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Author Brian McFadden with Peter Cushing, Ed McMahon, Brooke Shields, Benji, John Houseman, Raymond Burr, Ed Asner, Tony Bennett, Tony Randall, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Steve Allen, and Lloyd Bridges.

Our guest this weekend is the author of a new book about Republic Studios! Mr. McFadden has been a serious student of the creative formula Republic used for its famed serials and westerns, and in his book, he demonstrates how Republic successfully applied that formula to its feature films. Unfortunately, many of these films, including the horror films that are the subject of this first Republic volume, are not readily available on DVD.

Veteran broadcast journalist Brian McFadden has spent 40 years working as a reporter and entertainment editor for UPI, various magazines devoted to film and popular music, and was a Wall Street Journal Radio anchor for more than two decades. He has taught courses at Seton Hall University and lectured at The New York School for Continuing Education. His previous book on Britain's famed Amicus Productions has just been nominated for a Rondo award.

McFadden has been a serious student of Republic Pictures' serials and westerns, and he valiantly hopes his latest book will help generate interest in Republic's excellent feature films, most of which have been absent from television since the mid-fifties.

McFadden's fascination with film began in childhood when Republic was one of the few studios willing to release its films to television, and admits his fascination has lasted a lifetime. As a young adult, his main goal was to find a way to make a living that would allow him to play some role in preserving memories of the films he enjoyed and feels lucky to have had such a lengthy and rewarding career as a journalist.

While in college, McFadden began interviewing celebrities. Shortly after graduation, he began working for UPI and was soon Features Editor for UPI Radio Broadcasting which led to his hosting a show for Billboard Magazine where he did interviews with prominent musicians and celebrities . His prestigious move to Wall Street Journal Radio followed where he spent the next two decades.

It has been a joy to visit with Brian on the phone to prepare for his visit this weekend and his vast knowledge of studio operations, classic film actors, and celebrities is inspiring and exciting. Help us celebrate the publication of his latest book, Republic Horrors: The Serial Studio Chillers!

I asked Brian if there is anything he would like SSO members to know about him before his visit, and this is his reply:

"Only that this weekend isn’t just about Republic’s horror films. It’s about all of the major actors and actresses who appeared in Republic features and whose work for the studio is never seen anymore. Everyone from Peter Lorre to Virginia Grey! It’s about the studio’s list of “Old Reliables” that reads like a “Who’s Who” of Hollywood character actors. It’s about vintage B-films in general (I’m currently working on my next volume, “Republic Mysteries.”) And, of course, feel free to open the discussion to actors, actresses and musicians I’ve interviewed over the years. The only agenda for the weekend is to have fun!”

Welcome to The Silver Screen Oasis, Brian!

The "trailer" for Republic Horrors: The Serial Studio's Chillers:

[youtube][/youtube]

Books by Author Brian McFadden:
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Republic Horrors: The Serial Studio's Chillers

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Amicus Horrors: Tales From the Filmmaker's Crypt

Brian McFadden's Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Brian-McFadden/e/ ... 667&sr=1-2

Examiner article about Brian McFadden's visit to The Silver Screen Oasis: http://www.examiner.com/article/veteran ... reen-oasis
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

Brian, we are so delighted you are joining us this weekend. Thank you again for visiting us here at The Silver Screen Oasis!

I thought I might begin our visit by asking what Republic horror film you feel was most influential in inspiring you to create your latest book, Republic Horrors: The Serial Studio's Chillers, and why you were so fascinated by the film originally.
And thank you in advance for your response.
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by ChiO »

Glad to see you here, Brian.

1. My impression is that, unlike Monogram (until a name change to Allied Artists) and PRC (until it was part of Eagle-Lion), Republic released one or two movies each year with bigger budgets than its usual fare. If that impression is quasi-correct, were those bigger budget movies vanity projects, or was Republic trying to see if it could move from Poverty Row status like Columbia accomplished? Or was there some other dynamic at play?

2. There are many Republic film noirs that are marvelous (SPECTER OF THE ROSE being my favorite), but that have not had an official release on DVD. Who has the rights now to the '40s-'50s catalog? Is there a lack of interest (due to cost and expected return) in restoration and release, or are the rights caught in some byzantine tangle?
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by Brian McFadden »

I thought I might begin our visit by asking what Republic horror film you feel was most influential in inspiring you to create your latest book, Republic Horrors: The Serial Studio's Chillers, and why you were so fascinated by the film originally.
And thank you in advance for your response.
It's an absolute pleasure to be here this weekend and thanks so much for your warm welcome. Grissly's Millions is the name of the film. It made a real impression on me as a youngster and, as an adult, I was always hoping it would show up on TV. It never did.

Since I was only a child when I saw the film, I didn't know the title or the names of the stars. But I remembered a very realistic scene where the heroine almost falls from a cliff into raging waters below and I couldn't forget the chilling unmasking of the killer at the end.

After rounding up all the usual suspects who released films to TV in the fifties (The independents, companies that had folded, RKO which had been sold to General Tire,) I hit upon Republic by the process of elimination. Sure enough, that's where I found the film, in a treasure trove of excellent B-movies that have been hidden in plain sight for decades. Republic's wonderful serials and westerns, as well as its more ambitious productions with John Wayne, remain generally available. But most of its B-features have fallen through the cracks. And so, I've made it my mission to try to publicize the existence of these under-rated films and rally support for their re-release on TV.
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by Brian McFadden »

ChiO wrote:Glad to see you here, Brian.

1. My impression is that, unlike Monogram (until a name change to Allied Artists) and PRC (until it was part of Eagle-Lion), Republic released one or two movies each year with bigger budgets than its usual fare.

2. There are many Republic film noirs that are marvelous. Is there a lack of interest (due to cost and expected return) in restoration and release, or are the rights caught in some byzantine tangle?
Those are two excellent questions, ChiO, and you are spot on with regard to Republic's big budget ventures. Studio Chief Herbert Yates knew his bread and butter came from westerns and serials. The westerns were cheap to produce, running $50,000 - $60,000. They were shot in 6 or 7 days. The majority of the Features covered in the book, however, had a fairly decent shooting schedule, usually a little over two weeks. They came in at about $200,000 and looked more expensive because of Republic's use of standing sets and tricks it had learned making serials. But Yates always had aspirations toward making more prestigious films as well, and would budget a couple of $500,000 dollar movies a year too, later increased to as much as $1,000,000!

I'm every bit as frustrated as you are about the lack of DVD releases of these films. It's the same with so many fans. As you have guessed, the home release rights are a bit confusing. Put on your secret de-coder ring and we'll take a stab at it:

When Yates gave up control of Republic in the late fifties, the folks who took it over considered it more valuable as an industrial company than a movie asset (It had, after all, started out as Consolidated Labs.) They got into chemicals, appliances ... all sorts of things.

The film library was sold to National Telefilm Associates (Baby-boomers will remember the NTA logo from the front of so many movies on TV in the fifties and sixties.) The library went through various hands, eventually winding up with Spelling Entertainment, most of which was purchased by Viacom. So far, so good. Viacom was part of Paramount, which wound up with rights to the films and a small subdivision now has rights to lease them to television. The home video rights, however, also went through several hands. Lionsgate home video eventually had them and now I believe Olive Films is the rights holder under license from Viacom.

I think fans just need to let it be known we're tired of some of these great film noirs being unavailable. I'm currently working on a book about Republic mysteries and I hope it will light a fire under Viacom.

Again, many thanks for the great questions,

Brian
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

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Brian McFadden wrote:The home video rights, however, also went through several hands. Lionsgate home video eventually had them and now I believe Olive Films is the rights holder under license from Viacom.
Recently Olive Films released a quality DVD of Orson Welles' Macbeth, which is one of my favorite Republic titles. :) [Prior to that, it was available on a not-so-great Korean DVD.] May be a good sign that more Republic films will be coming from Olive.
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by Brian McFadden »

Recently Olive Films released a quality DVD of Orson Welles' Macbeth, which is one of my favorite Republic titles. :) [Prior to that, it was available on a not-so-great Korean DVD.] May be a good sign that more Republic films will be coming from Olive.
That certainly is a good sign and I hope we'll see more of the same. Herbert Yates really felt Macbeth would put Republic on the map in terms of quality productions. But Olive is likely to concern itself mostly with Republic offerings that have achieved some notoriety, like Ben Hecht's Specter of the Rose, mentioned earlier by ChiO. (Let's hope Olive releases it, since I'm only aware of an old VHS copy at present.)

But Welles and Hecht are special cases. Many of the Republic Wayne's are available too. But the majority of Republic's other films, which featured SSO favorites covered in the book, like Ann Rutherford, Richard Arlen, Veda Ann Borg, even a young Peter Lawford ... It doesn't seem right that we never get a chance to see them anymore. Let's all hope that changes.
Peter Lawford opposite Lloyd Corrigan, in Republic's "London Blackout Murders."
Peter Lawford opposite Lloyd Corrigan, in Republic's "London Blackout Murders."
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

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Thank you, Brian! I would also love to hear more about Curt Siodmak's involvement with Republic when you have a moment.
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by moira finnie »

Hi, Brian! Thank you very much for joining us here.

The Catman of Paris (1946) featuring the Viennese emigrant, Carl Esmond (aka Willy Eichberger) is one of the Republic chillers that I have enjoyed despite the obvious limitations of the budget, (a fairly decent print is available on Netflix & Amazon Prime as a streaming video). I have always had a soft spot for Esmond, despite the fact that history and his charming accent cast him as a Nazi (when he was anything but that in reality). I also liked the Austrian-born Lenore Aubert, the daughter of an Austrian general, who was quite lovely in this film. She was reportedly another émigré whose happy marriage to a Jewish man led her to America. Could you please discuss what role Republic played in employing some of the often distinguished displaced people who flooded into Hollywood as a result of the European turmoil? Were there any figures who stand out among them for you?

Thanks in advance for any insights you can provide.

BTW, I have found an online video of The Catman of Paris here:

[dailymotion][/dailymotion]
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by movieman1957 »

Hello Brian. Thanks for taking the time to join us.

Would you mind giving a little history on Republic? Did they want to be one of the big boys or were they planning on being a niche studio?
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by Rita Hayworth »

Good afternoon Brian,


Welcome to SSO today and I have one interesting question - one of my favorite Republic Films and I have seen it in Vancouver, British Columbia on two occasions - is the film back in 1941 called ICE CAPADES featuring the debut of Vera Hrubá. Can you share any information about her? :)


ice Capades - Wiki Link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Capades
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by Brian McFadden »

Thank you, Brian! I would also love to hear more about Curt Siodmak's involvement with Republic when you have a moment.
I'm so glad you mentioned that Christy, because many fans only associate Siodmak with Universal around this time. He was indeed involved with Republic and two of his films for the studio, London Blackout Murders and The Lady and the Monster are covered in the book. I'm currently writing about a third, The Mantrap, an excellent Republic mystery that will be featured in my next book.

Siodmak left Germany after hearing a Nazi speech that convinced him the country would soon be unsafe. He made it to England and eventually to the US. He originally found work at Universal, where he wrote screenplays for classic films like The Invisible Man Returns and The Wolfman.

But it was Republic that did the first screen version of his iconic novel, "Donovan's Brain." The movie was a winner on several levels. Richard Arlen is excellent as Donovan, the supporting cast is filled with a "who's who" of Hollywood's best character actors, and Republic's Herbert Yates spared no expense on the production.

On the minus side, the reason Yates beefed-up the budget was to make the film a showcase for his then-mistress (later wife) Vera Hruba Ralston. Vera was an ice-skater from Czechoslovakia who hadn't quite mastered English yet.

The other minus, certainly as far as Siodmak was concerned, was Yates' decision to change the title of the film to the rather lurid The Lady and the Monster. Siodmak was fit to be tied and refused to write the screenplay.

I'm so glad you included the poster for London Blackout Murders, Christy. It also had an excellent original screenplay by Siodmak. And he gave us one of the most sympathetic killers ever: John Abbott uses a poison pipe to do away with Nazi agents in England during the blitz. It's a tale that must have been near and dear to Siodmak's heart.
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

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moirafinnie wrote:Hi, Brian! Thank you very much for joining us here.

The Catman of Paris (1946) featuring the Viennese emigrant, Carl Esmond (aka Willy Eichberger) is one of the Republic chillers that I have enjoyed despite the obvious limitations of the budget. I also liked the Austrian-born Lenore Aubert, the daughter of an Austrian general, who was quite lovely in this film. She was reportedly another émigré whose happy marriage to a Jewish man led her to America. Thanks in advance for any insights you can provide.
Yes, Moirafinnie, they are two excellent examples of the talented people who came to these shores due to the unbearable situation at the time. In my post to Christie, we talked about another prime example ... Curt (Kurt) Siodmak. There's a great quote from him that, I think sums it all up. It goes something like this:

"Every night I say "Heil Hitler" because, if it weren't for the son of a b_ _ _ _ (Hitler) I wouldn't be in California, I'd still be in Berlin!"

You're absolutely right about Lenore Aubert. She and her husband, Julius Altman, fled to Paris amid Hitler's rise. She eventually came to the states and was a beautiful and talented addition to movies like The Catman at Republic and the film for which she is perhaps best known, Universal's Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

Carl Esmond is also one of my favorites. He continued acting through the mid-1980's and lived to the ripe old age of 102! Republic had a reputation as one of the most "Patriotic" studios during the war, partly because most of its films were targeted at America's heartland. But both Herbert Yates and Vera, when she became his wife, would have been extremely sympathetic to those forced to flee their homelands. What an excellent question ... many thanks.

Brian
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Re: WELCOME TO BRIAN MCFADDEN!

Post by Brian McFadden »

Welcome to SSO today and I have one interesting question - one of my favorite Republic Films and I have seen it in Vancouver, British Columbia on two occasions - is the film back in 1941 called ICE CAPADES featuring the debut of Vera Hrubá. Can you share any information about her? :)

Thank you for bringing up Vera's debut. Ice-Capades was her first film and Ice-Capades Review was the second. These were the only two films the poor kid had under her belt when Herbert Yates made her the lead in The Lady and the Monster. It must have been very frightening for the young lady.

By the way I'm so glad to be talking with someone who's seen the Ice-Capades, because I must tell you a very famous person was involved with the music. Jule (pronounced Julie) Styne did music for both the films as well as for many other Republic offerings. This is the same Jule Styne who later wrote such film classics as "Three Coins in a Fountain." He then went to Broadway and wrote shows like Funny Girl, which resulted in Barbara Streisand's monster hit, "People." I think I'm one of the few people who ever spoke with Styne about his Republic days.

Ah, but I digress ... far too easy when among friends. Let's get back to Vera. She was by all accounts a lovely person, well liked by the crew because she never used her relationship with Yates to lord it over anybody. Even John Wayne, who grew tired of working with Vera, said she was a nice person. It was just that his pictures with Vera didn't do as well because she wasn't really a box office draw. One of her directors, who liked her very much, said she was pleasant looking, did a decent job, but just didn't have that extra something special that made the public connect with stars.

Thanks so much for the excellent topic.

Brian
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