In 1931 and 1935, respectively, James Whale, classical Hollywood’s most openly gay filmmaker, directed¶ÿFrankenstein¶ÿand¶ÿBride of Frankenstein, the two most famous, admired, imitated, and parodied films based upon elements of Mary Shelley’s landmark 1818 novel. Indeed, many people have a sense of¶ÿFrankenstein¶ÿfrom these films more than Shelley’s writing, yet they differ vastly from the novel.
The films have been interpreted as reflecting historical contexts and issues of gender, race, and sexuality, but where do we find Whale’s input, especially given that so many players were involved? This talk by film scholar¶ÿDavid Lugowski considers the first film in particular in terms of adaptation, production history, censorship,¶ÿand Whale__s authorship from the angles of Englishness, theatricality, his World War I veteran status, and queer visualizations of the closet.
Co-hosted by ASU’s Department of English and the Center for Science and the ImaginationLocation:¶ÿNeed help finding the Centerpoint building?¶ÿCheck out this map.¶ÿThe entrance is on the north side of the building, directly across from the Z’Tejas restaurant on 6th Street.
Parking:¶ÿPaid parking is available in the Centerpoint parking structure on 730 Ash Avenue.¶ÿHere’s a map to the entrance.