The tale of Frankenstein is perhaps one of the most influential stories on modern culture that I can think of. Man trying to play God so as to create life is a theme we’ve seen in films such as Jurassic Park, Frankenweenie, Edward Scissorhands, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Splice, and much, much more. But we wouldn’t have films like this without the foundation that was created by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author whose feverish nightmare on this night in 1816.
In a video created by USC College, English, Art History and History Professor Leo Braudy talks briefly about Shelley’s novel and how it was incredibly ahead of its time. The video, which they state is, “…the tale of how Mary Shelley’s terrifying dream of June 16, 1816, spawned her classic horror story, Frankenstein,” can be seen below.
In talking about the impact of Shelley’s novel when it comes to the world of cinema, there are dozens of examples where Frankenstein or his creation, “The Creature”, can be found. From The Monster Squad to Van Helsing, Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein to The Evil of Frankenstein, and so much more.
But perhaps the most famous of them all is James Whale’s 1931 Universal Pictures classic Frankenstein, which starred Boris Karloff as “The Creature” and Colin Clive as “Henry Frankenstein”. Cited as one of the very best horror films of all time, it cemented “The Creature” as one of the most famous monsters in cinema history. Even a caricature or cartoonish drawing is enough for any child to accurately call out his name, even if they don’t know of Mary Shelley. He’s become an icon, one that is larger than his story, which is a stunning achievement.