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Hi guys...back to the tunic; I think this is a really cool item. It's true that the photos may be a bit difficult to match up, but here's the deal:

1) The only one of these three movie stills that shows the reddish overgarment (hereafter referred to as "the tunic") is the one with Karloff wearing the hat. You can see the fur around the arm openings, and also that there's some around the neckline that is missing on the tunic for sale. However, you can see the loops that once held it in place. The only posted still in which the two boars appear is this one, as neither of the others shows the tunic. Look above Rathbone's hands and you clearly will see the tusks and ears of the mostly-hidden animals. There also is a shield emblem there, but like the neckline fur it was removed later for some other purpose.

2) The black, long-sleeved garment (hereafter referred to as "the shirt") does not show fringe or "rick rack" (had to look that one up) around the sleeves or neck. It's a white undershirt that peeks out of the shirt-shirt at these openings, which is clear when you look at other stills of Rathbone in the role (or the actual film; I'm looking forward to seeing it for the first time on DVD!).

3) I was confused because I thought there was some kind of cloak draped over the shirt, trimmed with a fancy chain and made of the same fabric. But the whole thing is the shirt, and the chain is just hanging over it. It's missing from the tunic now, but as the auction says, the hooks that held it in place are still there. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, the big boar emblem also was removed along the way.

I have no personal interest in this matter, except that I'd really like to own this. Unfortunately, I don't buy clothes off "the rack." Hahahahahaha.

Hovering-wife aside, I am very intrigued by this ensemble, and spent some time looking closely at the posted photos and other Tower of Basil images I could find online. In the interest of full disclosure, I ran my hunches by the owner of the items, and he confirmed them. He also explained, to my satisfaction, the unusually loose attitude Universal had about its wardrobe inventory (and the fact that many costumes were actually only rented), resulting in much recycling of parts, which speaks not only to the missing pieces on these two items but also to the rarity of near-complete 30's-era garments like these.

Check out his Web site, linked at eBay, if you still doubt the authenticity of these threads. (Threads...forum...get it?)

Well, somebody took the plunge.