Gods and Monsters (1998)

Director:

Bill Condon

Writers (WGA):

Christopher Bram (novel)
Bill Condon (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

The last days of Frankenstein director James Whale are explored.

Plot Keywords:

Frankenstein | Director | Gardener | Homosexual | Stroke

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 32 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

Ian McKellen	...	James Whale
Brendan Fraser	...	Clayton Boone
Lynn Redgrave	...	Hanna
Lolita Davidovich	...	Betty
David Dukes	...	David Lewis
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Harry
Mark Kiely	...	Dwight
Jack Plotnick	...	Edmund Kay
Rosalind Ayres	...	Elsa Lanchester
Jack Betts	...	Boris Karloff
Matt McKenzie	...	Colin Clive
Todd Babcock	...	Leonard Barnett
Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy	...	Princess Margaret
Brandon Kleyla	...	Young Whale
Pamela Salem	...	Sarah Whale
Michael O'Hagan	...	William Whale
David Millbern	...	Dr. Payne
Amir Aboulela	...	The Monster
Marlon Braccia	...	Starlet
Jesse Long	...	Assistant Director (as Jesse H. Long)
Owen Masterson	...	Camera Assistant
Lisa Vastine	...	Librarian
Kent George	...	Whale at 25
Martin Ferrero	...	George Cukor
David Fabrizio	...	Photographer
Jesse James	...	Michael Boone
Lisa Darr	...	Dana Boone
Paul Michael Sandberg	...	Sound Man
Judson Mills	...	Young Man at Pool
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Dignam	...	Ernest Thesiger (uncredited)
John Gatins	...	Kid Saylor (uncredited)
Curtis Harrington	...	Cukor party guest (uncredited)
James Lecesne	...	Jack Pierce (uncredited)
Sarah Ann Morris	...	Daisy (uncredited)
Richard Pines	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Bill Condon

Writing credits (WGA)
Christopher Bram		(novel "Father of Frankenstein")
Bill Condon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Clive Barker	....	executive producer
Paul Colichman	....	producer
Gregg Fienberg	....	producer
David Forrest	....	executive producer
Mark R. Harris	....	producer
Sam Irvin	....	co-executive producer
Stephen P. Jarchow	....	executive producer
Lisa Levy	....	line producer
Valorie Massalas	....	co-executive producer
Spencer Proffer	....	co-executive producer
Beau Rogers	....	executive producer
John Schouweiler	....	line producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Stephen M. Katz		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Virginia Katz

Casting by
Valorie Massalas

Production Design by
Richard Sherman

Set Decoration by
Jim Samson		(as James Samson)

Costume Design by
Bruce Finlayson

Makeup Department
Sheryl Blum	....	additional hair stylist
Judy Crown	....	key hair stylist
Debra-Lee Davidson	....	additional makeup artist
Tarra D. Day	....	key makeup artist (as Tarra Day)
Carol F. Doran	....	wig maker (as Carol Doran)
Cyndra Dunn	....	additional hair stylist
Cyndra Dunn	....	additional makeup artist
Kim M. Ferry	....	additional hair stylist
Rita Green	....	additional hair stylist
Rita Green	....	additional makeup artist
Robert Hallowell II	....	additional hair stylist (as Robert Halliwell)
Roy Knyrim	....	makeup effects supervisor
Jerry Macaluso	....	makeup effects supervisor (as Gerry Macaluso)
Robin McWilliams	....	additional hair stylist
Nina Minster	....	additional makeup artist
Cindy Nakadaira	....	additional hair stylist
Cindy Nakadaira	....	additional makeup artist
Scott Tebeau	....	makeup effects artist (as Scott Tabeau)
Cass McClure	....	prosthetics technician (uncredited)
Mike Smithson	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Gregg Fienberg	....	unit production manager
Thomas Carl McGuinness	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lisa Brookes	....	second second assistant director
Lynn K. D'Angona	....	first assistant director (as Lynn d'Angona)
Marybeth Hagner	....	second second assistant director (as Mary Beth Hagner)
Carla R. Ponzio	....	second assistant director (as Carla Rose Ponzio)

Art Department
Holly Brand	....	on-set dresser
Maggie Cone	....	set dresser
Adam Cook	....	assistant property master
Jennifer Croyle	....	buyer (as Jennifer Lee Croyle)
Jennifer Croyle	....	set dresser (as Jennifer Lee Croyle)
Thomas Goehring	....	set dresser
Brian Gott	....	set dresser
Brad Hirsch	....	set dresser
Nate Juda	....	set dresser
Michael Lindsay	....	property master
Gilbert Lopez	....	set dresser
Edward J. McCarthy	....	lead man (as Edward McCarthy)
Mario Nino	....	set dresser
Jon Seminara	....	set dresser (as John Seminara)
Ashley Sibille	....	set dresser
Jeffrey Sibille	....	set dresser
Tom Stepanovich	....	set dresser
Art Vasenius	....	set dresser
David Warren	....	set dresser
Sebastian E. Zabala	....	set dresser
Sandy Adams	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Bach	....	supervising sound editor
Nancy Lee Bleisch	....	adr editor
Sarah Brady	....	adr supervisor
Joe Carey	....	sound effects editor
Geoff Clark	....	sound services manager
Kevin Compayre	....	boom operator
Mark Cookson	....	sound effects editor
Sean Garnhart	....	sound effects editor
Shawn Holden	....	production sound mixer
Marty Hutcherson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Carlos Isais	....	foley recordist (as Carlos 'Chuck' Isais)
Margie Lala	....	assistant sound editor
Ross Levy	....	boom operator
Rick MacLane	....	chief sound engineer
LaNessa Phearson	....	boom operator (as Lanessa Phearson)
Monique Reymond	....	foley artist
Brian Smith	....	adr mixer
Sarah Smith	....	assistant sound editor
Mimi Starrett	....	sound services manager
Cameron Steenhagen	....	assistant sound editor
Jason Thibault	....	foley editor
Jason Thibault	....	foley mixer
James G. Williams	....	sound re-recording mixer
John A. Willingham	....	boom operator
James Wright	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby

Special Effects by
Mike Vartak	....	rain effects
David Waine	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Gina Galvan	....	visual effects supervisor
Christopher Dusendschon	....	in-show optical process and effects compositor: THDX (uncredited)
Christopher Dusendschon	....	main title sequence optical compositor: THDX (uncredited)

Stunts
Chuck Borden	....	stunt coordinator
George B. Colucci	....	additional stunts (as George Colucci)
Joe Murphy	....	additional stunts (as Joseph Murphy)

Camera and Electrical Department
Marshall Adams	....	gaffer
William Ambrose	....	grip
Steve Barnes	....	first assistant camera
Roman W. Bennett	....	electrician (as Roman Bennett)
Gary Bloom	....	grip
Steve Cooke	....	electrician
Kyle Davis	....	grip
Tony Deale	....	grip (as Tony 'Big T' Deale)
Matthew Devitt	....	grip (as Matt Devitt)
Dave Devoe	....	lighting technician: musco light (as Dave DeVoe)
Patrick Farrell	....	grip (as Patrick Farrel)
Stefan Fernandez	....	electrician (as Stephen R. Fernandez)
Anne Fishbein	....	still photographer
Dan Fisher	....	electrician
Brian Freidin	....	electrician (as Brian R. Freidin)
Michael Goldman	....	best boy grip
George Eric Griffith	....	grip (as Ric Griffith)
Arni Hansson	....	additional first assistant camera (as Arne Hansson)
Adam Harrison	....	electrician
Renee Hedstrom	....	second assistant camera
Mark W. Hindle	....	24 frame video operator
Hooper	....	grip
Blake B. Jackson	....	grip (as Blake Jackson)
Timothy Kiley	....	additional camera loader
Kristopher Lamorte	....	grip (as Kristopher LaMorte)
Lance Layman	....	additional first assistant camera
John A. Locke	....	electrician
Richard A. Ludt	....	dolly grip
Kim McCall	....	24 frame video operator
Scott J. McGregor	....	grip
Vladimir Melnik	....	electrician (as Vladimir Melnick)
Ken Metz	....	grip
Justin Mitchell	....	electrician
Ian S. Momberger	....	electrician
Linda Morgenstern	....	additional first assistant camera
Christopher Olson	....	24 frame video operator (as Christopher Olsen)
David Rosner	....	additional second assistant camera
Terry Schroth	....	camera loader
Barnaby Shapiro	....	additional first assistant camera
Bruce Sharp	....	electrician (as Bruce Sharpe)
Tim Shinkle	....	grip
William Skinner	....	electrician
Andrew Smith	....	best boy electric (as Andrew JJ Smith)
Justin Stroh	....	electrician
Keith Talley	....	key grip (as Keith A. Talley)
Justin Webber	....	additional second assistant camera
Jonathan M. Wiener	....	electrician
A. David Burleigh	....	24 frame video assistant (uncredited)
Peter M. Smith	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Erica Arvold	....	casting associate
Deena Benz	....	casting intern
Wynn Marlowe	....	casting assistant
Debe Waisman	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charlene Amateau	....	assistant costume designer
Janine Burke	....	wardrobe assistant
Rikke Rosbaek	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Larry Engelmann	....	final colorist
Bob La Rossa	....	color timer (as Robert La Rossa)
April Martin	....	second assistant editor
Carl Pedregal	....	first assistant editor
Keir Randall	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Carter Burwell	....	conductor
Carter Burwell	....	orchestrator
Emile Charlap	....	music contractor
Michael Farrow	....	music engineer
Sonny Kompanek	....	orchestrator
Susan Pilcher	....	music coordinator
Spencer Proffer	....	supervising music producer
Brian Richards	....	music editor
Adam Milo Smalley	....	music editor (as Adam Smalley)
John Moses	....	musician: clarinet (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Robert Aguilar	....	driver
Baz	....	driver
Timothy P. Best	....	driver: honeywagon
John J. Cardos	....	driver: production van
Tom Hallowell	....	driver
Eric Miller	....	transportation coordinator (as Eric 'Eyore' Miller)
Reed Phillips	....	driver
David D.B. Wilson	....	transportation captain (as David B. Wilson)

Other crew
Joe Abele	....	set production assistant
Allison Andrade	....	assistant: Mr. Harris
Leonardo Arterberry III	....	set production assistant
Brian Askew	....	stand-in
Shah Batroukh	....	set production assistant (as Shaher Batroukh)
Howard Behnken	....	stand-in
Mary Brunner	....	set production assistant
Latasha Compton	....	assistant: Mr. Jarchow
Josh Cook	....	set intern
Maura Corcoran	....	set production assistant
Joe Daley	....	assistant: Mr. Barker
Michael Donner	....	post-production accountant
Farnaz Farjam	....	assistant location manager
Melissa Horlick	....	additional craft service
Charlie Jakab	....	set production assistant
Wendy Kutzner	....	assistant production coordinator
Jed Lambert	....	set production assistant
Michael H. Lauer	....	business affairs: Lauer & Associates (as Michael H. Lauer, Esq.)
Michael H. Lauer	....	legal services: Lauer & Associates (as Michael H. Lauer, Esq.)
Patrick Jack Lee	....	financial services: Imperial Bank (as Patrick Lee)
Jesse Long	....	script supervisor (as Jesse H. Long)
Theodore S. Maier	....	office production assistant (as Ted S. Maier)
Eric P. Mandel	....	business affairs: Lauer & Associates (as Eric P. Mandel, Esq.)
Eric P. Mandel	....	legal services: Lauer & Associates (as Eric P. Mandel, Esq.)
Hunter J. Mayers	....	office production assistant
Jane McAllister	....	stand-in
Kelli Michna	....	craft service
Fonya Naomi Mondell	....	set production assistant
Buckley Norris	....	production insurance: AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance
Risa Grobart Pavlich	....	production accountant
Michael S. Peters	....	key office production assistant
Dana E. Refano	....	nurse
John Michael Scholl	....	assistant: Sir Ian McKellen (as John Michael)
Cody Smith	....	swan wrangler
Paula Smith	....	key set production assistant
Andrew M. Stewart	....	production coordinator
Suzy Strawn	....	studio teacher
Adonica Thompkins	....	assistant: Mr. Colichman
Michael Tschetter	....	office production assistant
David Warren	....	set production assistant
Paul Wilson	....	location manager (as Paul 'Crash' Wilson)
Sean Zell	....	set intern
Jerry Macaluso	....	prosthetics supervisor (uncredited)
Jared Seltzer	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Mike Tschetter	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
L. Wayne Alexander	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Chris Andrews	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Ron Bechard	....	this film is dedicated to the memory of
Joel Cohen	....	special thanks: for the use of original paintings by James Whale
Les Cripe	....	this film is dedicated to the memory of
Arthur Dignam	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Michael Foster	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Ken Hardy	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Curtis Harrington	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Edward Hibbert	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Adam Krentzman	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Peter Levine	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Anna C. Miller	....	the producers and director wish to thank (as Anna Miller)
Jack Morrissey	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Ryan Murphy	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Michele Pietra	....	special thanks: for the use of original paintings by James Whale
Rhonda Schepisi	....	this film is dedicated to the memory of
Draper Shreeve	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Ed Sikov	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Joe Smith	....	the producers and director wish to thank
Mason Wiley	....	this film is dedicated to the memory of

Production Companies

• Lions Gate Films (present)
• Showtime Networks (present) (as Showtime)
• Flashpoint (I) (present)
• BBC Films (in association with)
• Regent Entertainment (producer)
• Spike Productions

Distributors

• Arthaus Filmverleih (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Look Now! (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Alpha Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal)
• GAGA
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (Greece) (VHS)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2001) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2001) (Australia) (DVD)
• Odeon (Greece) (VHS)
• Primer Plano Film Group (Argentina)
• Rosebud (Greece)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• S.O.T.A. FX (make-up effects by) (as SOTA FX)
• Ultimate Effects (special effects by)

Other Companies

• 66 Degrees North Post  Avid provided by
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  production insurance provided by (as AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance)
• Axium  production payroll service
• Brasher Sound  sound editorial services provided by
• Brasher Sound  sound re-recording services provided by
• CBS Studio Center  grip and lighting equipment
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Flashpoint (I)  financing (uncredited)
• Fluid Entertainment  funding
• Imperial Bank  financial services provided by
• Inter Video  24-frame video playback
• Lauer & Associates  business affairs & legal services
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative cutting by (as Magic Film & Video Works)
• Motion Picture Bond Company, The  completion guarantor
• Musco Mobile Lighting Ltd.  Musco light provided by
• Otto Nemenz International  Arriflex cameras provided by (as Otto Nemenz)
• Pango-Pango Catering  catering (as Pango-Pango)
• Phil Smith Livestock  swans provided by (as Phil Smith's Livestock)
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• THX Sound System Theatre  mixed and recorded in a (as THX Certified Facility)
• Title House  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

The Father of Frankenstein (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual material and language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:R(A) | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Germany:12 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Arbor Mansion, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

As of 2007, one of only three films since the advent of the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar to win the award without receiving a Best Picture nomination as well. The first was The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), the second was Sling Blade (1996).

Goofs:

Continuity: Before starting his line about James wanting "to draw him like a statue" Clayton tosses away his towel. James turns from the window and Clayton punctuates the end of his line by tossing his towel away again.

Quotes:

James Whale: Who is this new yardman?
Hannah: Mr. Bugen... something B... I don't know. He came cheap!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sweets to the Sweet: The Candyman Mythos (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Bride of Frankenstein

A reflection of Frankenstein

A historical drama about famed director James Whale (Ian McKellen), Gods and Monsters finds Whale primarily in his last years, living relatively modestly in 1950s Hollywood. A heavy emphasis is placed on his homosexuality and his complex relationship with his young male gardener, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser).

Gods and Monsters is an unusual film in that although it's not very plot heavy, there is little feeling of a lack of substance. It's really a personality study, but a very deep, multifaceted look at Whale, Boone and to a lesser extent, Whale's domestic helper, Hanna (Lynn Redgrave). As such, the film largely hinges on its performances, which couldn't be better.

Fraser is perhaps the most impressive, as the tenor of his role is very different than most of the material he's tackled over the years. He never fails to sell his nuanced character, who is something of a lower-class enigma with a clearly troubled past and a desire for a simpler future, but who hardly knows how to express or achieve what he desires. The description is almost a perfect reflection of Whale, as well, as we come to realize. Of course McKellen and Redgrave are good, too, but their roles are more along the lines of some of their past fine work.

Echoing the parallel between Boone and Whale's histories and dispositions, Whale's life is shown as being deeply mired in the themes of his two Frankenstein films, even though he is shown as publicly wanting to play them down. Whale is something of a cross between Colin Clive's Dr. Frankenstein, Ernest Thesiger's campy Dr. Pretorius and Boris Karloff's sympathetic monster, enjoying the role of creator as much as the simple pleasures of food and a smoke, and ultimately desiring friendship rather than forlorn loneliness in his twilight years. Whale's loss of his creation on The Road Back (1937), from which he temporarily recovered his composure, and the perceived "monstrosity" of his sexual orientation and eccentricities began a slow process of alienation from the milieu he loved at one time. Like the Monster seeking emotional recompense, especially in the face of imminent destruction in the wake of a stroke, Whale attempts to latch on to whatever intimacy he can find from others, and ultimately expresses an embrace of death over living.

Although the historicity of the film may be questionable on some accounts, it's important to remember that the film, although a historical drama, is still fiction, and many changes are by way of normal "literary license", designed to underscore more abstract points about Whale's life and character.

Director Bill Condon nicely inserts select scenes from Whale's past, including his experience in World War I, which informed his films such as Journey's End (1930), and a wonderful recreation of Whale filming a scene from Bride of Frankenstein (1935). We also see an almost amusingly truncated version of the latter and some typical peanut gallery remarks showing how Whale's work was apt to be misunderstood. Carter Burwell's beautiful, understated music is also worth noting. My only small complaint about the film is that I would have like the music to appear more frequently than it did.