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It's Alive! The Classic Cinema Saga of Frankenstein
Celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Frankenstein film by examining Universal Studios' series of Frankenstein movies, the horror films, the series spawned, and the actors who portrayed the monster
- GenresFilm
Paperback
First published July 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 27, 2025
One of the dangers that I have in reading books that are of strong interest for me is that they usually lead me to another that I decide is a "must read." And since I am trying to economize, the referenced book is often out-of print, not available in my local library system, and commanding a premium price on Abebooks.
Such was the case with IT'S ALIVE! THE CLASSIC CINEMA SAGA OF FRANKENSTEIN. I had been reading (and thoroughly enjoying) Gregory William Mank's HOLLYWOOD CAULDRON when he mentions this book in his comments. It is not unusual for a writer to promote one's own work. However, this was an early one from 1981. I'm a Huge Fan of the Universal classic Frankenstein movies, have all of them in my film collection, and have watched them many times. To make things more enticing, Mank wrote this not only from a fan perspective, but wanted it to be a one-stop "everything you ever wanted to know about this series" book. Abebooks had a Like New copy from a bookstore in Ireland. (That was all right. I really didn't need to go to the grocery store anyway!)
Naturally, as this was written over 40-years ago, there have been new discoveries. Yet, for me, it is an informative book (engagingly presented with an enjoyable writing style and plenty of photographs) that has earned a Treasured Spot on my bookshelf.
Why is this one so special? Primarily because of the amount of production history and "behind the scenes on the set" stories. As I finished the section dedicated to 1931's Frankenstein, I found it a lot of fun to read, but I only learned two minor items that I hadn't been aware of before. (To be fair, I have read A LOT about the 1931 movie over the years.) My assumption was that this book had likely been "referenced" by many other writers on the topic. All of that changed, though, when I read about 1935's Bride of Frankenstein. I've also read a lot about that one, too. However, there was a great deal revealed here that I hadn't known before ... and that remained the case with all of the remaining entries (with the exception of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, for which I also knew most of the material already).
The writer is also very generous in exploring the lives of the "major people" who made these films (on both sides of the camera). Many, many intriguing details were presented that were revelations to me. The best way that I can describe the experience was that it was like being a kid again and reading the latest issue of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" ... without the puns and with more worthwhile information. (Mank does mention that some conflicting information is presented because both "sides" have their strong advocates, and neither can be completely verified. Some information, though, is obviously self-serving toward the person providing it.)
The only thing I could have done without was a detailed overview of each plot. If a person was relatively new to the classic Frankenstein series from Universal, this would be of great assistance. I couldn't shake the feeling, though, that this book would be an unlikely purchase for someone with a low or casual interest in the films. Yes, it would certainly aid research, but I think the vast majority of its Readers will have already seen the movies ... and more than once. Still, it's a minor quibble. If I had been too bothered by it, I could just have skipped reading the plot descriptions.
In essence, IT'S ALIVE! THE CLASSIC CINEMA SAGA OF FRANKENSTEIN is the book that I've always wanted to read, but that I didn't know existed until recently. The Me in 1981 would have fallen in love with it, exactly in the same way that the Me in 2025 did.
Such was the case with IT'S ALIVE! THE CLASSIC CINEMA SAGA OF FRANKENSTEIN. I had been reading (and thoroughly enjoying) Gregory William Mank's HOLLYWOOD CAULDRON when he mentions this book in his comments. It is not unusual for a writer to promote one's own work. However, this was an early one from 1981. I'm a Huge Fan of the Universal classic Frankenstein movies, have all of them in my film collection, and have watched them many times. To make things more enticing, Mank wrote this not only from a fan perspective, but wanted it to be a one-stop "everything you ever wanted to know about this series" book. Abebooks had a Like New copy from a bookstore in Ireland. (That was all right. I really didn't need to go to the grocery store anyway!)
Naturally, as this was written over 40-years ago, there have been new discoveries. Yet, for me, it is an informative book (engagingly presented with an enjoyable writing style and plenty of photographs) that has earned a Treasured Spot on my bookshelf.
Why is this one so special? Primarily because of the amount of production history and "behind the scenes on the set" stories. As I finished the section dedicated to 1931's Frankenstein, I found it a lot of fun to read, but I only learned two minor items that I hadn't been aware of before. (To be fair, I have read A LOT about the 1931 movie over the years.) My assumption was that this book had likely been "referenced" by many other writers on the topic. All of that changed, though, when I read about 1935's Bride of Frankenstein. I've also read a lot about that one, too. However, there was a great deal revealed here that I hadn't known before ... and that remained the case with all of the remaining entries (with the exception of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, for which I also knew most of the material already).
The writer is also very generous in exploring the lives of the "major people" who made these films (on both sides of the camera). Many, many intriguing details were presented that were revelations to me. The best way that I can describe the experience was that it was like being a kid again and reading the latest issue of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" ... without the puns and with more worthwhile information. (Mank does mention that some conflicting information is presented because both "sides" have their strong advocates, and neither can be completely verified. Some information, though, is obviously self-serving toward the person providing it.)
The only thing I could have done without was a detailed overview of each plot. If a person was relatively new to the classic Frankenstein series from Universal, this would be of great assistance. I couldn't shake the feeling, though, that this book would be an unlikely purchase for someone with a low or casual interest in the films. Yes, it would certainly aid research, but I think the vast majority of its Readers will have already seen the movies ... and more than once. Still, it's a minor quibble. If I had been too bothered by it, I could just have skipped reading the plot descriptions.
In essence, IT'S ALIVE! THE CLASSIC CINEMA SAGA OF FRANKENSTEIN is the book that I've always wanted to read, but that I didn't know existed until recently. The Me in 1981 would have fallen in love with it, exactly in the same way that the Me in 2025 did.
May 14, 2015
An outstanding history of Universal's original Frankenstein films, with detailed plot synopses (this book came out originally back when you couldn't simply catch an old film on Netflix) and lengthy behind-the-scenes stories of the conception, development and making-of. If you're a fan of the films (I certainly am), this book's for you. Runs from Frankenstein through Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews