Harking back to the original concept of Frankenstein, this version amplifies the films suspenseful horror and adds greater depth of character and motivation as well as a new and different love story. All of the eagerly anticipated elements are here: the stone walled laboratory, the crazed scientist, angry villagers, a swooning heroine, a fearful storm and the hideous yet pathetic, deadly creature with its confused mind and powerful, undisciplined body. The final confrontation between the doctor and the creature produces a startling surprise.
The 1931 Universal Pictures film adaptation of Frankenstein directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff as the now iconic Monster claims in its credits to be 'Adapted from the play by Peggy Webling'. Webling's play sought to humanize the creature, was the first stage adaptation to position Frankenstein and his creation as doppelgängers, and offered a feminist perspective on scientific efforts to create life without women, ideas that suffuse today's perceptions of Frankenstein's monster. The original play script exists in several different versions, only two of which have ever been consulted by scholars; no version has ever been published. Nor have scholars had access to Webling's private papers and correspondence, preserved in a family archive, so that the evolution of Frankenstein from book to stage to screen has never been fully charted. In Peggy Webling and the Story behind Frankenstein, Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum (Webling's great grandniece) and Bruce Graver present the full texts of Webling's unpublished play for the first time. A vital critical edition, this book includes: - the 1927 British Library Frankenstein script used for the first production of the play in Preston, Lancashire - the 1928 Frankenstein script in the Library of Congress, used for productions in UK provincial theatres from autumn 1928 till 1930 - the 1930 Frankenstein Prompt Script for the London production and later provincial performances, held by the Westminster Archive, London - Webling's private correspondence including negotiations with theatre managers and Universal Pictures, family letters about the writing and production process, and selected contracts - Text of the chapter 'Frankenstein' from Webling's unpublished literary memoir, The Story of a Pen for additional context - Biography of Webling that bears directly on the sensibilities and skills she brought to the writing of her play - History of how the play came to be written and produced - The relationship of Webling's play to earlier stage and film adaptations - An exploration of playwright and screenwriter John L. Balderston's changes to Webling's play and Whale's borrowings from it in the 1931 film Offering a new perspective on the genesis of the Frankenstein movie, this critical exploration makes available a unique and necessary 'missing link' in the novel's otherwise well-documented transmedia cultural history.
A thrilling and gruesome look at the science that influenced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The year 1818 saw the publication of one of the most influential science-fiction stories of all time. Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley had a huge impact on the gothic horror and science-fiction genres, and her creation has become part of our everyday culture, from cartoons to Hallowe'en costumes. Even the name 'Frankenstein' has become a by-word for evil scientists and dangerous experiments. How did a teenager with no formal education come up with the idea for such an extraordinary novel? Clues are dotted throughout Georgian science and popular culture. The years before the book's publication saw huge advances in our understanding of the natural sciences, in areas such as electricity and physiology, for example. Sensational science demonstrations caught the imagination of the general public, while the newspapers were full of lurid tales of murderers and resurrectionists. Making the Monster explores the scientific background behind Mary Shelley's book. Is there any science fact behind the science fiction? And how might a real-life Victor Frankenstein have gone about creating his monster? From tales of volcanic eruptions, artificial life and chemical revolutions, to experimental surgery, 'monsters' and electrical experiments on human cadavers, Kathryn Harkup examines the science and scientists that influenced Shelley, and inspired her most famous creation.
From the author of "Hollywood Gothic" and "The Monster Show" comes the definitive book on the men in white coats who haunt our technological dreams and nightmares: mad scientists. 100 photos. College lectures.
This biographical dictionary presents a stellar lineup of talented, versatile character actors who regularly appeared in horror and science fiction films during Hollywood's golden age. Many are well known by genre buffs and casual fans--they include Lionel Atwill, John Carradine, Dwight Frye, Rondo Hatton, Dick Miller, J. Carroll Naish, Maria Ouspenskaya, Glenn Strange, Edward Van Sloan, and George Zucco. Some are perhaps not so well known but equally at home in the horror and science fiction films--such as Anthony Carbone, Harry Cording, Rosemary La Planche, Dick Purcell, Elizabeth Russell and Mel Welles. The 96 entries are complete with a biography and in-depth analyses of the actor's best performances--demonstrating how important these personalities were to the success of their genre films.
Women Science fiction authors—past and present—are united by the problems they face in attempting to write in this genre, an overwhelmingly male-dominated field. Science fiction has been defined by male-centered, scientific discourse that describes women as alien "others" rather than rational beings. This perspective has defined the boundaries of science fiction, resulting in women writers being excluded as equal participants in the genre. Frankenstein's Daughters explores the different strategies women have used to negotiate the minefields of their chosen career: they have created a unique utopian science formulated by and for women, with women characters taking center stage and actively confronting oppressors. This type of depiction is a radical departure from the condition where women are relegated to marginal roles within the narratives. Donawerth takes a comprehensive look at the field and explores the works of authors such as Mary Shelley, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Anne McCaffrey.
There are numerous publications about the horror genre in film and television, but none that provide information about horror on a legitimate stage until now. This book highlights the most terrifying moments in theater history, from classical plays like Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound and Euripides' Medea to the violence of the Grand Guignol company productions in 18th-century France, and present-day productions like Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd, Stephen King's Carrie and dark 21st-century plays by Clive Barker and Conor McPherson. The book compiles the history and behind-the-scenes tales surrounding stage productions about monsters, hauntings and horrors both historical and imagined. Included are the nightmarish adaptations of popular writings from Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, H.G. Wells, Henry James, Arthur Conan Doyle, and others, as well as plays starring popular characters like Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, and the Woman in Black. More than 500 plays are documented, accompanied by dozens of photographs. Entries include plot synopses, existing production data, and evaluations by critics and scholars.
In All Sincerity... Peter Cushing by Christopher Gullo with a foreword by Peter Sasdy In All SincerityPeter Cushing is a new book examining the career of the gentle man of horror. In a career spanning six decades and many mediums, including film, television, theatre, radio, and writing, Peter Cushing has been hailed as a consummate actor who was loved by both fans and co-workers alike. Whether through his early days touring with Laurence Olivier, becoming Englands first television star, recreating the characters of Baron Frankenstein and Abraham Van Helsing for Hammer Films, or appearing in Star Wars, the most famous science fiction film ever produced, Peter Cushing exemplified dignity, preparedness and dedication to his craft. Four years in the making, In All SincerityPeter Cushing breaks down the actors career into decades from his very beginnings in local theatre, his stint in Hollywood, and his rise to fame as the king of horror and beyond. Over eighty actors, actresses and directors have contributed to the book, including Val Guest, Robert Quarry, Francis Matthews, Brian Cox, Forrest J. Ackerman, Yvonne Monlaur, Mark Hamill, John Carpenter, Ted Newsom, Caroline Munro and the late Sir Nigel Hawthorne. Featuring dozens of pictures, In All SincerityPeter Cushing includes some rare candid and never before published photos of Peter Cushing on the sets of The Curse of Frankenstein, The Gorgon, The Skull, Frankenstein Created Woman, and Tendre Dracula, at leisure; indulging in his love of painting, the 1975 Famous Monsters convention and the 1992 opening of Cushings View. Also featured is a dedication from his life-long love Helen Beck six months before their marriage. In All SincerityPeter Cushing offers fans a personal look at a truly talented man. Author Christopher Gullo has been a life-long admirer of actor Peter Cushing. He has spent the last four years collecting rare materials and conducting interviews with Cushings co-workers for his research on the book. In the beginning of 2000, he took over the running of The Peter Cushing Association, a club for all fans of the great actor, which was created under the guidance of Peter Cushings former secretary, Joyce Broughton. YOU COULD OWN A GENUINE PIECE OF PETER CUSHING MEMORABILIA: Author Christopher Gullo is offering all fans who order the book and e-mail him at [email protected] (including their name, mailing address, and e-mail address) the chance to win an actual letter written by Peter Cushing to the BBC in 1986. It is on a piece of Mr. Cushings official stationery, written on both sides, and signed by him. All names and addresses will be kept on file, and at the time of the books publication will be entered into a draw - the first one drawn will win Peter Cushings letter.
Since the times of ancient Greece, popular culture has entertained stories of artificial humans. Our modern fears about the "otherness" of androids and human replicants have much in common with fears of the Doppelganger, a mythological harbinger of death. Throughout the twentieth century, "AI" technologies have developed at a rapid pace, bringing us face to face with these ancient fears in a modern context. Examining such films as The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet and Blade Runner, among others, this book charts cinema's fascination with artificial intelligence and the technological double, as well as the historical antecedents of the artificial human.
They had more in common than just a scream, whether they faced Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, King Kong, the Wolf Man, or any of the other legendary Hollywood monsters. Some were even monsters themselves, such as Elsa Lanchester as the Bride, and Gloria Holden as Dracula's Daughter. And while evading the Strangler of the Swamp, former Miss America Rosemary La Planche is allowed to rescue her leading man. This book provides details about the lives and careers of 21 of these cinematic leading ladies, femmes fatales, monsters, and misfits, putting into perspective their contributions to the films and folklore of Hollywood terror--and also the sexual harassment, exploitation, and genuine danger they faced on the job. In a previously unpublished account, Bride of Frankenstein's Anne Darling remembers when, at age 17, she was humiliated on-set by director James Whale over the color of her underwear. Filled with anecdotes and recollections, many of the entries are based on original interviews, and there are numerous old photographs and movie stills.
