Life Without Soul (1915)
Horror, Melodrama | November 1915
Life Without Soul was the first feature produced by the Ocean Film Corporation, which, according to the 13 November 1915 Moving Picture World, had been incorporated only the week before, with a capital stock of $200,000. The two main principals were investor John L. Dudley and film veteran Jesse J. Goldburg, who also wrote the scenario. Production had begun on the film "some three or four weeks ago." The article mentioned that the cast had returned to New York the previous week, after spending "three days at St. Augustine, Fla., two weeks at Jacksonville, Fla., and five days at Dahloniga, Ga.," where filming was done in the mountains to capture a dynamite-created landslide. The cast and crew returned by steamship to New York from Savannah, in order to film "on deck of an ocean-going liner." In all, 463 scenes were shot. A photo caption mistakenly cited the final film as being six reels long. A company advertisement in the 20 November 1915 Moving Picture World mentioned that filming had also been done in Arizona.
Some pre-release articles listed Josephine Marshall and Sue Balfore as cast members.
Peter Milne, writing in the 11 December 1915 Motion Picture News, praised the use of both a prologue and epilogue to alleviate "the gruesomeness of the action." It was "pleasing to see that all the characters are still alive" at the end of the film. Milne added that more clarifying titles had been added to the theatrical version than what he'd seen earlier at the trade preview at New York's Candler Theatre on 21 November.
One state rights buyer, Raver Film Corp., re-edited ...
Life Without Soul was the first feature produced by the Ocean Film Corporation, which, according to the 13 November 1915 Moving Picture World, had been incorporated only the week before, with a capital stock of $200,000. The two main principals were investor John L. Dudley and film veteran Jesse J. Goldburg, who also wrote the scenario. Production had begun on the film "some three or four weeks ago." The article mentioned that the cast had returned to New York the previous week, after spending "three days at St. Augustine, Fla., two weeks at Jacksonville, Fla., and five days at Dahloniga, Ga.," where filming was done in the mountains to capture a dynamite-created landslide. The cast and crew returned by steamship to New York from Savannah, in order to film "on deck of an ocean-going liner." In all, 463 scenes were shot. A photo caption mistakenly cited the final film as being six reels long. A company advertisement in the 20 November 1915 Moving Picture World mentioned that filming had also been done in Arizona.
Some pre-release articles listed Josephine Marshall and Sue Balfore as cast members.
Peter Milne, writing in the 11 December 1915 Motion Picture News, praised the use of both a prologue and epilogue to alleviate "the gruesomeness of the action." It was "pleasing to see that all the characters are still alive" at the end of the film. Milne added that more clarifying titles had been added to the theatrical version than what he'd seen earlier at the trade preview at New York's Candler Theatre on 21 November.
One state rights buyer, Raver Film Corp., re-edited the film and added new footage, according to the 6 May 1916 Moving Picture World. Mr. Raver personally supervised the insertion of scientific footage in order to enhance the laboratory scenes. The new footage showed "blood coursing through the veins and arteries, the conjunction of cells, and the reproduction of life in the fish world." Raver also added new toning and tinting.
There have been many films based on Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel. For additional information, please consult the entry for the 1931 Universal film Frankenstein.
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of January 2021.
Victor Frawley, an eager young medical student, announces to his fiancée, Elizabeth Lavenza, his discovery of a regenerative fluid that he calls "the chemistry of life." Warned by family and friends of the dangers of his invention, Victor falls asleep while reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and dreams the story of the novel, with himself as the main character. Using his fluid, Victor fashions a new breed of man, invincible but without a soul, whose brutality frightens away even his creator. His life threatened, Victor reluctantly creates a monster mate at the insistence of his "child." Fearing the consequences of the coupling, however, Victor destroys the mate, incurring the wrath of the lonely monster, who kills the doctor's sister Claudia and friend Richard in revenge. The monster persists in his bloody destruction, destroying the crew of a schooner and murdering Elizabeth, and finally drives Victor to his own death. The dream over, Victor awakens, thankful for life, and rushes to destroy his evil ...
Victor Frawley, an eager young medical student, announces to his fiancée, Elizabeth Lavenza, his discovery of a regenerative fluid that he calls "the chemistry of life." Warned by family and friends of the dangers of his invention, Victor falls asleep while reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and dreams the story of the novel, with himself as the main character. Using his fluid, Victor fashions a new breed of man, invincible but without a soul, whose brutality frightens away even his creator. His life threatened, Victor reluctantly creates a monster mate at the insistence of his "child." Fearing the consequences of the coupling, however, Victor destroys the mate, incurring the wrath of the lonely monster, who kills the doctor's sister Claudia and friend Richard in revenge. The monster persists in his bloody destruction, destroying the crew of a schooner and murdering Elizabeth, and finally drives Victor to his own death. The dream over, Victor awakens, thankful for life, and rushes to destroy his evil fluid.
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AFI Life Achievement AwardTOP SEARCHES
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