Frankenstein (1910) | The Film Index

Film Record

Frankenstein

Country: United States
Release: 18 MAR 1910
Runtime: 14 min
Original Language: English

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Frankenstein, a young medical student, trying to create the perfect human being, instead creates a misshapen monster. Made ill by what he has done, Frankenstein is comforted by his fiancée; but on his wedding night he is visited by the monster.

Why It's Here

The 1910 Edison Studios Frankenstein is the earliest surviving horror adaptation and a case study in pre-Hollywood practical effects. The creation scene, a burning puppet filmed in reverse to simulate flesh forming from nothing, is a single locked-off shot with no cuts or compositing, solving cinematic spectacle through pure stagecraft. Students should watch Charles Ogle's Creature performance for how theatrical physicality translates to camera, and note the mirror finale, where reflection accomplishes as visual metaphor what later adaptations needed dialogue to convey.

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Behind The Scenes

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