Thirty-One Days O’Horror: Famous Monsters Speak

“You are the one who wants to know everything…be brave!”

In 1963, Wonderland Records released Famous Monsters Speak on vinyl. Produced by Jim Warren of the magazine Famous Monsters Of Filmland, with a script written by Cherney Berg, the album features Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster in a pair of recordings roughly twenty minutes each.

Voicing both of the characters is Gabriel Dell, an actor who appeared on Broadway with The Dead End Kids, starred in multiple East Side Kids films, and eventually made his way to The Bowery Boys films. I’m especially fond of his work with The Bowery Boys, as I find those films to be hilarious. Dell might have also voiced Boba Fett in the Star Wars Holiday Special, although that hasn’t been confirmed yet and the character’s voice actor was not listed in the show’s credits.

Both of the stories are surprisingly well done. Dracula’s story, told to a reporter hoping to learn about the monster, features the murder of a young woman and a frightful chase through the streets. The story of Frankenstein’s monster features the creature talking about revenge, stalking victims, and struggling with Dr. Frankenstein. Of the two stories, Frankenstein’s monster is my favorite, but both of them feature crystal clear audio with amazing sounds that help the listener visualize the action as it unfolds. Some of the audio is extremely graphic and violent, only adding to the overall creepiness and terror of the recording.

In June of 2011, Rockbeat Records reissued the album on compact disc. I recently purchased the disc as the vinyl is both difficult to find and very expensive. The stories are also available on YouTube and other free video sites.

Thanks for checking out my post. More horrific awesomeness is coming on Monday!