I knew that line was in the script because Boris Karloff played the part in the original Broadway run. I don’t know why he did not take the role in the film, and why they didn’t change the line.
Hey, I appreciate all the replies! After overhearing that conversation, I was afraid that perhaps the classic movie monsters of the 1930s and 1940s had faded from public awareness, at least as far as the current crop of youngsters were concerned. It appears, thankfully, that my fears were unfounded!
So – how about Godzilla, I wonder? Do teens and children still know “The Big G”?
(I would suppose that they do, but I am going to ask anyway!)
As recognizable as Superman.
For the past several years, the Milk Processor Education Program (the “milk mustache” group) has done a Halloween promotion for chocolate milk. In the promotional materials, such as stickers that go on the doors of the dairy case, they use chocolate milk bottles “dressed up” in the style of the Universal Dracula, Mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster.
Karloff was signed to another studio & they wouldn’t release him. He did do an early 1960’s TV version with Tony Randall as Mortimer.
I don’t think changing the line was really necessary. Raymond Massey looked close enough like Boris that it still worked. I like the play, Massey, Gary Cooper, Frank Capra & Peter Lorre. I do not care for the movie version of Arsenic & Old Lace, but I will say that Massey did a good job with it.
Another note: Kids are gonna know the Chaney WolfMan image again in February 2010 with the Universal Studios remake, which looks awesome.