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Edison's Frankenstein

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Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) got the idea for her novel "Frankenstein" in 1816. Mary's mother had died, from complications of giving birth, when Mary was only 11 days old. Mary was raised by her father, who blamed Mary for her mother's death, and never forgave her. So Mary's novel "Frankenstein" was a bit autobiographical when she wrote about a creature who was created not out of love; she took this a step further and had the creature created out of science, circumventing the need of women in procreation. And the creature in her novel was not loved by its creator, or "father." Mary did not use all-new elements for her story, she incorporated the legends of the Golem (artificial man made of clay) and Prometheus.

This book is about Edison's "Frankenstein" (1910), a 15-minute movie. Edison's movie studios picked "Frankenstein" not only because it was one of the most famous stories of its time, but mainly because it was public domain.

Just as Mary had created the novel "Frankenstein" on stormy nights, Thomas Edison had a stormy time making movies starting in the 1890s. Back in those days, the nitrate film stock was dangerously volatile, with a combustible temperature of only 284 degrees. Since the films were run through carbon arc lamp projectors (which get very hot), if the films jammed, they would start a fire. Many theatres had to be quickly evacuated!

In this fascinating BearManor book, you will learn everything there is to know about this one-time "lost" film--from casting, script re-writes, newly-developed trick photography, censorship, to final product. Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of Edison in developing early films, we can say of the Frankenstein creature: "It's alive!"