Even with only minutes to spare until the big night, I was able to crank out one more tombstone prop for this year's yard display! An homage to Boris Karloff's third greatest screen character, cabman and grave robber John Gray from the 1945 film, The Body Snatcher!
"Here Lies Cabman John Gray. The Body Snatcher of Edinburgh. Died October 31, 1831 in The 56th Year of His Life."
I had revisited this underrated classic earlier this month and decided to do a quick tombstone prop for Karloff's character. While the name Karloff is quickly associated with the names "Frankenstein" and "Imhotep," I now add "John Gray" to my list! If you haven't seen the film yet, I highly recommend it!
I ended up making this prop in two separate sections, joining them together with dowel rods and adhesive. After everything was set up and carved, I did a quick three-step paint job: a full basecoat of black, followed by a full whitewash and then ending with a watered down green spritzing.
Another quick turnaround on a uniquely shaped stone that will look great in my display!
2 comments:
I don't think Toddy would like it, but I love it! The Body Snatcher is one of my favorites and I love Karloff's performance. Leave me this one in the will! ;)
"I hereby declare, that upon my death, I shall bequeath one John Gray tombstone, in its entirety, to Caffeinated Joe." Done! And you can help but hear Karloff's "English accent with a slight lisp" when you hear the word, "Toddy." So good!!
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