Frankenstein: Part 1
- Episode aired Jan 16, 1973
- 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
220
YOUR RATING
A scientist obsessed with creating life steals body parts to put together his "creation."A scientist obsessed with creating life steals body parts to put together his "creation."A scientist obsessed with creating life steals body parts to put together his "creation."
Photos
Willie Aames
- William Frankenstein
- (as Willie Ames)
Leif Garrett
- Boy Who Runs from The Giant
- (uncredited)
Rosella Olsen
- The Giant's Mate
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOn the DVD commentary Robert Foxworth reveals this movie may have been the last production filmed on the old MGM backlot before it was demolished.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Big Box: To the Devil a Daughter (2009)
Featured review
A very sad tale--much closer to the original story than the Karloff version
While I am a firm believer that there will NEVER be a version of Frankentein that is as good as the book, this is at least a step in the right direction. While I would rate the Karloff version higher simply because of its technical merits and ability to scare you, this made for TV version is superior in many ways. Unlike earlier versions, this one really centers on the creature and its unfortunate existence. Like the book, the focus is on the "monster" after it is soon abandoned by its maker and the life the creature creates for itself shows great humanity and depth. In fact, in this way, the movie is terribly sad and heart-wrenching. Let me give a couple of examples. First, soon after the creature is created, Frankenstein's assistant plays with him. The monster, unaware of his immense strength, crushes the poor assistant to death. When Frankenstein returns to find this, the creature is saying "Otto, play" over and over again because he has no idea what he's done. Second, after running away, the creature hides out in a pantry--living among the bags of potatoes. He is so lonely for human contact that he delights in listening to the family talk and interact--knowing he cannot reveal his ugly self to them. In fact, he is so miserable, that he creates a little pretend man out of a potato and talks to it out of desperation. How pathetic! This film chooses to focus on the creature and portray him like a toddler sent out to live alone. On this level it is very successful.
UPDATE--I just saw this film again (11/09) and noticed even more than before that Bo Svenson's performance made this film. The rest of the cast (with the exception of the inn keeper) were all good, but Svenson humanized the monster in a way that no other act has done. His performance elicits far more pathos and connection with the audience than even the original great novel. A wonderful performance that more than makes up for the lower budget and changes to the story necessitated by the budgetary constraints (especially towards the end of the film). Well worth watching and better than the Karloff version in many ways.
Also, there is another 1973 made for TV Frankenstein film, FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY. While well made in many ways, it's not nearly as good as this film and is too histrionic and deviates too far from the Shelley novel (despite the title). It's worth seeing, but Michael Sarrazin's monster is a far cry from Svenson's.
UPDATE--I just saw this film again (11/09) and noticed even more than before that Bo Svenson's performance made this film. The rest of the cast (with the exception of the inn keeper) were all good, but Svenson humanized the monster in a way that no other act has done. His performance elicits far more pathos and connection with the audience than even the original great novel. A wonderful performance that more than makes up for the lower budget and changes to the story necessitated by the budgetary constraints (especially towards the end of the film). Well worth watching and better than the Karloff version in many ways.
Also, there is another 1973 made for TV Frankenstein film, FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY. While well made in many ways, it's not nearly as good as this film and is too histrionic and deviates too far from the Shelley novel (despite the title). It's worth seeing, but Michael Sarrazin's monster is a far cry from Svenson's.
helpful•80
- planktonrules
- Feb 20, 2006
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