Creature comforts

Most folks may know Steve Fredrick from his "Walk With the Dead" ghost tours of downtown Hono­lulu and Chinatown, where he spotlights paranormal activity at the sites of murders, suicides and other deaths.

What they might not know is that Fredrick, 60, is also a serious film historian and collector of motion-picture prints in several genres, including Hawaiian, South Seas, science fiction and horror.

Fredrick claims he has the largest privately held collection of film memorabilia in Hawaii.

He has in his possession the films of Duke Kaha­na­moku, comedies featuring Abbott and Costello, horror films starring Boris Karloff, and Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes and Dick Tracy mysteries.

In all, he has about 36,000 videocassettes and 750 film titles. Fredrick sometimes screens his films at special events.

An experienced videotape editor in Los Angeles before moving to Hawaii 20 years ago, Fredrick became hooked on the monster movies of the 1930s that used to show on TV when he was growing up in Minneapolis.

"For my generation they kind of became playmates or companions," he said. "The Frankenstein monster appealed to children through different generations because of the awkwardness of this innocent creature thrown into an unknown surrounding."

Possessed is an occasional series featuring Hawaii residents and their unique or fascinating collections. Tell us about your collection by emailing features@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4892. Q&A » Why: “Well, the simple generic answer is I wanted to show theatrical movies in the comfort of my own living room. Collecting is a totally personal thing. It’s a hobby when we start. Since coming to Hawaii 20 years ago, I?was able to look at what I had and realize that nobody in the state was doing what I did.” » Most valuable: An original Kodak Safety print of 1943’s “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” by Universal Pictures » Most prized: An original 16-mm print of “Alfred Hitchcock Pre?sents: The Greatest Monster of Them All,” which first aired Feb. 14, 1961, on NBC, and original 16-mm print of episodes of Boris Karloff’s “Thriller” series from 1960-62 on NBC » Still looking: Second half of “The Ford Theatre Hour: Arsenic and Old Lace” that aired April 11, 1949, on CBS with Boris Karloff as Jonathan Brewster. Fredrick already has the first half-hour.

The first item he collected was an 8-mm home movie version of "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1953) he acquired in 1968 at age 14.

"I don’t remember how I got it, probably Kmart or J.C. Penney’s (in Minneapolis)," he said. "Most likely, my grandmother gave me the money to buy the film."

His collection grew to include an original shooting script of 1935’s "Bride of Frankenstein," movie posters and monster magazines.

Fredrick owns many of the original 16-mm prints for major horror films by Universal Pictures, including "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925) with Lon Chaney, "Dracula" (1931) with Bela Lugosi, "Frankenstein" (1931) with Boris Karloff, "The Invisible Man" (1933) with Claude Rains and "Bride of Frankenstein" starring Elsa Lanchester.

Fredrick even had the opportunity to meet horror-film icon Vincent Price in Los Angeles and was also friends with Hope Lugosi, widow of the Hungarian-born actor whose portrayal of Count Dracula is the most famous of all.

A walking encyclopedia of local film trivia, Fredrick can tell you that "Frankenstein" debuted in 1932 at the Hawaii Theatre and that "The Mummy" with Karloff premiered at the downtown Princess Theatre a year later.

Fredrick’s passion for films and history eventually led him to offer the walking tours. Besides the "Walk With the Dead" tours, available in October, he offers a Charlie Chan mystery tour and Hawaii wartime history tour the rest of the year. On Halloween evening he will lead a ghost tour. Visit steves­tours­and­films.vp­web.com.