Ackerman, Harryhausen, Bradbury

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN…

In remembering the passing of great contributors to movie and pop culture during 2008…I remember “Forry.”

Once upon a time…, so the story goes three teenage friends went to see a landmark film - KING KONG (1933). I can not remember now whether it was all of them together or each separately. What I do remember is that each young man was so inspired by the film, having never seen anything like it, that they each became successful in and around the world of science-fiction/fantasy! They all were founding members (1934) of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc.

Those three young men were writer, historian, publisher and renowned movie memorabilia collector Forrest J. Ackerman, renowned science fiction author Ray Bradbury, and stop-motion animation pioneer Ray Harryhausen (see above photo). 

“Forry,” was greatly influenced by other films too, such as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) and fell, so to speak, for the female robot of the film, Maria. 

Before the world wide web, ebay, google, there was Forry and his FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. There you could find everything you wanted to know about monsters, special-effects, make-up, sci-fi, and the craft of Hollywood moviemaking. Ackerman was at the crossroads of “fandom” and “social networking.” His magazine publication reached out to the film fan and youth of the day with a unique passion! It was the AIN’T IT COOL NEWS for a generation. One success lays the foundation for others! 

Over the years, I attended several “film genre” themed conventions/events where Forrest J. Ackerman and his friends reminisced. I was even lucky enough to visit Ackerman in his home back in the 1990s when he still conducted tours of his Los Feliz home where he housed his collection. 

Autograph

A collection that contained over 300,000 pieces of authentic movie memorabilia and artifacts from the creation of science-fiction and horror.  At a young age Ackerman befriended Carl Laemmle Jr., the one time head of Universal Pictures and the man who “green lighted” the films that serve as the basis for the “Universal Monsters” franchise, and that relationship provided young Forrest a link behind-the-scenes of “old” Hollywood. There he began to amass his collection. (NOTE: Before you judge remember that the post WWII generation is a generation of collectors…Ebay proves it!) And over the years Ackerman befriended many of  the greats including Bela Lugosi. 

Forrest J. Ackerman is believed to be the first to coin the expression “sci-fi” in his writings. So the next time you watch an old film or google something in the “sci-fi/horror” genre take a moment and remember a fellow fan, Forrest J. Ackerman.

In Memory of ERNEST LEHMAN (1915-2005)

I have a film professor who compares the viewing and studying of classic films from yesteryear as spending time with “old friends.” Just imagine, if you will, your list of favorite films, stars, directors…now imagine years passing without another thought of those treasured memories…would it not be a reunion when you discovered their existence again?

In this the first of a series, I wish to remember some Hollywood masters who you might only recognize by the titles.*

1. Family Plot (1976) (writer)
2. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) (screenplay) 
3. The Sound of Music (1965) (screenplay) 
4. West Side Story (1961) (screenplay)
5. North by Northwest (1959) (written by) 
6. Sweet Smell of Success (1957) (novella) (screenplay)
7. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (writer)
8. The King and I (1956) (screenplay) 
9. Sabrina (1954) (screenplay)                                 *PARTIAL LISTING