Doctors In Scary Movies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ernest Thesiger

Pen and paper ready, biology students? There are two ways for mad scientists to generate life in the lab: 1) a "dead" approach, and 2) a "natural" approach. The dead approach, pioneered by Dr. Henry Frankenstein, involved putting together a creature form cadaver parts and harnassing lightning to provide the massive jolt of electricity needed to give the creature life. With the natural approach, pioneered by Dr. Pertorious, miniature, perfect people are grown from seeds. Both of these brillant (but slightly mad) doctors combined their talents to make the Frankenstein Monster a mate in "Bride of Frankenstein", the wonderfully dark sequel to "Frankenstein" (1931). Boris Karloff (the Monster) and Colin Clive (his creator) starred in both movies. Showing up in "Bride of Frankenstein" as Dr. P. was Ernest Thesiger, and Elsa Lanchester shrieked her way into horror filmdom fame as the Monster's reluctant bride. (She also played Mary Shelley in the film's opening scene). Ernest Thesiger (1879-1961) made some sixty films in his fifty year career, but it is for his remarkable portrayal of the mad scientist, Dr. Pretorious, in the timeless classic "Bride of Frankenstein", for which he is remembered by new generations of the film's fans.

Answer: The Body Snatcher

Cabman John Gray was a very unsavory character, but he provided Dr. Wolfe "Toddy" MacFarlane with what he needed most--freshly dug-up cadavers for his dissection table. When the supply of bodies could not meet the doctor's insatiable demand, Gray began to create his own in "The Body Snatcher". Boris Karloff stole the show as John Gray.

Henry Daniell played "Toddy" Macfarlane, Russell Wade played Donald Fettes, and Bela Lugosi was Joseph. Robert Louis Stevenson based his story "The Body Snatcher" on the infamous, real-life duo of Burke and Hare.

Answer: Island of Lost Souls

"Island of Lost Souls" was the perfect example of science run amuck. On his own small island, far from prying eyes, evil genius Dr. Moreau attempted to by-pass evolution and transform animals into humans. He became master of his pitiful tribe of half-beast, half-human creations. Edward Parker saw Moreau's handiwork for himself, after being stranded there by the captain of the supply ship. Would he ever escape the horror of "The Island of Lost Souls"? Charles Laughton was perfect as the mad Dr. Moreau. Richard Allen was Edward Parker. Kathleen Burke played Lola (the panther woman). Leila Hyams appeared as Ruth Thomas, Parker's fiancee. Bela Lugosi gave one of his finest performances as the Sayer of the Law.

Answer: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Are you getting sleepier and sleepier? Just don't fall asleep around one of those alien seed pods or your relatives will find you changed too! Small town doctor, Miles Bennell, returned from vacation to good news and bad news. The good news was that his old flame, Becky Driscoll, was back in town after a stop in Reno for a quickie divorce.

The bad news was that while he was gone, half of his patients thought their relatives looked the same but were not the same people. He soon found out there was something far more sinister than just mass hysteria going on in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Kevin McCarthy played Dr. Miles J. Bennell. Dana Wynter was Becky Driscoll. King Donovan and Carolyn Jones played Jack and Teddy Belicec. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" was based on a serial by Jack Finney that ran in Collier's magazine.

Answer: Vincent Price

Vincent Price played the over-the-top, mad and fun to watch villian of "The Abominable Dr. Phibes". When his wife died, Dr. Phibes set about getting rid of her doctors, using the Bibical plagues of Egypt as a guideline. The cast included Joseph Cotton, Virgina North, Terry Thomas, and David Hutchseon. "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" was so popular that it was followed in 1972 by "Dr. Phibes Rises Again" with Vincent Price once again playing Phibes. Vincent Price (1911-1993) was the undisputed "King of Horror" during the 1950s and 1960s, and he brought to the genre an elegance and sense of style. Vincent Price gave his final big screen performance as the Inventor in Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands" (1990).

Answer: Sam Loomis

Little Hallowen clown, Michael Myers, was only six when he returned home from trick-or-treating and took a butcher knife to his teenage sister after catching her with her boyfriend. Fifteen Halloweens later, and Michael escaped from the sanitarium and headed home to Haddonfield in "Halloween". Jamie Lee Curtis played Laurie Strode. Adult Michael was played by Tony Moran.

Sheriff Leigh Brackett was played by Charles Cyphers. Donald Pleasence (sometimes credited as Pleasance) played Dr. Sam Loomis. Pleasence played Dr. Loomis in several "Halloween" sequels including "Halloween II" (1981) which picked up where the first film ended.

Answer: Gregory Peck

Evil Dr. Mengele had been hiding out in South America, waiting for the culmination of his life's work. He was producing another Adolf Hitler by means of a clone raised in circumstances similiar to those that had warped the personality of the original. Only two men stood in his way, a young Nazi hunter named Barry Kohler, and an old, weary Nazi hunter named Ezra Lieberman in "The Boys From Brazil".

The cast included Gregory Peck as Dr. Mengele, Lawrence Olivier as Ezra Liberman, and Steve Guttenberg as Barry Kohler. "The Boys From Brazil" was based on the novel by Ira Levin.

As way-out as the plot seemed, it was actually made believable by Gregory Peck's portrayal of the terrible Dr. Mengele. Peck (1916-2003) was one of Hollywood's brightest stars and showed the range of his talent in such diverse roles as Capt. Ahab in "Moby Dick" (1956) and Atticus Finch, the lawyer who put everything on the line for his principles in "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962).

Answer: He played Lecter in all of them.

In "Silence of the Lambs" (1991), FBI Agent Clarice Starling consulted with the brillant, pyschotic Dr. Hannibal on an Ed Gein styled serial killer, nicknamed "Buffalo Bill". Dr. Lecter's fee? She had to recount for him her most disturbing memory. Jody Foster and Anthony Hopkins both garnered Academy Awards for their performances as Starling and Lecter. Ted Levine played "Buffalo Bill" Gumb.

In "Hannibal" (2001), Clarice Starling (now played by Julianne Moore) was in disgrace with her higher-ups. Dr. Lecter was on the loose and being sought by Mason Verger, a very wealthy survivor of a particular vicious meeting with the doctor. Verger was played by Gary Oldman.

Although filmed in 2002, "Red Dragon" was actually a prequel to the first two Lecter films and starred Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Lecter, who was consulted by William Graham (Edward Norton) about a serial killer called "The Tooth Fairy". "Red Dragon" was the remake of the 1986 movied called "Manhunter" which starred Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. All the Lecter films were based on novels by Thomas Harris.

Answer: Godsend

Scary movies that feature mad doctors have sure come a long way from the days when Henry Frankenstein created his Monster from cadaver parts and electricity. In the 2004 film "Godsend", Dr. Richard Wells duplicated Adam Duncan by using advanced (but illegal) stem cell techniques and cloning. Everything was going fine until Adam Duncan turned eight, the same age as the other Adam was when he died.

The new Adam began having flashbacks and strange visions. Was he possessed, or did Dr. Wells add a little something extra to Adam's genetic makeup? Robert De Niro played Dr. Richard Wells. Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn played Paul and Jessie Duncan. Adam was played by Cameron Bright.

Answer: Spencer Tracy

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" presented the penultimate reason for a scientist not to experiment on himself. It was about a respected London doctor, Henry Jekyll, who concocted a potion which transformed him into his evil alter ego, Mr. Edward Hyde. Then Jekyll began changing into Hyde without taking the potion, and the battle between Jekyll's good side and his evil side began. Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) starred as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.

It was truly amazing what evil Tracy conjured up with facial expression.

Ingrid Begman was Ivy Peterson and Lana Turner was Beatrix Emery. The movie "Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde" was based on the book "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson. In the 1931 version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Fredric March used elaborate makeup to transform from Dr. Jekyll to the evil Mr. Hyde, and audiences were disappointed when Spencer Tracy's Mr. Hyde was a psychological rather than a physical transformation, in the 1941 version directed by Victor Fleming. Whether you are a fan of the 1931 or 1941 film (or both), each version captured the essence of the conflict between man's dark and light side. Our consultation is now over. Would you care to join me in my secret laboratory for a swig of potion?