How important was 1940s creature actor Rondo Hatton? The Austin-made documentary about him, Rondo and Bob, is now up for a Rondo, the award named after him.
Local filmmaker (and sometime Chronicle contributor) Joe O’Connell directed this love letter to a founding father of classic horror, and to a Hatton superfan with a legacy of his own. A veteran of World War I and a journalist by trade, Hatton was afflicted with acromegaly, a condition that kept his bones growing, and changed his features. However, he soon became an in-demand character actor, playing monsters and goons in thrillers and chillers. Universal saw him as their next big creature feature star, and were building a franchise around him as the Creeper, when he died of a heart attack in 1946, age 51. However, the film isn’t just about him, but also about Robert A. Burns, art director on the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, Re-Animator, and other cult and classic horrors, who was obsessed with Hatton and his work.
Now O’Connell’s documentary has been nominated in the Best Documentary category at the 2021 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards (named after Hatton himself). You can find the full list of nominees in all categories, and details on how to vote, at www.rondoaward.com.
This article appears in March 19 • 2021.
