On March 11, 1818, The Modern Prometheus was published, although the book is better known by the first part of its full title: Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the 21-year-old author, is credited with creating a whole new type of novel, blending gothic horror with science fiction.
The Book
Shelley began writing the book in June 1816 while staying in Geneva with her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Their friend Lord Byron suggested they each compose a gothic ghost story. And Mary Shelley produced the classic we know today. Well, what we sort of know today.
I remember reading the book in high school and being surprised to discover that the book differed somewhat from the movies. In the book, the Monster’s creator Victor Frankenstein is tracking the Monster. But “the Monster” can speak intelligently instead of merely deliver grunts as the character does in the classic films.
There are many elements from the novel that do appear in the movies. For example, there is the Monster’s desire for a mate, and the story raises interesting ethical questions about the creation of life.
Few characters in a novel have inspired so many creations, from movies to TV characters to a cereal character, although many mistakenly call the monster “Frankenstein,” which is actually the last name of the scientist who created the creature.
1931’s “Frankenstein” Film
Actor Boris Karloff is most famous as the Monster, beginning with his portrayal in 1931’s Frankenstein, directed by James Whale. Karloff creates a sympathetic creature that is both scary and sympathetic in the way he is misunderstood.
The Frankenstein film had a dark sense of humor, but it also was a product of a director who lived through World War I. Different viewers find different parts more disturbing than others.
But part of the scene below was originally cut by censorship boards in some states. They found the Monster throwing the little girl in the water (and accidentally drowning her) as too disturbing.
1935’s “Bride of Frankenstein”
Many consider the 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein to be even better than the original. Again Whale directed the movie, which again starred Karloff as the Monster and Colin Clive as the Doctor.
Elsa Lanchester defined the role of the bride in a brief scene. But many forget that she also played the role of Mary Shelley in the movie.
Universal Studios played on the popularity of Frankenstein and its other monsters by putting them together in different movies in the 1940s. For example, there was Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, and various other films followed with mixed results. Some movies expanded on the subtle humor in the original films.
Funny Frankenstein
One of the most famous funny versions of the monster appeared in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). Glenn Strange played the monster. The clip below from A Million Movies recounts “10 Things You Don’t Need to Know About Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.”
One of my favorite versions of the Frankenstein story remains the Mel Brooks’ interpretation, Young Frankenstein (1974). The Mel Brooks movie is a wonderful funny tribute to the original film and its sequel while still being a great comedy in its own right.
In Young Frankenstein, Peter Boyle played the monster while Gene Wilder played the young doctor. Below is this movie’s take on the blind man and cigar scene from Bride of Frankenstein above.
The Frankenstein humor was taken to a surreal extreme in The Munsters. In that TV series, the monster character was imagined as a father in a sitcom setting.
The Munsters originally ran on CBS on Thursday evenings from 1964 to 1966. In the clip below, Herman Munster tries out for the Dodgers.
Modern Frankenstein
In 1994, Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. That film tried to be true to novel’s plot while modernizing the scariness. The movie also starred Robert De Niro (as the monster) and Helena Bonham Carter.
Branagh’s movie, however, was a disappointment at the box office. I saw Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in the theater and enjoyed it for what it was. But it did not come close to the classic original films. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 40% critics score and a 50% audience score.
Another 1990’s take on the story with mixed reviews was Frankenstein Unbound. The 1990 film that combined science fiction and horror elements was directed by Roger Corman. The movie features a scientist from the future, played by John Hurt, going back to the 1800s and encountering Mary Shelly and the characters from her most famous novel. (Thanks to Tony Fontane for reminding me about Frankenstein Unbound.)
Even though it is almost two centuries since the story was written, there will continue to be new versions of the Gothic tale. Many more folks today know the story of Frankenstein than know the Greek myth of Prometheus, who supplied the subtitle to Mary Shelley’s monster book (and a poem by her friend Lord Byron).
The Titan Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. Because of this rebellious act, Zeus punished Prometheus by binding him to a rock, where every day an eagle would return to eat his liver, which would then grow back for the next day’s torture. Like Prometheus, Dr. Frankenstein stole something from the gods — the ability to create life — and because of that, he was a tortured soul.
Most recently, Paul McGuigan directed a new version of Frankenstein called Victor Frankenstein (2015). The movie considers the story from the viewpoint of the assistant Igor, played by Daniel Radcliffe. The film also stars James McAvoy as Dr. Frankenstein. The movie received poor reviews, but I am certain it will not be the last retelling of the story that Mary Shelley published in 1818.
What is your favorite version of Frankenstein? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Photo of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein in Bride of Frankenstein via public domain.
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(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
My favorite version was the book itself! I remember it being such a pleasant surprise, so much deeper and more beautifully written than I’d expected. But I love Young Frankenstein. It’s hilarious comedy, a work of art, and a homage. I remember being struck by the cruelty of the original film – it was a product of its time, as you point out.
One production I’d add to your list, even thought it’s not strictly a movie, is Danny Boyle’s 2011 London stage version, with Tommy Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch taking turns in the roles of Frankenstein and his creature. It has been filmed, and is still being screened at theaters around the world. (I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m waiting.) There’s no DVD, yet.
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it.