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 David
J. Skal is the author of many books on genre cinema. His
works include The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror,
Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage
to Screen, V Is for Vampire: The A-Z Guide to Everything Undead and Dark Carnival: The Secret World of Tod Browning: Hollywood's
Master of the Macabre, among others. His profound work in bringing
the history of horror to the present is rivaled by few. From Dracula
and Frankenstein to The Wolf Man and The Creature From the Black
Lagoon, he knows them all. In addition to his numerous books, he
has also provided insightful commentaries on twelve classic science
fiction and horror DVDs, which include Tod Browning's 'Freaks':
The Sideshow Cinema and The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made
a Monster. A native of Garfield Heights, Ohio, Skal wrote three
science fiction novels, Scavengers (1980), When We
Were Good (1981) and Antibodies (1987). He went from
journalism to working in the theatre and even co-produced segments
for A&E's Biography series. With an extensive body
of work already to his credit, he is still going strong with his
current projects. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Mr.
Skal about some of his work and his thoughts on the classic horror
films he grew up with. He was generous enough to share some of his
knowledge with us here at the Midnight Palace! So, without further
adieu, David. J. Skal.
 MP:
Your love for the classic horror genre started at an early age.
What fascinated you the most about these characters & films?
David: They
all survived death. I was a cold war baby and think the classic
monsters provided me with a sort of nuclear security blanket during
the duck-and-cover years.
MP: How did you make the transition
from being a fan to actually writing books on the subject?
David: I
worked in the theatre for many years, which led me to happen upon
all the stage and film negotiation papers for "Dracula"
in New York. I had published three novels, but always wanted to
do a nonfiction book. And now I've done many.
MP: Do you view each
of your books as a personal accomplishment, or as something meant
to give a history lesson of cinema, or both?
David: Both,
I hope.
MP: You wrote Dark
Carnival: The Secret World of Tod Browning: Hollywood's Master of
the Macabre. Browning's most notorious work is probably "Freaks"
from 1932. If his intention was to expose the sideshow to the general
public, I'd say he succeeded despite the negative aftermath. How
important do you think that film was to him?
David: I
think he had high expectations for "Freaks" but was seriously
hampered by studio timidity and second-guessing. He never really
mastered the art of talkies. "Freaks" was originally intended
as a silent film with Lon Chaney.
MP: During the filming
of Freaks, how was the cast treated on the MGM lot?
David: Badly.
There were objections to the sideshow folk eating in the studio
commissary and they had to have their lunch separately, outdoors
and away from sight.
MP: Browning directed
several films that dealt with carnivals or circuses. What was his
fascination with circus performers?
David: He
grew up working in carnivals and sideshows, and it seems to have
influenced his whole view of the world.
MP: Speaking of "Freaks",
you contributed to the bonus documentary on the "Freaks"
DVD. How did that come about?
David: Warner
Home Video just called me and asked. They had read "Dark Carnival."
MP: As Browning directed
some of the greatest classic Hollywood horror films including "Dracula"
and "Freaks", what was his general reputation in Hollywood?
David: He
was one of the highest paid directors in Hollywood during the 1920s.
But after the disaster of "Freaks" his career began its
decline.
MP: Did the studios
shun him because of his work with edgy themes?
David: They
shunned him because his films stopped making money and he was no
longer paired with a bankable superstar like Lon Chaney.
MP: What was Browning's experience
working with Joan Crawford in "The Unknown"?
David: Crawford
said he was sensitive and knowledgeable, but Browning hardly ever
gave interviews and we really don't know his opinion of her. There
was one story that I never could really verify that he wanted her
to star in a 1930s version of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"
but couldn't get studio backing.
MP: Browning worked
with Lon Chaney on many films. Did Browning consider Chaney one
of the greatest actors of the period?
David: Again,
Browning never talked much. But he certainly was aware of Chaney's
star power. And Chaney was certainly his meal ticket for a number
of years.
MP: There is a planned
2008 remake of the Lon Chaney, Jr. film "The Wolf Man".
Do you think that remaking classics such as this is an injustice
to the original?
David: I
haven't heard about the film, but these remakes always tend to trade
on the name value of the property and never capture the spirit of
the originals.
MP: You are also the
author of "The Monster Show", which follows the
timeline of horror's progression through the ages. When you look
at characters such at Count Orlok in "Nosferatu" in comparison
to the modern monster, would you say that overdone effects are cheapening
the thrill of a good old-fashioned scare?
David: The
scariest things are what you can't explicitly see and just worry
about. This is why radio drama works really well for horror stories.
And tales told around a campfire.
MP: If you could pick
one "monster" that you would consider the most influential
of all time, on cinema or otherwise, which would it be?
David: The
Frankenstein monster, hands down.
MP: What projects do you currently
have in the works?
David: I'm
currently finishing the estate-authorized biography of Claude Rains,
teaching a vampire course at the University of Victoria, and developing
a feature film version of "Dark Carnival."
I would like to extend my sincere
appreciation to David J. Skal for taking time out
of his schedule to speak with me. You can visit Mr. Skal's official
website at www.monstershow.net
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