Life Without Soul (lost silent film adaptation of "Frankenstein"; 1915): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:21, 28 June 2024

Advertisement poster for the film.

Status: Lost

Life Without Soul was a silent American horror film released back in 1915.^[1] It was written by Jesse J. Goldberg and directed by Joseph W. Smiley. This was the second film adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel Frankenstein.^[2]

Plot

It told the tale of a wealthy physician who discovers a "Fluid of Life" that can animate the dead. While reading Shelley's Frankenstein, Frawley falls asleep and dreams about animating a clay statue called "The Creation" (Percy Standing). After witnessing the horrors of the monster, Frawley awakens from his dream and destroys the elixir.

Production

This five-part film was produced by the Ocean Film Corporation and featured English-born actor Percy Darrell Standing wearing little to no make-up as the 'Brute Man'. The film was reissued in 1916 by the Raver Film Corporation with added scientific documentary footage detailing the reproduction methods of fish.^[3]

Availability

The film has been lost for many years and has not yet surfaced anywhere. It is unknown if any copy of the film still exists.

Some stills of the movie and a promotional pamphlet have resurfaced, the latter describing the plot in some detail.

Gallery

Percy Standing as "The Creation". This still has been used as reference for the poster's art.
A still from the film. It's been used for the advertisement poster.
Another still from the film.
Part of a still from the film, with "The Creation" attacking.
Promotional pamphlet for the film, from an eBay listing.
Back of the promotional pamphlet, from the eBay listing.

Reference

↑ British Film Institute entry on the film. Retrieved 26 Oct '19
↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080918222557/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/787857
↑ Stephen Jones. The Essential Monster Movie Guide. Billboard Books. 2000. Pg. 224

External Link

IMDb page on the film. Retrieved 26 Oct '19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Without_Soul

[1] British Film Institute entry on the film. Retrieved 26 Oct '19

[2] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080918222557/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/787857

[3] Stephen Jones. The Essential Monster Movie Guide. Billboard Books. 2000. Pg. 224

[1]

[2]

[3]

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-[[File:Lifesoul.png|thumb|450px|Advertisement poster for the film/Percy Standing as "The Creation".]]
+<br/>
-'''''Life Without Soul''''' was a silent American horror film released back in 1915, written by Jesse J. Goldberg and directed by Joseph W. Smiley. It was a retelling of the Mary Shelley novel ''Frankenstein'' and was the second film to adapt the story.
+<div class="col-lg-12 col-sm-12">
+{{InfoboxLost
+|title=<center>Life Without Soul</center>
+|image=LifeWithoutSoul-Poster.jpg
+|imagecaption=Advertisement poster for the film.
+|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
+}}
+'''''Life Without Soul''''' was a silent American horror film released back in 1915.<ref>[http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8a4a0049 British Film Institute entry on the film.] Retrieved 26 Oct '19</ref> It was written by Jesse J. Goldberg and directed by Joseph W. Smiley. This was the second film adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel ''Frankenstein''.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20080918222557/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/787857</ref>
-It told the tale of Victor Frawley (Played by William A. Cohill), a wealthy physician who discovers a "Fluid of Life" that can animate the dead. While reading Shelley's ''Frankenstein'', Frawley falls asleep and dreams of himself, his fiancee and friends as characters from the book. In the dream, Frawley, as Frankenstein, uses the fluid to turn a clay statue into a living being, dubbed "The Creation" (Played by Percy Standing). The movie follows the novel somewhat closely, with the monster going on a killing spree, climaxing in a scene set in the Grand Canyon (actually filmed in Georgia), where Frawley manages to trap his creation in a cave and seal it with dynamite, only to die of exhaustion. Frawley then awakes from his dream, and realizing the potential dangers his elixir could cause, destroys it.
+==Plot==
+It told the tale of a wealthy physician who discovers a "Fluid of Life" that can animate the dead. While reading Shelley's ''Frankenstein'', Frawley falls asleep and dreams about animating a clay statue called "The Creation" (Percy Standing). After witnessing the horrors of the monster, Frawley awakens from his dream and destroys the elixir.
-The film has been lost for many years and has not yet surfaced. It is unknown if any copy of the film still exists, although the plot, most of the actors and producers, and the shooting locations have all been made public.
+==Production==
+This five-part film was produced by the Ocean Film Corporation and featured English-born actor Percy Darrell Standing wearing little to no make-up as the 'Brute Man'. The film was reissued in 1916 by the Raver Film Corporation with added scientific documentary footage detailing the reproduction methods of fish.<ref>Stephen Jones. The Essential Monster Movie Guide. Billboard Books. 2000. Pg. 224</ref>
+==Availability==
+The film has been lost for many years and has not yet surfaced anywhere. It is unknown if any copy of the film still exists.
+Some stills of the movie and a promotional pamphlet have resurfaced, the latter describing the plot in some detail.
+==Gallery==
+<gallery mode=packed heights=180px>
+LifeWithoutSoul-TheCreation.jpg|Percy Standing as "The Creation". This still has been used as reference for the poster's art.
+LifeWithoutSoul-GroupStill.jpg|A still from the film. It's been used for the advertisement poster.
+LifeWithoutSoul-BedroomStill.jpg|Another still from the film.
+LifeWithoutSoul-BedroomAggro.jpg|Part of a still from the film, with "The Creation" attacking.
+LifeWithoutSoul-PromoPamphletFront.jpg|Promotional pamphlet for the film, from an eBay listing.
+LifeWithoutSoul-PromoPamphletBack.jpg|Back of the promotional pamphlet, from the eBay listing.
+</gallery>
+==See Also==
+*[[Frankenstein (lost Bela Lugosi test reel footage for Universal sci-fi horror film; 1931)]]
+*[[Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (lost Bela Lugosi monster dialogue of Universal horror film; 1943)]]
+*[[Frankie Stein (lost production materials for unreleased Spark Plug animated film; 2008)]]
+*[[Il Mostro di Frankenstein (lost silent horror film; 1920)]]
+*[[The Curse of Frankenstein (lost acid bath scene footage of Hammer horror film; 1957)]]
+*[[Son of Frankenstein (lost color footage of horror monster film; 1939)]]
+==Reference==
+{{reflist}}
+==External Link==
+*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0005615/ IMDb page on the film.] Retrieved 26 Oct '19
+*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Without_Soul
+[[Category:Lost films]]
+[[Category:Completely lost media]]
+[[Category:Historic]]