Tuesday, October 15, 2024

31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe: Ultimate Professor Burke from Classic Monsters Collection by NECA

 

   Let me start by saying that I am completely aware that London after Midnight, a 1927 silent horror film directed by Tod Browning (Dracula and Freak) and starring Lon Chaney, is a Metro-Goldwin-Mayer release and not a Universal Studios picture. This year is pretty much completely devoted to the classic Universal Studios pictures of the first half of the 20th century and their descendants but I do take liberties from time to time and I'm certainly willing to bend the rules for Mr. Browning, Mr. Chaney, and the film London After Midnight. I've not seen the original film but, I'm willing to bet, neither have you. You see, London After Midnight is a lost film with the last known copy destroyed in a vault fire at an MGM studios backlot in Culver City, California. There are some novelizations and such of the film available as well as a 2002 Turner Classic Movies reconstruction of the film, but what has kept this unseen film in the minds of so many horror fans to this day? The terrifying image of Lon Chaney as the Man in the Beaver Hat from multiple publicity stills and posters and the fantastic title and poster for the movie. I personally think London After Midnight is an incredible title that's very evocative and creepy. It also does tie into the plot, with the murder that starts the plot taking place around 1:00 am in London. In the film Chaney plays a dual role as both Professor Edward C. Burke, an agent of Scotland Yard investigating a murder, and the mysterious Man in the Beaver hat, the ghastly faced, vampiric man. The Man in the Beaver Hat is actually Professor Burke in disguise, attempting to learn the secret behind the murder of he's been investigating, but that's not revealed until closer to the end of the film. Inevitably, many folks who love the Man in the Beaver Hat as a horror icon would probably be disappointed to learn that the Man in the Beaver Hat is Professor Burke in disguise rather than a true villain, but the character still has an incredible appearance. This character is a great choice for NECA, a company who is really showing a lot of love to classic horror films. Ready to discover what happens in London when the sun goes down? Then join me after the break...



The Facts:

Height: 7 1/2 inches

Articulation: Double swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/ hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 5 interchangeable hands, 3 portraits, lantern, hat, cape, fabric cape, and bat wing cape.

Non-Scalper Price: $35- $38 dollars







The Positives:


* Outfit wise, the Man with the Beaver Hat dressed pretty simply. In the story, some people believe that this guy is a vampire, so he's fittingly sporting some very old, traditional clothing: A black suit with a long black overcoat and a white bowtie. He's also got a white dress shirt, too. While there's definitely color here (the eyes, mouth, and lantern), thus this isn't technically a black & white figure, he's still mostly clothed in black and white with grayish skin, so if you pose him with other black and white figures I imagine he'd look just fine.




* The portraits are the stars of the show here as they show NECA's team utilizing their sculpting talents to depict Lon Chaney utilizing his acting and makeup talents. I've tried to go from the least craziest portrait to the most craziest, so starting with this one we've got Professor Burke disguised with longer hair with a combover on top, some very creepy teeth, and big dark circles under his eyes. This really is a very disturbing looking figure and captures Chaney's likeness in this role nicely from what we can see in film stills and such.






* Here's the Beaver Hat that gives the Man in the Beaver Hat his moniker. What's a Beaver Hat? A fashionable hat made from beaver felt that gained popularity in the 17th century. There were different styles but this one seems to be the most popular type. There is a texture to the hat here and it's a bit rubbery, meaning it fits on Burke's head tightly and stays in place well. The fit is excellent.






* The second portrait features Lon's eyes opened a bit wider and his bottom teeth showing a bit more. The permanent grin is also a bit higher and wider. The work on the eyes on all three portraits is excellent with some very impressive paintwork that's not as noticeable with my attempts at mood lighting here. 








* The third and final headsculpt is my favorite. It's the craziest, showing Burke with a massive, open mouthed laugh and some truly wild eyes. The work on the teeth is even more impressive here. They're so small and just all look so crazy! Very frightening. This is one I'll typically displaying and I bet most other fans will utilize this one, too. 










* Burke is wearing a dress shirt under a suit jacket underneath an overcoat. That's a lot of clothing but NECA has managed to make them all separate layers and still not make them look overly bulky. This is definitely an impressive feat. Throw one of his capes or mantles over here and he still looks normal with no additional bulkiness. 












* Burke comes with two different mantles, the first being made from a slightly pliable plastic, not much different from what is jacket and overcoat are made from. It's fits well and looks really nice on the figure, especially in plain standing positions where his arms aren't moving much. There's a line of glossy black paint at the bottom of the mantle to give the hem a bit more visual pop. 











* The second mantle is made from a thin fabric with a plastic collar. This wasn't listed in any of the solicits for the figure that I could find, so maybe it was a later addition. If you want to pose Burke holding the lantern up or gesturing wildly, this mantle allows for better movement.








* There's also a large cape that's made from a very pliable rubber with a little stretch to it. It looks like bat wings turned into a cape and it shows up in the film when the Man in the Beaver Hat mysteriously appears in the home of Sir James Hamlin and terrifies the poor maid, Ms. Smithson.  Remove Burke's head and hands and the cape slips over his wrists and neck, thus is can move with him. This allows you to recreate this very famous pose from the film.












* The Man in the Beaver Hat isn't a ninja but he does look great in expressive poses, especially using his hands and arms. If you're familiar with most of NECA's modern figures you'll know what to expect. The articulation is quite good overall and he feels fairly sturdy with nothing that worried me. His jacket and coat cover the torso, so they're inhibited a bit, but his legs can move freely, allowing him to be fairly mobile.  






* Burke comes with five swappable hands: A right hand for holding the lantern and two pairs of gesturing hands. They're both different, but they're both just different expressive gestures with the fingers spread and moving in different ways. One looks like it's pointing a bit, too. 




* The lantern shows up in some of the famous images from the film so NECA has included it here. It's a bit more simple than many other NECA lanterns that I've seen as accessories but it's still pretty nice. The handle doesn't swing, though. It's mostly a gunmetal color though the lantern does have a paint effect to look like it's glowing. 


The Negatives:



* This is less of a negative and more of a caution: Be careful with the loops on the bat wing cape; they seem like they could be a bit fragile. I'd be careful posing Burke too much while the cape is attached. 


   Professor Burke/ The Man in the Beaver Hat is an excellent release and I feel like NECA really did this guy justice. I love getting figures of Lon Chaney in his various roles and I'm hopeful we'll eventually get another version of the Phantom and Quasimodo. Can you believe that over 100 of Chaney's 157 films are considered lost? This is a cool tribute to the man that could capture your attention with just his appearance. This is a Great figure of a character you're unlikely to have many other versions of on your shelf. And hey, if you don't like the Man with the Beaver Hat you could probably turn him into Mr. Babadook. 



This is the first figure of Professor Burke/ the Man with the Beaver Hat that I've reviewed. For more reviews from NECA's Classic Monsters Collection check out the following:
Count Orlok

1 comment:

  1. Kind of cool, definitely a creepy vibe. Also reminds me of someone who could fit in with a Haunted Mansion playset.

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