Monday, August 5, 2013

SMOKIN MONSTERS: GIVE THE MAN A CIGAR


The man behind the cigar in these photos is producer, director, and all-around showman, William Castle. Noted for his (mostly) thrill-a-minute B-movie drive-in features, he is also well-known for the use of gimmicks in his films to add both audience anticipation and sometimes audience participation.


Almost always seen with his trademark "Don Diego #5", Castle loved his tabac. His trademark pose was in silhouette, sitting in his director's chair with eyeglasses tipped back on his forehead and a fresh Toro jutting jauntily from his teeth. The pose was almost spoofing Hitchcock's signature self-sketch profile, but it was pure Castle showmanship.


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