Growing up in the early ’70s, the small town I lived didn’t have it’s own movie theater, so I had to get my beginning monster education from the TV. From shows like Night Gallery, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, to plenty of made-for-TV movies around that time that were horror themed, it was everything a young horror fan could ask for. And I loved them all. But there was one show which was shown over two nights in 1973 that stuck in my mind for decades. It was Jack Smight’s 1973 film Frankenstein: The True Story, starring a wide array of actors such as James Mason, Leonard Whiting, David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Agnes Moorehead, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, and Tom Baker.
At the time, I had no idea just how far away the “true” part really was, but when I was a 8-year old boy, all I knew was that it was mind-blowing. I can vividly remember watching this with my slightly older brother, amazed at some of the gore on screen, and anxiously waiting for part 2 to take place the two nights later. Years later, after finally being able to track down the full unedited edition, I could re-visit this great tale, which I did multiple times. Even after being more educated about the “true story”, I still consider this a favorite. And now, thanks to Little Shoppe of Horrors, I will once again be able to dive into this wonderful production.
