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Downloaded From www.AllSubs.org
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Look. It's moving.
3
00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,838
It's alive. It's alive.
4
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,160
It's alive. It's alive
5
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,310
It's alive It's alive
6
00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,153
-
It's alive
-
Henry, in the name of God
7
00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:21,756
In the name of God,
now I know what it feels like to be God.
8
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,517
Sometimes I think we film historians
are a bit like mad scientists,
9
00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,957
poking around in dusty vaults,
stitching together our research,
10
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,636
trying to give a jolt of new life
to Hollywood's forgotten heritage.
11
00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,635
Fortunately one film that's never been
forgotten is James Whale's
Frankenstein,
12
00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,713
one of the most influential
and imitated motion pictures of all time.
13
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,394
When the film was first released in 1931,
14
00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:24,393
Universal added a special prologue,
part showmanship,
15
00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,951
but partly out of real apprehension
that
Frankenstein might be too much
16
00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,635
for nervous audiences
of the Great Depression.
17
00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:34,790
I think it will thrill you.
18
00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,394
It may shock you.
19
00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,313
It might even horrify you.
20
00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:45,556
So if any of you feel that you do not care
to subject your nerves to such a strain,
21
00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,234
now's your chance to...
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00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,834
Well, we've warned you.
23
00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,194
While
Frankenstein may
no longer really shock or horrify,
24
00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,953
it has never lost the power to fascinate.
25
00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,476
Boris Karloff's star-making performance
created one of the most
26
00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,473
instantly recognisable
cultural images of the 20th century.
27
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:11,156
So, if my friend here
doesn't make you nervous,
28
00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,711
perhaps you'll join us both as we enter
the vaults of Universal Studios,
29
00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,633
and open the Frankenstein Files.
30
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,191
Have you never wanted
to do anything that was dangerous?
31
00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:39,873
Karloff's performance is definitely unique,
and one of the great performances,
32
00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,428
in my estimation, in film.
33
00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,714
My father always referred
to the monster as his very best friend.
34
00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,396
It's simply the most powerful character
make-up ever created for the movies.
35
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,917
I wanted to be Dr Frankenstein. I wanted
to be the guy who made the monsters.
36
00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,230
Those films were the ones
that inspired me.
37
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,677
Most people have come to know the story
of
Frankenstein through motion pictures,
38
00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,833
especially the films produced by
Universal and starring Boris Karloff.
39
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:10,549
But the original tale was the work
of a precocious teenaged writer,
40
00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:12,756
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
41
00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,229
Published anonymously in its first edition,
42
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,629
Frankenstein;
or, The Modern Prometheus,
43
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,157
was the result of a parlour game she
played with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron
44
00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,631
during a rainy vacation
in Switzerland in the summer of 1816.
45
00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:31,510
-
Come, Mary. Come and watch the storm.
-
You know how lightning alarms me.
46
00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,239
They were all hole n there,
the weather was bad,
47
00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,311
and somebody came up with the idea -
48
00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,750
Percy or Lord Byron -
that they should have a writing contest.
49
00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,628
Frightened of thunder, fearful of the dark.
50
00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:47,350
And yet you have written a tale
that sent my blood into icy creeps.
51
00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:52,514
Look at her, Shelley. Can you believe that
lovely brow conceived of Frankenstein?
52
00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,229
A monster, created from
cadavers out of rifled graves.
53
00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,277
We're so used to the Hollywood version
of
Frankenstein, the Universal picture,
54
00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,831
with all of the electrical apparatus
and the tremendous production value.
55
00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,515
Of course, Mary Shelley,
when she wrote the book
56
00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:11,750
back in the early 19th century,
57
00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:16,311
described it somewhat differently,
and, if I may read just a paragraph,
58
00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,551
it leaves a great deal
up to the imagination.
59
00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:24,794
"It was on a dreary night of November that
I beheld the accomplishment of my toils."
60
00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,270
"With an anxiety that
almost amounted to agony,
61
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,158
I collected the instruments
of life around me
62
00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:36,837
that I might infuse a spark of being
into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet."
63
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,948
"It was already one in the morning, the
rain pattered dismally against the panes,
64
00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,316
and my candle was
nearly burnt out, when,
65
00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,756
by the glimmer
of the half-extinguished light,
66
00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:52,674
I saw the dull yellow eye
of the creature open."
67
00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:59,340
"It breathed hard, and
a convulsive motion agitated its limbs."
68
00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,430
Then she goes on.
She left it deliberately vague.
69
00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,876
You're not quite sure whether
there was black magic involved,
70
00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,838
or whether there was some
vague elixir or something.
71
00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,959
Certainly not by thunder, lightning,
72
00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,713
electrical impulses
and so forth and so on.
73
00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,873
There was none of that. There are
certainly many dimensions to this story.
74
00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,396
We can talk about Faust,
we can talk about the overachiever,
75
00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,755
we can talk about man
trying to emulate God.
76
00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:30,370
There are so many aspects,
which I think is the keynote
77
00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:35,353
as to why this particular idea
has transcended time.
78
00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:39,350
The novel was perfect
for stage dramatisation,
79
00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,635
and playwrights realised this
right off the bat.
80
00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,837
It was just a few years
after the novel was published
81
00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,832
that the plays started coming forth.
82
00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,957
In 1823, I believe,
83
00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,476
Richard Peake presented
Presumption,
84
00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,755
which was the fate of Frankenstein,
85
00:05:57,840 --> 00:06:01,150
which actually was
quite a melodramatic offering.
86
00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,756
It starred as the monster
an actor named Thomas Potter Cooke,
87
00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:09,719
who became in the 1800s pretty much
what Boris Karloff became in the 1900s.
88
00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,553
He became typecast,
playing the Frankenstein monster
89
00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,189
in all kinds of revivals
of that play, in other plays.
90
00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:19,238
The stage production that most
influenced Universal's film
91
00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,517
was the version written
in 1927 by Peggy Webling
92
00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,360
and produced by the British
actor/manager Hamilton Deane.
93
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,475
Deane himself played the monster.
94
00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,120
Film historian
and former actor lvan Butler
95
00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,191
was a member of Deane's company.
96
00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:38,400
And he had to rely wholly,
of course, on stage make-up,
97
00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,550
which was quite effective.
98
00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,349
Mixtures of greens and yellows and blues.
99
00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,710
And a matted wig on the top.
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00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:54,353
He was as tall as I am,
and he wore lifters under his shoes
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00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,432
to make him a bit taller still,
and he looked enormous.
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00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:02,310
Hamilton Deane in the stage production
actually was dressed very much like -
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00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,233
he was the monster, the creature -
104
00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,153
very much like Henry Frankenstein,
the creator.
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00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:13,553
They dressed very closely, and once
again it was the mirror-image bit.
106
00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:19,397
In the late 1800s, early 1900s, it became
fashionable to interpret the novel
107
00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:24,315
in a way that Victor Frankenstein
and the monster were like Yin and Yang,
108
00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,960
opposite sides of the same coin,
Jekyll and Hyde.
109
00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,270
They were basically the same character.
110
00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,955
Deane played Frankenstein in repertory
with his production of
Dracula,
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00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,238
which partly formed the basis of
the Universal film starring Bela Lugosi.
112
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:42,474
But, unlike Dracula, the Frankenstein
monster was a sympathetic character.
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00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,791
There was this touch of pathos
with regard to the monster.
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00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,553
He was to be pitied.
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00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,792
He didn't ask to be brought forth
into the world, and there he was.
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00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,668
And because of his appearance,
which was not his doing,
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00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,878
no matter where he went or what he did,
people were frightened of him.
118
00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:05,272
He threw a dove out of the window.
119
00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,636
We had a cage full of doves
and one stuffed one.
120
00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,998
And Deane used to get very angry when
he couldn't get hold of the stuffed dove,
121
00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,674
cos the other doves were saying
"What are you doing?"
122
00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,911
And he used to throw it
out of the window.
123
00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:24,870
He never said "Fly". He said "Floy".
Most peculiar accent he had.
124
00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,316
Deane staged his melodrama
with almost none of the special effects
125
00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,391
that would later become standard.
126
00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,155
His creation scene was a masterpiece
of theatrical understatement.
127
00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,949
You just saw him move
and then he got up.
128
00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:41,591
He got up very effectively.
129
00:08:41,680 --> 00:08:43,989
The monster's ultimate
revenge on his maker
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00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:50,155
was staged with the simplest materials,
enhanced immeasurably by dim lighting.
131
00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,835
He attacked Frankenstein,
bent him over a table,
132
00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:55,990
apparently tore his throat out.
133
00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,390
He had a bowl of red dye and a sponge.
134
00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,874
He used to bend over and he'd pick out
this dripping thing and throw it down.
135
00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,555
It was really quite effective.
There was a tremendous roll of thunder,
136
00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,758
flashes of lightning,
and that was the final curtain.
137
00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,116
Techniques of the theatre,
especially expressionist theatre,
138
00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,955
had a major influence on prototype horror
movies produced in Europe in the 1920s.
139
00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,828
In terms of art direction,
German expressionist cinema
140
00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:29,552
was characterised by intense
light and dark, lots of shadows.
141
00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:34,668
The Hollywood style for a very long time
was generally flat lighting,
142
00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,230
lighting to make sure
people saw everything.
143
00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:42,279
When Hollywood filmmakers were first
confronted with the German films,
144
00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,751
they were very surprised by
the kind of atmosphere you could create,
145
00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:52,836
and that flows into the horror films,
especially that Universal made.
146
00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,514
Studio founder Carl Laemmle
was born in Germany
147
00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,876
and imported much European talent
to Universal City.
148
00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,873
It was his son, Carl Junior,
who was most attracted to horror themes,
149
00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,235
much to his father's initial disapproval.
150
00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,834
But the success of
Dracula
was all that was needed
151
00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:11,151
for Junior Laemmle to have
his way with horror films.
152
00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,869
Frankenstein, another classic,
was the obvious next choice.
153
00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:20,557
Frankenstein was originally to be directed
by Robert Florey and to star Bela Lugosi.
154
00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,300
Bela Lugosi was a hot actor.
He'd just come off of
Dracula,
155
00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,236
so it was, again, a logical choice.
156
00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:33,320
And Florey claimed that some of
the scenario, if not all of it, was his idea.
157
00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,350
Robert Florey was a Franco-American.
158
00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:40,355
He'd grown up partially in France
and had started out in the '20s
159
00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,512
making interesting
little experimental films
160
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:48,469
that were very strongly influenced
by German expressionism.
161
00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:52,678
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari starred
Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt
162
00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,196
in a tale of mind control,
madness and murder.
163
00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,999
It was one of Florey's
favourite expressionist films
164
00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,719
and a model for
his proposed
Frankenstein.
165
00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:07,989
There are similarities in that you have
in
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
166
00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:14,349
the Werner Krauss character who,
in some ways, creates this being,
167
00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,670
but he is without his own will.
168
00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:22,995
He is a somnambulist who Caligari keeps
bringing back almost from the dead.
169
00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,915
Another antecedent to
Frankenstein,
of course, is
The Golem,
170
00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,120
which is also a film about
a human-made monster
171
00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,988
that comes to life and then wreaks havoc.
172
00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,834
Although Bela Lugosi was announced
as the star of
Frankenstein,
173
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,878
he had objections to the assignment
from the beginning.
174
00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:47,669
With the success of
Dracula,
he didn't want to play the monster,
175
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,992
this mute, heavily made-up character.
176
00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,629
He thought he was too handsome
and too well known.
177
00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:59,110
There actually was a test scene
of Lugosi shot for
Frankenstein.
178
00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,191
The make-up people who were there
179
00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:06,308
all describe Lugosi's make-up
as basically resembling the golem.
180
00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:11,428
And the story is that Lugosi
had a very claylike skin,
181
00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:13,954
a claylike look and also
this big head of hair.
182
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,192
I keep hoping that this footage crops up
somewhere. I would love to see it.
183
00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,477
The first writer assigned
to the project was Garrett Fort,
184
00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:24,711
who combined Florey's ideas
with an unproduced stage adaption
185
00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,310
of the Peggy Webling play
by John Balderston.
186
00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:30,350
Despite Florey's passion for the project,
187
00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,398
another director was already
waiting in t@ ýïð<(Ü A
188
00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,869
and Florey was soon out of the picture.
189
00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:40,829
There is no paperwork in the files
as to why he was taken off the project,
190
00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:44,913
but then, as we know,
James Whale became the director.
191
00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,878
James Whale had come over
from England.
192
00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,589
He had directed a very successful play
in England called
Journey's End,
193
00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:56,276
with Colin Clive, who eventually
played Henry Frankenstein.
194
00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,828
Whale was a rapidly rising
Hollywood director,
195
00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,878
noted for his direction
of World War I dramas.
196
00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:04,679
Sir lan McKellen was nominated
for an Academy Award
197
00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,548
for his portrayal of James Whale
in the film
Gods and Monsters,
198
00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:13,509
which earned writer/director Bill Condon
an Oscar for adapted screenplay.
199
00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:14,749
Action.
200
00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:19,834
It was the moment when theatre directors
were being imported by Hollywood
201
00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,639
to deal with the fact that
actors suddenly had to speak.
202
00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,315
Whale was more than anything
responsible for the choice of Karloff.
203
00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,790
My father had been
in Hollywood about ten years
204
00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,300
when he made
Frankenstein in 1931.
205
00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:37,592
And what most people don't know
is that it was his 81st film, I believe.
206
00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:44,950
He was in many silent films and also
in a lot of talkies before
Frankenstein.
207
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,395
He was having lunch in the commissary,
208
00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:51,917
dressed in one of his good suits
and looking very spiffy,
209
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,753
and James Whale spotted him.
210
00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,991
Whale saw his face and was fascinated
by the bone structure of it,
211
00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,435
and called him over to have some coffee.
212
00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:05,116
Whale, as he put it, engaged in
general conversation about England
213
00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:08,954
and about the problems of English actors
and English directors in Hollywood,
214
00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,634
and then suggested that he had a role
215
00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,951
for which he would like
Boris Karloff to do a screen test
216
00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,110
and would Karloff be willing to do it?
217
00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,988
And Karloff jumped at it
without even knowing what it was.
218
00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,594
My father used to say
his feelings were a bit hurt,
219
00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,797
since he was looking
his very best that day,
220
00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,793
and to be considered for the role
of the monster, he thought "Hm".
221
00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,633
But he was wise enough
to take the part and,
222
00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:38,510
with the help of Jack Pierce
and his genius make-up,
223
00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,319
went on to make cinema history.
224
00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:46,394
Jack Pierce was the creator of all
the classic Universal horror make-ups,
225
00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:51,759
the head of the make-up department
at Universal during the golden age.
226
00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,719
He was the man that did Frankenstein's
monster, the mummy and the wolf man,
227
00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:58,155
and all the classic make-ups.
228
00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:02,392
And he didn't have the luxury that
we have today of the modern materials.
229
00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,313
Everything that he did was
an out-of-the-kit make-up.
230
00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:10,760
Everything was fabricated.
He was a master at it.
231
00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:14,517
This make-up, the Frankenstein's
monster, everyone knows this.
232
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,398
It's instantly recognisable
233
00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,358
and it's one of
the all-time great make-ups.
234
00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:24,752
I just hope someday I can do something
that comes close to that.
235
00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,958
Of course, there's a great deal
of debate about that make-up.
236
00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:33,352
A lot of people think that it was inspired
by James Whale rather than Jack Pierce.
237
00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,398
Jack Pierce, naturally,
would say that he was the man,
238
00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,199
although he did say at one time
that it was a compromise.
239
00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,780
Who came up with
the monster's make-up and look?
240
00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,913
My idea, muchly. From my sketches.
241
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:49,755
Big, heavy brow. Head flat on top
so you could take out the old brain
242
00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,638
and put in the new like tinned beef.
243
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,110
The monster's trademark square forehead
may have been partly inspired
244
00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,317
by Thomas Edison's
1910 version of
Frankenstein,
245
00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,119
in which Charles Ogle
played the monster.
246
00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:07,239
But there's no question about
who executed that job. It was Pierce.
247
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:12,678
Films really are a collaborative effort,
and so many people are in the mix,
248
00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,149
and sometimes it works
and sometimes it doesn't.
249
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,276
This was a case
where it all worked so well,
250
00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:20,432
when you had James Whale,
Boris Karloff, Jack Pierce,
251
00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,239
all the people involved
in this film, it just clicked.
252
00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,390
I've seen photos of an earlier test.
It was very similar.
253
00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,270
He still had the flat head and the brow,
254
00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,272
but there were these
two ridges on his forehead
255
00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,909
with a little semicircular
clamp on each one.
256
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:40,313
In fact, it's a photo that still crops up
when they need a picture of the monster.
257
00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,709
I guess the photo editors
weren't too careful
258
00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,300
about whether it was really
in the film or not.
259
00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:50,350
The frontal bone, the brow here, was
fabricated out of cotton and spirit gum
260
00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:53,556
and collodion, which is
this really strong-smelling,
261
00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:55,995
very solventy-smelling plastic.
262
00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,311
You would put on a coat of spirit gum,
stick some cotton on it,
263
00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,278
paint some collodion on it,
and gradually build up the form.
264
00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,114
The same with the top of his head. The
flatness of the head was built up that way.
265
00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:10,432
It was quite painful to have this cotton
and collodion built up every day,
266
00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,513
especially so close to your eyes,
with that strong solvent smell.
267
00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:19,151
And the painful process
of removing it, as well.
268
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,834
He had to have amazing endurance
to go through this.
269
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,912
I'm sure it helped that it was
early on in his career.
270
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,560
The story goes that Karloff felt that
271
00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:32,430
in some of the original tests he looked
too alive, his eyes looked too alive.
272
00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,670
So he suggested that Jack
do something to it,
273
00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,639
so they ended up building up
these heavy eyelids with mortician's wax
274
00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,679
over Karloff's own lids, only allowing him
to open them partway like this,
275
00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,753
but he was still able to give
an amazing performance with these lids.
276
00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:51,197
Another thing that helped that corpselike
appearance was Karloff had a bridge,
277
00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,432
on his right side, which he removed
so he could suck in his cheek,
278
00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:59,433
on that one side, and Pierce
shaded it to accentuate it.
279
00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,637
Again, when you think of this make-up,
you think of the flat head
280
00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,508
and of the electrodes, which most people
think are bolts through his neck.
281
00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,991
But they are actually supposed to be how
the electricity entered into his body.
282
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,470
There's a positive and a negative,
like on a battery.
283
00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:18,473
Because it all worked with
the contours of Karloff's face,
284
00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:22,678
he was able to express
an entire range of emotions
285
00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,389
that other actors couldn't do under
the make-up when they essayed the role.
286
00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,755
That's part of the beauty of this make-up.
287
00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:32,992
He was able to perform in it
because so much of it was his face.
288
00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,437
If you would have built up much more
on him, he would have become very stiff.
289
00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:42,150
Collodion isn't really very flexible,
especially when you mix it with cotton.
290
00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:46,995
Not only was the make-up arduous,
on and off every single day,
291
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,790
it took three, three and a half hours
to put on and almost as long to get it off...
292
00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,589
The wardrobe itself was heavy and black,
293
00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,399
and they shot in the middle of August.
294
00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,675
The boots were heavy and cumbersome.
295
00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:06,676
I know there was one really torturous day,
which I think was almost a 24-hour day.
296
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,558
Being made-up like this, being outdoors.
297
00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,518
I think they shot
the "throwing the girl in the water" scene
298
00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,831
and then had to come back
and shoot something else.
299
00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:21,278
And it was not a fun job,
I'm sure, for Boris.
300
00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,117
The most difficult part of the shoot
was my father carrying Colin Clive
301
00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,830
up a hill time and time again
until they got it right.
302
00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,912
Ultimately, he ended up
having three back surgeries.
303
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:40,233
He really suffered for
the rest of his life, physically,
304
00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:47,590
because of just the physical difficulties
in shooting that film.
305
00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,958
Designer Herman Rosse conceived
a futuristic look for
Frankenstein,
306
00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,635
but, in collaboration with art director
Charles Hall and director Whale,
307
00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,110
the film took on a distinctly Gothic look,
with angles and shadows
308
00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,790
in keeping with Robert Florey's
initial expressionist vision.
309
00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,550
The concept of the burning windmill
also originated with Florey,
310
00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,996
who felt the laboratory should
also be situated in the mill.
311
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,516
Preproduction concepts for
the monster itself by Hall and Rosse
312
00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,340
were obviously discarded
by director Whale,
313
00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:19,157
an experienced production designer
in his own right.
314
00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,153
He was very meticulous about
every shadow and every camera setup,
315
00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:27,472
and the way that the frame
was filled so completely to the top.
316
00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,950
There's an amazing verticality
to the design of his sets.
317
00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,157
Emotionally, so much of
Frankenstein
leads up to that moment
318
00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,754
when the monster
sees the sun for the first time
319
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,700
and reaches up, trying to touch it.
320
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,312
And you wonder if the whole
verticality of the movie
321
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,234
wasn't designed by Whale
just to get you to that moment.
322
00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:51,677
The sizzling laboratory equipment was
the handiwork of Kenneth Strickfaden,
323
00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:56,550
a Santa Monica inventor who put his mark
on mad-scientist laboratories for all time.
324
00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:02,192
The original machines would continue to
put in movie appearances until the 1970s.
325
00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,392
Karloff was fourth billed
in a cast headed by Colin Clive,
326
00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,712
an actor whose anguished roles
sadly reflected his own inner turmoil.
327
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,349
James Whale chose him over
the previously considered Leslie Howard.
328
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,877
Colin Clive - Henry Frankenstein -
was a very broke personality,
329
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,428
having rather a Jekyll/Hyde personality,
330
00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:23,909
Jekyll when he was sober.
331
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,556
Really, the whole company of
Frankenstein was apprehensive,
332
00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:32,235
at the time the film was made,
that Clive might begin drinking
333
00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,357
and become Mr Hyde,
if you will, one night in Hollywood,
334
00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:37,590
and it would greatly endanger the picture.
335
00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,353
But Whale handled him
with great sensitivity.
336
00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:43,796
Mae Clarke played
Frankenstein's fiancée, Elizabeth,
337
00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,395
and shared her memories
with film historian Gregory Mank.
338
00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,234
Mae Clarke was still very much the
actress and insisted on acting out scenes
339
00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,596
from
Frankenstein in her bungalow
at the motion-picture home.
340
00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,753
And she got up and did the monster.
She relished playing the monster.
341
00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,718
She went marching across the room
with the monster steps.
342
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,679
And she acted out his discovery of light
and raised her hands to the skylight.
343
00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:09,116
And she was really quite good.
She made a good monster.
344
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:11,475
Mae Clarke adored James Whale.
She said he was
345
00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,155
"the pluperfect gentleman
and the genius".
346
00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,471
He had directed her in
Waterloo Bridge,
in a wonderful part
347
00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,996
as Myra, the streetwalker,
who dies in World War I.
348
00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,914
And so she already had
a great relationship with Whale.
349
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,470
She said that he was involved
in every capacity of production.
350
00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,518
He'd be up on the boom-crane tower,
he'd be in the sound room,
351
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:36,593
he had his finger on
every single pulse of the picture.
352
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:41,549
She talked about Colin Clive, whom
she had great sympathy and empathy for.
353
00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:47,112
She said that he was the handsomest man
she ever saw, and also the saddest,
354
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,796
and she had great sympathy for the
torment that drove him to an early death.
355
00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:57,113
She very much admired Boris Karloff. She
said "Dear Boris Karloff was a pussycat."
356
00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,475
In her scene with Karloff in the boudoir,
357
00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,678
the monster comes through
and stalks behind her and growls at her.
358
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:08,993
She screams. She was terrified.
She really was scared of him at that point.
359
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,675
She said to him "If I turn around
and see you, I'm afraid how I'll react."
360
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,593
And so Boris said
"I'll tell you what we'll do, Mae."
361
00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,114
"You just keep your eye on my upstage,
362
00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,715
away-from-camera little finger,
and I'll wiggle it."
363
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:25,475
"You'll see the monster wiggling his
finger and know it's Boris in make-up."
364
00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:29,917
He did wiggle his little finger, which was
a little finger compared to the rest of him,
365
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,594
and she got through the scene all right.
366
00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,360
Edward Van Sloan, who had played
the role of Professor Van Helsing
367
00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:39,429
in
Dracula on stage and screen,
368
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:43,911
brought a similar note of moral authority
to the role of Dr Waldman.
369
00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,277
Next to Boris Karloff,
seven-year-old Marilyn Harris
370
00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:51,432
gave the film's
most poignant performance.
371
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,750
Would you like one of my flowers?
372
00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:56,479
Marilyn had an immediate
rapport with Boris Karloff.
373
00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,870
She said that on the morning that
the company assembled at Universal
374
00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:02,474
to go on location
to Malibu Lake for the scene,
375
00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,792
there was this little parade of limousines
and out came the monster,
376
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,555
and she, at the age of seven, ran right up
to him and took his hand and said
377
00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,235
"May I drive with you?" And Boris Karloff
said "Would you, darling?"
378
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,118
Here was this child
who was terrified of her mother,
379
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,590
but who instinctively loved the monster.
380
00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:24,195
She said it was like magic. And the magic
really carries over to the scene.
381
00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:27,352
Karloff protested
throwing Marilyn into the lake.
382
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,271
He wanted to change the script.
383
00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:32,352
Karloff's idea was for the monster
to show his innocence
384
00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:37,700
by playing with the child and not
having anything awful come of it.
385
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,277
James Whale said
"It's all part of the ritual."
386
00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:43,113
"This has to happen,
to show the tragedy of the monster."
387
00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,316
So Karloff, of course, accepted it.
388
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:52,397
But when he did pick up Marilyn and
throw her into the lake, she didn't sink.
389
00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:54,835
And so James Whale
went up to her and he said
390
00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,436
"I'll give you anything you want
if you'll do this scene over again."
391
00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,353
And Marilyn said
"All right, I know what I want."
392
00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,557
He said "What?" She said
"A dozen hard-boiled eggs."
393
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,631
Her mother always had her on a diet.
394
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:12,669
So, sure enough, Boris Karloff
threw her again into the lake, farther,
395
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,638
and later she received
her present from James Whale.
396
00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,109
It was two dozen hard-boiled eggs.
397
00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:22,790
As Frankenstein's demented assistant,
the former Broadway actor Dwight Frye
398
00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:27,280
followed an equally bizarre role
as the insect-eating madman in
Dracula.
399
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:29,828
The character of Fritz, not in the novel,
400
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,710
originated in the earliest
stage productions of
Frankenstein.
401
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:38,188
I don't know how James Whale
found my father, really.
402
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:43,718
I don't know whether he saw
Dracula and
thought he would be a good idea for Fritz
403
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:47,588
or whether he had seen some other
of my dad's work, I don't know.
404
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,434
But James Whale became, ultimately,
405
00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,796
during and after
the making of
Frankenstein,
406
00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,713
a champion of my father's.
407
00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:01,793
He was in five different James Whale
films throughout his career.
408
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:07,709
But the versatile actor was soon
typecast in over-the-top horror roles.
409
00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:12,396
I think it is true that
the larger-than-life figures
410
00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,473
that he may have played on film
411
00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:20,758
result from his character work
and his acting work on Broadway,
412
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:26,437
where you do have to project something
more than just your own self.
413
00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:28,750
You have to be bigger than life
on the stage.
414
00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:33,231
They're all weird and they're all crazy,
to one extent or another,
415
00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:35,993
but they are different from each other.
416
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,153
I think the first time I saw them, he was
watching my reaction quite carefully.
417
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,380
I was probably six at the time.
418
00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:46,192
And, as I understand it from my mother,
419
00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,989
when we came back and I went to bed
and got up the next morning,
420
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,198
my father was very upset that I hadn't
been frightened by anything I'd seen.
421
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,556
Children seemed to
empathise with the creature
422
00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:01,633
and probably understood the message
423
00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:05,110
my father was trying
to deliver with his portrayal,
424
00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:09,318
and that was that the monster, or
the creature, as he preferred to call him,
425
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,437
was the victim more than the perpetrator.
426
00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:16,274
And children seemed to
understand that instinctively, he said.
427
00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:21,388
They were not afraid of him
and they were not afraid of the creature.
428
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,155
The Frankenstein monster
is totally innocent.
429
00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,435
He's rather like an adolescent.
430
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:29,875
He's in a world that is not of his making
431
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,770
and he doesn't completely
understand the rules.
432
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,357
And, like many adolescents,
he's a clumsy, very awkward thing,
433
00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:38,829
so of course children across the world
434
00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,630
just grafted on to the Frankenstein
monster, particularly Boris Karloff,
435
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:47,918
because they could see the inherent
innocence, could see the pathos,
436
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,630
could see that the Frankenstein monster
was very much a child like themselves.
437
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,393
Film audiences often
confuse Frankenstein's name
438
00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,870
with that of his creation,
and possibly with good reason.
439
00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,349
James Whale seems
to have been fascinated
440
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,790
with the dramatic
interdependency of the characters,
441
00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,799
according to film historian Paul Jensen.
442
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,269
The film works, at least partially,
443
00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:13,194
because its maker empathised
with those two characters.
444
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:18,700
And I can't help but think
that these are two people,
445
00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:22,711
each of which
is a version of James Whale.
446
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:27,510
For Whale, a self-made artist who
overcame poverty and misunderstanding,
447
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:31,798
the story of Frankenstein's creative
struggle may have resonated deeply.
448
00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:35,998
Whale loved the stage and the theatre.
449
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,516
You get an impression of this,
but the dialogue nails it home.
450
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:40,953
When Henry says:
451
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:43,600
Quite a good scene, isn't it?
452
00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:48,800
One man crazy,
three very sane spectators.
453
00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:57,636
The whole idea of it being a stage setting
and he's the orchestrator of it,
454
00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:02,589
Whale brought out of
or found in the situation
455
00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,514
something I don't think other directors
would have bothered or recognised,
456
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:11,674
and that is something that taps into
his own sense of demonstration,
457
00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,832
of presentation, of theatricality.
458
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:19,380
One of the most effective and personal
speeches was added during production,
459
00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,918
and was possibly written
by Whale himself.
460
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,118
Where should we be if nobody
had tried to find out what lies beyond?
461
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,988
Have you never wanted to look beyond
the clouds and the stars,
462
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,152
or to know what causes the trees to bud
463
00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,380
and what changes
the darkness into light?
464
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,553
But if you talk like that,
people call you crazy.
465
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,290
Maybe Whale wrote it, maybe not -
I don't know.
466
00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,270
But it wasn't in the shooting script.
467
00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,716
But it's one of the most
important scenes in the film.
468
00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:53,473
So, Whale must have wanted it there,
469
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,235
and that's where this side
of Henry is expressed.
470
00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:01,916
Sometimes I find that the scenes that
don't contain the most dramatic action
471
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,390
might reveal the director's
style of work and his talent
472
00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:10,557
in ways that are unexpected,
if we look at them carefully, those scenes.
473
00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:16,112
One such scene in
Frankenstein,
for me, is the first conversation scene,
474
00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:20,398
the one between Victor and Elizabeth
where they're talking about Henry.
475
00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,995
It's a passive scene.
476
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:29,996
So what does Whale do to try
to make it seem alive or come alive?
477
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,469
Take a look at that scene because,
478
00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:36,792
aside from the fact that it begins with
four close-ups - which itself is unusual -
479
00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,189
instead of an establishing long shot,
480
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,158
we've got a close-up
of a framed photograph of Henry,
481
00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:47,519
close-up of the maid, close-up of Victor
arriving, close-up of Elizabeth rising,
482
00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:49,670
and only then an establishing long shot.
483
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:53,992
We've had to figure out what we're seeing
and how those shots go together.
484
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:58,870
We're involved because our mind
has had to relate those shots together.
485
00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:04,353
We have a scene that could be
thrown away by a lesser director
486
00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:09,355
that is actually turned into
a highly visual and cinematic scene.
487
00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,954
The last third of
Frankenstein
488
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:17,433
is the part where at least the story line
has its weakest moments, I think.
489
00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:23,512
There are things that happen that
you have to simply take at face value
490
00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,239
and take for granted,
because they're not explained.
491
00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,630
And I'm willing to allow that.
There are little contrivances.
492
00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:31,711
Dr Waldman's been murdered
in the tower.
493
00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,750
Who finds Dr Waldman's body?
494
00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,755
No one ever seems to go up to that tower.
Who found him?
495
00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,354
But she has been murdered.
496
00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:45,468
How does the girl's father
know that she was murdered?
497
00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:49,633
All he would really realise
is that she had drowned.
498
00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:53,269
We just have to accept that.
Those don't bother me particularly,
499
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:58,275
because I accept those statements
to move the plot along.
500
00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:03,700
But the scene in which
Henry locks Elizabeth in her room
501
00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,596
because he's afraid
the monster might be around,
502
00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:12,391
and then the monster enters
Elizabeth's room and confronts her,
503
00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:17,508
is the one scene where I think
a contrivance hurts the film considerably,
504
00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,670
because it's a major scene.
505
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:23,912
There is no way
that we can have any idea
506
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,878
how the monster knows
whose house that is,
507
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,770
if the monster knows whose house that is.
508
00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,438
But 1931 audiences paid scant attention
to such implausibilities.
509
00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:38,593
For many,
Frankenstein simply
was an overwhelming experience.
510
00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:43,879
In 1931, so many of the things
that
Frankenstein showed and dealt with
511
00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,794
were rather unusual and new to people,
512
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:52,396
and they tapped into things
that were perhaps very dormant,
513
00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:56,189
or things that people
didn't want to consciously think about.
514
00:32:56,280 --> 00:33:00,717
We had thumping of the dirt
on the top of the coffin.
515
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,633
We had things that really
were never shown before.
516
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:11,157
The gibbet with this body hanging there
and being cut down,
517
00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,312
and the cadavers, and reanimating.
518
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,278
It's hard to believe now,
519
00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:21,558
because of the excess that we've all
been subjected to over the decades,
520
00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:23,949
but in 1931 this was a big deal.
521
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,953
What they objected to in
Frankenstein
were the little girl getting drowned,
522
00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:30,952
there were some fairly graphic close-ups
523
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:33,679
of the monster being stuck
with hypodermic needles.
524
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,788
And where Fritz, the hunchback assistant,
is tormenting the monster with a torch,
525
00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:43,556
there are some horrific close-ups of the
monster with the torch in front of his face.
526
00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:47,553
These are things that today you would
see in G-rated movies on television.
527
00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:52,770
The scene with the monster throwing the
girl in the lake was cut in certain areas.
528
00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:55,550
Some people saw the entire scene,
some saw him just reaching for her,
529
00:33:55,640 --> 00:34:01,237
which, later, when the father appears
holding her and she's in such disarray,
530
00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:04,756
actually created a much more
sinister impact than what was intended.
531
00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:09,675
There were pressure groups. The Legion
of Decency, the Catholic pressure group.
532
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:13,594
There were problems with the
Colin Clive line "In the name of God..."
533
00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,320
Now I know what it feels like to be God.
534
00:34:19,240 --> 00:34:21,913
In the original version
that we got on television,
535
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,515
since the 1950s,
whenever we would get to that scene,
536
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,273
there'd be a physical splice
and you could see a jump cut
537
00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:33,229
where Colin Clive is getting very ecstatic
when he realises what he's accomplished.
538
00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,393
During the early talkies, sound was not
on what we have today, an optical track,
539
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:41,837
which is a visual strip
along the edge of the film.
540
00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:46,869
In the old days, the sound was recorded
on big records about this size,
541
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:50,999
and they were played in the theatre,
synchronised with the projector.
542
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:56,279
In 1966, a friend of mine who was working
at a local Los Angeles radio station
543
00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:59,909
called me and he said "You'll never
believe what's in our studio -
544
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,549
the sound disc
from the original
Frankenstein."
545
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:07,633
And I was always disappointed when
all the restored versions of
Frankenstein
546
00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:09,870
always left this line out.
547
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,839
With or without the censored footage,
Frankenstein was a sensation,
548
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,230
and the monster became
a major new Hollywood icon.
549
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:19,595
Boris Karloff's stardom was assured,
550
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,831
although in real life
he had little in common with monsters.
551
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,992
He was the antithesis
of the roles that he played.
552
00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:30,730
He really was a cultured, well-educated,
553
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,675
articulate, well-read English gentleman,
554
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,753
who earned his living
scaring children and little old ladies.
555
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:41,435
Robert Florey's initial uncredited
enthusiasm for
Frankenstein
556
00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:44,830
was finally rewarded with an
acknowledgement on the French poster
557
00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:49,710
and the chance to direct a highly stylised
horror film in the expressionist manner.
558
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,300
Murders in the Rue Morgue
starred Bela Lugosi
559
00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:55,112
as a mad scientist
destroyed by his own experiment,
560
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,875
and was partly filmed
on the original
Frankenstein sets.
561
00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:04,193
Universal spent four years on a sequel to
Frankenstein, and it was worth the wait.
562
00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,748
In what was finally called
Bride of Frankenstein,
563
00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:11,834
Karloff returned and brought a whole new
dimension to the monster: Speech.
564
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:13,911
I love dead.
565
00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,390
Hate living.
566
00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:19,471
You're wise in your generation.
567
00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:22,675
A talkative monster
and the creation of his mate
568
00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,832
were both elements from
the original Mary Shelley novel.
569
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,398
She's alive. Alive
570
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,673
The bride of Frankenstein.
571
00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:46,391
Karloff played the monster for a third
and last time in
Son of Frankenstein.
572
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,517
This time he had a companion
who did the talking for him,
573
00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:52,797
the broken-necked Ygor,
played by Bela Lugosi.
574
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,519
It's my friend.
575
00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:01,396
He does things for me.
576
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,992
Basil Rathbone played the title role
of Wolf Van Frankenstein.
577
00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,595
Is it the old legendary monster
of my father's time?
578
00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:16,834
Or am I supposed to have whipped one
up, as a housewife whips up an omelette?
579
00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:21,473
Daddy Daddy
580
00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:40,473
In
Ghost of Frankenstein, the relationship
between Ygor and the monster got closer.
581
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:46,556
Your father was Frankenstein,
but your mother was the lightning.
582
00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:49,190
Much closer.
583
00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:53,831
I, Ygor, will live for ever.
584
00:38:03,720 --> 00:38:09,238
Next, Universal paired two of its most
popular monsters for amplified impact.
585
00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:11,311
I can't do it.
586
00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:15,438
I can't destroy Frankenstein's creation.
587
00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:19,390
I've got to see it at its full power.
588
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:40,509
Frank You're making him strong again.
589
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:45,596
Since Bela Lugosi's brain had been sewn
into the monster's head in the last film,
590
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:49,389
it made some sense for Lugosi
to finally play the monster himself,
591
00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:51,471
speaking in Ygor's voice.
592
00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:54,518
But the effect was considered
ridiculous by studio heads,
593
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:59,469
and the monster was rendered
voiceless again for the release print.
594
00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,757
Encouraged by the success of
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man,
595
00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:06,116
Universal pulled out all the stops
with
House of Frankenstein,
596
00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:11,354
featuring its entire stable of monsters,
with the curious exception of the mummy.
597
00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:43,150
Don't go this way. Quicksand. Quicksand.
598
00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:47,770
The creature was now played by
former stunt man Glenn Strange,
599
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:49,310
in a halting, robotic manner.
600
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,597
Boris Karloff,
wisely avoiding career quicksand,
601
00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:56,798
made his final appearance
in a Universal Frankenstein film.
602
00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:07,949
In
House of Dracula,
Frankenstein's creation
603
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:12,272
made the briefest of appearances,
a thankless lurch around the lab.
604
00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:31,791
In
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
605
00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:35,873
the classic Universal monsters were
reunited for an affectionate spoof,
606
00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:39,794
and for what many considered to be
the best horror comedy ever made.
607
00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:43,589
Help me with this excelsior.
Come on. Take it all out.
608
00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:44,556
Get it all out.
609
00:40:53,240 --> 00:40:55,231
Well, we got him.
610
00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:09,672
But the Frankenstein mystique didn't end
with the films of the '30s and '40s.
611
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:13,360
The Universal tradition has inspired
generations of filmmakers,
612
00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:15,395
even to the present day.
613
00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:18,438
The evil of Frankenstein.
614
00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:23,958
The evil of a man who created
a monster by crude surgery,
615
00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,555
and harnessed
the tempestuous forces of nature
616
00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,351
to give it life.
617
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:35,275
The laboratory equipment
in
Gods and Monsters
618
00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:37,715
was no longer the work
of Kenneth Strickfaden,
619
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,997
but the Universal look was unmistakable.
620
00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:50,873
In 1997, Boris Karloff and Frankenstein
had the unique honour
621
00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:53,474
of appearing on
a US postal service stamp,
622
00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,597
along with four other
classic Universal monsters.
623
00:41:56,680 --> 00:42:03,552
It was wonderful. The Post Office
could not have been better to work with.
624
00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:07,760
We got about 17,000 signatures.
625
00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:10,550
All over the country
people pitched in and helped us.
626
00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:15,953
It was a very, very rewarding experience,
because people were so enthusiastic.
627
00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:20,431
I think my father would be the one that
would be most surprised and pleased.
628
00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:24,911
He always stressed how grateful he was
for having been given the opportunity
629
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:29,630
by James Whale to play the monster,
how it changed his whole life.
630
00:42:29,720 --> 00:42:32,518
He certainly had seen
the opposite side of success
631
00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:35,672
for many, many years
before fame came his way.
632
00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:40,197
And I don't think he ever had
any difficulty with being typecast.
633
00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:43,716
He felt, and I heard him say
on more than one occasion,
634
00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:46,837
that a typecast actor
was a very lucky actor,
635
00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:52,740
because if you had been able
to make a niche for yourself,
636
00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:56,790
do something that nobody else
had done or was likely to do,
637
00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:58,677
you were very lucky.
638
00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:01,690
You left your mark in your profession.
639
00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:06,154
He truly felt being typecast was the
luckiest thing that ever happened to him.
640
00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:12,311
In her introduction to the revised edition
of
Frankenstein in 1831,
641
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,676
Mary Shelley instructed
her hideous progeny
642
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:18,672
to go forth into the world and prosper.
643
00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:22,958
Exactly 100 years later
Universal took her directive to heart
644
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:26,396
and created the most successful
movie monster of them all.
645
00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:30,314
The original advertising campaign
for
Frankenstein featured the tag line:
646
00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:32,789
"The monster is loose."
647
00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:35,269
And, you know, it still is.
648
00:43:36,269 --> 00:43:46,269
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