An Open Letter to Gregory Mank

Dear Mr. Mank,

I am a senior majoring in Cinema Studies at New York University. My favorite films and my area of (certainly not expertise, but of) interest is Hollywood horror films of the 1930s and 1940s. I seem to write about classic horror for the final paper of at least one class every semester, and so I have run across your work before. I referred to "Hollywood Cauldron" when writing a paper on Val Lewton and the philosophical cross-over between horror and film noir last spring. I realized I have seen your name on more than one of my beloved classic horror DVDs, and last time I put in my "Cat People" disc two weeks ago I realized it was you that had done the commentary for that as well.
Anyway, this semester I took a class on Celebrity Culture and wanted to write a fairly short paper on the process of star-making for Lugosi and Karloff. My research turned up your new book pretty quickly, and I was preparing for this paper and reading the brand new edition of "A Haunting Collaboration", I realized that all of that work and research had already been done. I wrote the paper anyway, with your book heavily referenced and cited, but in going through this book I felt compelled to get in touch with you.
I was so thoroughly impressed with this book... with the amount of research, with the interviews, the stills, the posters, the presskits, the studio details, etc. How you got such access to the stars, crews, and minor actors on such ancient movies was constantly on my mind. Even the quotes and epigraphs were impressive! The notes, the filmographies, the index... all were utterly exhaustive. Most of all I was pleased and impressed with the personal touch of the book. So many film histories are detached and academic. While this book more than meets academic standards, it was so refreshing and great to read the subjective impressions and interpretations of a true fan. There is only so much that can be gleaned from publicity shots; a snapshot of you with an 80-year-old, beaming Frances Drake is something truly special. The fact that you are truly a fan and a lover of these films and these stars -- something that I completely share with you, and have for as long as I can remember -- makes this book a joy to read. You as the author, interviewer, and researcher are basically taking the hardcore classic horror film fan on the personal journey that I have always wanted to go on... driving past these stars' old houses, finding the infamous lake where Little Maria fails to float, talking to long-retired starlets, and digging through studio archives and production sheets. It was a true joy to share in the process, from one monster movie fan to another.
Anyway, thank you again for this phenomenal book. As soon as I can I am going to start reading through as many of your books as I can. Nearly every title seems to be on a topic that I am highly interested in. It is encouraging that with hard work and talent a niche interest like yours (and mine) can be parlayed into a successful career. I am applying to graduate school in the cinema studies department as well, and I would love to write film history, and it would be a wonderful career if someday one of my books sits near yours on a university library shelf somewhere.

best wishes,

Dain Goding
Dept. of Cinema Studies, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU