Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Tuesday's Fright Film Tidbit - Horror Film Hostess.Ottola Nesmith


Ottola Nesmith who appeared in countless films including an uncredited role as Mrs. Bally in The Wolf Man (1941) and Invisible Ghost (1941) was a horror film hostess. Nesmith  had a running gag of casting herself in the role of the heroine for each movie she presented on her show.  During her show that featured Frankenstein(1931) she told the audience that she was Mae Clarke and described herself as a  "a washed up has-been." 
When Mae Clarke saw the Frankenstein (1931) broadcast, she was oblivious to the gag and thought that Nesmith was trying to impersonate her. She sued and the lawsuit brought national attention.  Frankenstein (1931) was screened for the superior court jury on July 16, 1958, the only time that a Frankenstein film has ever been shown in a court room. Clarke lost the lawsuit and Nesmith continued with her gag of casting herself into the movie she presented.

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