If you’re looking for a horror movie with an incredible cast of famous faces, then the made-for-television two-part ‘Frankenstein: The True Story’ may well be for you. The 1973 British film is set in the first part of the Nineteenth Century and is loosely based on Mary Shelley’s novel. But with a screenplay by celebrated gay novelist Christopher Isherwood and his partner Don Bachardy, the end result is a unique take on a classic tale that weaves in elements of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
Handsome leading man Leonard Whiting (a memorable Romeo in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 Shakespeare adaptation) plays Victor Frankenstein. He is a young scientist who falls under the spell of the insane but charismatic Dr Henri Clerval (David McCallum). The two men collaborate on an experiment to bring a creature made up of dead human body parts back to life. The twist is that when they succeed, the creature (Michael Sarrazin) is beautiful, refined, and able to slip neatly into the higher echelons of society. Frankenstein is immensely proud of his creation until it starts to develop lesions and deformities, turning from beauty to ugliness. At that point, Frankenstein shuns his creation. The feeling of rejection tilts the creature into violence and unhappiness.
The philosophical and moral questions posed by Mary Shelley make it into this adaptation intact. Who is ultimately responsible for the creature’s actions? Are humans who try to rise above nature always doomed to be thwarted by it? Whilst wrestling with these conundrums, Frankenstein also finds time to romance Elizabeth (Nicola Pagett), who later becomes his strongest ally when the results of his experiment go hideously wrong. But Isherwood’s influence ensures that there is a huge amount of gay subtext, strongly implying an initial mutual infatuation between Frankenstein and his Creature. Thrown into the mix is the macabre figure of Dr Polidori (James Mason), who wears gloves to disguise his withered or missing hands. Amoral at best, Polidori is the manipulative shadowy character who leads Frankenstein into making all of the worst decisions of his life, citing the advancement of science as an end and a justification in itself.
‘Frankenstein: The True Story’ is from a similar stable to the Hammer horror films that pre-dated it, though with a bigger budget and better special effects. As with Hammer, and the literary source material, it leans heavily into body horror and the grotesque. There is a dead arm that comes back to life in Clerval’s laboratory and claws its way to freedom. A head is wrenched from its shoulders. Polite society reacts with revulsion, horror and fear to the sight of a deformed man. The film will certainly appeal to anyone who relishes the cult classic British period horror films that were a staple of many studios at the time.
Isherwood’s intriguing Wildean take on the legend of Frankenstein in and of itself gives the film appeal. But its major selling point will be the extraordinarily impressive cast that is assembled. Although only appearing in the first half hour or so, David McCallum (‘The Man from UNCLE’) proves what an adaptable actor he is with a hugely enjoyable turn as an arrogant but brilliant loner. Leonard Whiting is credible and charming in the lead role, with particular strength in his voice. James Mason phones in his performance, including occasional hesitancy or odd emphases on certain lines. He never attempts to do anything other than to chew the scenery, but then he knows he’s always a magnetic presence, so he gets away with it. Jane Seymour, fresh off the James Bond movie ‘Live and Let Die’ is impressive as Agatha, a beautiful young socialite who later becomes the object of the Creature’s affections.
Cameo appearances by British acting royalty are legion. Two of the three greatest stage actors of the Twentieth Century, Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, make appearances (only Laurence Olivier is missing – he must have been in Hollywood at the time). Richardson plays a blind man who takes pity on the Creature, in a direct reference to Shelley’s novel, whilst Gielgud plays a constable who tries to understand the origins of the outbreak of violence in his neighbourhood. Soon to be ‘Doctor Who’ Tom Baker plays a sea captain in a turn not wholly dissimilar to his later celebrated role in ‘Blackadder’. Peter Sallis (‘Last of the Summer Wine’) plays a priest who can’t cleanse Frankenstein’s soul. There are appearances from Yootha Joyce (‘George and Mildred’) and theatre legend Margaret Leighton too. Pretty much every single scene features one or more legends of the British stage and screen.
Although ‘Frankenstein: The True Story’ is somewhat more high-brow than the Hammer films that trod the same ground, there is the sense that in some ways it tries to outcompete the Hammer films at a time when they were already considered passé. In some respects, it’s hard to believe that the film was made as late as 1973. Jack Smight’s direction is ponderous, often lingering on people walking through doorways whilst there’s no dialogue. Ruthless editing could have whittled perhaps an hour from the excessive run-time of just over three hours without losing anything crucial. Although the pacing is as slow as the glacier that appears in the climatic sequences, it is the biggest criticism that can be directed against ‘Frankenstein: The True Story’. It is original enough to intrigue us. The period setting, lavish costumes and gory special effects are convincing enough to appeal to aficionados of Gothic British horror. The cast is a sensational conveyor belt of theatrical brilliance. Particular sequences, such as the Creature hunting down Frankenstein at a society ball and causing mayhem, and the final sequences at sea or on ice, are exceptionally well-handled, and enable us to forget the plodding scenes or padded dialogue from earlier. All of it builds up into an overall picture of quality and panache.
This edition features a brand new audio commentary with film historian Sam Irvin. There are lengthy interview with two of the surviving stars, Jane Seymour and Leonard Whiting, who both had an enjoyable experience making the film (unlike ‘Live and Let Die’, as Seymour divulges). There is also a conversation with surviving writer Don Bachardy and an optional introduction to the film with James Mason. This offers aficionados a good balance of archive and new material to supplement their enjoyment of the film. It is viewable in 4:3 format and translates well to high definition.
Cast: Leonard Whiting, David McCallum, James Mason, Jane Seymour, Nicola Pagett, Michael Sarrazin, Tom Baker, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson Director: Jack Smight Writer: Christopher Isherwood, Don Bachardy Certificate: 12 Duration: 186 mins Released by: Fabulous Films Release date: March 27th 2023 Buy ‘Frankenstein: The True Story’
