Horror History: Richard Johnson

January 18, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Horror History and tagged Beyond the Door, Island of the Fishmen, Richard Johnson, The Haunting, Zombie | Leave a comment

Richard Johnson
Born July 30th, 1927 – Died June 5th, 2015

Two of my all time favorite films: Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963) and Lucio Fulci’s Zombie (1979), which are about as two different films that you could get. And this man, Richard Johnson, stars in both of them. I think I actually saw The Haunting on television one night at my future wife’s house, watching it with her and her mom, amazed at how creepy this old black and white film was. Then finding out that this suave and distinguished gentleman was also the same actor who played Dr. Menard in one of the greatest zombie films ever committed to film! Boggles the mind.

While Johnson had attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, performing with John Gielgud’s company before joining the navy in 1945. After the war, he was back to acting before making his film debut in the early ’50s. He was actually offered the role of James Bond in Dr. No, before Sean Connery, but turned it down because he didn’t want to be stuck in a 7-year contract! While he really didn’t appear in a ton of horror films, half-dozen or so that he did appear in, he was always memorable and entertaining. Besides the ones I’ve already mentioned, some of my favorites of his work are Beyond the Door (1974) and Island of the Fishmen (1979), but there are a few more gems in there for you to do a little research on if you’re not entirely sure of Johnson’s other work.

Midway’s Dusk to Dawn Horrorfest

August 21, 2019 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events and tagged Dick Smith, Drive-in Theater, Dusk to Dawn Horrorfest, Flashback Weekend, Fred Dekker, Lucio Fulci, Midway Drive-In, Night of the Creeps, Rick Baker, The Exorcist, Zombie | Leave a comment

Midway sunset cropped

At the recent Flashback Weekend, they announced the date for this year’s Dusk to Dawn Horrorfest and 3 out of the 4 features they will be screening. And as always, it is one you are not going to want to miss.

Taking place on Saturday, Sept. 21st, they will be screening undoubtedly one of the scariest films ever made, The Exorcist (1973). I know the first time I watched this was on TV in the severely edited version and it still kept me awake at night. It is a film that still packs a punch and has not lost any of its effectiveness to creep into the audiences’ psyche. With great performances from Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Linda Blair, and of course, Ellen Burstyn, who gives a performance that I think is one of the reason this movie is so powerful, since we are living through her character. Not to mention the incredible makeup effects by Dick Smith (and his young assistant Rick Baker). Seeing this one the big screen will really be a religious experience! Continue reading →

Do We Really Need Another Zombie Shirt?

July 27, 2019 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged A Virgin Among the Living Dead, Jess Franco, Lucio Fulci, Pallbearer Press, Zombie | 1 Comment

ZOMBIE_BOAT Uh…that answer would be YES! Especially when it is something a little different than the usual images we have from Fulci’s Zombie! Pallbearer Press, who consistently puts out not only high quality products, but comes up with some great looking and original designs. And this is no different. This art is from Barlow and is just fantastic.

I know the new thing is to have these multi-colored shirts of our favorite horror films, but honestly for me, there is something special about a nice 1 or 2 color shirt. Maybe its nostalgia or just being an old man, but the look of these kinds of shirts just feel right. Continue reading →

Rest in Peace – Richard Johnson

June 6, 2015 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace and tagged Richard Johnson, The Haunting, Zombie | 2 Comments

The horror genre has lost an iconic figure today. Sure, this man might not have been as prolific as actors like Peter Cushing or Vincent Price, but the horror few roles that he did appear in, he made quite an impact. At least for me, he did. We are saddened to announce the passing of actor Richard Johnson, at the age of 87. Starting his career as a stage actor, touring with John Gielgud’s repertory once he got out of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he made quite a name for himself on the stage.

But of course, for us horror fans, he will always be remembered for two characters that he played, both being doctors, but each investigating a very different malady. In 1963, Robert Wise adapted Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House for the film version simple entitled The Haunting. Richard Johnson starred as Dr. Markway, a budding parapsychologist who is tryinig to investigate the dreaded Hill House, where the living don’t seem to be welcomed there. Appearing along side other theater greats like Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, and Russ Tamblyn, this 50+ year old film is still one of the most effective and scariest haunted house films ever made. Of course the 2nd film is appearing as Dr. Menard, who is frantically trying to discover the cause of the zombie outbreak on the small island of Matul, in Lucio Fulci’s Zombie. Even with the outrageousness of the film, Johnson still gave a serious and compelling performance.

Continue reading →