Customer Reviews

James Whale: A New World Of Gods And Monsters

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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I can't think of any other film director who approached James Whale's incredible sense of design, other than perhaps William Cameron Menzes. If Whale is remembered at all today it is for his two Universal Frankenstein films, and THE INVISIBLE MAN. I can still recall the first time I saw BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, with my brother, on the late-night SHOCK THEATRE program, in the late 1950s. Nothing had prepared us for the incredible, almost abstract stylization, the sly wit and the indelible performances that go to make this one of the greatest films ever made. We were blown out of our seats.

This biography by James Curtis is probably the best look at Whale the person we are going to get; Curtis seems to have interviewed literally everyone who knew Whale and would talk to him about Whale. We learn very little about Whale as a child, perhaps because there was no one alive to remember when Curtis came by interviewing, but otherwise we get a detailed look at Whale's show biz career before and after BRIDE. Whale had difficulty finding worthy projects after the collapse of the Lammele-era Universal, and his final years exhibit increasing severe depression and strange "post-menopausal" behavior.

A recent film, GODS AND MONSTERS, loosely based on events of Whale's later years, I haven't seen but perhaps it will awaken some additional interest in Whale and his films among the younger generation. It is a sad fact that, apart from his Universal horror work, virtually nothing directed by Whale is available on video tape, not even (as far as I know) his famous film version of the musical SHOWBOAT.

If you're curious about Whale, this book is the place to start.

After seeing the film "Gods and Monsters" I was anxious to read a biography of James Whale. This book by James Curtis certainly fits the bill of a complete biography of its subject. Mr. Curtis was a close friend of David Lewis, who lived with James Whale for several years and saw to it after the director's death that his memory lived on.

Mr. Curtis gives us a lot of detail about James Whale's life and I sometimes found myself skimming a bit, particularly in the beginning of his career as an actor. We get a lot of information about the films Mr. Whale directed, including the story behind the fascinating effects in The Invisible Man. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs spread through the book and is well written, particularly when Mr. Curtis speaks of James Whale in his years of retirement. The book is a must for fans of the Frankenstein movies and people interested in Universal Pictures but for the person who knows James Whale only thought his horror films, this book with bring a much needed perspective on his life. I found myself wanting to see the James Whale films as I was reading, including Show Boat and his lesser known films. In sum, this is an interesting portrait of who James Whale was and what Hollywood was like in the 1930s.

I just finished this book this morning, and I really enjoyed it. Having watched "Gods and Monsters" and read Father of Frankenstein last year, I was eager to learn more about James Whale and his films. This detailed biography offers more than the facts of Whale's life and works: it provides insight into the machinations of the Hollywood of the 1920's and 1930's. Highly recommended by this reader.

This is a good biography and is very well written, a good read all around. James Whale is an interesting and worthy subject for a film biography, and here's hoping he finally starts getting the respect he deserves. My only problem with the book is that it often reads too much like a resume. It focuses almost entirely on how he directed his movies, but to make this a 5 star biography we need more information on what he did outside of directing (ie: his childhood and what it he did for those years when he found it hard to work). I suspect we don't get this kind of information because its almost impossible to research at this late stage, and not because the authour didn't try. Still, well worth the time of anyone interested in the era or the subject.

James Curtis's biography of James(Jimmy) Whale is completely satisfying as both biography and cinema history. Whale was one of the greatest-and most underrated-directors of all time. Many filmmakers who are widely considered the greatest do not have as many classic films to their credit as Whale. His ouevre is a testament to artistry that seldom exists today. His work, especially "Bride of Frankenstein" and "Showboat", deserve much greater recognition and should be theatrically restored and reissued. Curtis's book is thoroughly rewarding, and would be a good place for a major rediscovery of Whale to begin.

Written with detail, candor and insight, this seems to be the definitive biography of the interesting and eccentric film director. A highly readable account of the man and his movies.

I bought and read this biography after seeing the film "Gods and Monsters" and reading the novel Father of Frankenstein. I've always been a fan of Hollywood stories--especially from the thirties and forties--and this book gave me tons of interesting information. Whale was quite a character, and I'm glad I got to know him better through this excellent biography.

I grew up enjoying Whale's great films, "Frankenstein," "Invisible Man," & "Bride of Frankenstein." I didn't really know about him until the film "Gods and Monsters."

James Curtis' book "Gods and Monsters" is a hard book to put down. It starts with Whale's rough childhood, interest in theater, and break into films. There is a chapter devoted to each of his major films with behind the scene insight. The book gives an honest account of Whale's triumphs and disappointments.

It's a must read for any fan of classic films of Hollywood!

Although I knew little of Whale's work outside the Horror genre and God knows I'm too young to know half the folks this book refers to, I had trouble putting it down. Too many references to the inevitable trials and tribulations of Whale's trips through the industry censors, otherwise fascinating.

James Whale made one great film, "The Bride Of Frankenstein", and a number of other very good ones, like "The Invisible Man". This is a thorough and sympathetic biography of the director and of the social climate that allowed gay filmmakers like Whale to prosper in Hollywood under a cloak of mandatory discretion. Drawing on good solid research, including interviews with many people who knew and worked with Whale, the book also incorporates a balanced assessement of Whale's artistic achievement.