Hardback version. Picerni's stage-screen-TV career took him from small East Coast theater groups to Hollywood studios where he acted alongside stars on the level of John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Audie Murphy, Burt Lancaster, Vincent Price, Charles Bronson and his best friend Telly Savalas. In this book, master storyteller Picerni vividly describes working with these legends (and scores of others) and recalls in detail all the phases of his astounding 60 years in the acting profession--all of his many "Steps to Stardom."

The march of the monster movie makers continues in Tom Weaver's ninth book of in-depth interviews with the men and women who made the horror and sci-fi favorites of the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Actors (including Mike Connors, Brett Halsey, Natalie Trundy and Richard Kiel), writers, producers and directors recall legendary genre figures Lugosi, Chaney, Jr., Tod Browning and James Whale; films ranging in quality from ""The Thing"" to ""Macumba Love"" and ""Eegah""; behind-the-scenes tales of cult TV series (""Twilight Zone"", ""Batman"", ""Lost in Space"", more) and serials; and, of course, the usual barrage of outlandish movie menaces, this time including the ""Fly"", ""Flesh Eaters"", ""Monolith Monsters"", ape men, voodoo women and spider babies! - and all in the candid, no-holds-barred style that has made Weaver ""king of the interviewers"" (""Classic Images"")!

This work features twenty-eight terrific interviews with some of the sharpest and most talkative stars and movie makers of the classic (and c-r-a-z-y!) SF and horror films of the past: Richard Matheson, Janet Leigh, Acquanetta, Hazel Court, Kim Hunter and others. They reminisce at length and with great good humor about their days on the sets of ""Psycho"", ""Planet of the Apes"", ""Superman""; the Poe, Hammer and Lewton films, and exploitation greats like ""Attack of the 50 Foot Woman"".

AA Files 72 features contributions by Davide Spina, Thomas Daniell, Itsuko Hasegawa, Mario Tedeschini-Lalli, Laurent Stalder & Moritz Gleich, Colin Rowe, Daniel Naegele, Irenee Scalbert, Peter St John, Silvia Micheli & Lea-Catherine Szacka, Paulo Berdini, Daniel Sherer, Hubert Damisch, Nicolas Kemper, Thomas Weaver, Alexander Brodsky, Emma Letizia Jones, Henrik Schoenefeldt and Max Moya.

Revised and updated since its first publication in 1990, this acclaimed critical survey covers the classic chillers produced by Universal Studios during the golden age of hollywood horror, 1931 through 1946. Trekking boldly through haunts and horrors from The Frankenstein Monster, The Wolf Man, Count Dracula, and The Invisible Man, to The Mummy, Paula the Ape Woman, The Creeper, and The Inner Sanctum, the authors offer a definitive study of the 86 films produced during this era and present a general overview of the period. Coverage of the films includes complete cast lists, credits, storyline, behind-the-scenes information, production history, critical analysis, and commentary from the cast and crew (much of it drawn from interviews by Tom Weaver, whom USA Today calls "the king of the monster hunters"). Unique to this edition are a new selection of photographs and poster reproductions and an appendix listing additional films of interest.

These men and women saved the planet from aliens, behemoths, monsters, zombies, and other bloated, stumbling threats - in the movies, at least - and now they tell their stories. Julie Adams, John Agar, Richard Anderson, John Archer, Jeanne Bates, Billy Benedict, Turhan Bey, Lloyd Bridges, Ricou Browning, Robert Cornthwaite, Louise Currie, Richard Denning, Anne Francis, Mark Goddard, June Lockhart, Eugene Lourie, Jeff Morrow, Lori Nelson, Rex Reason, William Schallert, Don Taylor, George Wallace and Jane Wyatt give behind-the-scenes insights into such classic movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon, Forbidden Planet, Destination Moon and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. They also discuss the impact "monster-fighting" had on their careers and what they are now doing. Some interviews were previously published in different form in fan magazines.

Twenty horror and science fiction moviemakers - both in front of and behind the camera - reminisce about some of their great (and not so great!) films. Merry Anders, Charles Bennett, Ben Chapman, Herman Cohen, Robert Day, Val Guest, Susan Hart, Candace Hilligoss, Rose Hobart, Betsy Jones-Moreland, Jacques Marquette, Cameron Mitchell, Ed Nelson, William Phipps, Vincent Price, Ann Robinson, Herbert Rudley, Harry Spalding, Kenneth Tobey, and Lupita Tovar reflect on their work in such movies as Berserk, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Cat-Women of the Moon and many other movies. Some interviews were previously published.

Phil Brown, who played Luke Skywalker's uncle in Star Wars, said, In my long life in films, there are ones I'm proud of and those I'm not proud of. The Jungle Captive and Weird Woman fall into the latter category. House of Wax co-star Paul Picerni was fired by the film's director when he refused to put his head in a working guillotine during a climactic fight scene. Packed with wonderful tidbits, this volume collects 22 interviews with the moviemakers responsible for bringing such films as This Island Earth, The Haunting, Carnival of Souls, Pit and the Pendulum, House of Wax, Tarzan the Ape Man, The Black Cat, Them! and Invasion of the Body Snatchers to the movie screen. Faith Domergue, Michael Forest, Anne Helm, Candace Hilligoss, Suzanna Leigh, Norman Lloyd, Maureen O'Sullivan, Shirley Ulmer, Dana Wynter and many more are interviewed.

For fans of SF and horror films, will there ever be a decade to compare with the 1950s? Actors, directors, producers, and crews prevailed over microbudgets and four-day shooting schedules to create enduring films. This book turns a long-overdue spotlight on many who made memorable contributions to that crowded, exhilarating filmmaking scene. John Agar, Beverly Garland, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Gene Corman, and two dozen more reminisce about the most popular genre titles of the era. Lengthy, in-depth interviews feature canny questions, pointed observations, rare photos, and good fun.

In this jam-packed jamboree of conversations, more than 60 movie veterans describe their experiences on the sets of some of the world's most beloved sci-fi and horror movies and television series. Including groundbreaking oldies (Flash Gordon, One Million B.C.); 1950s and 1960s milestones (The War of the Worlds, Psycho, House of Usher); classic schlock (Queen of Outer Space, Attack of the Crab Monsters); and cult TV favorites (Lost in Space, Land of the Giants), the discussions offer a frank and fascinating behind-the-scenes look. Among the interviewees: Roger Corman, Pamela Duncan, Richard and Alex Gordon, Tony "Dr. Lao" Randall, Troy Donahue, Sid Melton, Fess Parker, Nan Peterson, Alan Young, John "Bud" Cardos, and dozens more.

I talked with a zombie" - it DOES seem like an odd thing to say! But for over 25 years, Tom Weaver has been chatting up zombies and many other vintage movie monsters, along with the screenwriters, producers, directors and actors responsible for bringing them to life. In this newest compilation of interviews, 23 more veterans share their stories - strange, frightening and even a little funny - this time with an increased emphasis on genre television series courtesy of the stars of The Time Tunnel; Rocky Jones, Space Ranger; Tom Corbett, Space Cadet; Planet of the Apes; and The Wild Wild West. The many other interviewees include Tandra Quinn (Mesa of Lost Women), Eric Braeden (Colossus: The Forbin Project), Ann Carter (The Curse of the Cat People), Laurie Mitchell (Queen of Outer Space) and monster music maestro Hans J. Salter.