Episode 541: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952)

We are kicking off Shocktober 2021 with a look at William Beaudine’s Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) which stars Bela Lugosi (as you may have guessed) as well as comedy duo Sammy Petrillo and Duke Mitchell. They’re a knock-off Martin & Lewis team and they’re found on a little island in the Pacific that is populated by stock footage of African animals. Rich Whitley, Jamie Klein, and Fredde Duke join Mike to discuss the film as well as Fredde's documentary about her father, producer Maurice Duke, Fuck 'Em. Screenwriter Michael Barrie also stops by as well. Mike also speaks with writer Gary D. Rhodes about his work including his latest two-volume set, Becoming Dracula: The Early Years of Bela Lugosi.