The extravagant NBC-TV movie "Frankenstein: The True Story" (broadcast Nov. 28 and 30, 1973) was introduced by top billed James Mason at the gravesite of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the script by Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy often deviating from its 1818 source although true to its spirit, perhaps wisely keeping the Monster (here called The Creature) a mostly silent but ever present menace. Director Jack Smight began shooting at Pinewood Studios on March 15, a star studded cast of thespians and actually few locations, never wavering from its focus on characterization, and despite its 3 hour running time is consistently absorbing. Victor Frankenstein (Leonard Whiting) is forced to postpone his impending marriage to Elizabeth Fanshawe (Nicola Pagett) after the accidental drowning of his beloved brother William, admitting to her in his grief that he'd be a willing pupil of Satan if it meant William were alive again. Returning to the university where he graduated as a full fledged doctor, he meets the brilliant Henry Clerval (David McCallum), a reclusive colleague of Dr. John Polidori (James Mason) who struck out on his own to achieve renown in restoring life to the dead. Using solar power for the source of life, Henry suffers from a weak heart and calls upon Victor to supply the muscle to build up the laboratory until the experiment is ready to commence, but dies before completing his final entry about how 'the process is reversing itself' in regard to the living arm he keeps in a glass container. As The Creature (Michael Sarrazin) takes its first breath (Henry's brain inside its skull) and comes face to face with its astonished creator, we are just as surprised to see his angelic looking features for the first time, Victor accepting the challenge of commencing its education and speech. Once he feels the time is right, Frankenstein even takes it to the opera, where Henry's knowledge of French emerges from The Creature's mouth. It's not long before Clerval's prediction comes true and the once handsome Creature begins to deteriorate, forcing Frankenstein to smash all the mirrors in the tiny apartment. The Creature is bewildered by Victor's sudden rejection of him, but once he sees the evidence reflected back at him he tries in vain to stab himself before jumping off a cliff to his apparent demise (this is how Part 1 concludes). The story picks up with The Creature meeting blind man Mr. Lacey (Ralph Richardson), not frightened by his appearance and willing to entertain his new friend with music, until his curious granddaughter Agatha and her lover intrude on the two, both youngsters killed and Lacey left in shock. The Creature carries the girl's lifeless corpse back to the lab where he was born and meets Dr. Polidori, who learns that it speaks with Henry Clerval's voice (Henry used to taunt him as 'Polly Dolly'), and has patiently waited for this opportunity to use Frankenstein's creation to persuade Victor to perform him a surgical service. Frankenstein has no choice but to accede to Polidori's request, transplanting the head of The Creature's beloved Agatha onto a female body to be brought to life using various chemicals rather than Clerval's flawed acceptance of solar energy. Polidori names the newborn woman Prima (Jane Seymour) and places her in the home of Elizabeth's parents, where he intends to make her a pillar of society under his influence and knowledge of hypnotism. Prima is quite different from Agatha, an amoral child both sadist and seductress, taking advantage of being born into privilege to mock the now pregnant Elizabeth at every turn. Polidori shows Victor how he plans to use an acid bath to finally dispose of The Creature, but just as success is nearly achieved Frankenstein can't bear to see his creation destroyed, but Polidori still has his henchmen blow up the lab to his exultant cry: "burn, Henry Clerval!" Prima dances up a storm at her inaugural ball as Polidori shares in her glory, only for the badly scarred Creature to burst in unannounced, take in her incomparable beauty, remove the necklace hiding her surgical scar, and carefully pull off her head before the horrified onlookers. Elizabeth manages to appease the authorities to enable both her and Victor to board a ship headed for a new life in America, unaware of two most unwelcome passengers, Polidori (hoping to continue his experiments in Philadelphia) and The Creature, still following its creator to an uncertain destiny. With the compass locked to take the vessel straight to the North Pole, only Frankenstein and The Creature will be left alive for a final confrontation in the frozen wasteland, the first adaptation to conclude the same way as Shelley's novel. This Victor is not the total milksop of the novel, yet still easily led by those with greater scientific knowledge, while it's a fascinating contrast between man made monsters, Jane Seymour's cold and calculating Prima maintaining merely the facade of beauty (the novel's bride is never brought to life), Michael Sarrazin's Creature degenerating in appearance yet recognizably human, killing only in self defense without knowing its own strength. Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater aired the entire 3 hours in the waning days of its double feature format (Nov. 1978), two months before being reduced to a single broadcast following SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.
Review of Frankenstein: The True Story
Frankenstein: The True Story
(1973 TV Movie)
Shown complete on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater only in 1978
30 July 2021