Frankenstein(1910) - Classic Movie Madness

Everyone is familiar with the image of Boris Karloff's 1931 depiction of Frankenstein's monster, replete with neck-bolt and stitches. But long before Kenneth Brannagh and Robert de Niro, before Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee even before the immortalized image of Boris Karloff as our beloved monster - there was Charles Ogle. Now you shouldn't feel bad if you don't recognize the names of Ogle, Dawley or Fuller. Admittedly you have to be a special kind of obsessed, anally retentive film nut to know these names off hand. But luckily for you, that's where your classic movie master comes in.

More than twenty years before director James Whale immortalized Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster, J Searle Dawley gave moviegoers their first glimpse at Mary Shelley's popular tale. The 1910 version of "Frankenstein", sometimes also referred to as "Edison's Frankenstein", is believed to be the first filmed version of the story. It is also quite often said(erroneously so) that it is the world's first horror movie. This is however simply not the case as that honour goes to Georges Melies' 1896 film "Le Manoir du Diable" better known as "The Haunted Castle".

But the fact that we even know about the film or that I am able to write about it at all(or that you can watch the movie on this site for free, you're welcome) is perhaps the most remarkable side to this story, as the film was forgotten and considered to be lost forever for over half a century.

During the time that "Frankenstein" was made films were largely seen as a disposable medium used merely as a means of generating profit(especial by Edison's Trust), and as a result little effort was made to preservation for future generations. Most movies were one-reelers, shot in a single day, with about forty or so copies produced at most. Those would then tour the country for a time until they were no longer considered

series of home video compilations of silent era films. No attribution was given to the source of these images. It was later revealed that these were derived from the only remaining copy of the movie.

In 1980 the American Film Institute(AFI) released it's list of "The Ten Most Culturally and Historically Significant Lost Films". "Frankenstein"(1910) was included on the list. This prompted a Milwaukee collector, one Alois F. Detlaff, to contact the AFI and reveal that he had what is believed to be the last remaining copy of the film as part of his collection.

But Mr. Detlaff was a rather odd man. Instead of releasing the movie he jealously

guarded the film, knowing that it was the only one of it's kind in existence. Realizing the significance of the movie he refused to share his toys with the rest of the world, and instead demanded exorbitant amounts of money for the original film. The images released in the '70's it seems came from Detlaff himself but he was never compensated, either by attribution or monetarily. This perceived slight led to paranoia about him losing control over what he saw as his property.

In 1986 he donated a "copyright protected" version of the movie to the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences. This was actually a filmed video of the original projected film with a copyright notice that scrolled across the center of the screen. This ludicrous measure however rendered the movie unwatchable, and it is widely condemned as such.

Detlaff consented to have the film screened at a handful of film festivals during the 1990's the first being at the Avalon Theater in his home town on October 30, 1993. This marked the first time in over 80 years that the film was seen by the general public. Another decade would pass before Detlaff finally released the movie on DVD, in 2003, and it became available to be purchased by anyone interested to do so. Detlaff passed away only two years afterwards in 2005.

Writer Frederick C Wiebel Jr chronicled the fascinating story of this movie in his book "Edison's Frankenstein", from i'ts inception to eventual re-emergence. It comes well recommended to anyone interested in the finer details of this piece cinematic history.

As mentioned prior "Frankenstein" is a one-reeler, with a total running time of around 14 minutes. The movie was filmed at the Edison Studios in the Bronx, New York City over three days somewhere between January 13 to 19, for a total budget of $500. After completion the film received approval from the Orange County office on February 1 st . Musical accompaniment and tinting of selected frames was then finished and the movie premiered on Friday 18 March 1910.

Repulsed by what he had done Frankenstein abandons his pursuits and returns home to the comforting arms of his beloved fiancée, Elizabeth. The monster naturally follows his father home with all the devotion of a lapdog but only succeeds in haunting his creator who wants nothing to do with the abomination he brought into being.

Envious over the affection that Frankenstein showers over Elizabeth the monster rebels. Creature and creator fight but Frankenstein is no match for the monster's brute strength. Then the monster spots his own reflection for the first time, he is so shocked by the image that he flees into the night. This scene can also be interpreted as Frankenstein struggling with his own conscience and inner demons.

On this point I must mention the use of mirrors in these scenes where the two meet. It is put to dramatic cinematic use to brilliantly and more clearly emphasize the central theme of the movie, as will be seen momentarily.

We then jump ahead to Frankenstein's wedding night. After the wedding guests have left, the bride and bridegroom are alone at last but then suddenly the monster re-appears. Breaking into the house, he pursues Elizabeth into the bedroom while Frankenstein is off doing heaven knows what in the drawing room. Poor Elizabeth literally sees a monster on her wedding night(read into that what you will). She promptly faints and Frankenstein re-enters the scene to discover the monster hovering over his unconscious bride.

Here Dawley gives us something truly delicious to mull over. The inter title reads : "The Creation of an Evil Mind is Overcome by Love and Disappears"(echoing the earlier "the Evil in Frankenstein's Mind Creates a Monster"). The monster retreats into the drawing room, seemingly conflicted over his actions, he gazes fully unto his own reflection in the mirror, and then vanishes leaving only the reflection behind. Upon this Frankenstein enters the room and sees the mirror. For a moment Frankenstein sees the monster reflected back at him in the mirror, slowly the reflection of the monster fades and only Frankenstein remains. Elizabeth and Frankenstein embrace in triumph. The end.