Done here? These fine folks will take good care of you!
Wassup, fellas? It’s Morbid from Dreamin’ Demon.
I have a trauma for ya’ that I need help identified. Actually, I have two. But first is a movie I am trying to track down. I am almost 100 percent sure it is a FRANKENSTEIN movie. It was in black-and-white and I caught it back in the mid ’70s on a Saturday Creature Feature. The only scene I remember, and a scene I want to see again, detailed a balding, older gentleman falling from a balcony in the foyer of a large house. The scene (as I recalled it) showed him fall and actually hitting the ground with his head. My memory may have embellished this scene greatly, but that’s what I have stuck in ma’ brain. I HAVE to see this scene again to see why it has stuck with me all these years.
Lastly, my mom used to be hooked on these hobo faces made of plastic. They hung on the wall. If you pulled their bow tie or some other type of neck accessory, they would “spit” water at you from their mouths and then laugh. They were pretty popular in the late ’70s early ’80s and there were many varieties of them. I even remember them being sold widely at Myrtle Beach, SC. But I’ll be damned if I can find anyone who has them for sale, or any history behind them to start looking. Trying a search for “spitting hobo” brings up interesting results, but not exactly what I’m looking for.
I’ll skip the handjob of telling how much I enjoy your site and just thank you for any help you can provide in these very important matters.
UNK SEZ: Thanks Morbid! Morbid lords over the non-stop fascinating conveyor belt of human depravity known as DREAMIN’ DEMON; visit if you dare HERE. By the by, both myself and Aunt John remember those rascally plastic squirting hobo wall hangings that Morbid speaks of but for the life of us, we could not find a picture of one anywhere on the internet (How is that possible?) If any of you can find an image of one, please send it to kindertrauma@gmail.com so we can add it to the comments section. It takes a village, people (and not the kind that wears chaps!)
UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMAS SOLVED! Hugs and kisses (and other acts promised in the comments!) go out to Senski for the being the first to get both CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and Laffun Heads!
Stumble it!
16 responses so far ↓
1 Brother Bill
// Sep 17, 2009 at 10:31 am
I remember those spitting, chuckling faces… if you want to see one in action, there is one featured in the Robert Altman film “3 Women”. Sissy Spacek gets spit on one that is on display at a bar, and then later, while drinking with a man in her apartment, she starts imitating one herself, chuckling obnoxiously and spitting her beer.
2 senski
// Sep 17, 2009 at 5:58 pm
They were called Laffun Heads – good Lord, they look hideous…
http://swapatorium.blogspot.com/2005/08/laffun-head.html
3 senski
// Sep 17, 2009 at 6:25 pm
As for the Frankenstein movie, it’s not b&w, but I think you might have seen 1957′s Curse of Frankenstein, and the death of Prof. Bernstein (and source of the creature’s brain). It’s here at about 6:40…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6-4zgZVkmI
4 RATSAWGOD
// Sep 17, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I remember these too! Thanks to senski, we now know they were called Laffun Heads. Yay! I’m gonna get one on eBay, if I can.
In the meanwhile, here’s what the squirting version looked like:
http://harkless.org/dan/mirrors/i18.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/7d/ef/8b5c_1.JPG
5 RATSAWGOD
// Sep 17, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Never mind. According to this info sheet, they all indeed squirted. Oooh, I like the sound of THAT!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44527649@N00/2417277726/
6 senski
// Sep 17, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Ooh, I can think of one or two bloggers who are really gonna want that clown one…
7 RATSAWGOD
// Sep 17, 2009 at 11:48 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJV3r5203EY
8 aunt john
// Sep 18, 2009 at 8:35 am
Pierre of Frankensteinia & Monster Crazy fame left this on our facebook page, corroborating Senski’s answer in the 3rd comment:
9 aunt john
// Sep 18, 2009 at 8:41 am
We also got an email from Reader Riff about the Laffun Heads:
10 aunt john
// Sep 18, 2009 at 8:52 am
11 LaDracul
// Sep 18, 2009 at 9:18 am
Oh man, I think I remember seeing those in the Service Merchandise catalog…although I prefer them over Billy the Big Mouth Bass…
12 mamamiasweetpeaches
// Sep 18, 2009 at 11:43 am
That the scariest shit Ive seen in a LOOONG time! People actually WANT those? If I found one of those in my attic I’d call a priest!
By the way, when you click on the links to look at them make sure you read the comments. they are a stitch! (my favorite being the one that says actor Randy Quaid looks like one. LMAO!)
I dont remember these from my childhood. Just those pictures of Jesus that had eyes that seemed to follow you around the room.
13 Morbid
// Sep 18, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Holy Mother of God, I swear to you if I was an aggressive gay man, I would blow you if you liked it or not, senski. I owe you a beer.
That is indeed the film and seeing the scene now, all these years later, I know why it stuck in my head. That looked HORRENDOUS! Sweet!
As for the hobo heads, thank you, thank you, thank you. I have been trying to track these things down forever to no avail. Search terms brought up some nasty stuff.
Again, Kindertrauma and gang, I LOVE your site and you have made my Friday. Thanks!
14 Morbid
// Sep 18, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Geez. Just checked out the pics and videos of the Laffun Heads. I guess you can imagine why I, a collector of bizzare and obscure toys, would like to have some. My mother and her friends used to collect the damn things. The squirting ones. If I am not mistaken, The Gay Dolphin gift store in Myrtle Beach used to have a 6-foot wall featuring every kind ever made. If I get a chance, I may check out some boxes in storage at the ‘rents house. I bet some are still in there.
15 mamamiasweetpeaches
// Sep 18, 2009 at 3:26 pm
The YOU TUBE video with the Laffun Head wiggling its tongue is really grossing me out cuz its reminding me of a horror movie, but I cant put my finger on which one. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE maybe?
16 senski
// Sep 18, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Morbid, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship…glad I could help!
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