Frankenstein meets the Wolfman script?

[madmarva]

Evidently, Bela Lugosi was supposed to have lines in Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, but they were cut out during editing for some reason or the other.

Has anyone seen pages of the script with his lines and what were they like?

[palitoy]

I've read that those scenes linked the movie back to "Ghost" with the monster being blind. Explains a lot about Lugosi's performance.

It's rumored that the scenes were filmed but Lugosi talking as the monster didn't go over big. He was an odd choice for the monster.

[HumanWolfman]

I have read his accent was why they removed the lines from FMTWM.

[madmarva]

Thanks. I had read that information also. I was hoping that there might be a link out there somewhere to the original script. Evidently, the script was published in a trade format around 1990, but someone wants $89 for on amazon market place. I'm interested, but no that interested, lol. Just gives me another book to look for when I'm rummaging around.

[Werewolf]

The scenes were filmed but unfortunately lost. Universal was never as good to Bela as they were to Boris. His portrayal of the Monster made sense because the creature was now Ygor and during most of the movie the Ygorstein was powered down and blind.

[palitoy]

Some snippets and images here:

http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/679/FRANKENSTEIN-MEETS-THE-WOLF-MAN-Dissection-Version?page=89#.UFDnlKDhc4w

[madmarva]

Thanks for the link.

[MIB41]

Originally the concept was that Bela Legosi would channel his Igor character through the monster due to the events from the previous film. In the Ghost of Frankenstein they replaced the monster's brain with Igor's at the end. But his blood type was wrong so the surgery resulted in him being blind. That is why in this film he initially walks around not acting like he can see. If you notice when he is revived, Larry Talbot is essentially holding his hand. And in alot of those early scenes if you look at the monster, he seems to be working from his senses rather actual visual cues. In the original script I don't believe he got his vision back until they started pumping him with electricity again. But when Universal saw the finished product with the Monster talking like Igor, they scoffed at the idea. They thought he looked ridiculous. And so all of Legosi's speaking parts were ceremoniously removed, which leaves the audience with a decidedly odd looking performance. At least now you understand why Legosi was the first to portray Frankenstein's monster with his arms out. He was doing that because he couldn't see!

What's even more interesting is that 'arm's out' pose was adopted by Glenn Strange when he took on the role. And now when most people imitate the monster, they often mimic that performance. Yet no one, including Strange, realized that Legosi's motivation was only to suggest he was blind. So generations of fans have unwittingly been offering this interpretation as the iconic performance of the Frankenstein monster, yet no one really understood why. It's kind of funny if you think about it. People walk around acting like a blind monster and don't get it.

[Earth 2 Chris]

And Lugosi is always the last on the list of favorite Universal Frankenstein actors, even after Chaney, Jr.! Good point on the arms out thing. I hadn't really thought of that before. Karloff really didn't do that. He kind of stalked around with his hands at his sides, ready to grab someone if need be.

Chris

[Mikey]

I think people (walking around with their hands out imitating the monster) think the monsters hands out are in a I'M GUNNA GETCHA position.

It's a little more scary than having your hands at your side

[madmarva]

I've seen the documentaries on the Universal DVDs and read probably a dozen or so books on the Universal monster films since I was a kid where the changes were described (some in more detail than others), but never actually read what lines of Lugosi's were cut. The thread Palitoy posted is the closest I've seen. With as thick an accent as Lugosi had, it seems like someone would have put two and two together before the film was shot and figured out it wouldn't work. Hopefully someday those scenes will be found. They would be a heck of a blu-ray extra. No doubt the film series got pretty silly when the monster rallies began with all the crazy brain swapping business, but I think it's interesting that Universal did try to maintain some continuity between the films, even if not so successfully.

I'd probably be the only person to buy it, but I'd love to see a comic book series pick up where Abbott and Costello meets Frankenstein left off and continue the stories with a more serious approach. There was a novel that came out in the late 90s by Jeff Rovin titled "Return of the Wolfman" that did that, but I'd like to see it in comic-book form. To me it would be interesting to continue Talbot's pursuit of Dracula up to today as well as use flashbacks to fill in gaps between the films.

I enjoyed Marvel's monster series in the 70s, but I'd like see the actual universal characters used. Of course it would be a rights nightmare, with not only needing universal's approval but also the actors for their likenesses.

[Earth 2 Chris]

My son was into "Ghost of Frankenstein" until the whole brain transplant thing. He giggled when the monster (Chaney) spoke with Lugosi's voice. Maybe Universal should have polled some folks coming out of "Ghost" to see if the Ygor/Monster angle worked for them. I like to forget this aspect of the Uni-mythos. It sucks to think the monster "died" like that, only to have his brain swapped with Ygor's;who was a great character in his own right. It really mangled two great characters, although the Monster lost his pathos when Boris left him behind.

Chris