Episode Forty-Seven: Norwich is the Old Hollywood - How a Local Boy Revived Dracula and Frankenstein for the Ages (w. Dr. Mark Fryers)

Hallowed Histories

During the Halloween season, we had the pleasure of merging our passion for horror and East Anglian tales. This opportunity arose when Dr. Mark Fryers, a film history expert and a friend of our podcast, reached out to us. He shared his ongoing research involving Norwich, Count Dracula, and Universal Studios, which immediately piqued our interest for a podcast feature.

In the upcoming interview, Mark will shed light on Charles D. Hall, a Norwich native born in 1888, coinciding with the year of Jack the Ripper. Hall honed his architectural skills in Norwich, which later propelled him to Hollywood fame after a period working with Fred Karno's music hall company. There, he encountered icons like Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. Transitioning from designing sets for Karno, Hall eventually collaborated with Hollywood horror legends such as Tod Browning and James Whale. His artistic vision crafted the ambiance of legendary locales like Castle Frankenstein and Castle Dracula, and films like The Invisible Man and The Black Cat, featuring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.

Dr. Mark Fryers, who now lectures at the Open University, is an extensively published scholar with a focus on maritime and gothic horror representations. His book, "Celluloid Tales: Norfolk Film History," is currently available and comes highly recommended, and can be found ⁠here⁠