HENRY BRANDON: KING OF THE BOGEYMEN

HENRY BRANDON: KING OF THE BOGEYMEN (BearManor Media; 2018). Bill Cassara and Richard S. Greene.

This labor of love looks at the work of actor Henry Brandon, who never attained stardom but was a working actor in films, on TV and on the stage for decades. Because of his association with Laurel and Hardy due to his playing nasty old Barnaby in Babes in Toyland, he later became a film-buff favorite because he often appeared at various conventions for the comedy duo and others. Not a biography as such, which the authors make clear, there is a lot about Branden's life which is not covered in this book. Just when I thought the writers were indulging in some "gay erasure" they do mention that Brandon, after a very brief marriage and a child, had a boyfriend in Mark Herron, who himself was briefly married to no less than Judy Garland. (The whole business behind this might be fascinating but it is not covered in this volume.) In any case, there is a definite downplaying of Brandon's sexuality among some of the people interviewed, but then, this book is really about his talent, which was prodigious. Brandon appeared in a great many films and TV shows and was also an accomplished Shakespearean actor. He performed with Judith Anderson in Medea and other vehicles as well.

There are separate chapters on Brandon's most notable roles in such films as The Searchers with John Wayne, the serial The Drums of Fu Manchu, in which he portrays the Oriental arch-fiend, and When the North Wind Blows, among others. The section on his appearances at film conventions gets a little tedious, but the rest is interesting enough. What comes across is how hugely admired Brandon was by his many fans and those who got to know him through his film-buff convention appearances.

Verdict: In general this is strictly for fans of Henry Brandon, but those who admire his work will enjoy this thorough look at his career. ***.