Gruselkabinett, Folge 176: Das Lächeln des Toten

Geschrieben von Francis Marion Crawford

Erzählt von Matthias Lühn, Sigrid Burkholder, Beate Gerlach und 4 weiteren

England, 1911: Auf dem Totenbett verwehrt der alte Sir Hugh Ockram seinem Sohn Gabriel und seiner Nichte Evelyn den Segen für ihre Heiratsabsichten, verweigert aber mit einem diabolischen Lächeln auf den Lippen die Begründung. Gabriel befürchtet eine alte Erblast auf der Familie, die mit merkwürdigen Bestattungsriten und grinsenden Totenschädeln einhergeht. Eines Nachts schwebt eine blasse, seltsam lächelnde Frau vor dem Fenster, die Evelyn zum Verwechseln ähnlich sieht.

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Titania Medien
• Erscheinungsdatum: 17. Dez. 2021

Francis Marion Crawford

Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909) was an American novelist. Born in Tuscany, he was the son of sculptor Thomas Crawford and Louisa Cutler Ward. The nephew of Julia Ward Howe, who wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Crawford was raised in a distinguished family of artists and intellectuals. In 1879, after studying at Cambridge University, the University of Heidelberg, and the University of Rome, Crawford travelled to India. He learned Sanskrit and edited The Indian Herald in Allahabad before returning to the United States to study at Harvard University. In 1882, he published Mr. Isaacs, his first novel. Crawford moved to Italy in 1883 and commenced his career as a bestselling author of historical and romance fiction. He earned critical acclaim for his Saracinesca series, an epic story of family, religion, politics, crime, and desire set in nineteenth century Rome. Crawford was also a pioneer of the horror and fantasy genres—his tales of ghosts and genies are frequently anthologized and remain popular to this day. His works have been adapted for the cinema more than a dozen times in Italy, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.