Dr. Pretorius

[repair]

Ever since he joined I wondered where his member name came from so looked it up!






Although Dr. Frankenstein tops the fright film list of "mad scientists," there another daffy doc who is truly the "mad scientists's mad scientist." When he knocks at the cinematic door, horror fans are always sure to say...

by ELIZABETH STEIN

That shock of snow-white hair,
That smile so debonair,
An undertaker's air--that's witchcraft!"
--Frankenstein Sinatra

"Ah, Dr. Pretorius, we meet again. I so enjoyed our picnic that summer in Italy, dining al sotterraneo with Gore Vidal in the Roman catacombs. (You know all the hot spots!) We must plan another picnic soon-and next time, do bring your tiny friends."
Or so goes my imaginary encounter with Dr. Pretorius, the George Saunders of the horror set, the dandy of creepy cool.
Unlike most movie monsters and their sidekicks, Dr. Pretorius (Bride Of Frankenstein) is viewer friendly. As a kid I used to watch monster movies with my older brother and sister, huddling between them on the couch. "Tell me when I can look," I used to plead, my face buried in my sister's shoulder. She (being evil) would wait for the gory bits and say, "Okay, it's safe now. Look!"

No wonder Dr. Pretorius was a welcome relief--no slavering wolf jaws, no messy bloodletting or plebeian whacks up-side the head--Pretorius' only apparent weapons were an aristocratic glint in the eye and a droll sense of humor. True, there is something a bit off about him. His laugh tends to grow a bit too hearty (especially in a graveyard), and his underlit face in the last act does resemble a simian death mask-but he is so much fun.
It's hard to imagine anyone else playing Dr. Pretorius besides the inimitable Ernest Thesiger, who seems born to the role. To fully appreciate his skill, have a look at The Ghoul. Thesiger appears as Laing, Boris Karloff's Scottish manservant. Far from dining atop a tomb like Dr. Pretorius, the quavering Laing won't even get near one. At the climactic scene the hero and heroine advance towards a crypt where Karloff is soon to resurrect. Laing hangs back. "I'll go no nearer! I'll go no nearer!" he bleats in his Scottish accent.
Could this be the same actor?