Review for Frankenstein - The True Story

The world had gone monster crazy by 1973. At least that’s how it seemed to me. I was eight years old and living in Ohio, USA, near a place called Fairborn which, to this day, has the biggest 364 days a year Halloween store in the U.S. I was a regular viewer of Dr.Creep’s midnight movies and had, by this time, clocked up several views of all the classic Universal horror movies including ‘Frankenstein’. I had also seen one or two Hammer Horrors too though those, with their almost subliminal glimpses of occasional nudity, were a scarce but exciting forbidden fruit. So when this TV movie two-parter was announced I was one of its keenest viewers.


That was then and this is now – years later when that original viewing has almost been forgotten. All that remained was a hazy memory of a crawling severed arm. So imagine my delight at not only discovering it had been released on DVD but that it was due an R2 release via Second Sight.


The first thing I should say is that you could have knocked me for six when I discovered, all these years later, that the teleplay for this had been penned by Christopher Isherwood and his partner, Don Bachardy. In my student years, Isherwood had become a firm favourite and I devoured all his books, re-reading some many times over. It just seemed too perfect that so many of my obsessions should be rolling into one.


So this DVD had some high expectations to live up to and I’m pleased to say that it did remarkably well by any measure. The fact that it had a high class Dark Shadows gothic air didn’t hurt. (In fact the leading man looked a dead ringer for Quentin. Hardly a coincidence?).


The early seventies were the halcyon years for TV movies. Some splendid and memorable movies were made during the era and ‘Frankenstein – The True Story’ is no exception. Spread out across two 90 minute slots, this three hour production boasted great sets, a hefty budget and an impressive cast including some prestigious movie stars of the day.


Despite the title, Frankenstein: The True Story, this is not an absolutely literal telling of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. Isherwood and Bachardy have liberally embraced the spirit of the original but have also done much to make it their own.


Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Leonard Whiting) loses his younger brother when he drowns in a local lake. As a medical student he becomes embittered about the pointlessness of it all – unless one could bring someone back from the dead, even if this means going against his belief in God.


He virtually abandons his fiancé Elizabeth (Nicola Pagett) for the constant company of a kindred spirit and medical genius, the very male Henry Clerval (David McCallum). Together they embark on a series of experiments to bring to life dead flesh – from the freshly severed arm of an accident victim through to a dead beetle and a butterfly.


They get so close to a breakthrough that it isn't long before Victor is dedicated to grave robbing in order to provide the necessary ‘parts’ for Clerval as he starts to construct whet he hopes will be an entire ‘human’ and bring him back to life.


The night before the big day, Clerval discovers that the process is flawed. He tries to send a message to Victor but dies of an unknown illness before he does so. Victor believes a fitting tribute would be to use Henry's brain. In keeping with the original tale, the Creature (Michael Sarrazin) starts off as a dazzlingly handsome man as well as a well-balanced and quick learner. The dark pleasure of the tale is his descent into the monster we know from the Karloff original when things start to go wrong and his features start to physically rot.


There is a noticeable frisson between Victor and the creature, just as there was between him and Clerval with Victor choosing to spend far more time in his company than with his young wife - perhaps an unintended bias added by Isherwood and Bachardy.


Once the creature is out and about, a new figure steps to centre stage; Polidori (James Mason), another brilliant Doctor who is now seeking vengeance against Henry whom he is convinced stole his secrets about raising the dead. Knowing that Henry’s brain is now inside the creature, he sets about blackmailing Henry into helping him create a female monster, Prima (Jane Seymour).


Well, things don’t go well and, despite the three hour duration, the plot thickens apace – and I won’t spoil that here, suffice it to say that things don’t go well!

Picture quality is really very good for TV of this vintage though extras are a bit slight – just a trailer and a very weird introduction from James Mason, filmed in 1973, which sets about spoiling the film by giving it all away. Shown in full frame 4:3, I understand that it was originally shot in 16:9 though I assume this is no longer available. Audio levels were noticeably low which, as long as you don’t switch between this and something louder, is just an inconvenience.

A highly recommended blast from the past.