Edison's Frankenstein - Friday, December 17

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OAKLAND CENTER TO SHOW 100-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN HORROR FILM

EDISON'S FRANKENSTEIN

Event: Centennial showing of "Edison's Frankenstein 1910" film and lecture.

Location: The Oakland Center for the Arts, 220 W. Boardman Street, Downtown Youngstown

Date: Friday, December 17, 2010.

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Admission: $5.00 at the door. Limited seating.

Highlights: America's first horror film. 100th anniversary celebration. Lecture and book signing with author Chris Yambar. Gallery showing of graphic novel art.

On Friday, December 17, 2010, The Oakland Center for the Arts will host a screening of one of the oldest and rarest films in American history, "EDISON'S FRANKENSTEIN." The evening will also include a lecture and commentary by award-winning author and Youngstown native CHRIS YAMBAR, who will sign copies of his graphic novel adaptation of the film and allow the public to see the original art from the book on display for one night only in The Oakland's reception gallery.

"EDISON'S FRANKENSTEIN" was produced in 1910 by inventor Thomas Edison's film company and was the first horror film ever produced featuring Mary Shelley's famous monster. Due to the Victorian public's outcry against the film's content, all copies of the cinematic first were gathered and destroyed, making it one of the most sought-after "lost treasures" of Silver Screen history. When a lone copy surfaced in the silent film collection of Alois Dettlaff during the 1960s, it became a guarded reel, one shown in its entirety to only a select few over the next 40 years. The eccentric Dettlaff never allowed the film to leave his estate and refused to have it restored.

In 2003 Yambar joined forces with illustrator Robb Bihun and examined the film frame-by-frame, noting everything that occurred. They fought the popular temptation to "gore it up" and decided to keep their adaptation as bloodless and straightforward as the original content. There were areas, however, that needed some bridging in order to have a cognitive narrative flow. This was done with thoughtfulness and respect. The result was a 40-page graphic telling of the legendary 15-minute film. To this were added 22 pages of historical overview by Frankenstein historian Frederick Wiebel, Jr.

"The graphic novel sold out within 18 months," Yambar explains. "Since that time, Mr. Dettlaff has passed on and the whereabouts of the single print has again vanished; either it's in hiding (he told no one where he kept it) or it went up in smoke like all silver nitrate does when it decides to leave this world. The physical film is once again lost to the ages. This summer, a single case of the 'EDISON'S FRANKENSTEIN 1910' first-print graphic novels surfaced in a warehouse in Cleveland. So in celebration of the film's 100th anniversary, I have decided to bring this one-time screening and book signing to my hometown. I'm thrilled to show it in an intimate environment here at The Oakland Center for the Arts."

Copies of the graphic novel will be on sale while supplies last. Original page art will also be available for collectors.