Movie Character Update III
Professor Blake from “Monster on the Campus” (1958) Professor Donald Blake was a brilliant young professor of paleontology whose career was cut tragically short. Not only were his papers on the development of primitive hominid regarded as "groundbreaking" by his peers, but his career seemed assured when he became engaged to the daughter of the president of the University. This apparent bliss may have hidden a dark side to Blake, however, as not long before his own death by shooting the horribly mutilated body of the lovely young nurse Molly Riordan was found at his home. Apparently Blake had some strange ideas about being able to bring back the "primitive anthropoid" through the use of coelacanth blood and gamma radiation, but the likely truth is that his own obsessive compulsions led him to madness. He was killed by police while apparently in the act of abducting his fiance, although reports of the officers insist that Blake was not the man they shot. Supposedly the abduction was carried out by someone "monstrously deformed," although the body found was that of professor Blake.
Dr. Orloff from “Dark Eyes of London” (1940): Based on a character from Edgar Wallace's novel "The Dark Eyes of London," Dr. Orloff's name has been used in films bearing little or no resemblance to the original. As we find him in the Bela Lugosi portrayal, Dr. Orloff is a seemingly mild-mannered insurance broker who secretly profits by drowning his clients in a secret tank and then chucking the bodies into the Thames. His complexity increases, however, when we find that he is also secretly the kindly, blind Dr.Dearborn, who runs a home for the blind which is one of Orloff's pet charities. A disfigured blind man serves as an assistant in the crimes and also (somehow) occasionally stalks and murders a victim. In the German version, the tale is much the same, although the atmosphere is somewhat more lovingly created, but Lugosi is sadly lacking.
Jimmy Quinn from “Q - The Winged Serpent” (1982): Jimmy Quinn is a multiple-time loser with just a hint of decency to redeem him. A former junkie, an alcoholic, an unemployed ex-con on parole with a history of abusing his girlfriend, Quinn would represent to some the lowest scum on earth, but as portrayed by Michael Moriarty in "Q - The WInged Serpent," he still manages to emerge as likeable. Quinn has a musical talent, which he demonstrates in a scat-bee bop audition for work in a piano bar, being turned down due to the owner's preference for Country & Western. He then takes a job as driver for a jewelry heist, and is forced by the gang against his will to participate in the robbery with a gun. The heist fails (no doubt in part due to the bad luck Quinn drags with him everywhere he goes) and after a shootout with police, Quinn loses the bag with the diamonds in the sewer and is hit by a car. Attempting to find somewhere to hide from police and hoods alike (his companions don't believe he lost the jewels), Quinn hides in the tower of the Chrysler Building, discovering there several human corpses, and a very large nest with eggs nearly as large as himself.
After his arrest, Quinn learns that the police are looking for the hiding place of a giant bird - apparently the ancient Aztec god Quetzlcoatl - and attempts to parlay his information into a pardon and a profit. His mercenary actions are seen as holding up the investigation, and even his long-suffering girlfriend seems have lost faith in him. Finally Quinn coughs up his information, and is later saved from sacrifice to the "god" by his former opponents on the NYPD.
Abraham van Helsing, from “Dracula” (1931) et al: As conceived by Bram Stoker in the novel _Dracula_, Professor Abraham van Helsing was an elderly European scholar who had delved into "occult" matters sufficiently to offer some assistance when the affliction of vampirism first appeared in England in the late 19th century. He was no action hero, and was reliant on the young wooers of Lucy Weston (Dr. Seward, Arthur Hamilton, and Quincey P. Morris) as well as the recovered Jonathan Harker, to carry out the more demanding physical tasks of vampire-hunting. In his appearances in the older Universal Dracula cycle, played by Edward van Sloan, he more or less followed this pattern, although his tendency to make grotesque demands upon the younger men working with him was somewhat toned down. In the later Hammer cycle, as portrayed by Peter Cushing, he began to be more directly involved in the combat with the Undead, this taken to near-ridiculous lengths when he demonstrated a knowledge of Kung Fu in "The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires."
Hollywood was to run this idea into the ground with even more extreme absurdity in making van Helsing into a Lara Croft-style video game star in the 2004 film, "Van Helsing." His portrayal by Hugh Jackman in this film bears no similarity whatsoever to the Stoker character.
Suzy Bannion, from “Suspiria” (1977): Famous ballerina Susan Bannion (Suzy to her friends) comes from a long line of successful dancers. Her philanthropical aunt was remembered as a "benefactor to artists everywhere." Suzy herself had a colorful and fascinating career. An incident early in her life, however, has attracted interest in certain circles at least as intense as her dance notices. She was among the last class to attend the famed Tanz Akademie in Freiburg im Breisgau, having enrolled there only months before the tragic fire that claimed the lives of several students and most of the faculty. This academy, founded by the notorious Black Queen Helena Marcos, had long been seen as significant to students of the occult, and rumors connecting the senior staff to an allegedly satanic witch cult had sprung up at various times over the years. In the final semester of the school alone, no less than three deaths of people connected with the school (two students and the piano player) under highly peculiar circumstances had once again started up local gossip.
Ms. Bannion herself refused to discuss the details in public, although Freiburg police commented that it remained a mystery how she managed to escape the blaze when no one else was able to get out of the building alive (fortunately most of the students that evening were attending the opening of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Stadttheater). When asked her opinion of the rumors placing a coven at the school, Suzy commented, "It is certainly true that Helena Marcos practiced the Black Arts. But there is now absolutely no doubt that she is dead."
Mord from “Tower of London” (1939): Mord was a man of simple pleasures. An executioners' axe, the cries of men consigned to the rack, and a dank dungeon were all it took to make him feel at peace. In spite of his clubbed foot and odd appearance, Mord seemed ideally suited to his work. During the period of Yorkist ascendancy, Mord was in his prime, serving both King Edward and Richard admirably as chief gaolor of the Tower. But, like so many before him, Mord's end came due to his own hubris. He desired to "kill in hot blood," and experience war. Any recruiting officer would have seen that his physical disability disqualified him as a soldier, but King Richard III, in dire need of allies against the invading army led by Richmond, approved his service and saw to it he was armored and given a morning star. History does not record whether or not he achieved his ambition, but he was one of the many slain in the battle that deposed Richard.
Detective Bill Barlan from “The Amazing Transplant” (1971): Detective Barlan was a good cop; slow, steady, methodical, dedicated, but not very imaginative. He received several commendations for his work on the NYPD, but was far too non-political in his approach ever to be considered for promotion beyond detective.
The most interesting moment in Barlan's career came when his nephew, Arthur Barlan, came under suspicion for the murder of his girlfriend. Detective Barlan somehow convinced his superior, against all rules of ethics and protocol, to put him in charge of the case for 24 hours. To Barlan's credit, however, he did not attempt to cover up for his nephew or divert blame to another suspect. Instead, in his conscientious, "just the facts, ma'am" way, he went about uncovering a life of psychosis, fear of inadequacy, and misogyny, which culminated in several rapes and one murder. Arthur Barlan was eventually located, but did not survive to stand trial.
Dr. Meissen from “The Black Castle” (1952): Dr. Maximilian Meissen was educated in Heidelberg and spent some time as an intern in Vienna. When he received a lucrative offer to take up a position as the court physician for Count von Bruno, he felt that his career was assured. Little did he realize that the Count was more interested in him because of a paper on rare African poisons than because of his healing abilities. Dr. Meissen did his best to both please his patron and retain his honor, but ultimately found it necessary to become involved in court intrigues against the former in defense of the latter.
Dr. Pretorius from “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935): Doctor Pretorius received his degree in biology from Heidelberg University and rapidly made a reputation for himself with original research. He was not an especially popular lecturer, although he had a small group of select students with whom he worked closely, some of whom went on to become famous in their own right, including the notorious Dr. Frankenstein. Prior to Frankenstein's famous escapades, Dr. Pretorius was ejected from the University for promulgating in basic form some of the same theories his famous student developed in detail. He, however, was interested in growing life-forms as cultures, rather than returning life to dead tissue. He apparently had some success in these experiments, although only on a limited scale. Later, he was able to forge a short-term alliance with Frankenstein, with the objective of combining their techniques. As he died in the explosion that destroyed the work of the two men, it is uncertain whether Dr. Pretorius was able to succeed in his ambitions.
Ebenezer Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol” (1951): Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. He is a cold-hearted, tight fisted, selfish man, who despises Christmas and all things which engender happiness. A quote from the book reads "The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and he spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice ..." His last name has come into the English language as a byword for miserliness and misanthropy, traits displayed by Scrooge in the exaggerated manner for which Dickens is well-known. The story of his transformation by the three Ghosts of Christmas (Past, Present, and Yet to Come) has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday. Scrooge's catchphrase, "Bah, humbug!" is often used to express disgust with many of the modern Christmas traditions.
Some people have noted that Scrooge has various characteristics in common with anti-Semitic caricatures of Jews. He is rich, miserly, lives by lending money, does not celebrate Christmas or attend church, and he has pinched features and a given name of Hebrew origin. However, in the original story, it is made quite clear that Scrooge was raised Christian and has merely fallen away from charitable behavior due to his own failings, not as a result of any cultural or ethnic trait.
Bill Masen is the classic one-eyed man in the world of the blind (actually, he has two eyes, but that's another matter). He is the protagonist of the original novel, _Day of the Triffids_, by John Wyndham, and the motion picture of that name as well as the more faithful BBC mini-series. In the novel, he is a triffid farmer, who has suffered an accident from working with the dangerous plants, and therefore has his eyes bandaged when the meteor shower occurs that burns out the ocular nerves of everyone who watches it (essentially the entire population of earth). In the 1960's movie version, he is a sailor, undergoing an eye operation for unspecified reasons. The novel follows in much more detail the process of rebuilding a collapsed civilization while the film version is essentially a monster movie, in which the characters struggle to find an effective weapon to use against the triffids. In each, Bill Masen is portrayed as a loyal, heroic, sensitive and intelligent individual, who is able to preserve the essence of civilization and decency in his own person as the world collapses around him. He can also be seen as a classic icon of masculinity in his instinctive capacity for protecting helpless female characters.
Louise Blake from “Dragstrip Girl” (1957): Louise Blake was a girl caught between two worlds. Raised by proper middle-class suburban parents to be a proper little lady, her tomboyish streak led her to a fascination with cars and speed. In certain ways, this gave her an advantage over other girls of her generation, who were content to be show-pieces for their hot-rodding boyfriends, while Louise could actually get her hands dirty and change a spark plug when needed, and could understand the gear-head geek talk that was common around youth hangouts and garages of the day. On the other hand, her "wild side" sometimes frightened boys who were threatened by such "masculine" traits in a woman.
After the family moved to a new town, Louise quickly made the acquaintance of the local hot rod crowd, and became an object of competition between Jim Donaldson, a working class kid with a good reputation and a genius for engineering, and Fred Armstrong, a rich kid who was a bit of a Hell-raiser. Louise, who at first thrilled at being able to pit the two against one another, soon learned that she was losing both to their innate competition with each other.
It was after this competition had reached the point of utter recklessness and the classic fifties "chicky run" that Louise was able to make up her mind. Fred's callous attitude toward the injury of his best friend in the race made up her mind for her and she became determined to prove her own worth to Jim. Fred finally showed his true colors by trying to set Jim up for a hit-and-run that Fred himself had committed, but was soon found out by the police. Louise and Jim had two children, prior to their divorce in 1968.
Francois Delambre from “The Fly” (1958): Francois Delambre was an unfortunate man who saw both his brother and his nephew damaged by enthusiasm for science. His brother Andre, discoverer of the method of teleportation through disintegration-reintegration, was a victim of an accident in his own machine, and took his life to avoid the horror of a mutilated body. Although he tried to confort Andre's widow (with whom he too, was in love), she finally succumbed to a sense of horror for her role in Andre's death. A similar catastrophe took place when Andre's son Phillippe tried to recreate the experiment, although with less final results.
Scott Carey from “The Incredible Shrinking Man” (1957): Scott Carey became known to the world as "the Incredible Shrinking Man," during the months before his unfortunate demise. Apparently exposed to a mysterious cloud of radiation during a boating expedition with his wife, Carey began slowly losing mass (and height), although oddly retaining his basic proportions over time. This bizarre phenomenon led to his fame, and to multi-million dollar research grants to seek a way to reverse the process. Glandular experimentation proved to check the shrinking, but only temporarily. His death is reported to have occurred at the hands (claws) of "a beloved household pet," although a strange cult dedicated to his "achievement" as the first sub-atomic human insists that he survived this incident. His unfinished autobiography was completed and published by his widow, making her and her second husband a fortune.
Seymour from “Little Shop of Horrors” (1960): Seymour Krelboin is the ultimate nebbish. He lives with his mother, works as a delivery boy in a flower shop, and is a total klutz. He also pines away for the love of a beautiful girl, Audrey, who works with him. Beyond her, his only interest is flowers and exotic plants. When he creates (or perhaps discovers) a new breed of venus flytrap, he names it after his love, calling it Audrey Jr. (or Audrey II). His new plant makes him a hit with the boss, until it starts drooping and won't get better. Seymour learns its secret - that it thrives on human blood (actually, he never even tries feeding it an animal), and becomes implicated in a murder spree. Meanwhile the plant brings him fame and fortune. Different versions of the story have resolved this moral dilemma in different ways, but always with hilarious black-comedic results.
Grandma from “A Mongolian Tale” (1995): Grandma had enough love for a world of children. Motherless foals, lost sheep, little orphaned boys, grandma could take care of them all. Her worldview might seem shockingly limited to city-dwellers, she retained many pagan superstitions and had never been to a permanent settlement, living a nomadic lifestyle in yurts in the Mongolian countryside. But, within the realm of her shepherding expertise, and especially where the rearing of young are involved, she was an authority above all others. The last two orphaned children she raised, Bayinbulag and Somiya, were the closest to her heart, and she dreamed that they would marry and stay with her forever. Although her wishes were not realistic, they reflect the kind of perfect world that might exist if the gods were as sensitive and kind as herself.
, for those who are amused by them.
Dr. Orloff from “Dark Eyes of London” (1940): Based on a character from Edgar Wallace's novel "The Dark Eyes of London," Dr. Orloff's name has been used in films bearing little or no resemblance to the original. As we find him in the Bela Lugosi portrayal, Dr. Orloff is a seemingly mild-mannered insurance broker who secretly profits by drowning his clients in a secret tank and then chucking the bodies into the Thames. His complexity increases, however, when we find that he is also secretly the kindly, blind Dr.Dearborn, who runs a home for the blind which is one of Orloff's pet charities. A disfigured blind man serves as an assistant in the crimes and also (somehow) occasionally stalks and murders a victim. In the German version, the tale is much the same, although the atmosphere is somewhat more lovingly created, but Lugosi is sadly lacking.
Jimmy Quinn from “Q - The Winged Serpent” (1982): Jimmy Quinn is a multiple-time loser with just a hint of decency to redeem him. A former junkie, an alcoholic, an unemployed ex-con on parole with a history of abusing his girlfriend, Quinn would represent to some the lowest scum on earth, but as portrayed by Michael Moriarty in "Q - The WInged Serpent," he still manages to emerge as likeable. Quinn has a musical talent, which he demonstrates in a scat-bee bop audition for work in a piano bar, being turned down due to the owner's preference for Country & Western. He then takes a job as driver for a jewelry heist, and is forced by the gang against his will to participate in the robbery with a gun. The heist fails (no doubt in part due to the bad luck Quinn drags with him everywhere he goes) and after a shootout with police, Quinn loses the bag with the diamonds in the sewer and is hit by a car. Attempting to find somewhere to hide from police and hoods alike (his companions don't believe he lost the jewels), Quinn hides in the tower of the Chrysler Building, discovering there several human corpses, and a very large nest with eggs nearly as large as himself.
After his arrest, Quinn learns that the police are looking for the hiding place of a giant bird - apparently the ancient Aztec god Quetzlcoatl - and attempts to parlay his information into a pardon and a profit. His mercenary actions are seen as holding up the investigation, and even his long-suffering girlfriend seems have lost faith in him. Finally Quinn coughs up his information, and is later saved from sacrifice to the "god" by his former opponents on the NYPD.
Abraham van Helsing, from “Dracula” (1931) et al: As conceived by Bram Stoker in the novel _Dracula_, Professor Abraham van Helsing was an elderly European scholar who had delved into "occult" matters sufficiently to offer some assistance when the affliction of vampirism first appeared in England in the late 19th century. He was no action hero, and was reliant on the young wooers of Lucy Weston (Dr. Seward, Arthur Hamilton, and Quincey P. Morris) as well as the recovered Jonathan Harker, to carry out the more demanding physical tasks of vampire-hunting. In his appearances in the older Universal Dracula cycle, played by Edward van Sloan, he more or less followed this pattern, although his tendency to make grotesque demands upon the younger men working with him was somewhat toned down. In the later Hammer cycle, as portrayed by Peter Cushing, he began to be more directly involved in the combat with the Undead, this taken to near-ridiculous lengths when he demonstrated a knowledge of Kung Fu in "The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires."
Hollywood was to run this idea into the ground with even more extreme absurdity in making van Helsing into a Lara Croft-style video game star in the 2004 film, "Van Helsing." His portrayal by Hugh Jackman in this film bears no similarity whatsoever to the Stoker character.
Suzy Bannion, from “Suspiria” (1977): Famous ballerina Susan Bannion (Suzy to her friends) comes from a long line of successful dancers. Her philanthropical aunt was remembered as a "benefactor to artists everywhere." Suzy herself had a colorful and fascinating career. An incident early in her life, however, has attracted interest in certain circles at least as intense as her dance notices. She was among the last class to attend the famed Tanz Akademie in Freiburg im Breisgau, having enrolled there only months before the tragic fire that claimed the lives of several students and most of the faculty. This academy, founded by the notorious Black Queen Helena Marcos, had long been seen as significant to students of the occult, and rumors connecting the senior staff to an allegedly satanic witch cult had sprung up at various times over the years. In the final semester of the school alone, no less than three deaths of people connected with the school (two students and the piano player) under highly peculiar circumstances had once again started up local gossip.
Ms. Bannion herself refused to discuss the details in public, although Freiburg police commented that it remained a mystery how she managed to escape the blaze when no one else was able to get out of the building alive (fortunately most of the students that evening were attending the opening of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Stadttheater). When asked her opinion of the rumors placing a coven at the school, Suzy commented, "It is certainly true that Helena Marcos practiced the Black Arts. But there is now absolutely no doubt that she is dead."
Mord from “Tower of London” (1939): Mord was a man of simple pleasures. An executioners' axe, the cries of men consigned to the rack, and a dank dungeon were all it took to make him feel at peace. In spite of his clubbed foot and odd appearance, Mord seemed ideally suited to his work. During the period of Yorkist ascendancy, Mord was in his prime, serving both King Edward and Richard admirably as chief gaolor of the Tower. But, like so many before him, Mord's end came due to his own hubris. He desired to "kill in hot blood," and experience war. Any recruiting officer would have seen that his physical disability disqualified him as a soldier, but King Richard III, in dire need of allies against the invading army led by Richmond, approved his service and saw to it he was armored and given a morning star. History does not record whether or not he achieved his ambition, but he was one of the many slain in the battle that deposed Richard.
Detective Bill Barlan from “The Amazing Transplant” (1971): Detective Barlan was a good cop; slow, steady, methodical, dedicated, but not very imaginative. He received several commendations for his work on the NYPD, but was far too non-political in his approach ever to be considered for promotion beyond detective.
The most interesting moment in Barlan's career came when his nephew, Arthur Barlan, came under suspicion for the murder of his girlfriend. Detective Barlan somehow convinced his superior, against all rules of ethics and protocol, to put him in charge of the case for 24 hours. To Barlan's credit, however, he did not attempt to cover up for his nephew or divert blame to another suspect. Instead, in his conscientious, "just the facts, ma'am" way, he went about uncovering a life of psychosis, fear of inadequacy, and misogyny, which culminated in several rapes and one murder. Arthur Barlan was eventually located, but did not survive to stand trial.
Dr. Meissen from “The Black Castle” (1952): Dr. Maximilian Meissen was educated in Heidelberg and spent some time as an intern in Vienna. When he received a lucrative offer to take up a position as the court physician for Count von Bruno, he felt that his career was assured. Little did he realize that the Count was more interested in him because of a paper on rare African poisons than because of his healing abilities. Dr. Meissen did his best to both please his patron and retain his honor, but ultimately found it necessary to become involved in court intrigues against the former in defense of the latter.
Dr. Pretorius from “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935): Doctor Pretorius received his degree in biology from Heidelberg University and rapidly made a reputation for himself with original research. He was not an especially popular lecturer, although he had a small group of select students with whom he worked closely, some of whom went on to become famous in their own right, including the notorious Dr. Frankenstein. Prior to Frankenstein's famous escapades, Dr. Pretorius was ejected from the University for promulgating in basic form some of the same theories his famous student developed in detail. He, however, was interested in growing life-forms as cultures, rather than returning life to dead tissue. He apparently had some success in these experiments, although only on a limited scale. Later, he was able to forge a short-term alliance with Frankenstein, with the objective of combining their techniques. As he died in the explosion that destroyed the work of the two men, it is uncertain whether Dr. Pretorius was able to succeed in his ambitions.
Ebenezer Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol” (1951): Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. He is a cold-hearted, tight fisted, selfish man, who despises Christmas and all things which engender happiness. A quote from the book reads "The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and he spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice ..." His last name has come into the English language as a byword for miserliness and misanthropy, traits displayed by Scrooge in the exaggerated manner for which Dickens is well-known. The story of his transformation by the three Ghosts of Christmas (Past, Present, and Yet to Come) has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday. Scrooge's catchphrase, "Bah, humbug!" is often used to express disgust with many of the modern Christmas traditions.
Some people have noted that Scrooge has various characteristics in common with anti-Semitic caricatures of Jews. He is rich, miserly, lives by lending money, does not celebrate Christmas or attend church, and he has pinched features and a given name of Hebrew origin. However, in the original story, it is made quite clear that Scrooge was raised Christian and has merely fallen away from charitable behavior due to his own failings, not as a result of any cultural or ethnic trait.
Bill Masen is the classic one-eyed man in the world of the blind (actually, he has two eyes, but that's another matter). He is the protagonist of the original novel, _Day of the Triffids_, by John Wyndham, and the motion picture of that name as well as the more faithful BBC mini-series. In the novel, he is a triffid farmer, who has suffered an accident from working with the dangerous plants, and therefore has his eyes bandaged when the meteor shower occurs that burns out the ocular nerves of everyone who watches it (essentially the entire population of earth). In the 1960's movie version, he is a sailor, undergoing an eye operation for unspecified reasons. The novel follows in much more detail the process of rebuilding a collapsed civilization while the film version is essentially a monster movie, in which the characters struggle to find an effective weapon to use against the triffids. In each, Bill Masen is portrayed as a loyal, heroic, sensitive and intelligent individual, who is able to preserve the essence of civilization and decency in his own person as the world collapses around him. He can also be seen as a classic icon of masculinity in his instinctive capacity for protecting helpless female characters.
Louise Blake from “Dragstrip Girl” (1957): Louise Blake was a girl caught between two worlds. Raised by proper middle-class suburban parents to be a proper little lady, her tomboyish streak led her to a fascination with cars and speed. In certain ways, this gave her an advantage over other girls of her generation, who were content to be show-pieces for their hot-rodding boyfriends, while Louise could actually get her hands dirty and change a spark plug when needed, and could understand the gear-head geek talk that was common around youth hangouts and garages of the day. On the other hand, her "wild side" sometimes frightened boys who were threatened by such "masculine" traits in a woman.
After the family moved to a new town, Louise quickly made the acquaintance of the local hot rod crowd, and became an object of competition between Jim Donaldson, a working class kid with a good reputation and a genius for engineering, and Fred Armstrong, a rich kid who was a bit of a Hell-raiser. Louise, who at first thrilled at being able to pit the two against one another, soon learned that she was losing both to their innate competition with each other.
It was after this competition had reached the point of utter recklessness and the classic fifties "chicky run" that Louise was able to make up her mind. Fred's callous attitude toward the injury of his best friend in the race made up her mind for her and she became determined to prove her own worth to Jim. Fred finally showed his true colors by trying to set Jim up for a hit-and-run that Fred himself had committed, but was soon found out by the police. Louise and Jim had two children, prior to their divorce in 1968.
Francois Delambre from “The Fly” (1958): Francois Delambre was an unfortunate man who saw both his brother and his nephew damaged by enthusiasm for science. His brother Andre, discoverer of the method of teleportation through disintegration-reintegration, was a victim of an accident in his own machine, and took his life to avoid the horror of a mutilated body. Although he tried to confort Andre's widow (with whom he too, was in love), she finally succumbed to a sense of horror for her role in Andre's death. A similar catastrophe took place when Andre's son Phillippe tried to recreate the experiment, although with less final results.
Scott Carey from “The Incredible Shrinking Man” (1957): Scott Carey became known to the world as "the Incredible Shrinking Man," during the months before his unfortunate demise. Apparently exposed to a mysterious cloud of radiation during a boating expedition with his wife, Carey began slowly losing mass (and height), although oddly retaining his basic proportions over time. This bizarre phenomenon led to his fame, and to multi-million dollar research grants to seek a way to reverse the process. Glandular experimentation proved to check the shrinking, but only temporarily. His death is reported to have occurred at the hands (claws) of "a beloved household pet," although a strange cult dedicated to his "achievement" as the first sub-atomic human insists that he survived this incident. His unfinished autobiography was completed and published by his widow, making her and her second husband a fortune.
Seymour from “Little Shop of Horrors” (1960): Seymour Krelboin is the ultimate nebbish. He lives with his mother, works as a delivery boy in a flower shop, and is a total klutz. He also pines away for the love of a beautiful girl, Audrey, who works with him. Beyond her, his only interest is flowers and exotic plants. When he creates (or perhaps discovers) a new breed of venus flytrap, he names it after his love, calling it Audrey Jr. (or Audrey II). His new plant makes him a hit with the boss, until it starts drooping and won't get better. Seymour learns its secret - that it thrives on human blood (actually, he never even tries feeding it an animal), and becomes implicated in a murder spree. Meanwhile the plant brings him fame and fortune. Different versions of the story have resolved this moral dilemma in different ways, but always with hilarious black-comedic results.
Grandma from “A Mongolian Tale” (1995): Grandma had enough love for a world of children. Motherless foals, lost sheep, little orphaned boys, grandma could take care of them all. Her worldview might seem shockingly limited to city-dwellers, she retained many pagan superstitions and had never been to a permanent settlement, living a nomadic lifestyle in yurts in the Mongolian countryside. But, within the realm of her shepherding expertise, and especially where the rearing of young are involved, she was an authority above all others. The last two orphaned children she raised, Bayinbulag and Somiya, were the closest to her heart, and she dreamed that they would marry and stay with her forever. Although her wishes were not realistic, they reflect the kind of perfect world that might exist if the gods were as sensitive and kind as herself.
, for those who are amused by them.