Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Probably one of the most misrepresented names in film-making history. A great deal of people think it's the name of the monster. Why? My reason is that for some reason that particular name and the way it sounds off the tongue just fits the look and feel of the large blocky creature Karloff helped create.

Although, this is not true. Even in the first two Karloff films he's referred to as the Monster. And even Karloff's identity in the film was left with only a "?" at the very beginning credits. And as a matter of fact, he's only referred to as Karloff in many of his early horror films. Which I actually think was a great idea because it just added to the terror of the characters he played.

That and I think he had such a fantastic last name.

I think the misnomer of Frankenstein being the creatures name probably came around because of later films like The Ghost of Frankenstein and Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man. It gives the impression that the creatures name was Frankenstein and not the Baron (or Doctor) himself.

The Peter Cushing series probably did a better job at reinstating (slightly) the fact that Frankenstein was the name of the scientist and not the creature he created since his name is attached on the credits as being Baron or Doctor Frankenstein. Or on occasion Dr. Stein or Dr. Carl Victor when the character was incognito in some of the films.

Well, getting what I originally was going to post, I had thought about creating a graphic novel based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein sometime in the near (or far) future. My idea was either to stick to the original text. Or do a different twist on the story where it either takes place in post-Civil War America or the early 1900's.

But the one thing I have decided on if I decide to tackle this monster of a project, I will have the Creature speak.

I had stated in an earlier blog post that I always thought it was kind of a shame that Jimmy Sangster didn't have the Creature speak in his original script. So, I have Christopher Lee's distinct voice in my mind when I think of the Creature.

Although, I should mention that there is a scene in the script where he very cleverly places a scene near the end of the film that this is a thinking creature and not just a lumbering mass of reanimated tissues. And it all had to do with Christopher Lee's movements and facial expression while acting in the scene.

It's quite good.

I still have a couple projects in the works at the moment but I shall keep you posted if I decided to add this one to the list.