How Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat inspired Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Joss has stated his admiration of Hitchcock in the past (or at least Jeanine Basinger has related his admiration for the great man).
Joss has also cited several works that helped inspire Buffy, although I’m unaware of his ever citing a Hitchcock film. Being an even bigger fan of Hitch than Joss, I sometimes noodle around the internet’s Hitchcock environs.
Below is a poster for Hichcock’s 1944 masterpiece Lifeboat.
If I suggested Canada Lee’s surname writ large: LEE, turned Joss’ mind to Christopher Lee, Hammer Productions’ erstwhile evil vampire, Dracula, and this somehow inspired Joss to write a vampire slayer tale, you would of course say I was nuts.
If I further suggested the large ANGEL (Heather’s surname) inspired the name of a”good” vampire for his story you’d find me even nuttier.
But look at this unadulterated cap from Lifeboat, depicting Hitchcock’s cleverest cameo.
Reduco Obesity…what? That’s right: Slayer. And to the right, together in the same season whoops, advertisement, who do we have but Dawn and Glory! And I bet Ben’s on that page somewhere, too.
If the entire newspaper page was legible one might find Joss’ inspirations for the entire Buffy series.
And yeah, I am crazy but no, the photo isn’t doctored.
And thus was born a cross-disciplinary thesis that unlocked the key to human creativity, as we stood and watched in awe.
I completely fogot (meaning I forgot because of brain fog
that John Steinbeck wrote this! AH got the big names to work with him.
Did you notice that seven cast members are named but only six are shown?
Missing: Canada Lee, the only black person in the cast. A former boxer who made few films, he’s very good in the film.
If one really wanted to stretch, The “Ben” of “Ben & Glory” could have come from William BENdix, the artful actor holding the paper. And what was William Bendix’s greatest claim to fame? Playing Riley in The Life of Riley–or more probably “Reilly.” And Riley appeared in what vampire slayer show?
Even if Joss never saw Lifeboat, it’s clear an imaginative person could find inspirational fodder from any newspaper page. And possibly enjoy the challenge, much as Hitchcock enjoyed the challenge of filming Lifeboat on that single set. I think restrictions pump up the creative juices.
I agree. Restrictions tend to bring out the better if not the best!
Also, digging the cool new look of this site, Your Majesty!