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Frankenstein Movie 1910

The Frankenstein movie mania has never ceased since 1910, when the original silent flick was loosely adapted from Mary Shelley's novel. This short film was the brainchild of J. Searle Dawley who wrote and directed it. It took three days to film the movie at Edison Studios. The monster is played by Charles Ogle, Victor Frankenstein is portrayed by Augustus Phillips, and Mary Fuller is the doctor's fiancée.

Charles Ogle began his acting career on Broadway in 1905. His first film role was in the 1910 Frankenstein film. Augustus Phillips acted in 134 flicks during his movie career. Mary Fuller started her acting career on stage. She debuted in film working for Vitagram Studios. She became a foremost actress challenging Mary Pickford in status.

The theme revolves around the issue of life and death as Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with its cryptic implications, while studying science at college. His vision of creating a human being plunges into the macabre, when he creates a monster instead of the idealized man he envisioned.

His creation sickens him and he returns home and is nursed by his fiancée. When he heals, they are to be married. Enter the monster that is envious of the doctor's sweetheart. The monster seizes a rose given to Victor Frankenstein by his sweetheart from the doctor's lapel. He sees his horrible image in a mirror and bolts away after the struggle knocks the doctor to the floor.

The monster longs for the friendship of his creator and returns on the night of the wedding and causes the bride to faint and Victor finds her. The monster enters the room again and struggle ensues and he overpowers the doctor and leaves again.

Upon his final return, he is absorbed into the mirror that he sees himself in and Victor comes in. Victor sees the monster as he looks into the mirror, but his own form slowly returns. His bride enters, they hug, which is the movie's finale.

Edison's Frankenstein (Book & Video)
Edison's Frankenstein 1910
1910 in Film: 1910 Films, Thunderbolt, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, French Films of 1910, Italian Films of 1910

Watch Frankenstein 1910

Unique Poster: Bride of Frankenstein

The single identified Bride of Frankenstein style E film poster is for sale according to artdaily.com. The poster is ablaze in red with the giant monster in chains demanding to know who is going to marry him. The present exhibition is at the Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills. This poster has been in Todd Feiertag's collectanea for over thirty years; this aficionado has collected movie posters for half a century. It is awaiting its auction and will definitely sell for a mint.

The film was a 1935 Universal production; the concept was derived from Mary Shelley's novel published in 1816. John L. Balderston and William Harlbut wrote the screenplay. It took 46 days and about $400,000 to shoot the flick. This was a sequel to Frankenstein of 1931. The director, James Whale, imbued the effect of German Expressionism into the film's imagery and it is seen in the spasmodic steps and arm movement of Frankenstein's bride.

It starts with literary discussion between Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. It is a comic opening. Then it goes into a parody starting at the finale scene of Frankenstein with the windmill on fire. Dr. Pretorius plunges the plot into action and requests the aid of Henry Frankenstein in creating the monster's wife.

Back at the woods, the village folk capture and imprison the monster, though he again flees to the woods. A blind hermit befriends our anti-hero and he learns to speak a few words. When a couple of village folk spot and maul him, the monster runs to a graveyard to hid. He sees Dr. Petorius while inside the crypt and decides to help the doctor get the body parts for his bride.

Henry Frankenstein rejects the request to aid Dr. Petorius in creating the bride, until the mad doctor has Henry's wife kidnapped. Karl, the asisstant to Petorius obtains a heart to replace the unuseable one. Though, Karl murdered a woman and took her heart, he explains to Dr. Frankenstein that he took it from the police morgue.

They animate the bride with electricity at Henry's laboratory. The bride refuses the monster's affections, which incenses him, and he advises Dr. Frankenstein and Elizabeth to flee. He pulls a switch that detonates the castle.

The film's musical score by Franz Waxman threads through the movie's atmospehere accenting the gestures. Originally, there were 21 dead bodies in the film, but due to the outcry of the censors, the count was reduced to 10. The theme of the flick points out the evilness that lurks, waiting to get afoot.
                                                                                                                                      Bride of Frankenstein Cast

Boris Karloff played the monster in the films including Son of Frankenstein that debuted in 1939. Dr. Septimus Pretorious is portrayed by Ernest Thesigner. Colin Clive playes Henry Frankenstein. Valerie Hobson portrays Elizabeth Frankenstein. Elsa Lanchester has a double role playing Mary Shelley and the bride. Lord Byron is portrayed by Gavin Gordon. 

Douglas Walton plays Percy Shelley. Una O'Conner is Minnie. E.E. Clive plays Burgonmaster. The butler is played by Lucien Prival. O.P.Heggie is the hermit. Dwight Frye is Karl. Hans is played by Reginald Barlow and Mary Gordan is his wife. The sheperdess is portrayed by Anne Darling (character name is Ann Darling). Ted Billings plays Ludwig. There are about 30 uncredited characters.

Gothic Art Style Overview

 Medieval Art Style

By OCAL at clker.com

Gothic Art grew out of Romanesque Art. Both of these artistic periods occurred in the Middle Ages. Romanesque Art materialized around 1000 A.D., peaked from 1075 A.D. until 1125 A.D. in England, Italy, France and the German realms. It ended about 1150 A.D.; it had become Gothic Art.

Both of these medieval art eras produced sculpture, paintings, and architecture. Romanesque denotes the blending of Roman, Carolingian, and Byzantine styles with Germanic influences. In some locales the Gothic Art era lasted into the latter 16th century.

During the Renaissance, Italian writers (theorists) coined the term Gothic Art as an insult to the style. They preferred Classical art and culture of the Roman Empire and blamed the Gothic clans that invaded and pulverized the Roman Empire in the 5th century for inventing the Gothic style. These writers considered this art ugly, barbaric, and unrefined. An early terminology for Gothic was Opus Francigenum meaning French work.

Architecture

Architecture prevailed as the leading art form in the Gothic period. The main distinguishing architectural features were developed to hold heavy ceiling vaults over wider areas of the cathedral and at increasing heights. Thus, pointed arches, stoned ribs, and flying buttresses were developed.

Colossal sculptures decorated the walls of cathedrals and abbeys. Most of this art represents medieval allegory. It depicted stories of the Bible. The lives of saints and Mary's image were also shown.

Painting

Early Gothic painting used hieratic, rigged, and simple figures and shapes, but it grew into using naturalistic and spatial forms. This change contrasted with Byzantine and Romanesque styles. 

There were four types of Gothic painting: panels, frescoes, illuminated manuscripts, and stained glass. The style continued for over two-hundred years. 

Sculpture

Gothic sculpture incorporated the Romanesque gates, decoration, and tombs, but it added winged alter pieces, ecclesiastical statues, and heraldic stones. Whereas, Romanesque sculpture is thickset and angular, Gothic sculpture is tall and lean.

The swan song of the Gothic era began when the Renaissance style started to develop in the 15th century, even though the Gothic style was utilized into the 16th century.


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Chainsaw Art Gaining Popularity

Chain saw art is gaining popularity. Those interested in learning how to carve this way can find chainsaw carving for beginner sites and chainsaw carving videos. There are sites where carvings by chainsaw artists can be viewed and bought. There is a guild for these artists. Animals and mascots are popular designs. Bears seem to be very trendy.

Chainsaw Carving a Bear

Artist Book: Balzac: Droll Stories

Balzac's Droll Stories contains 10 short stories and 424 engravings by Gustave Dore. Though this work can't strictly be called an artist book because Balzac didn't produce the engravings it certainly is close kin to that genre of work. It is definitely a well illustrated book. This book was published during an era when the visual arts and fiction were more closely related than today.

He penned these humorous stories from 1832-1833. The stories concern 16th century dames, knights, monks, manners and other aspects of that time. The first edition was published in 1832. Dore illustrated the 1855 edition of Contes Drolatiques. The illustration by Gustave Dore is entitled The Beauty of Constance.

Droll Stories