The number of plays, movies, and recordings of Frankenstein is so vast that listing them all would be a challenge. Consequently, the list below highlights the most popular, controversial, and influential adaptations:

• Recordings: Frankenstein phonodisc dramatization featuring sound effects and music, directed by Christopher Casson, Spoken Arts, 1970; Frankenstein, from a CBS program broadcast of Suspense, starring Herbert Marshall, American Forces Radio and Television Service, 1976; Frankenstein narrated by James Mason, Caedmon Records, 1977; Weird Circle, containing Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart and Shelley's Frankenstein, recorded from original radio broadcasts, Golden Age, 1978.
• Films: Frankenstein featuring Colin Clive and Boris Karloff, released by Universal in 1931. The Bride of Frankenstein, the sequel to the 1931 film, starring Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester, released by Universal in 1935. Son of Frankenstein, another sequel, starring Basil Rathbone, Karloff, and Bela Lugosi, released by Universal in 1939. All three films are available from MCA/Universal Home Video.
• The Curse of Frankenstein, a 1957 horror film produced by Warner Brothers, featuring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee; the first in a series inspired by Shelley's novel, available from Warner Home Video. Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, released by Warner Brothers in 1969, starring Peter Cushing and Veronica Carlson. Young Frankenstein, a 1974 comedy-horror film by Fox, available from CBS-Fox Video, which received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound, featuring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, and director-star Mel Brooks.
• More recent films include 1985's The Bride, starring Sting and Jennifer Beals, available from CBS/Fox Video; Roger Corman's 1990 film Frankenstein Unbound, featuring Mary Shelley as a character and starring John Hurt, Raul Julia, and Bridget Fonda, available from CBS/Fox Video; the 1993 cable film Frankenstein, starring Patrick Bergin and Randy Quaid, available from Turner Home Entertainment; and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, released in 1994 by American Zoetrope and available from Columbia Tristar Home Video, starring Robert De Niro and director-star Kenneth Branagh.
• Plays: Frankenstein: A Gothic Thriller by David Campton, published by Garnet Miller in 1973; Frankenstein by Tim Kelley, published by Samuel French in 1974.

Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views: Mary Shelley. New York: Chelsea House, 1985. This book compiles some of the finest contemporary critical essays on Mary Shelley's works.

Harris, Jane. The Woman Who Created Frankenstein: A Portrait of Mary Shelley. New York: Harper and Row, 1979. Geared towards younger readers, this biography of Mary Shelley also includes a plot summary of Frankenstein and information about its film adaptations.

Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters. London: Methuen, 1988. Mellor, a prominent feminist critic, contends that Shelley identified with the motherless creature and portrayed Dr. Frankenstein as a parody of her husband.

Spark, Muriel. Mary Shelley. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1987. This work is a revision of Spark's 1951 biography of Shelley, Child of Light: A Reassessment of Mary Shelley. It is divided into two sections, one biographical and the other critical.

St. Clair, William. The Godwins and the Shelleys: The Biography of a Family. New York: Norton, 1989. St. Clair explores the interplay of radical political beliefs, differing moral standards, and literary achievements of four influential thinkers from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Sunstein, Emily. Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality. Boston: Little, Brown, 1989. Amidst the overshadowing careers and reputations of her parents and husband, Mary Shelley is portrayed in this biography as an extraordinary individual.

Walling, William A. Mary Shelley. New York: Twayne, 1972. This biography features a particularly significant section on the duality within Victor Frankenstein's character.

Adaptations of Frankenstein likely number in the hundreds. The most notable film adaptation is James Whale's 1931 Frankenstein. Although a brief film at seventy-one minutes, it was probably intended as a second feature. Boris Karloff delivers an outstanding performance as the monster, blending menace with innocence, which continues to captivate audiences. His portrayal differs significantly from Shelley's original; without dialogue, Karloff relies on gestures and facial expressions to convey emotion and meaning. The novel's events are heavily condensed and simplified, making the film an inauthentic adaptation. The monster wreaks havoc through the countryside, ultimately chased by the now-iconic torch-wielding villagers. Karloff's performance is well complemented by Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, and John Boles.

James Whale also directed Bride of Frankenstein in 1935, again featuring Karloff as the monster. This film, at seventy-five minutes, is highly esteemed by critics as a quintessential horror film. Colin Clive, portraying Henry Frankenstein, is pressured by Dr. Praetorius (Ernest Thesiger) to create a female monster. Bride of Frankenstein includes some of cinema's most memorable scenes, such as the female monster's reaction upon seeing her intended mate. Supporting actors Valerie Hobson, Dwight Frye, and Ernest Thesiger, along with Elsa Lanchester's notably eccentric performance, enhance the film.

Karloff returns as the monster in Son of Frankenstein, directed by Rowland V. Lee in 1939. This full-length film, running ninety-nine minutes, is a well-crafted sequel to the 1931 Frankenstein. Basil Rathbone stars as Wolf Frankenstein, the son of the original creator. With the assistance of Ygor, played by Bela Lugosi, Wolf revives his father's creation. The film's suspense is heightened by excellent lighting and cinematography. Lugosi's portrayal of Ygor has become the archetype for countless mad scientist tales; no mad scientist's lab is complete without a deranged assistant. Karloff, Rathbone, and Lugosi are supported by Josephine Hutchinson and Lionel Atwill.

In the 1944 film House of Frankenstein, directed by Erle C. Kenton, Boris Karloff plays a mad scientist. This brief second-feature involves Karloff and his deranged assistant, portrayed by J. Carroll Naish, exacting insane revenge on the scientist's enemies. Glenn Strange plays the monster, John Carradine takes on the role of Dracula, and Lon Chaney plays the Wolfman in this above-average monster ensemble.

The most regrettable of the Frankenstein films featuring Karloff in any role is Frankenstein 1970, released in 1958. In this film, directed by Howard W. Koch, Karloff stars as the great-grandson of the original monster creator. The cast includes Tom Duggan, Jana Lund, and Don Barry. This film is notably poor and is only mentioned here due to Karloff's involvement.

In Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), Bela Lugosi plays the monster, with support from Lon Chaney, Jr., Ilona Massey, Maria Ouspenskaya, and Patric Knowles. The film was directed by Roy William Neill. Despite being one of many "This Monster Meets That Monster" films, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man stands out, featuring an over-the-top performance by Lugosi.

Director Terence Fisher's The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) is a notable remake of the Frankenstein story, produced by the renowned Hammer Films horror studio. Peter Cushing stars as the scientist, while Christopher Lee portrays the monster. Both actors deliver sensitive performances in this well-crafted film. An updated take on the story is Horror of Frankenstein, directed by Jimmy Sangster and starring Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson, and Dennis Price. This version, where a medical student creates a monster, is somewhat gory.

Another 1957 film, I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, directed by Herbert L. Strock, is more famous but not particularly good. Whit Bissell plays the mad scientist who assembles a monster from parts of local American teenagers. The cast also includes Robert Burton, Phyllis Coates, and Gary Conway. This film, a sequel to the similarly mediocre I Was a Teenage Werewolf, is best suited for viewers who can tolerate a high level of silliness.

In 1973, a new Frankenstein was presented as a television movie, directed by Glenn Jordan and starring Bo Svenson as the monster. This lengthy adaptation (over two hours) of Shelley's novel is somewhat more faithful than most but remains a rather bland retelling. Another television adaptation is the 1984 version of Frankenstein, directed by James Ormerod. It stars David Warner as the monster and Robert Powell as Dr. Frankenstein, with a supporting cast that includes John Gielgud, Carrie Fisher, Susan Wooldridge, and Terence Alexander. This production is quite good for a TV movie and surpasses many horror films, with the monster's rampaging being particularly satisfying.

A more recent adaptation of Shelley's novel is Frankenstein Unbound (1990), directed by Roger Corman, a celebrated horror filmmaker. The film stars John Hurt, Raul Julia, Bridget Fonda, and Jason Patric in a story about a time-traveling scientist from 2031 who encounters both Mary Shelley and Dr. Frankenstein. This film is gory and violent but is not one of Corman's better works, relying too heavily on gore and lacking in character development.

Two notable comedies have emerged from the Frankenstein legacy, both drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley's novel and the cinematic traditions that have developed from it: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein. Released in 1948 and skillfully directed by Charles Barton, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein features the comedic duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello as two naive characters thrust into a world of mystery, suspense, and scares. The film was a tremendous success, leading to several "Abbott and Costello Meet . . ." sequels. In this movie, Bela Lugosi reprises his iconic role as Count Dracula. For some strange reason, Dracula has come to America to revive the dormant Frankenstein's monster (played by Glenn Strange) and unleash him upon an unsuspecting population. The Wolfman (Lon Chaney, Jr.) is one of the good guys when not transformed, although he becomes quite dangerous when he is. Abbott and Costello perform numerous pratfalls and physical comedy routines, ultimately saving the girl and themselves while Dracula attempts to steal Costello's brain and the monsters run amok. This hilarious comedy has become a Halloween staple in many parts of America.

In terms of filmmaking artistry, Young Frankenstein might surpass even the movies it parodies. Directed by Mel Brooks, this film is one of his best works and captures the essence of the Frankenstein legend. Gene Wilder portrays Victor Frankenstein's descendant, who pronounces his last name as "Fronk-n-steen" to distance himself from his infamous ancestor. Marty Feldman plays the hunchbacked assistant (with a shifting hump), and Peter Boyle portrays a sensitive, misunderstood monster. The cinematography, music, acting, and perfectly timed comedy make Young Frankenstein a classic.

Sources

Baldick, Chris. In Frankenstein’s Shadow: Myth, Monstrosity, and Nineteenth-Century Writing. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1987.

Bloom, Harold, ed. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Forry, Steven Earl. Hideous Progenies: Dramatizations of Frankenstein from the Nineteenth Century to the Present. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1990.

Kiely, Robert. The Romantic Novel in England. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972.

Nitchie, Elizabeth. Mary Shelley: Author of Frankenstein. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1984.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, introduction by Diane Johnson. Bantam Books, 1991.

Spark, Muriel. Mary Shelley. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1987.

Summers, Montague. The Gothic Quest. Russell & Russell, 1964.

Sunstein, Emily W. Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1989.

Ty, Eleanor. "Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley." In Concise Dictionary of British Literary Biography, Volume 3: Writers of the Romantic Period, 1789-1832. Gale, 1991, pp. 338-52.

Vasbinder, Samuel Holmes. Scientific Attitudes in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1984.

Walling, William A. Mary Shelley. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1972.

Further Reading

Baldick, Chris. In Frankenstein's Shadow: Myth, Monstrosity, and Nineteenth-Century Writing. Oxford University Press, 1987. Explores Frankenstein as a modern myth and its influence on later nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature.

Gilbert, Sandra and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Yale University Press, 1979. A feminist and psycho-biographical interpretation emphasizing the role of books in the novel.

Goldberg, M. A. "Moral and Myth in Mrs. Shelley's Frankenstein." In Keats-Shelley Journal, Vol. 8, 1959, pp. 27-38. Offers a conventional reading of Frankenstein's story as a moral lesson for Walton.

Levine, George. "Frankenstein and the Tradition of Realism." In Novel, Vol. 7, Fall, 1973, pp. 14-30. Analyzes Frankenstein's place within the realism tradition in the novel.

Levine, George and U. C. Knoepflmacher. The Endurance of Frankenstein. University of California Press, 1979. A comprehensive collection of essays on the novel.

Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters. Methuen, Inc., 1988. Mellor, a leading Shelley scholar, uses unpublished archival material to explore Mary's relationships with key figures in her life. The biography serves as a stark warning to neglectful parents and irresponsible scientists.

Miyoshi, Masao. The Divided Self: A Perspective on the Literature of the Victorians. New York University Press, 1969, pp. 79-89. Discusses the concept of the Doppelganger, or double, in Frankenstein.

Moers, Ellen. Literary Women. Doubleday, 1976, pp. 91-99. Investigates the theme of maternity in Frankenstein, linking the birth of the monster to Shelley's own experiences as a mother.

Small, Christopher. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1973. A thorough examination of Shelley, her family, the novel, and the period she lived in.

Sunstein, Emily W. Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality. Little, Brown, and Company, 1989. This detailed biography places Shelley among the foremost English Romantic writers, dispelling many myths and misconceptions about her.

Tropp, Martin. Mary Shelley's Monster. Houghton Mifflin, 1976. This work offers a more accessible analysis of the novel, focusing on the "Mad Scientist" motif and examining various film adaptations. It also includes a filmography.

Veeder, William. Mary Shelley and Frankenstein: The Fate of Androgyny. University of Chicago Press, 1986. An appendix features Percy Shelley's unpublished review of the novel.