Jay: He's here because his roles, however few they might be, are so memorable.
Me: You're talking about Renfield in the 1931 Dracula?
Jay: And Fritz, the Igor character, in the 1931 Frankenstein.
Me: Why are those two roles so iconic for you?
Jay: Both times, especially as Renfield, Dwight Frye stole the show with roles that, really, shouldn't have drawn any attention. That laugh was absolutely haunting.
Me: For me, that's Tom Waits as Renfield in Bram Stoker's Dracula. No one talks about his character or his performance but damned if he didn't out-act them all.
Jay: It takes a great actor to make something so memorable from a nothing role. Dwight Frye and Tom Waits both managed it.
Me: Dwight Frye was also in Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein, and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man as different characters. Guess there's no denying he was typecast. What do you make of that?
Jay: I think Dwight Frye was frustrated with playing the idiot madman. He said somewhere that he wanted to do comedy but, if you have a look at his resume, he never really got the chance.
Me: A lot of the titles - most of the titles - on IMDb for Dwight Frye are listed as "uncredited." Isn't that sad?
Jay: It is. I guess it's kind of like his life, though. He never got the credit he deserved.
Me: True. Sad, but true. Another thing that makes me sad is that this is so short. I wish there was more to say about Dwight Frye.
Jay: There's not really a lot to say, is there? He's a ghost from another age.
Me: Well, now that I'm a bit glum, I'll wrap things up.
Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check back tomorrow to see who our next Best Horror Actor will be!
