Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man 1943 Promotional Mannequins

[Monsters For Sale]

That would make this a 13-year-old film playing to huge "adults only" crowds as a heavily promoted single feature.

That would only begin to make sense if it were an initial release in a foreign English-speaking country like England or Australia.  Australia played a lot of our monster fare only for adult audiences.

Seems like an awful stretch.  (But that glove IS a puzzler.)

[Toy Ranch]

It looks to me like a leather glove with claws on it.  Look at this enlargement:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6440037245_4a6f1aafab_b.jpg'

They could be filed down deer antlers.  I used to have some antler material that someone had been working on, and if I had taken a leather glove, cut out the fingers, and stuck the antlers in there, it would look just about like that.

The mole people hands were based on real moles.





I'm just not seeing why you think it's the same.  Similar?  Yeah, but modeled after nature,

[Minion]

This IS the UNIVERSAL Monster Army, right? You're really going to tell me that's not an attempt at a Universal Mole People hand? Name one other monster from before that film that had big claws for fingers like that. If I had made something today like that, stuck it on my hand, and then took a pic and posted it you'd say "Hey, a mole people hand".

[Monsters For Sale]

 So, what you're saying is:

The guy who built the display in 1943 was, in actuality, a time-traveler from 1956...  Could happen.

Probably Doc and Marty messing with us.

[Minion]

No, what I'm saying is that while the figures and posters in the picture might be from an original release that the pictures of them may not be. Why would a brand new wolfman  mannequin to promote a brand new film have two different hands on it? It's plain to see in the closeups that the other hand looks nothing like that claw hand.

[raycastile]

The two hands have the same suede texture and the same seam pattern.  You can see the base of the thumb claw on the right hand, just like the left. 

The left hand does resemble the Mole People hand.  But the actual rubber Mole People gloves are easily twice the size of the hands on that mannequin.  Look at stills that show a Mole Person and a normal human in the same shot.  Also, the Mole People claws are fat and rubbery looking.  They have mold seams along the edges.  Look at some stills using Google images.  And the Mole People gloves are rubber with a bumpy texture.  Maybe the skin is an outer covering over a more form fitting glove, but why attach the claws to the inner glove. 

I'm no fashion expert, but the poople in these photos do not look like they are dressed in 50s clothes.

[gracebuster]

Okay, what are we talking about here?!?!!?

This is surely one of the greatest Universal Monster finds, ever!

With all due respect to my illustrious colleague from Illinois, There is no doubt in my mind that that these ballyho shots are from the 40's and that , although it does appear to be a moleman style hand, I think it's just an odd coincidence.

The Wolfman hands appear to be jerryriged from some other thing. Anyway, it's secondary to the importance of this historic find.

The heads are simply classic.

So glad that they have landed in a great collection!

[raycastile]

The find is amazing, but the presentation by Bobby and Pierre is impeccable.  Bobby could have just thrown these online and said "check out my cool score."  Instead, he and Pierre have given these pieces the respect they deserve.

Am I to understand these have been floating around in other collections for years?  I'm a little fuzzy on that point.  If so, I'm surprised they've remained under the radar so long.  Now that they are on the radar, maybe someone will come forward with more information about their origins.

[The Drunken Severed Head]

The find is amazing, but the presentation by Bobby and Pierre is impeccable.  Bobby could have just thrown these online and said "check out my cool score."  Instead, he and Pierre have given these pieces the respect they deserve.

Bingo! And as you said, Raymond, the size of the Mole People gloves are much larger than what's seen here.

Bobby, lurker Pierre, and Dan -- thanks for all the cool photos and info!

[Monsters For Sale]

These busts and hands are nothing short of Universal/monster history that few have been fortunate enough to reach out and touch during their long existence.

I am grateful that these have survived and been brought out of obscurity and back into the light after all these years.

Congrats on a major score, Bobby!  And thanks for sharing them and their story with Universal monsters fans everywhere.

Big finds like these always make me wonder what other treasures (lost films, props, etc.) sit forgotten, wrapped in musty rags and yellowed newspapers in the backs of dark and dusty closets all across our land - waiting to be discovered.

It's fun to imagine.

[Frankensteinia]

The Wolf Man gloves are not Mole Man hands. I believe the photos are from 1943 and not a '50s re-release, given the size of the displays and the crowds. Note also that the posters say "Two NEW Features", and the ticket price is 50 cents.

If the pics are from a foreign English-language release, the time frame is not significantly different. The film deployed across America through spring and summer of 43 and it was playing in Australia by January 1944.

[Monsters For Sale]

The FMTWM graphics are so overwhelming, I didn't see the 2nd feature until you mentioned that there was one.

The other movie appears to be "Vengeance Strikes".  The little white box below the title contains the words "prison mutiny".  I haven't been able to locate any information about this movie.  There is nothing on Amazon, eBay, Google, etc.  It isn't even listed in Michael Fitzgerald's 766 page book "Universal Pictures", which contains a catalog of all the Universal movies from 1930 through 1970 - listing casts, credits and major awards.

"Vengeance Strikes" seems to have slipped into cinematic obscurity.

[kklloo]

Bobby, congrats on obtaining these pieces. This is pure vintage stuff. never knew these things existed.


Sal

[frankenstein73]

These are absolutely perfect, i love that you can see the age on them! What a great find. thanks for sharing them with us and the great back story too. I look forward to seeing more info on them when it turns up.

[Sean]

You just can't blindly trust photos anymore... a shame.  I choose to buy the whole thing as legit, though------primarily because I'm risking nothing by doing so and it's just more fun.