Hey folks, Harry here... Every now and again there's something geniunely exciting in terms of cinematic history going on. The finding and saving and preservation of Edison's FRANKENSTEIN... is huge! A film long rumored to be lost, found and being restored and brought to life in a century that never dreamt they would see it! This was the first film telling of FRANKENSTEIN. Many claim it was the first horror film, but I have a film called EL SPECTRO ROJO from the late 1890's that is definitely a horror film of similar length... So calling this the first Horror film, is just... well wrong. To find out more about the film, Click here! Oh, plus I found 38 seconds of the film online! HERE!
On April 26 & 27, 2003, Thomas Edison's long-lost silent film "Frankenstein," will be shown at the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, as part of our "Many Faces Of Frankenstein" weekend.
From LoewsJersey.Org:
This landmark 1910 film, considered to be the first horror movie, is also the first incarnation of the Frankenstein Monster on film. This 14 minute reel was all but forgotten until 1963 when a film historian discovered a photo of Edison’s Monster in the Edison archives in West Orange, New Jersey. But no print of the full movie could be found, and in 1980, The American Film Institute had declared Edison’s Frankenstein to be one of the top ten most "culturally and historically significant lost films."
But unbeknownst to the AFI and most historians, one print of this historic film had survived in the private collection of Mr. Alois Dettlaff of Wisconsin. When Mr. Dettlaff learned of the AFI list, he let it be known that Edison’s Frankenstein had indeed been preserved. But because of copyright concerns, Dettlaf has turned down requests to screen the movie from museums and film distributors the world over, and has only allowed it to be screened theatrically at two small gatherings in his hometown.
But now that Mr. Dettlaff has decided to release the film on DVD, the he has agreed to allow the official public re-premiere of this landmark film at the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre. The film will be screened on two days as part of programs that include other, more familiar film versions of Frankenstein’s Monster.
Friends of the Loew’s, Inc. and the Fort Lee Film Commission are co- sponsors of this historic event.
Regards,
Susan Solan
