Carl Monson (September 2, 1932 – August 4, 1988) a.k.a. Carlos Monsoya, Charles Monsoya, was at the forefront of independent low budget

sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit s ...

grindhouse A grindhouse or action house is an American term for a theatre that mainly shows low-budget horror, splatter and exploitation films for adults. According to historian David Church, this theater type was named after the "grind policy", a fil ...

films or

paracinema Paracinema is an academic term to refer to a wide variety of film genres out of the mainstream, bearing the same relationship to 'legitimate' film as paraliterature like comic books and pulp fiction bears to literature. Definition In terms of tas ...

during the 1970s and 1980s. He is most well known for ''Blood Legacy'' (1971), ''Booby Trap'' (1973) and ''Death Feud'' (1986).

Career

Monson got his start at the prestigious

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

’s school of theatre, known as the Hollywood “Star Factory.” In 1964, with his first wife Laura Shelton, he founded the Curtain Call Theater in

North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

, a critically acclaimed invitational playhouse run by professional actors on a cooperative basis. The Curtain Call Theater was one of the first legitimate theatres to open in the NoHo Arts District which is now considered Hollywood's theatre district. In addition to working in theatre, Monson also directed and wrote screenplays for low-budget sexploitation and grind house films during the 1970s and 1980s. He is most well known for ''Blood Legacy'' (1971), ''A Scream in the Streets'' (1973) and ''Savage Harbor'' (1987). He also founded and worked out of Bumblebee Productions with his second wife, Tricia Kross. He worked out of Bumblebee Productions until his death from heart failure August 4, 1988.

Selected filmography

'' Death Feud'' * a.k.a. ''Savage Harbor'' (1986), Screenwriter/Actor: Harold/Director/Producer '' A Scream in the Streets'' * (1973), Director/Producer ''Booby Trap'' * a.k.a. ''10 Seconds to Murder'' (1973), Actor:Jack Brennan/Assoc. Producer '' The Takers'' * (1972), as Carlos Monsoya, Actor: Laura's Husband/Director '' Please Don't Eat My Mother'' * (1972), Actor: Officer O'Columbus/Director/Producer ''

Blood Legacy ''Blood Legacy'' (also called ''Legacy of Blood'' and ''Will to Die'') is a 1971 horror film directed by Carl Monson and starring Rodolfo Acosta, Merry Anders, Norman Bartold, John Carradine, and Faith Domergue. Synopsis In this 1971 effort, C ...

'' * a.k.a. ''Legacy of Blood'' (1971), Screenwriter/Director/Producer '' The Acid Eaters'' * a.k.a. ''The Acid People'' (1968), Screenwriter

Personal life

Monson's first wife was Laura Shelton (1935-2008) a.k.a. Carol Monson (born Carol Jean Ready on September 5, 1935 in

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). She was a frequent guest star on several popular 1960s television series including ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'', ''

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'', '' The Detectives'' starring Robert Taylor, ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family from ...

'', ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totalin ...

'', '' Have Gun, Will Travel'' and ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

''. Carl and Laura had two children; Clay Monson (who makes a cameo appearance in ''Death Feud'') and Cristen Monson Susong (a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

performer). Shelton and Monson divorced in 1973. Carl Monson later married Tricia Kross (ex-wife of

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keyboard player,

Jimmy Greenspoon James Boyd Greenspoon (February 7, 1948 – March 11, 2015) was an American keyboard player and composer, best known as a member of the band Three Dog Night. Early life and education Greenspoon was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in ...

). His second marriage produced no children, but Kross and Monson did create Bumblebee Productions.

External links

* * * Something Weird Video: http://www.somethingweird.com/ Popular online resource for Sexploitation movies] {{DEFAULTSORT:Monson, Carl 1932 births 1988 deaths Artists from Los Angeles Film directors from Los Angeles