Confessions of a Monster Movie Agnostic: Part 1
Confessions of a Monster Movie Agnostic: Part 3

By Billy Anderson

PART 2: When Legends Die

If there is one thing that makes people question their Faith, it's Death, and this is certainly true of the Monster Movie Faith, as well as the more traditional Faiths.

Shelby Black was a friend of mine, back in grammar school, but later he failed the seventh grade, and I was promoted to the eighth grade, and I lost track of him.

Years later, it was very sad to learn that he had died, at a relatively early age, in a house fire. The newspaper report had interviews with Shelby's friends, expressing their warm feelings for Shelby, and I felt the same way, although I hadn't seen him in quite a few years.

Shelby's death made me think of the Monster Movie Faith, and the Agnosticism I have had over that Faith for many years.

I remember in Famous Monsters magazine, a photo of a guy, probably Bill ''Bela" Obbagy, posing at Bela Lugosi's grave. And, I remember when Boris Karloff died, all the letters from kids, saying how wonderful Boris was, and how they hoped they could grow up to be as wonderful as Boris.

Well, I think that was all pretty stupid. I was touched and moved by Boris, in his portrayal of the Frankenstein Monster, who was rejected by his Creator (?) or Father (?), and just about everyone he came in contact with. All of us feel rejected at some time in our lives, so we can sympathize with such a portrayal. BUT! BUT! BUT! BUT!!!

Does that really make Boris Karloff such a great and wonderful person?

He was a professional actor. He did his portrayals to get the Satanic Power of Money, not to be nice to kids (and adults) who feel rejected.

Yes, it's very nice and very good that, well into his middle age, he finally attained great success and could command large sums of money for his roles in films.

And, in that sense, he is much greater than most of us, who can't even earn enough money to pay our living expenses. We can look at his success late in life, and possibly find some hope for ourselves, no matter how late it is for us.

Yes, I like to watch Boris Karloff in films and on TV. But, really, how significant is he, in my life as a whole?

And it's the same with Bela Lugosi. If I ever had my photo taken at a gravesite, I would want it to be Shelby Black's grave. Because Shelby Black meant a lot more to me than Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi, even though he wasn't an internationally famous celebrity.

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