Book Review--SCRIPTS FROM THE CRYPT: THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN

 

The 16th volume in the SCRIPTS FROM THE CRYPT series from Bear Manor Media focuses on THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, Universal's 1942 follow-up to SON OF FRANKENSTEIN. What makes this book particularly noteworthy is that it's nearly 400 pages, a treasure trove of facts, trivia, commentary, analysis, stills, and just plain Monster Kid fun. 

THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN may not be the greatest classic horror film in the world, and it's certainly not one of the longest, clocking in at about 67 minutes. But this book more than makes clear that the film has all sorts of interesting elements to it, including a top cast, excellent production details, and that classic monster movie attitude only Universal of the 1930s-40s could provide. 

The book starts out with an extensive production history of the movie by Greg Mank, and then presents Eric Taylor's original script for the film, which was quite different than what was eventually shot. (I'm thinking about writing a blog post on Taylor's script.) Tom Weaver discusses the Taylor script, and makes a number of observations about the finished film. There's also a reproduction of the movie's pressbook, an analysis of the character of Ludwig Frankenstein by Frank Dello Stritto, and an examination of the various "Igor" types in Frankenstein films by Bill Cooke. 

There's plenty more than that, though......Greg Mank also has chapters on the personal lives of actors Doris Lloyd and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, while Roger Hurlburt presents autographs he has collected from numerous members of THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN's cast & crew. There are also mini-bios of a few of the supporting actors of GHOST, a photo gallery focusing on the film's director, George Waggner, and a rare interview with Lon Chaney Jr. 

Needless to say, you get your money's worth with this book, and most importantly, it's a fun, entertaining read. A movie like THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN shouldn't have a stuffy, dour tome written about it. The Universal Classic Horror films were meant to be entertaining.....you can admire and appreciate them without treating them as if they belong on a pedestal. There's a lot of important info in this SCRIPTS FROM THE CRYPT entry, but there's also a lot of laughs and smiles as well. The best way I can describe this book is that while reading it I felt as if I was back at Monster Bash, sitting around listening to my favorite experts on classic monster movies having a great round-table on THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. 

After reading this book I went and re-watched THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. I wouldn't say that my opinion on it has changed considerably, but I did have a new and better appreciation for the film, and the people who were involved in the making of it. SCRIPTS FROM THE CRYPT: THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN is pure Monster Movie Fan catnip, and an enjoyable examination of a movie that will delight and surprise even those who have watched it dozens of times.