John Carradine

John Carradine devouring scenery, and a co-star, in a 1956 publicity shot

John Carradine (1906-1988) was an actor known for his gaunt visage, theatrical acting style, and resonant and often foreboding voice. His long film career included key supporting roles in film classics like Stagecoach (as the aloof gambler),The Grapes of Wrath (the preacher Casy), and the 1935 Les Misérables (Enjolras).

In the 1940s, to fund his own short-lived Shakespeare company, Carradine took parts in horror movies. He alternated between low budget fare (including Voodoo Man with Bela Lugosi) and the later entries in the Universal monster cycle (such as The Mummy's Ghost). For the latter studio, he played Dracula in House of Dracula and House of Frankenstein. He still occasionally left the genre in the 1950s, with parts in the epics The Ten Commandments and Around the World in 80 Days.

From the 1960s onward, most of Carradine's film work was limited to low budget horror and exploitation fare, including movies made in Mexico, or occasionally spoofing his own mad scientist image. TV work also traded on his horror connection and/or reputation as a ham actor, recurring on The Munsters as Herman's mortician boss and appearing on both the 1960s and 1980s incarnations of The Twilight Zone, Wonder Woman (as the voice of an evil disembodied brain), The Beverly Hillbillies (a stage magician), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Lost in Space, Fantasy Island, and others.

Later film credits included The Howling (with Slim Pickens), more self-parody such as The Monster Club (with Vincent Price), and voice work in the animated feature The Secret of NIMH (with Dom Deluise).

References

• Jerry Nelson performed Uncle Deadly as an impression of John Carradine. He talked about the actor in detail in a 2009 interview.

“The voice I used for that was my take on John Carradine. That kind of Shakespearian dramatic actor. He was the Phantom of the Muppet Show, so I figured he had an acting background. I always loved John, I always loved his voice. Years ago, I used to go to a bar in the theater district, and I’d sometimes stop by and have a beer. And I found myself sitting next to John Carradine one afternoon, and he regaled me with stories. I always loved him anyway, and after that I just thought he was the best.”