Famous Frankenstein Director's link to Dudley town

Last week this colourful but scary film poster for Bride Of Frankenstein, directed by the British James Whale, was consigned to our auction rooms ready for our next specialist Film Poster Auction in November 2015. It has the “H” (for Horrific) film censor certificate which was brought out by the censors in 1932 to protect the British public from the new Horrific films coming from America (Frankenstein etc.) Bride of Frankenstein was made in 1935 and this British poster is from between May 1947 (when Eros films started) to 1951 (which is when the “H” certificate ceased) - it is therefore a very early re-release, and we are very excited to have the opportunity to sell such a rare piece of cinematic history. We have estimated it at £10,000 to £12,000 for the auction catalogue.

And, as if that wasn't exciting enough on it's own, there's a further a scarily coincidental twist to the tale! Last Friday two workers turned up outside the front of our auction rooms (the former Baylies School in Dudley) and dug a hole in the pavement to place one of many brass Time Trail plaques which have been set around the town centre as part of the re-generation scheme.

This plaque (pictured below) states that 'film director JAMES WHALE who directed 'Frankenstein' was born in Dudley in 1896 and attended Baylies Charity School'.

The Baylies Charity School building on Tower Street in Dudley - now home to Aston's Auctioneers

I was amazed once I saw the plaque as we had been given no prior warning by the Council that there was going to be a plaque outside our premises!
It is incredible to think that the British Quad film poster for such a famous film is being sold in the very building where the Director of the film spent much time as a pupil at school - and the fact that the poster was consigned the same week as the plaque appeared is just too spooky!

By Chris Aston