Frankenstein: The True Story

TV Movie
1973
Not Rated
3h 5m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

John Gielgud, James Mason, Jane Seymour, David McCallum, Nicola Pagett, Ralph Richardson, Michael Sarrazin, and Leonard Whiting in Frankenstein: The True Story (1973)

When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Trivia
The character "Dr. Polidori" is not in Mary Shelley's novel, although he includes elements of Victor Frankenstein's mentors, Doctors Waldman and Krempe. He is primarily based on Dr. Septimius Pretorius from Bride of Frankenstein (1935), but the name had to be changed because the Pretorius character is not in the public domain. He is named for Shelley's friend John William Polidori, who wrote a novella called "The Vampyre," which he began in the same weekend that she got the idea to write "Frankenstein". Polidori served as doctor for Lord Byron, who mockingly called him "Pollydolly", just like Clerval does in the film.

Goofs
When Polidori introduces Victor to the creature in his carriage, the interior point of view shot shows a Chinese servant closing the carriage door. A split second later, in a reverse angle shot from the exterior, the servant has vanished.

Quotes
Dr. Henry Clerval: You're afraid. I was afraid at first. It's the way we've been brought up. We've been brought up to fear! To fear the punishment of the gods. But Prometheus defied them.
Dr. Victor Frankenstein: And they punished him!
Dr. Henry Clerval: He scorned their punishment. So has every other hero that's stolen secrets from nature to give to mankind.

Alternate versions
The widely seen version features a prologue with James Mason visiting the supposed grave of Mary Shelley. However, test screenings showed a longer prologue, depicting Mary Shelley and her friends coming up with the Frankenstein story at a Swiss villa, similar to the opening of Bride of Frankenstein (1935). This was cut and replaced by the simpler version after the test audiences were bored by it.

Connections
Featured in Der phantastische Film: Frankenstein, wie er wirklich war 1 (1980)

Soundtracks
Come Lasses and Lads
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Philip Martell

User reviews52

Review

Featured review

Star-studded, literate adaptation

It's a shame that this spectacular TV movie (which originally ran in two 2-hour parts) is only available in a much abbreviated 2 hour version (actually this is the version released in theatres in the UK and abroad, while the full version played on US TV) from the cheapie distributor Goodtimes. Hopefully, the full version will one day make it onto DVD (the way it took quite a while for the original SALEMS LOT two-part TV movie to get released on tape and dvd, when it also was only available as a 2-hour abridgement). Written by Christopher Isherwood, this literate, beautifully filmed retelling of the Mary Shelley classic is a must see.