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Frankenstein
It’s a Universal Picture!From the Vaults of the Ackerman Archives.Contains Production Background!Press Book!Biography Notes on the Cast & Crew!Complete Shooting Script!Rare Photographs!Behind the Scene Photos!The first in the Universal Filmscripts Series from MagicImage.
169 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 24, 2024
According to the book cover, FRANKENSTEIN is the first of the MagicImage series of Original Shooting Scripts from Universal. And to be entirely candid, the 1931 film of FRANKENSTEIN is my favorite motion picture. (Yes, lots of people laugh, but it is true.) So, unless it was an incredibly poor release, there was absolutely no way that this book could receive less than 5-stars from me.
It is almost everything that I'd hoped this book would be.
Where does it fall short? Well, although I love the images provided, they are not of the very high quality that I have seen in other "Original Film Script" books. (On the plus side, several of the images were new to me.) Also, in an attempt to economize, Appendix A reproduces a series of four pages on one page, requiring a pair of reading glasses (and a magnifying glass a couple of times) to read the material.
However, I thought everything else about the book was wonderful:
* There are personal stories of not only what it was like to work on the production, but also what it was like to walk onto the Universal lot in the morning to report for work.
* Through the years, many apocryphal stories have appeared about the making of FRANKENSTEIN. This book removes the most fanciful and obviously false ones. However, if it is possible that one or more conflicting facts might contain truth, it allows the Reader to decide what to believe.
* Background is provided on how Mary Shelley came to write "Frankenstein" including conditions of its publication. (It doesn't mention that three versions were published through the years, one of which contained her own revisions and another containing revisions from her husband. It is a matter of personal preference, but I very much prefer her first version which is rarely published today.) There is even an image showing one page of the "Frankenstein" manuscript in her own handwriting.
* I was fascinated by the inclusion of the shooting script for the 1910 silent film version, too. I've seen it many times, and I've never quite understood the disappearance of the monster in it. Now, I know exactly what had been intended!
* The book explores the intended casting of Bela Lugosi as the Monster ... and this is where some of the conflicting points of view arise. Famously, Production Head "Junior" Laemmle was supposed to have laughed at the test footage of Lugosi which led to Boris Karloff being selected for the role. However, the book includes the "shooting script" of this test ... and I'm less convinced that Lugosi's make-up caused the laughter as much as the highly over-wrought script! Robert Florey's version contains every cliched mad scientist trope imaginable.
* For many years, I've wondered what it was like to be in the audience when FRANKENSTEIN premiered. How did patrons react? Now, I know. What I couldn't have imagined was that many reactions were as strong as they were for THE EXORCIST when it was first released!
As a collector of classic film scripts (and especially classic horror film scripts), this book is now a treasured part of my collection!
It is almost everything that I'd hoped this book would be.
Where does it fall short? Well, although I love the images provided, they are not of the very high quality that I have seen in other "Original Film Script" books. (On the plus side, several of the images were new to me.) Also, in an attempt to economize, Appendix A reproduces a series of four pages on one page, requiring a pair of reading glasses (and a magnifying glass a couple of times) to read the material.
However, I thought everything else about the book was wonderful:
* There are personal stories of not only what it was like to work on the production, but also what it was like to walk onto the Universal lot in the morning to report for work.
* Through the years, many apocryphal stories have appeared about the making of FRANKENSTEIN. This book removes the most fanciful and obviously false ones. However, if it is possible that one or more conflicting facts might contain truth, it allows the Reader to decide what to believe.
* Background is provided on how Mary Shelley came to write "Frankenstein" including conditions of its publication. (It doesn't mention that three versions were published through the years, one of which contained her own revisions and another containing revisions from her husband. It is a matter of personal preference, but I very much prefer her first version which is rarely published today.) There is even an image showing one page of the "Frankenstein" manuscript in her own handwriting.
* I was fascinated by the inclusion of the shooting script for the 1910 silent film version, too. I've seen it many times, and I've never quite understood the disappearance of the monster in it. Now, I know exactly what had been intended!
* The book explores the intended casting of Bela Lugosi as the Monster ... and this is where some of the conflicting points of view arise. Famously, Production Head "Junior" Laemmle was supposed to have laughed at the test footage of Lugosi which led to Boris Karloff being selected for the role. However, the book includes the "shooting script" of this test ... and I'm less convinced that Lugosi's make-up caused the laughter as much as the highly over-wrought script! Robert Florey's version contains every cliched mad scientist trope imaginable.
* For many years, I've wondered what it was like to be in the audience when FRANKENSTEIN premiered. How did patrons react? Now, I know. What I couldn't have imagined was that many reactions were as strong as they were for THE EXORCIST when it was first released!
As a collector of classic film scripts (and especially classic horror film scripts), this book is now a treasured part of my collection!
August 2, 2022
The first in the Universal Film Scripts Series of Classic Horror Films, edited by Philip J. Riley.
The definitive monster movie that, along with the studio's "Dracula" cemented Universal as the home of the horror film.
"Frankenstein" A Universal production, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr.; directed by James Whale. Based upon the Mary Wollstencraft Shelley novel; adapted by John L. Balderston from the play by Peggy Webling. SCREEN PLAY by GARRETT FORT and FRANCIS EDWARDS FARAGOH and (uncredited) ROBERT FLOREY.
Photography by Arthur Edeson. Settings by Herman Rosse.
THE PRINCIPAL PLAYERS: Colin Clive (Frankenstein); Mae Clarke (Elizabeth); John Boles (Victor); Boris Karloff (The Monster); Edward Van Sloan (Dr. Waldman); Dwight Frye (The Dwarf).
Filmed at Universal City, 24 August - 3 October, 1931. Final cost: $291,129.13
Opened at the RKO Mayfair Theatre, New York City, December 4, 1931 (breaking that cinema's box office records resulting in scheduling extra performances at the 1734 seat theatre)
More than half of this volume contains the facsimile of the original shooting script (Universal Pictures film #310, dated August 12, 1931).
From the vaults of Forrest J. Ackerman's truly amazing archives, this no-frills book has priceless material not found in other books relating to this classic James Whale film.
- foreword by Ackerman.
- extensive production background by film historian Gregory Wm. Mank includes an in depth historical study of the Mary Shelley story, subsequent play adaptations, director James Whale's career, Jack P. Pierce's incredible makeup technique, etc. plus a rich assortment of rare and fascinating photos.
- facsimile of the original Exhibitor's Campaign book with pen pictures of the actors, reviews and promo stories, posters, lobby cards and all the exploitation ballyhoo associated with the selling of the film.
All serious horror movie fans and/or Universal Pictures historians should have this book in their library!
"The purpose of this series is the preservation of the art of writing for the screen. Rare books have long been a source of enjoyment and an investment for the serious collector, and even in limited printings, there usually were a few thousand produced. Scripts however, numbered only 50 at the most ...... Some will be final shooting scripts and some earlier drafts, so that students, Libraries, Archives and Film-Lovers might, for the first time, study them in their original form."
The definitive monster movie that, along with the studio's "Dracula" cemented Universal as the home of the horror film.
"Frankenstein" A Universal production, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr.; directed by James Whale. Based upon the Mary Wollstencraft Shelley novel; adapted by John L. Balderston from the play by Peggy Webling. SCREEN PLAY by GARRETT FORT and FRANCIS EDWARDS FARAGOH and (uncredited) ROBERT FLOREY.
Photography by Arthur Edeson. Settings by Herman Rosse.
THE PRINCIPAL PLAYERS: Colin Clive (Frankenstein); Mae Clarke (Elizabeth); John Boles (Victor); Boris Karloff (The Monster); Edward Van Sloan (Dr. Waldman); Dwight Frye (The Dwarf).
Filmed at Universal City, 24 August - 3 October, 1931. Final cost: $291,129.13
Opened at the RKO Mayfair Theatre, New York City, December 4, 1931 (breaking that cinema's box office records resulting in scheduling extra performances at the 1734 seat theatre)
More than half of this volume contains the facsimile of the original shooting script (Universal Pictures film #310, dated August 12, 1931).
From the vaults of Forrest J. Ackerman's truly amazing archives, this no-frills book has priceless material not found in other books relating to this classic James Whale film.
- foreword by Ackerman.
- extensive production background by film historian Gregory Wm. Mank includes an in depth historical study of the Mary Shelley story, subsequent play adaptations, director James Whale's career, Jack P. Pierce's incredible makeup technique, etc. plus a rich assortment of rare and fascinating photos.
- facsimile of the original Exhibitor's Campaign book with pen pictures of the actors, reviews and promo stories, posters, lobby cards and all the exploitation ballyhoo associated with the selling of the film.
All serious horror movie fans and/or Universal Pictures historians should have this book in their library!
"The purpose of this series is the preservation of the art of writing for the screen. Rare books have long been a source of enjoyment and an investment for the serious collector, and even in limited printings, there usually were a few thousand produced. Scripts however, numbered only 50 at the most ...... Some will be final shooting scripts and some earlier drafts, so that students, Libraries, Archives and Film-Lovers might, for the first time, study them in their original form."
August 1, 2024
Loved this! Want to get the whole series now. Even as a Universal Monster Movie fanatic, there was tons here I hadn't heard before, and I love all of the primary source quotes and images. A true treasure. I wish the cover was cooler though.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews