American Cinematographer - August 1987 - 28

The Last Word
To judge by their
Messrs.

letters,

Behlmer and Curtis misun¬

derstood my article in the April issue,
"Universal's Horror Tradition." Rather
than the entire making of Franken¬

stein, I dealt with how it

was

initiated,

led to Murders in The Rue Morgue,
and the influence of these efforts on the
studio's horror cycle. A detailed descrip¬
tion of these events filled in gaps and
corrected errors that have appeared in
many
never

SUPER FOG JUICE
*

SAFE, NON TOXIC

*

WATER SOLUBLE

*

SUPER DENSE AND WHITE

*

LEAVES NO OILY RESIDUE

*

PLAIN OR SCENTED
IN A CHOICE OF TWELVE

SUPER

summaries. I drew on sources
previously synthesized: the remi¬

niscences of Paul Ivano, Leon Ames,
and Robert Florey - as well as the di¬

rector's own continuity used
the Frankenstein test. My

cussed the contributions of Garrett Fort,
Richard Schayer and F.E. Faragoh; Behlmer's book does not even mention John
Russell and Tom Reed. The original

Florey-Fort script was primarily short¬
by subsequent revisions. Only the

ened

order of
extended

FLAVORS'

PLUSNEW FOG LIGHT,
A LIGHT-DUTY JUICE FOR

few

a

scenes

QUARTS AND GALLONS.

shifted,

or

hlmer

-

such

storm

and Fritz

as a

creation

can

over

the pre-

scene

be found

"Presumption;

FOG

or,

with

a

early as
The Fate of
as

Behlmer

downplays the dif¬

ling/Balderston play. The movie, unlike
play, has a mute, not a speaking

call for info.

GREAT

monster, who is never called Franken¬
stein; the play's laboratory is set in an

old house instead of an abandoned
watchtower or windmill; Balderston has
the monster "roll

THE

AMERICAN
MARKET

over"

perform
"tricks like a puppy." The final act of
the play is completely different from the

HOLLYWOOD CA 90038
TELEPHONE 213/461-0200 * TWX 910 494 1233
826 N. COLE AVENUE

26

a

writer

comment

that "he is

as

director." Florey co¬
authored 10 movie scripts during his
as a

career.

Despite Curtis's claims, Flo¬
rey's reputation rests on much more
than co-authoring Frankenstein; also
well remembered is his direction of The
Life and Death of 9413 A Holly¬
wood Extra, The Cocoanuts. The Flo¬
rentine Dagger, The Face Rehind The
-

Mask, The Reast With Five Fingers,

entations of Frankenstein

the

or

with the

good

ception of Rue Morgue is not as pro¬
found, the picture is recognized as sig¬
nificant and prototypical by such schol¬

ferences between the film and the Web-

Write

tract

ment in cinematic technique over
Frankenstein. While the thematic con¬

1823 in

Iamewcan

through Universal's ads announcing
Murders In the Rue Morgue, and in
Europe he was properly credited, to¬
gether with Fort, as screenwriter of
Frankenstein. The next year a Warner
Bros, memo placed Florey under con¬

the

Frankenstein."

IAMEWCAN
MABKfWicoww**

the

movie, widely perceived as an advance¬

-

SUPER

on

Behlmer's discussion of the
role of the Webling/Balderston play in

at

ceeding century. Parallels between the
Florey-Fort screenplay and Webling/Balderston
cited previously by Be¬

JU1G

Florey's collaboration

Frankenstein script was publicized

and Four Star Playhouse. Murders in
the Rue Morgue is a celebrated horror

monster's

development of Frankenstein ne¬
glects to mention that this play is the
product of a tradition of theatrical pres¬

FOG

Frankenstein's fiancee. It went on to
Frankenstein's murder by the monster
when he refuses to complete the crea¬
tion of a mate, and the monster's death
at electrical controls.

menacing of
their wedding.

the

Frankenstein's bride

CASUAL MIST.

was

abbreviated, some dialogue
rewritten, and the Baron made into a
buffoon; the sole substantial addition
was

SUBTLE LOOKS AND

in shooting
article dis¬

picture. The play involved the monster
falling in love with and kidnapping

August 1987

to

ars

as

William K. Everson and Robin

Wood.

To
James Whale

point out that in 1931

novice to film from
the stage is not to demean him but to
suggest that, like anyone in his position,
he still had much to learn from others
was a

experienced in movies. Over the
Whale's technique acquired an
awareness of camera angles and mobil¬
ity that was not apparent in Franken¬
stein, yet Curtis refuses to acknowl¬
edge the influences operating on
Whale
denying, for instance, the sig¬
more

years

-

nificance of Charles Hall's work
Director on Frankenstein.

as

Art

-Brian Taves
San Pedro, CA
American Cinematographer - August 1987

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