VISUAL REFERENCE: CLASSIC MOVIE MONSTERS 1920-40

[Squidy53]

INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE
Inspiration and reference. Many modelmakers research paint up options for a new film or TV-based kit by scouring the internet for an appealing color scheme. Other people's build ups are one source, and The Clubhouse Gallery offers plenty in this regard. A second option is development, set and promotional images from the original film and finally there is third-party artwork. So, the core purpose of this section, as it with all of the Modelmaker's Resources, is as a time saver, to remove the need for the individuals to do their own legwork.

As you can see a number of different interpretations or treatments are available for each monster allowing for you to find a preference. The inclusion of scenario images points to a future focus providing potential options for dioramas or alternative poses. Examples here include the picture of The Monster holding a child and Aquaman attacking the Gillman.

INSTRUCTIONS
Click on an image for an expanded view.

FRITZ'S PAINTING GUIDE
These images include excerpts from 'Fritz's Painting Guide'. Not every section here is covered by Fritz and vice-versa.

FRITZ'S GUIDE is available in full: https://theclubhouse1.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=125486.

FROM FRITZ'S GUIDE
"While researching details for my own kits over the better part of a decade has led to extensive notes. This list is a product of interviews, contemporary descriptions, access to colour stills, and seeing the costumes in person. In some cases, where an eyewitness account is not available, colours are derived by approximation with matching documented shades. While brown eyes are obvious in stills, blue and grey look alike. This guide exists as a reference for history buffs and should not interfere with your having fun with a kit or how you want to portray a character.

This list is far from complete, and revisions are made as more information comes to light. While I claim that much of this is accurate, unfortunately, there is a lot of "lost" information. Where I suggest a few options for costume colour I've taken a "scientific guess" rather than omit information and have taken artistic and historical approaches to accomplishing plausible colour schemes with others. I hope this information is useful in your modeling endeavours."

[Squidy53]

CLASSIC MOVIE MONSTERS 1920-1940
VISUAL REFERENCE

For more visual reference see UNCLE ODIES MONSTER GALLERIES: http://www.uncleodiescollectibles.com/h ... index.html


THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI

CALIGARI Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Veidt's Cesare (pronounced by All Good Germans as "SehZahrr") wears a pasty white greasepaint. Open to interpretation since his character may be theatrical as the Somnambulist, or he may be truly pale. For a greasepaint effect, thick white drybrushing after coating the face will help give a good effect. Leave some untouched flesh areas in the ears and neck. A lighter dusting of make-up on the hands works well. "Chalk" in his geometric eye make-up. Thin black lips may not look as good as deep dark red lips do. The piercing blue eyes should not be overly bloodshot. On his black body stocking, chalk in the triangular patterns in pale pastel green, blue or even pink. There may be more than just that "V" on his chest if you look at a good print of the film. Jane wears a pale gown. Blue, lavender, green, or pink can all work well depending on your preferences. A natural pale flesh understated red lips and subtle eyeshadow help the contrast between the stark Cesare and victim.










NOSFERATU

NOSFERATU Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Count Orlock has a very pale flesh. Bluish and purple veiny tints work well, as does chalky white. He wears a nobleman's frock of heavy wool; probably green, blue or brown. Maroon or red seem to have become popular from two high profile commercial releases, but for accuracy to the film this does not seem to have an authentic feel. The cuffs could be worn velvet, and generally appear to be of a darker tone than the body and collar of the frock. My personal preference is German Army Field Grey with bottle green trim; similar to a huntsman's coat of the last century. Pants would be dark navy blue, dark brown or black. His hat is probably black, though it could also match the cuffs of his coat. Worn velvet is likely as the material for the hat.










THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925)

PHANTOM Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Brown hair and a sallow complexion are described in the Gaston Lereaux novel. In keeping with the spirit of costumed "opera," green burgundy and purple hued evening clothes are viable. All would look black on film. In the masked ball colour sequence of the Chaney film, his gown appears as red and washed out pink. The "puffs" contrast the flowing robes. His staff is dark wood with a gold snake. For the 1943 all colour film, Rains wears a scarlet lined cape over his black evening clothes and vest. A pale blue mask hides his face. His hair is a mousy brown on top, and where it is cut short on the sides and back, it is grey.












LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT

MAN IN THE BEAVER HAT Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Lon Chaney, Sr.'s toothy "Man in the Beaver Hat" looks great with blue-green undertones on his pale flesh. He wears reddish brown hair under his dark hat. The cloak is perhaps dark blue/grey, and the suit is dark brown.








DRACULA

DRACULA Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Flesh; his pale face was achieved using green undertones. Max Factor made makeup especially for Lugosi. Green flesh is a tell-tale sign something is wrong with the Count-I prefer a natural pale, maybe offset by a greyish base coat, which is more believable. Lugosi wore dark lip rouge-a deep burgundy. His black evening clothes are offset with an off-white vest and tie, and a white handkerchief. The ribbon on his gold medallion is debated as blue or red (Forest Ackerman recalls either one. The medallion was stolen from him.) The black neck cord seen in most of the stills leads to a monocle. It is silken with a copper clasp. The monocle itself is a dark tortoise-shell with brass eyelet for the cord. He wore a ring that is likely gold or silver with a black onyx. Here's where it gets interesting-the cape lining; Purple, worn on stage in the play 1927; Grey, as worn in the 1931 film.


















FRANKENSTEIN

FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Karloff: all three films. His blue green flesh, closer to green, is suggested by the make-up. Sallow, undead flesh is a very common interpretation of what his "real" flesh would look like. Black hair. Matched pants and jacket in brown or faded black in the 1931 film, with a darker shirt in contrast. Burgundy or blue could work well as a means of injecting colour to the piece. In Bride of..., though it is technically the same suit, the jacket is a touch darker and shows grey lining where it is tattered. The boots, which are a commercial asphalt spreader knee high boot, are brown/black. In "Son of Frankenstein" the jacket is made of sheepskin and stiff hide, with leather strips tying down the open seams on the arms. The woolly, reddish "vest" has a few spots where the wool is out in clumps-notably on the mid-back and over the left breast. Sulphur dust and scuffs would be appropriate for Karloff's last venture as The Monster.

The Monster was intended to be green in all films, as frame tinting was considered, but left all actors green! Colour home movies exist on Son of... For the remaining films, the basic scheme was followed, with minor variations in clothing colour; LC wore a very dark shirt in contrast to Karloff. Lugosi's monster is similar to LC, and Strange had a darker suit.






















DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1931)

JEKYLL AND HYDE Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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THE MUMMY

THE MUMMY Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Base eyes on the actor's own color. Karloff's Im-Ho-Tep wears a red fez and khaki/mustard colored gowns. The bandaged Karloff was also painted a blue/green like the Frankenstein Monster.














THE INVISIBLE MAN

INVISIBLE MAN Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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KING KONG

KING KONG Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
This strange beauty is a mix of two sciences--those of Frankenstein and Praetorious. Unlike the grave-borrowed flesh of the Monster, The Bride has perhaps more natural pale flesh. And remember most importantly that her hair is NOT black! The actress speaks of her own red auburn hair being teased over a wire frame. Fritz, Frye's hunchbacked dwarf, wears dark clothes-likely blue, brown and black, darker than the Monster's suit. Dirty flesh is in character. The lab coats worn in the films by Colin Clive and Ernest Thesiger are not white, and either pale grey or blue grey are appropriate. Do not try to duplicate modern "hospital scrub" colours, as they are too bright.






















THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939)

THE HUNCHBACK Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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THE WOLF MAN

THE WOLF MAN Pictures from The Clubhouse Gallery
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PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
Lon Chaney (he dropped the Jr.) had variations in his makeup for each film. A russet brown with darker canine markings was evident in the early films. His flesh, where it is seen on his face and palms, is darker, arabesque. In the Abbott and Costello film, his fur takes on a lighter, redder, appearance. Shirts can be maroon, loden green, dark grey, blue, or brown. Pants were a peppered charcoal tweed, olive, brown; or tan, as worn in A&CMF. Blue is an option as well. It is not too likely that shirt and pants are the exact same colour, but could be in the same hues.

[bucketfoot-al]

Missed this thread ... squidy this is just AWESOME!!! I just wish that this resource had been available 15-20 years ago when the CH was hopping. You would have had ten thousand grateful modelers. Still, its one big reason today for folks to come back here and bookmark your threads. Thank you again for being such a big part of keeping this place alive!

[Squidy53]

Thanks so much BA, very kind...and encouraging. I'm happy to try these experiments just doing things that I would find useful. If nothing else the pictures are fun to flick though. It's a real shame the club has wound down like it has. I know you do your best to inject interest into it. I'll do what I can too.