We’ve taken a look at several antique fans over the last few weeks. This one is one of the more ornate in my collection. Delicate lace has been intricately worked into a scalloped pattern around the hand-painted silk leaf. Signed by the artist, a scene of courtly ladies has been painted in great detail. The whole of the leaf is adorned with glass beads and sequins so that the fan would shimmer with each motion.
The leaf is mounted on shining mother-of-pearl sticks which have been carved in relief with flowers and pierced-work volutes accented in silver and gold. This masterpiece was mounted on rose velvet in a gilt case sometime in the 1950’s. The fan itself dates to the mid Nineteenth Century and is an excellent example of the artistry of fan-makers of the era. By this point, fans had taken on a cultural and social importance—acting more as a means of communication than simple utilitarian objects. A fan such as this would have been employed exclusively in the evening, at a formal, candlelit event. Not only would it have served to keep a lady cool, it would have acted as a mesmerizing signal to a possible suitor. Objects such as this were just one more one in which a lady could adorn herself and express her individuality.
The more adventurous among you may remember our previous excursions into the macabre - our visits to haunted hills - to tinglers and to ghosts. This time we have even a stranger tale to unfold... The story of a lovable group of people who just happen to be homicidal.
If Alfred Hitchock was an artistic genius, William Castle was the genius of showmanship. Castle started his film career as an assistant to Orson Welles—not a bad beginning. He always wanted to be a director. He got his chance. And, now, he’s known as the King of B Pictures. We can credit Castle with films such as The House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, ThirteenGhosts, Mr. Sardonicus, Straitjacket and I Saw What you Did. The former two starred Joan Crawford in her descent from Movie Queen and her ascent to Scream Queen. Castle was also the producer of Rosemary’s Baby.
William Castle always had a gimmick to promote his films. From skeletons on wires to seats rigged with mild electrical shocks, Castle was in the business of both baking and selling his films. However, his circus-like showmanship—while a draw to the young audiences he was targeting—tended to detract from any artistic merit his films may have possessed. As an auteur, Castle is better respected today than he was forty years ago. Many of his films have been remade in this century and have found a very loyal fanbase. Castle wanted to be “big,” he wanted to create box office magic. He did, too. Now, it’s just a matter of rediscovering his magic.
Hot on the heels of Hitchcock’s Psycho, Castle directed what some might consider a rip-off and others might consider an homage. Homicidal was William Castle’s answer to Psycho. While there are some shallow similarities, Homicidal holds up quite well as a genuinely thrilling picture all its own.
The story concerns a peculiar family. Miriam Webster’s (no relation to the dictionary) brother, Warren, has returned from abroad. He’s brought with him a young woman named Emily. Emily takes care of the sibling’s former nanny, now elderly and disabled. Some strange things begin to happen with Emily around—not the least of which is the seemingly unmotivated, gruesome murder of a Justice of the Peace.
Emily was played by the lovely Joan Marshall (Herman Munster’s original wife in the pilot of The Munsters”. Marshall is credited as “Jean Arless” in the film. The reasons for the use of the androgynous pseudonym become apparent as the film progresses. I won’t give anything away because William Castle made us all promise not to reveal the ending of the film. However, if you’d like to learn more, I suggest you want this short documentary about the picture. Of course, if you’d prefer to see the film spoiler-free, it’s available on DVD.
Homicidal is a bizarre and frightening picture. When you watch it, put Psycho out of your mind and enjoy it as its own story. You won’t regret it. You even get a “fright break” so you can leave the room before the end of the film if you just find it too, too scary. If you’d seen the picture in 1961 in a theater, you could have left and received a full-refund. However, everyone who left during the “fright break” was forced to stay in a yellow booth called “The Coward’s Corner.” Ah, William Castle—he giveth and he taketh away.
The Munster Residence as we knew it from the show.
Personally, I preferred The Addams Family because, to me, at least, they seemed more realistic. However, The Munsters was not without its appeal. I always loved the façade of the Munsters’ house. That set still exists (though drastically altered) at Universal City and is used as a façade for Desperate Housewives.
As is often the case, the pilot show for The Munsters was quite different than the program that was picked up. The pilot was filmed in color with a largely different cast. The house is the same façade, however, it is in its original state—known at the time as “Maxim House.” The set was changed when the show went into production. The Second Empire tower and central gable were altered for the final show.
The Original Munster Facade
Known as "Maxim House" Retroweb
Network executives felt that the unaired pilot was too similar to The Addams Family. The character of “Phoebe” was changed to “Lily.” Phoebe as played by the stunning Joan Marshall (whom we’ll take a closer look at in this week’s “Sunday Viewing”) was stylistically too close to Morticia Addams. When the show was picked up, Joan Marshall was replaced with Yvonne DeCarlo.
This clip from the unaired pilot is quite interesting, especially if you’re a fan of The Munsters. It’s always a bit startling to see pilot episodes, but they’re an integral part of the history of any production. Imagine what the show might have been like had the cast remained the same.
When we left Mr. Punch in Chapter 72, he had just received something of a shock. Filled with rage, Mr. Punch had put Julian’s hand through a window at the Rittenhouse Mansion. What had incensed him so? Seeing that Arthur was, in fact, alive. Punch has been feeling terribly guilty about “killing” Arthur, however, seeing the dastardly footman alive and well will prove to be too much for Mr. Punch to handle. Barbara has some wicked things in store for her brother and his friends, and, she will rely heavily on “The Elegant Ogress” to execute those plans. She also has the destructively peculiar Ulrika Rittenhouse on her side. And, let’s not discount Nanny Rittenhouse. She’ll play an important role in Barbara’s scheme.
Meanwhile, Adrienne and Cecil have found themselves in a daunting predicament as Mr. Cage makes it clear that their meddling into the life of his new son is not welcome. Will they find salvation from an unlikely source? Similarly, Naasir realizes he’s got some problems of his own as he journeys down the path toward what he considers his “destiny.” He’ll need an ally. Perhaps he’s found one in the form of the devoted Marjani. As the residents of Marionneaux prepare themselves for Edward Cage’s masquerade ball, Mr. Punch will find himself one step closer to finding The Molliner Blue, but Julian will find himself one step backward in having one unified personality. We’ve got a lot of action in store as Punch’s Cousin continues next week.
From the religious to the ridiculously secular—it’s getting to be time to pick out your pumpkin. One of the problems with pumpkins is that once they’r’e carved, they’re quick to give up the gourd-ish ghost. My preference is to affix decorations to the pumpkin as opposed to cutting into it. Not only will your pumpkin last, it’ll sometimes last well into Valentines Day which can be a little embarrassing, but a lot of fun. Here’s last year’s pumpkin which was cleverly designed by some ingenious people. The theme will be apparent in this week’s “Sunday Viewing.”
So, today, take a few minutes to select that perfect pumpkin. Come on, it’s October. You need a pumpkin.
Many homes in France in the early Nineteenth Century had a space devoted to prayer. Very often, a small crucifix and other religious statues were used as devotional objects in the home. This wooden crucifix was created for domestic use.
Hand-turned, ebonized spindles form the body of the cross. The ends of the spindles have been capped with cut-porcelain beads. The figure of Christ is cast in silver. As is often the case with French religious artifacts, the figure is an elongated and idealized form—gaunt, but fluid in design. The turned base upon which the crucifix sits is adorned with a single inlaid-silver skull to represent Golgotha—the Mount of Skulls upon which Christ was crucified.
I tend to not want religious art in my home. I certainly appreciate it and made it my study for many years. However, because I worked in a theologically-themed career for so long, I always made a point of keeping my décor relatively free of religious imagery. I made an exception in this case. This remarkable crucifix is lovingly worn from over a century of use. Its artistry is exceptional, and, it does have an excellent message behind it.
We’ve got some exciting things ahead at Stalking the Belle Époque for the coming week. Aside from some further glimpses into my own collection of Victorian and Edwardian art and artifacts, our journey into the world of beauty both past and present will take us deeper into the Victoria & Albert Museum, The Vatican, The Louvre, and Britain’s National Gallery as well as The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. We’ll take a tour of the strange and rambling mansion in San Jose, California known as “The Winchester Mystery House” to examine this architectural and cultural wonder. We will also meet one of the silver screen’s great living legends and we’ll reacquaint ourselves with one of Broadway’s brightest stars. The great Joan Crawford will be a topic of conversation as we look at her rich body of work and her controversial personal life. Our exploration of Mr. Punch through the ages will continue as we see how Britain’s favorite puppet has influenced popular culture for hundreds of years. And, of course, Punch’s Cousin will return on Monday with Chapter 73. Now that Mr. Punch has seen Arthur, we’re guaranteed some startling events ahead.
I’m also pleased to offer a sneak preview of my soon-to-be released novel The Cages of Marionneaux. The Cages of Marionneaux is a companion piece to The Garnet Red and Punch’s Cousin. You’ll see a sample of the book before anyone else!
Paintings, sculpture, fantastic gems, amazing décor, interesting classic films and unusual artifacts are all on the menu for the week of October 18th. Stalking the Belle Époque has now reached over three thousand weekly visitors. I want to thank all of you who stop by each day and especially those of you who have shared your thoughts and images. Each day that we pause to recall the beauty of our world—past and present—we’re placing our feet firmly into a gorgeous future.
We’ve taken a look at several antique fans over the last few weeks. This one is one of the more ornate in my collection. Delicate lace has been intricately worked into a scalloped pattern around the hand-painted silk leaf. Signed by the artist, a scene of courtly ladies has been painted in great detail. The whole of the leaf is adorned with glass beads and sequins so that the fan would shimmer with each motion. 
