108-454: James John Herbert , OBE (8 April 1943 – 20 March 2013) was an English horror writer. A full-time writer, he also designed his own book covers and publicity. His books have sold 54 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 34 languages, including Chinese and Russian. Born in London, Herbert was the son of Herbert Herbert, a stall-holder at London's Brick Lane Market . He attended
216-488: A masquerade ball that evening. Talbot takes the apartment across the hall from Wilbur and Chick and asks them to help him find and destroy Dracula and the Monster. Wilbur agrees, but Chick remains sceptical. Wilbur, Chick and Joan go to Sandra's castle to pick her up for the ball. Wilbur answers a telephone call from Talbot, who informs them that they are in fact in the "House of Dracula". Wilbur reluctantly agrees to search
324-859: A Catholic school in Bethnal Green called Our Lady of the Assumption, then at 11 won a scholarship to St Aloysius Grammar School in Highgate . He left school at 15 and studied at Hornsey College of Art , joining the art department of John Collings, a small advertising agency. He left the agency to join Charles Barker Advertising where he worked as art director and then group head. Herbert lived in Woodmancote , near Henfield in West Sussex. He had two brothers: Peter,
432-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
540-602: A Scottish castle. He was the subject of a This is Your Life programme in 1995, when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at the London Dungeon . "Herbert was by no means literary, but his work had a raw urgency," said Stephen King . "His best novels, The Rats and The Fog , had the effect of Mike Tyson in his championship days: no finesse, all crude power. Those books were best sellers because many readers (including me) were too horrified to put them down." "There are few things I would like to do less than lie under
648-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
756-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
864-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
972-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1080-584: A cloudy night sky while someone read aloud the more vivid passages of Moon, " Andrew Postman wrote in The New York Times Book Review . "In the thriller genre, do recommendations come any higher?" OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside
1188-491: A few other actors remaining on their payroll. Since the February 1941 release of Buck Privates starring Abbott and Costello, the duo were among the most powerful stars at Universal. By 1945 however, the duo were close to splitting due to in-fighting with each other and personal issues; Abbott suffered from severe epilepsy and Costello had nearly died of rheumatic heart disease in 1943. In their first year of operation,
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#17327940551721296-577: A former writer and associate producer of MGM musicals along with veteran Abbott and Costello writers Frederic Rinaldo and Robert Lees , developed a script that involved Frankenstein's monster , Count Dracula and the Wolf Man . Their original script also included Kharis the Mummy, Dracula's son Count Alucard and the Invisible Man, and involved the Monster becoming Dracula's slave and the search for
1404-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1512-549: A lot of "whining and slapping business". Dave Kehr of the Chicago Reader stated similar reactions, noting that Abbott and Costello "never got the hang of the kiddie slapstick Universal assigned to them" and that the film was "probably the last of their watchable films, though it's a long way from their best". On reviewing Abbott and Costello's output at Universal in 2010, Nick Pinkerton in Sight & Sound summarized that
1620-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
1728-691: A real person, who won the honour by having the winning bid in the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Children in Need Auction. Various biographical and critical pieces by and about Herbert have been collected in James Herbert: By Horror Haunted , edited by Stephen Jones , and also in James Herbert – Devil in the Dark , written by Craig Cabell. Herbert released a new novel virtually every year from 1974 to 1988, wrote six novels during
1836-525: A retired market trader and John, an insurance broker. Herbert would write his drafts in longhand on "jumbo pads". In 1979 Herbert had to pay damages when it was ruled that he had based part of his novel The Spear on the work of another writer, The Spear of Destiny by Trevor Ravenscroft. In 2010 Herbert was honoured with the World Horror Convention Grand Master Award , presented to him by Stephen King . Later in
1944-416: A shipment due to arrive for "McDougal's House of Horrors". However, before he finishes, the moon rises and Talbot transforms into a werewolf , causing Wilbur to think the call is a prank. Meanwhile, McDougal demands the crates be personally delivered to his wax museum . Chick and Wilbur deliver the crates after hours. They open the first one and find Dracula 's coffin. When Chick leaves the room to retrieve
2052-436: Is a 1948 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton . The film features Count Dracula ( Bela Lugosi ), who has partnered with Dr. Sandra Mornay ( Lenore Aubert ) in order to find a brain to reactivate Frankenstein's monster ( Glenn Strange ), and they find Wilbur Grey ( Lou Costello ), the ideal candidate. The film was developed and production started with misgivings by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who disliked
2160-575: Is a cynical, sleazy paparazzo who is drawn into a plot involving fed-up and underappreciated monsters. The novel The Secret of Crickley Hall , originally scheduled for release in April 2006, was eventually released in October. A long novel about a haunted country house in England, it examined the relationship between religious zealotry and child abuse. One of the characters in this novel is named after
2268-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
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#17327940551722376-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
2484-623: The Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters Collection . The film's Blu-ray debut and DVD re-release was on September 4, 2012, as part of Universal's 100th Anniversary series. It was also included in Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection (2014) along with seven other Universal Frankenstein films. Because this film includes characters and people featured in their own collections, it is part of
2592-495: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
2700-546: The civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
2808-468: The "monsters" were the nicest. The real monsters were Abbott and Costello". - Charles Barton, director of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Production began on February 5, 1948. According to Barton, Abbott and Costello were not happy with working on the project, noting that the two would "fight me like hell. But I stood my ground with them, and so did Bob Arthur". Barton continued that both
2916-493: The 1990s and released three new works in the 2000s. "I am very insecure about being a writer", he stated in the book Faces of Fear . "I don't understand why I am so successful. And the longer I stay that way, the better it's going to be, because that's what keeps me on the edge, striving if you like." Herbert's final novel has an eerie political edge. Ash imagines Princess Diana and her secret son as well as Lord Lucan , Colonel Gaddafi and Robert Maxwell living together in
3024-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
3132-479: The Bandit (1946), Eagle-Lion 's Frontier Fighters (1947) and two for Universal: Brute Force (1947) and another Abbott and Costello film, The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947). Other actors were called back to reprise roles from previous Universal horror films, including Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man . Chaney had been doing stage work on Of Mice and Men and Born Yesterday . Returning as Dracula
3240-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
3348-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
James Herbert - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-541: The Horror Film (1967) summarizing that "the sole charm of these films resides in the very proficient contract players that populated them", but by the time of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was released, the film's "unconscious parody finally gave way to deliberate spoof" and, at this point, "Universal was flogging a dead horse". A later review from Kim Newman writing for Empire described it as not one of Abbott and Costello's better films, finding they do
3564-446: The Invisible Man (1951), Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953), and their last film for Universal: Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955). The duo only made one more film afterwards, Dance with Me, Henry (1956), which was directed by Barton and made for United Artists . Lon Chaney Jr. did not have positive things to say about the feature, later proclaiming that he "used to enjoy horror films when there
3672-824: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
3780-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
3888-520: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
3996-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
4104-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
4212-728: The United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry ; it also placed at number 56 on the list of the American Film Institute 's 100 Funniest American Movies . Larry Talbot makes an urgent phone call to a railway station in Florida, where Chick Young and Wilbur Grey work as baggage clerks. Talbot tries to warn Wilbur of
4320-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
4428-448: The bats that could be seen in the eyes of Miss Aubert and the animation that transformed Lugosi into a bat. Contemporary sources vary on the first release of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein . The AFI Catalog of Feature Films and Rhodes book No Traveller Returns declare it was released on June 15, 1948, with no information on when or where this release took place. Historian Gregory W. Mank has stated in three separate books that
James Herbert - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-458: The bayou and set out to rescue Wilbur and Joan. Wilbur is quickly freed, but Dracula uses hypnotism to call him back. As Sandra prepares to cut into Wilbur's brain, Talbot and Chick burst in. Chick knocks out Sandra with a chair and Talbot tries to release Wilbur but turns into the Wolfman again. Frankenstein's Monster breaks free of his bonds and Sandra tries to control him, but he throws her out
4644-466: The best for [Abbott and Costello]". The Los Angeles Times critic Philip K. Scheuer praised the film as "put together with enormous ingenuity. Its comic inventiveness seldom falters, yet it never seriously violates the tradition of the three celebrated creatures who are its antagonists". The reviews continued to be positive from other industry press papers, including Film Daily , Daily Variety , Harrison's Reports , and Motion Picture Daily . On
4752-563: The boat's thwart , and they flee in terror. Cast adapted from the American Film Institute : On November 28, 1945, Universal Pictures joined with British entrepreneur J. Arthur Rank , who bought a one-fourth interest in the studio. In 1946, Universal reported a profit of only $ 4.6 million. They responded by dropping many actors from their contract roster, including Chaney. On July 31, 1946, an official merger began. The company, now called Universal–International, had only Deanna Durbin , Maria Montez , Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and
4860-426: The brain of a simpleton to be placed into the Monster's body. Kharis and Alucard were dropped from the script and the Invisible Man was only included as a small gag at the end of the film. On reading the script, initially titled The Brain of Frankenstein , Lou Costello responded negatively, stating "You don't think I'll do that crap do you? My 5-year-old daughter can write something better than that". Variety made
4968-533: The castle and soon stumbles upon a basement staircase, where he has a few close encounters with the monsters. Meanwhile, Joan discovers Dr Frankenstein's notebook in Sandra's desk, and Sandra finds an Insurance Investigator ID in Joan's purse. Dracula, under the alias of Dr Lejos, introduces himself to Joan and the boys. Also working at the castle and attending the ball is the naïve Professor Stevens, who questions some of
5076-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
5184-608: The characters from Fluke also turns up in The Magic Cottage . Once... includes another reference to the character of Rumbo (along with an in-joke of elven folk having names of reversed titles of Herbert's previous novels; 'Hanoj', 'Niamod', 'Noom', etc.). Nobody True continues the theme of life after death, being narrated by a ghost whose investigation of his own death results in the destruction of his illusions about his life. Herbert described Creed as his Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein . The character Joe Creed
5292-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
5400-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
5508-432: The comedians would leave home several times during shooting the film, not show up, or spend about three days playing cards on set. Abbott and Costello improvised some dialogue in the film. Other script alterations were made in the film, such as a week within shooting when producer Robert Arthur decided to change the ending of the film to include a cameo by the Invisible Man. The film had a new make-up department instead of
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#17327940551725616-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
5724-416: The crates empty and has Wilbur and Chick arrested. That night, Dr Sandra Mornay welcomes Dracula and the Monster to her island castle. Sandra has seduced Wilbur as part of Dracula's plan to give the monster a more obedient brain. Meanwhile, Wilbur and Chick are bailed out of jail by Joan Raymond, an undercover insurance investigator who feigns love for Wilbur, hoping to gain information. Wilbur invites Joan to
5832-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
5940-529: The disc as "highly sought after" as only a few hundred copies were issued (MCA DiscoVision label release among the first videodisc titles produced in 1978). It was reissued as an Encore Edition afterwards. It was first released on DVD on August 29, 2000, and was re-released several times as part of different Abbott and Costello collections, The Best of Abbott and Costello Volume Three , on August 3, 2004, on October 28, 2008, as part of Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection , and in 2015 in
6048-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
6156-450: The dominant species in a devastated city; the third sequel, the graphic novel The City , is an adventure set in the post-nuclear future. With his third novel, the ghost story The Survivor , Herbert used supernatural horror rather than the science fiction horror of his first two books. In Shrine , he explored his Roman Catholic heritage with the story of an apparent miracle which turns out to be something much more sinister. Haunted ,
6264-577: The duo's work was an "all-or-nothing proposition, something you either take or leave" and that described the duo's general reception, finding them "stuck somewhere beneath Laurel and Hardy and just above, say, the Ritz Brothers ." Following the success of the film, Universal-International paired Abbott and Costello in similar scenarios. The first was Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949), followed by Abbott and Costello Meet
6372-732: The film premiered in Los Angeles at the Forum Theatre on June 25, 1948. Earliest reviews of the film appear in publications such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter only on June 28, 1948. Universal-International also did not copyright the film until August 1948. The film went on to become the most successful film in the Frankenstein series since the original release of Frankenstein (1931). Along with The Naked City (1948) and Tap Roots (1948), it became one of Universal-International's highest grossing features of
6480-674: The film's release in New York City's Lowe's Criterion Theatre, the film predominantly received negative reviews from the Manhattan critics. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that he found the idea of the film amusing but ultimately found it to be an "assembly-line comedy". The New York Sun found the story was a "grand idea, but it was too bad that it could have been attended by persons capable of satire rather than pie-throwing comedy only". A review from New York World-Telegram warned audiences that if they did not have
6588-468: The first and an accidentally released chemical weapon in the second. The first print run of The Rats (100,000 copies) sold out in three weeks. Herbert wrote three sequels to The Rats : Lair , which deals with a second outbreak of the mutant black rats, this time in the countryside around Epping Forest rather than in the first book's London slums ; in Domain , a nuclear war results in rats having become
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#17327940551726696-508: The first public announcement of The Brain of Frankenstein in July 1947. Arthur felt strongly about the project and offered Costello a $ 50,000 advance on his percentage if he agreed to do the film. Among the cast was Glenn Strange , who had previously played the Monster in House of Dracula (1945). Strange had only been in a handful of roles since that film, including Monogram 's Beauty and
6804-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
6912-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
7020-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
7128-682: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
7236-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
7344-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
7452-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
7560-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
7668-576: The legacy collections of "Frankenstein", "Dracula", "The Wolf Man", and "The Best of Abbott and Costello". From contemporary reviews, trade papers praised the film. A review in The Hollywood Reporter proclaimed it as a "crazy giddy show" noting that "Robert Arthur's production spells out showmanship right down the line, and Charles T. Barton's direction keeps things moving at a lively, vigorous pace". Variety echoed this praise, stating that Arthur and Barton "can chalk it up as one of
7776-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
7884-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
7992-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
8100-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
8208-454: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
8316-431: The old one headed by Jack Pierce . Emile LaVigne tended to Chaney's make-up while Jack Kevan worked on Glenn Strange. Both Chaney and Strange required one hour each in the make-up chair each morning, although Strange's make-up was mostly a rubber mask. An accident happened on set when Strange was supposed to throw Lenore Aubert through a window. An invisible wire was attached to her to help Strange lift her, but when she
8424-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
8532-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
8640-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
8748-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
8856-633: The palate for Abbott and Costello's comedy the film would be a "painful experience". The negative response to the film in New York made a review in The Hollywood Reporter refer to the New York critics as "the "BOO-geymen of Broadway". One positive mention in New York came from the New York Star , which declared that "it's heart-warming to see all our favorite monsters once more, each inexorably expressing his individuality, all at
8964-453: The release of a devastating plague by the defeated Hitler and, like The Spear , features British characters who sympathise with the Nazis. Others narrates the story of a physically deformed private detective. Herbert had previously tackled the theme of reincarnation in his fourth novel, Fluke , the fantasy story of a dog who somehow remembers his previous life as a human being. Rumbo, one of
9072-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
9180-419: The same time. It's kind of like a class reunion. They look a little older now, and a little tired. Dracula seems to creak a bit with arthritis as he emerges from his coffin these days, but his bite has lost some of its depth". From retrospective reviews, Carlos Clarens wrote about the monster rally films, such as House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula , in his book An Illustrated History of
9288-586: The same year, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours , presented by Prince Charles . On 20 March 2013, Herbert died suddenly at his home in Sussex at the age of 69. No cause of death was given and a spokeswoman for the publisher said that he had not been ill. He is survived by his wife, Eileen, and three daughters. His estate was valued at £8.3 million. His first two books, The Rats and The Fog , were disaster novels with man-eating giant black rats in
9396-606: The scenes involving the Wolf Man were removed. On the film's release in Australia, nearly all the scenes with a monster were removed. In England, the film was released as Abbott and Costello Meet the Ghosts . The film was reissued on March 23, 1956, on a double-bill with Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff . On the film's release on Laserdisc , Douglas Pratt, author of The Laser Video Disc Companion described
9504-407: The script. Barton faced difficulty during the production of the film, with Abbott and Costello often absent from the set. However, the film was successful at the box office and became one of Universal's top films of the year. Several follow-up films ensued involving Abbott and Costello meeting other horror film actors and monsters. The film was mostly well received by critics on its release and in 2001,
9612-475: The second crate, Wilbur reads the Dracula legend and the coffin suddenly opens, and Dracula sneaks out. Wilbur is so frightened he can barely articulate his call for help. When Chick returns, he refuses to believe the story. The boys open the second crate, and Chick goes to greet McDougal. Dracula hypnotizes Wilbur, finds Frankenstein's Monster in the second crate, and reanimates him. Both leave and McDougal finds
9720-448: The specialized equipment that has arrived. After Wilbur says that he was in the basement, Sandra feigns a headache and tells the others to attend the ball without her. In private, Sandra admits to Dracula that she feels they are not safe to conduct the experiment. Dracula then turns her into a vampire. At the masquerade ball, Talbot accuses Lejos of being Dracula, but no one takes him seriously. Joan soon disappears. Sandra lures Wilbur into
9828-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
9936-453: The story of a sceptical paranormal investigator taunted by malicious ghosts, began life as a screenplay for the BBC, though this was not the screenplay used in the eventual film version. Its sequels were The Ghosts of Sleath and Ash . Others of Herbert's books, such as Moon , Sepulchre and Portent , are structured as thrillers and include espionage and detective story elements along with
10044-484: The studio nearly went bankrupt. By 1948, William Goetz had been in charge of production since the merger and Abbott and Costello's popularity was waning. According to director Charles Barton , who was among the top comedy film directors at Universal between 1945 and 1952, Goetz did not want anything to do with Abbott and Costello after Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had dropped their option for more films and Camel Cigarettes dropped their radio show in 1947. Robert Arthur ,
10152-457: The supernatural. The Jonah is in large part the story of a police investigation, albeit by a policeman whose life is overshadowed by a supernatural presence. The Spear deals with a neo-Nazi cult in Britain and an international conspiracy which includes a right-wing US general and an arms dealer. '48 is an alternative history novel set in 1948 in which the Second World War ended with
10260-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
10368-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
10476-519: The window. After a chase through the house between Chick, Wilbur and the Monster and a face-off between Dracula and The Wolf Man, Dracula transforms into a bat but is pounced on by the Wolfman, who drags the two of them to their deaths. Chick and Wilbur escape in boats; while Joan and Stevens set the pier ablaze while the Monster is standing on it, and he dies in the flames. Wilbur scolds Chick for his earlier scepticism, and Chick remarks they have nothing to fear now. The Invisible Man addresses them from
10584-401: The woods and attempts to bite him, but fails. While looking for Joan, Talbot becomes the Wolfman and attacks McDougal. Since Chick's costume is a wolf, McDougal accuses Chick, who escapes and witnesses Dracula hypnotizing Wilbur. Chick is also hypnotized and rendered helpless, while Dracula and Sandra bring Wilbur, Stevens, and Joan back to the castle. The next morning, Chick and Talbot meet up in
10692-582: The year. To promote the film, Universal paid Boris Karloff 's New York hotel bill to pose outside of Loew's Criterion Theatre in New York. Karloff agreed, stating "as long as I don't have to see the movie!" Box office was particularly strong in New York City, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles. According to Variety the film earned $ 2.2 million in the US in 1948. It was initially banned in British Columbia and then later allowed for release after most of
10800-464: Was Bela Lugosi , who had not worked in a Hollywood studio since 1946 with Scared to Death . Universal-International had Lugosi, Chaney and Strange sign their contracts for the film on January 16, 1948. Lugosi spoke positively about the role during production, glad that the script was not "unbecoming to Dracula's dignity" and that "all I have to do is frighten the boys, a perfectly appropriate activity. My trademark will be unblemished". "All three of
10908-425: Was filmed after production wrapped with Jane Randolph on April 9. Post-production started immediately on the film. Frank Skinner , who had previously scored Son of Frankenstein (1939) and worked on the score of The Wolf Man , (1941) composed the original score for the film. Some effect shots were filmed in late March. Special effects for the film were developed by David Horsley and Jerome Ash and included
11016-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
11124-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
11232-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
11340-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
11448-587: Was thought and sympathy involved. Then they became comedies. Abbott and Costello ruined the horror films: they made buffoons out of the monsters..." Kim Newman declared that Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein , unlike that of House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula , set a precedent that in films where there are multiple monsters, Dracula will be their leader. This plot element would be replicated in later films such as The Monster Squad (1987), The Creeps (1997), Van Helsing (2004), Hotel Transylvania (2012) and Monster Family (2017). In 2001,
11556-405: Was thrown, she swung back into camera range. Strange tried to catch her, causing him to fall and break his foot. As Strange's injury was being treated, Chaney took to applying the make-up and portrayed the monster throwing Aubert through the window. By the end of February, the film's title had changed to one closer resembling its final release title. Filming completed on March 20, 1948. A new scene
11664-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
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