Hey gang,
How about actor Dwight Frye? Now, before you all shout/scream at me: "Who the heck is/was Dwight Frye!?!," Dwight Frye was a character actor who appeared in many of the classic Universal horror films of the 1930s.
For example, I believe that Dwight Frye was Dr. Frankenstein's incompetent lab assistant, Fritz, in "The Bride of Frankenstein." Specifically, Dwight Frye is the guy, who, during the experiment to bring Elsa Lanchester to life, shouts: "The storm is rising!," as the doctor's kites are raised above the lab to attract the "life-providing" bolts of lightening (sort of like the estimable Dr. Eric Lang's "life force" scheme).
Unfortunately, "Fritz" is thrown from the top of the lab/castle by a really ticked-off Frankenstein monster. (Hey, what can I tell you? "Elsa" just didn't go for Frankie's ruggedly-handsome good looks!)
I think that Mr. Frye also appeared in the orignal "Dracula," flick with the great Bela Lugosi. Mr. Frye was particularly adept at playing loopy, "round-the-bend" (as the Brits say) characters. Perhaps Dwight Frye could have played either Ezra Braithewaite's ne'er-do-well younger brother or, possibly, Willie Loomis' long-lost daddy.
Evelyn Ankers was another veteran of the Universal films, who I would have liked to have seen guest star on Dark Shadows. Ms. Ankers starred in "The Wolfman" and several other Universal horror flicks.
I once read an apocryphal story, that a Universal film director was giving Ms. Ankers some last minute instructions before filming a particularly dramatic and climactic scene. The director explained to Ms. Ankers that, in this scene, her father had been just pummeled to death by Frankenstein, her sister had just been bitten by Dracula, and she was about to run for her sweet life after Lawrence Talbot had just transformed into England's version of the "Wily Coyote."
The director explained to Ms. Ankers that, at this point, he would shoot a close-up of her face, so that she could convey to the movie audience, the extent of the unremitting terror she was experiencing at that very moment. Supposedly, Ms. Ankers looked at the director incredulously and said: "Are you 'bleeping' kidding me!!!"
Well, so much for dubious film history.
Bob the Bartender
PS Perhaps Ms. Ankers could have payed Maggie Evans' late mom in a flashback sequence.
