Dracula, Frankenstein and Friends

by Michael Galley

Between 1975 and 1981, BBC2’s Saturday seasons of late night horror double bills made celluloid monsters as much a part of the British summer as hosepipe bans, plagues of ladybirds, Bjorn Borg winning Wimbledon, and moustachioed Australian fast bowlers bullying pale-faced English batsmen. The best and most influential of these film seasons came in 1977 under the banner title of Dracula, Frankenstein – and Friends! To a whole generation of spotty schoolchildren, the films they first encountered in those double bills were a formative experience with life-enhancing, and life-affirming consequences. I was one of those spotty kids, and it is no exaggeration to say those films changed my life. This is the story of how.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 2, 2021

Reviews

[Mitchell Gayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really original, unusual and enjoyable read. The author takes the films shown in the BBC2 Horror Double Bill season way back in 1977, analyses why he loved them so much - and why he still does. It's not just a book about the films themselves, but about being a fan, and what we get from loving the things we do. Part of it is personal, part of it is more about life in general, and part of it is about the films. It's brilliantly written, intelligent and witty. As someone of a similar age to the author, who also loved these double bills as a kid, I found a huge amount to enjoy and relate to.

[Michael John Paul McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent read indeed. As well writing about his love for the horror double bill film season of 1977 that was shown by BBC 2 of that year, Michael Valley writes about his life as a twelve year old boy allowed to watch the classic Universal, Hammer and AIP films that were shown during that summer. I recall watching the same same films albeit my being older than twelve, but still enjoyed them just as much.
A well written and at times heartfelt book gives you not only an insight into the author's love of the old horror films but the love he has for his family as well.
I can't imagine BBC 2 showing double horror films on a Saturday night again, but at least we have Talking Pictures TV showing classic old horror films again. This book is a real treat and worth purchasing. Excellent indeed!

[Paul Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood memories

Really enjoyed this book. It brought back a lot of good memories of my childhood. I would heartily recommend it.

[Stephen Bacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the UK between 1975 and 1983, BBC2 ran a series of late night horror double bills each summer, generally featuring classic Universal or Hammer films. To a generation of younger viewers who had never seen these movies before - don't forget this was in a time before home video, a time when on-demand streaming was still decades away - this might have been the first opportunity to catch these classics. This book explores the impact that these films - and especially the season from 1977, which the BBC called 'Dracula, Frankenstein and Friends' - had upon Michael Galley.

First of all, I think it's fair to say that one of the reasons why this book is so wonderful is that the life-changing effect of these films was also felt by a whole generation of fans, not just author. The shared enthusiasm and the recognisable thrill of experiencing these late night classics with like-minded fans is exhilarating.

Galley discusses each of the 11 Saturday night entries, covering the films Dracula, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Brides of Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Son of Frankenstein, Kiss of the Vampire, Dracula's Daughter, Plague of the Zombies, The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Premature Burial, The Raven, The Black Cat, Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, The Raven, House of Frankenstein, The Reptile, Son of Dracula, Evil of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Fall of the House of Usher. There is also a great deal of personal information revealed. I don't know Mr Galley at all but his political opinions and ethical viewpoints tend to align very closely with my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Galley is knowledgeable and engaging, and writes in an excellent style. Thinking about the other series of late night horror double bills, I would love to read more of his ponderings on these films, even if the other years don't quite chime with the same groundbreaking impact that the 1977 one had. For fans of classic horror films, or readers of a similar age seeking a warm glow of nostalgia, Dracula, Frankenstein and Friends is a superb way to reacquaint oneself with the childhood thrill of escapism. Highly recommended.

[The Book Ninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book must have the skinniest demographic ever. You must be mid to late 50s, British, a bit geeky and probably male. A few years either side of 1977, BBC 2 used to broadcast a late night double bill of horror films for a season of 10 weeks. Traditionally a Universal Monster 1st and a Hammer horror 2nd. ‘77, arguably, had the most classic selections. This is one man’s story of watching those films in a historical and personal contexts. It’s sometime a bit too personal to the point of being dull (sorry) but mostly a good read and interesting to realise there’s parallel lives. I’m 3 years younger and I couldn’t always stay awake for the 2nd movie