While jaunting around the world of Google recently, I discovered these two fascinating promotional or behind-the-scenes images from AIP’s THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963, listen to my audio commentary on Kino Lorber DVD and Blu-ray). Both pertain to stand-ins and I’d never seen either of them before.
This first shot captures Peter Lorre’s long-time stuntman Harvey Parry (he even did the fall for Lorre in the flaming stairwell scene from STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR, 23 years earlier!), wearing his trusty PL mask while waiting for his long shot.
The second offers confirmation of the rumor that 1950’s-60’s feline star Rhubarb (aka Orangey) was indeed more than one cat, each cat having its own on-camera specialty; I've read that each of them had been a rescue animal. Of course, this shot isn't necessarily proof that there were nine Orangeys altogether, as AIP's publicity photographer may have added to their number to make a “nine lives” joke. Even so, I found this shot a startlingly public confession of the cat star's multiplicity.
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