When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Lady Fanshawe
- (as Clarissa Kaye)
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe character "Dr. Polidori" is not in Mary Shelley's novel, although he includes elements of Victor Frankenstein's mentors, Doctors Waldman and Krempe. He is primarily based on Dr. Septimius Pretorius from Bride of Frankenstein (1935), but the name had to be changed because the Pretorius character is not in the public domain. He is named for Shelley's friend John William Polidori, who wrote a novella called "The Vampyre," which he began in the same weekend that she got the idea to write "Frankenstein". Polidori served as doctor for Lord Byron, who mockingly called him "Pollydolly", just like Clerval does in the film.
- GoofsWhen Polidori introduces Victor to the creature in his carriage, the interior point of view shot shows a Chinese servant closing the carriage door. A split second later, in a reverse angle shot from the exterior, the servant has vanished.
- Quotes
Dr. Henry Clerval: You're afraid. I was afraid at first. It's the way we've been brought up. We've been brought up to fear! To fear the punishment of the gods. But Prometheus defied them.
Dr. Victor Frankenstein: And they punished him!
Dr. Henry Clerval: He scorned their punishment. So has every other hero that's stolen secrets from nature to give to mankind.
- Alternate versionsThe widely seen version features a prologue with James Mason visiting the supposed grave of Mary Shelley. However, test screenings showed a longer prologue, depicting Mary Shelley and her friends coming up with the Frankenstein story at a Swiss villa, similar to the opening of Bride of Frankenstein (1935). This was cut and replaced by the simpler version after the test audiences were bored by it.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Der phantastische Film: Frankenstein, wie er wirklich war 1 (1980)
It's a very well done movie, but it is nowhere near Shelley's novel. The ideas behind Shelley's Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein trying to make a man without reckoning on the power of the soul and on Victor's irresponsibility towards his creature once he/it comes out well proportioned as he intended, but has milky eyes and his veins showing through his skin, thus looking definitely not human and horrifying to the human eye. Left to his own designs the creature truly becomes a monster over time from rejection by human beings and his creator.
This film is not about the power of the soul at all. Instead, the two lessons seem to be 1. If you are collaborating with somebody who dies suddenly while writing in his scientific notebook mid sentence, make VERY SURE you just don't finish his sentences for him and take bold steps because of those assumptions. 2. Forget that soul business. The important thing is to be a handsome devil of a creation! (Michael Sarrazin).
The really weird parts about this film - What IS James Mason doing in this production as Dr. Poldari? He seems to be here as a kind of equivalent to Eric Thesiger's more accomplished mad scientist in "Bride of Frankenstein". And he works with acid and he is always wearing this mysterious glove. Before Michael Jackson made that fashionable. Hmmm.
Michael Sarrazin was not just a pretty face - here he is very poignant as the creature. Jane Seymour at 22 shows just what a beautiful woman she was in her youth - perfection. Well, done with a star studded cast of old Hollywood, especially in the supporting roles, I'd say it's worth seeking out especially if you can find the original version that was shown over two nights in two hour segments each, but that was with commercials. It really was a special presentation in spite of the lack of truth in advertising.
- AlsExGal
- Oct 27, 2018
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- Frankenstein, wie er wirklich war
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- Runtime3 hours 5 minutes
- Sound mix