"Vintage" Paul Naschy Wolfman Figure !!!

[mjaycox]

Greetings boils and ghouls! The following essay showcases a recently "unearthed" action figure of "Paul Naschy as the Wolfman" from the 1970s, made by the Spanish branch of the MAGE toy company. As far as I know, the one in my collection is the only one in existence. I thought I would use this opportunity to write about why I love Naschy, and fondly reminisce about the long- since closed, but wonderful, "House of Monsters" store in Chicago.

Enjoy!

Matt

PAUL NASCHY: THE AGONY AND THE ECSTACY

There was never a one like Paul Naschy. There will never be another Paul Naschy. At times, I am not even sure if Paul Naschy was a Paul Naschy. He seemed so much larger than life. His movies and anecdotes involving them always sounded so unbelievable.
Naschy's films and plots and performances gain much in the recollecting-- when they are distilled down by memory into a phantasmagoria of  strange images and shocking moments and pitiable misery and heartfelt pathos, so that only the best parts remain.

I have always thought that the reason I feel such a strange kinship with Paul Naschy-- and what sets him apart amongst his contemporaries-- is that he was the only one of the Euro-Cult filmmakers who was a "Monster Kid" at heart.  Paul Naschy loved the old Universal monster films-- especially the "monster rally" ones (House of Frankenstein etc..). It was clear in every  frame of his greatest movies. Although he had several different directors, and sometimes some screenplay help, a Paul Naschy film always felt, sounded and looked like a Paul Naschy film. He was an auteur.

Naschy's real name was Jacinto Molina. Similar to Japan's Beat Takeshi, he would use his own name for screenplay and directing credit, but his stage name for acting. He has often been called the "Lon Chaney of Spanish Horror."  He played the Wolfman (El Hombre Lobo) in close to a dozen films of varying quality, Dracula, a Mummy twice, Frankenstein's Monster once, a Hunchback, Mr. Hyde, and in arguably his greatest film, "Horror Rises from the Tomb," a headless medieval Knight (in a sly re-working of Universal's 'The Thing That Wouldn't Die')

Because Naschy had such a love for film, and Monster films in particular, his films remain watchable when a lot of sleaze from that era looks as though it would be vastly improved by being melted down to  make guitar picks. Don't get me wrong. All of Naschy's films aren't good. He made a couple of masterpieces, also a couple very good movies, and then there is a lot of dreck. But even in the dreck, I can sense that even though he made a bad film, he clearly wanted to make a good one. I never get the sense from Paul Naschy that he is wasting my time (unlike with, say, Jess Franco)-- he wants to so much to entertain me, that when he fails he does it as only the talented can--spectacularly.   

(boxed figure)


(out of the box, but safely chained up!)

(close-up of face)

The "Lawrence Talbot" of the Naschy Wolfman series was called "Waldemar Daninsky." Like Talbot, he was frequently, though not always, of noble birth. Like Talbot, he was aware of his state, and pitied it, but feared to end his life. He had good ole' Lon's same sense of poor timing with regard to keeping track of when the moon was going to be full. Never more disastrously than when he got stuck in a faulty elevator with a hapless nurse in "Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf"


A typical transformation scene for Naschy. It shows him straining greatly. And if he weren't so earnest, it would be silly. Occasionally Naschy would employ the same lap dissolves so beloved in our old Universals



What is odd about the Naschy Werewolf flicks is that although he always played the same Daninsky character, there was never any continuity between movies. Daninsky's origin story, and time-period setting, changed from film to film.  Each movie was a variation on a theme. Much like today's super-hero movies, he would re-boot his franchise with each new offering.
 

 (box back showing the lovely poster art from "Fury of the Wolfman" aka the "Wolfman Never Sleeps")


Naschy's first Werewolf film was called "The Mark of the Wolfman", released over here as "Frankenstein's Bloody Terror" in 70mm (and using, as Ray Castile likes to put it, that special film processing technique that makes 70mm look like 16mm). Nonetheless, it was decent hit on the drive-in circuit. It didn't have Frankenstein, but it DID have a Baron Meinster-ish vampire, and, of course, Waldemar Daninsky.
 


This was followed two years later by "Assignment Terror." This is a bad movie made by an undeniable monster kid. Aliens, wishing to invade earth, try to discover what makes the old classic monsters so scary. So they resurrect the Mummy, Frankenstein and the Wolfman to find out. Naschy plays all three monsters. It features the final screen appearance of Michael Rennie. Although it is near unwatchable, it nonetheless gave us some lovely poster art   



(The MAGE co. clearly made these other characters for foreign markets as well. We have previously seen the Coffin Joe figure in Raymond's collection... who knows what else is out there?)


Naschy's most famous Werewolf film came next, in 1971. It was called "La Noche Del Walpurgis". But is more commonly known as "Werewolf vs. The Vampire Women". (aka Werewolf Shadow). In this one, Daninsky does battle with Countess Bathory (!). It was his biggest stateside hit. It is a fan favorite, and many, including Naschy, think it is the high point of the series. Naschy so admired it, he remade it 10 years later as the superior "Night of the Werewolf" (aka The Craving). WVTVW features the most famous and iconic of the Naschy Wolfman make-ups.





Naschy's make-up would change from film to film after this. Some think it reached its apotheosis with "Curse of the Devil"  with make-up clearly inspired by "Curse of the Werewolf", although I prefer this earlier, more crude version


"Werewolf vs the Vampire Women" contained, like most of the Daninsky Wolfman movies, a sprinkling of sex and sadism. It is kind of jarring to see it in films with a child-like sense of plotting, but, well, that's what makes a Naschy film a Naschy film.
This ballyhoo element would be most obvious in Naschy's next two Wolfman outings: "Fury of the Wolfman" and "DR. Jekyll and the Werewolf"


"Dr. Jekyll vs the Wolfman" is, for me, the best in the Daninsky series. It was the first one I ever saw.

It is said that heroin addicts keep taking heroin in an effort to regain the feeling of the first time they ever used-- but that it can never be as good. Paul Naschy is like that for me.


I can remember exactly where I was at the time when I saw it. It was in the old "House of Monsters" store in Chicago. My fellow monster fiend Barry ran it out of the famous Flat Iron building in Wicker Park. It was tucked away on the second floor.   


"H.O.M." was the greatest place on earth for me at that time. Barry was an ophthalmologist by day, and ran the shop on the weekend with his buddy Damien, who was a resinhead and a Japanese Vinyl kaiju enthusiast. The shop was full of old posters, vintage monster toys, books, videos, model kits, Japanese vinyls, and resin. On the largest wall was a huge 3-sheet for "Valley of the Zombies" which would occasionally be taken down to make room for an even more eye-popping 3-sheet of "Return of the Vampire." In the corner of the shop, by the window overlooking Damen ave., was a television. It was continuously showing monster flicks. Some would be old school Universals, some would be giant rubber monster bashes. I was in medical school at the time. But no matter how busy my week was, or how burnt out I became, I always carved out 2-3 hours to go hang out in their shop on Saturday. Even if it was just to watch a movie.
 
Barry had a large collection of rare monster books. I was living on student loans at the time, (and my wife's meager salary as a Chicago public  school teacher), so I couldn't afford most of the books. I bought the ones I could, but most I read in the store. Barry never gave me crap about essentially using his shop like a public library. As time went on and I made a little money, I started spending more there to  make-up for my freeloading days. He and Damien taught me a lot about foreign horror movies. From Bava, to Dario Argento, to Japanese Monsters to even the rare US and British stuff. No one did more to broaden my exposure to foreign horror than Barry. He was an inexhaustible supply of information. I miss alot of things from my past, but few as much as I miss "The House of Monsters."

So one day I walk into his shop and he has on "Dr. Jekyll vs the Wolfman." I couldn't believe what I was seeing. In this humdinger of a plot, Daninsky, seeking a cure for his lycanthropy, travels to modern-day London to find the grandson of Dr. Jekyll. The Doctor reasons he can suppress the Werewolf tendencies in Waldemar by injecting him with the Mr. Hyde serum. If the Mr. Hyde personality wins out, Dr. Jekyll will then give the anti-serum to transform Daninsky back into human form. The only problem is the good doctor has a treacherous assistant named Sandra (after the character in "A+C Meet Frankenstein"--monster kid influences again!) who has other plans. Needless to say, Hyde escapes, and we are treated to Naschy prowling around the sex-shop districts of London ca 1971, in some of the most effective Hyde make-up ever out on screen. HIs few short appearances as Hyde in this film, make it clear that Naschy doing a full retelling of the story was a missed opportunity. The film's best moment comes when Hyde picks up some swinging young bird in a discotheque. When she goes off to the bathroom, he transforms back into Daninsky. The girl comes back, puzzled that her date seems to have disappeared. Unfortunately for her, and several other disco patrons, it's also a full moon!   

(Werewolf in a discotheque, wearing a Mr. Hyde cape. They don't come much crazier than this!)

From there, the film speeds quickly to its "House of Frankenstein"-ish conclusion, where the Wolfman can only be killed by a bullet fired from the gun of someone who loves him.


(The MAGE toy is clearly trying to evoke this early Naschy make-up)

From then on, I was a Naschy fanatic. I saw every one I could get my grubby hands on. Some approached the greatness of Dr. Jekyll vs.. (eg "Horror Rises from the Tomb"; "Curse of the Devil"). Some, the less said about them the better ("Fury of the Wolfman").

I didn't wish for this to turn into an exhaustive analysis of the Naschy filmography. There are many great sites that already do that. And thanks to the DVD explosion of the mid-2000s, much more is known about Naschy now than back in the day. Many of his films have had loving restorations. Last year, a gorgeous coffee table book was published about the poster-art for Nachy films. It is worth every penny of it $55 price tag


Naschy is now gone. House of Monsters is gone (although Barry still sells on Ebay under the tag "Kingomonsters"). But for a moment, just a moment, as I held the Mage Toys "Naschy Wolfman" figure complete in my hands, the memories all came back in a lovely torrent, as though nothing had ever changed and moved on. Like Proust's madeline cake, I had bade Time return and stand still.

This is a custom toy.

This is why I make custom toys.

[Type3Toys]

This is an amazing figure, wish it was in my collection!

[mjaycox]

This is an amazing figure, wish it was in my collection!

Praise on a figure like this doesn't come any higher than from my fellow Werewolf fanatic. Thanks buddy!

[Unknown Primate]

That ...  is...   FANTASTIC!

[jerod]

Fun read and cool pics!

[Scatter]

Post of the year so far!! Excellent Matt!!

[twilitezoner]

Great read. That series of figures looks amazing.

[Type3Toys]

Praise on a figure like this doesn't come any higher than from my fellow Werewolf fanatic. Thanks buddy!

Aww shucks Matt.
Seriously, send this to me..now.

[poseablemonster]

Oh, man...Naschy movies are one of my last guilty pleasures.  I just love 'em all, plot or not.  And you have definitely done the man justice with your figure.  Truly a classic!

[raycastile]

That was the best post I've read on the UMA in a long time. Thanks Matt.

I discovered Naschy during the 00s on DVD. I had heard of him, certainly, but had not sought out his films during the VHS era. (I was never really a VHS guy.) I had seen "Frankenstein's Bloody Terror" as a child and liked it, despite the absence of Frankenstein. And I had seen "Assignment Terror" and liked it (as a kid). But I didn't realize these were Paul Naschy movies until I caught up with him on DVD.

I'm still woefully behind on my Naschy path of discovery. I haven't seen Mr. Hyde, or the Yeti, Dracula, or many others. But I have seen several. And so far, I have not seen a Naschy movie I did not like. Even his weakest efforts leave me feeling somehow fulfilled.

"Horror Rises from the Tomb" is my favorite Naschy film. Bleak and cruel, sexy and audacious, fun and scary, classic and modern, with Naschy in top form playing the hero and the villain. It's a vampire movie, a zombie movie, an evil mastermind movie, a possession movie, a doppleganger movie, a haunted house movie...it's a Paul Naschy movie! I feel like I should watch it right now.

I love that Naschy is a "regular Joe," even when he's supposed to be an aristocrat. He's stout and paunchy, with a working man's physique and demeanor. But he also carries an understated sophistication, a pleading sadness in his soulful eyes, and a graceful precision in his body language. He's a jumble of contradictions that should cancel each other out. But in Naschy, these warring bodies orbit in perfect alignment, creating something singular, pure and mesmerizing.

I might not be as fascinated with Naschy if he had been simply an actor and not, as Matt said, an auteur. I get bored with impersonal filmmaking. But when I sense an artist's soul within the frames, it helps me forgive a lot of sins. I like that Naschy was so hands-on. Even when he wasn't producing, writing or directing, I feel like the movie was being made the way he wanted it made, and that he was using his flamboyant monster fantasies as a vehicle to say something very personal about the human condition.

I really wanted to meet Naschy someday. I wish he had stayed with us longer. I think he still had a few good films in him. I'm glad he lived to see renewed interest in his work.

Dr. Jaycox, next time I'm in Chicago, I will be cross if you don't screen a Naschy film.

Oh, and the Mage figure is pretty cool, too. How cool? Well, it jarred loose all these blathering observations about Paul Naschy. I think that is its purpose! So it's pretty cool.

[marsattacks666]

Great thread. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Naschy at a Fangoria Weekend of Horrors convention in wonderful Karloffornia.  He was so very gracious. I remember standing in front of him, in shock. I could not believe I finally had the chance to meet Mr. Naschy.  We talked for a moment, via interpreter. The questions I asked. Poor man. Scored an an autograph. Very cool day.

[mjaycox]

Great thread. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Naschy at a Fangoria Weekend of Horrors convention in wonderful Karloffornia.  He was so very gracious. I remember standing in front of him, in shock. I could not believe I finally had the chance to meet Mr. Naschy.  We talked for a moment, via interpreter. The questions I asked. Poor man. Scored an an autograph. Very cool day.

Very cool day, indeed. That's fantastic. I wish I could've met him as well. I am rather jealous.

[Vintage Horror]

Matt, what can I say? The usual stellar work! WOW!!!

--Shawn

[RedKing]

Wow that Daninsky is beautiful! I've been a Naschy fan since the mid 80s when a local UHF channel ran Fury of the Wolfman, Horror Rises From the Tomb and The Mummy's Revenge on TV alot. I never got to meet Senor Naschy but I did get his autograph on 2 collectibles-the english language version of his autobiography and the pressbook for Night of the Howling Beast. Naschy was one of us-a monster kid who just happened to grow up and become a horror movie icon in his own right.