April 6, 2008

View-Master Frankenstein


The View-Master 3D viewer and its disc-shaped reels, patented 65 years ago, was the twentieth-century upgrade of the venerable stereo viewer, a stubbornly long-lived form of Victorian “parlour entertainment”. Fisher-Price — latest in a long list of companies to own the View-Master brand — is still making these things, though today’s viewers come in a variety of shapes and feature sound effects, character voices and music.

In the 50’s and 60’s, the classic, clunky, inexpensive bakelite viewers were ubiquitous and every drugstore had racksfull of reels on offer, but in the new age of television, the routine diet of Taj Mahal travelogues and Grand Canyon scenics was getting old. The company survived by rebranding the device as a toy. Licensed characters from cartoons, TV and the movies came to dominate the View-Master collection, but there were also original story reels, mostly fairy tales, done in a puppet theater style.

One of the most intriguing of the tabletop puppet sets was a Frankenstein story told in three reels (21 scenes). Released in 1976, it was offered again in '77 as a “Talking View-Master” set.

The simple storyline, author unknown, touches ever so lightly on elements found in the Mary Shelley original: The lightning-struck tree, the Monster as peeping tom at the old man’s cottage, confronting the child William (saved here in extremis) and asking his creator for a mate (“Make a friend for me or you’ll be sorry!”). Beyond the tenuous literary connection, the visuals are movie influenced, with a castle laboratory and The Monster depicted as a straight up (yet unlicensed) Universal-style Frankenstein, complete with dark suit, flat head and forehead gash.

Erick, of the aptly named Wonderful Wonderblog, has posted scans from the Frankenstein View-Master Read-Along illustrated booklet, as well as actual images from the reels. Go look, it’s a real treat! You can also view the images, as originally uploaded by Neal Snow here, and the booklet pages are also posted on this collector’s site.


Thanks to Max for the color-corrected pic.

16 comments:

Mr. Karswell said...

I still have my reels for this great set. I sold a bunch of my View Master stuff years ago but hung onto anything with puppets... this and the dinosaur reels were always my two favorites.

Anonymous said...

Pierre-

They also did - sanitized - Dracula & Wolfman packets.

http://cgi.ebay.com/70s-DRACULA-MONSTER-VIEWMASTER-SET-UNIVERSAL-MONSTERS_W0QQitemZ330224838566QQihZ014QQcategoryZ19194QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The current reels, done through computer means, don't have the depth of the all-photographic ones, of which these were some of the last.

Best,
-Craig W.

rob! said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rob! said...

oh, that's just so cool. it looks like "Rankin and Bass' Frankenstein."

Anonymous said...

Hopefully no one else will bid on those viewmaster reels. If I can get them, I'll definitely scan the Frankenstein, Wolfman and Dracula sets and make them available for anyone to grab the images.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful stuff! You brought back super fond memories for me that I had totally forgotten. I thought I had dreamed seeing this View Master version of Frankenstein that a neighbor kid had owned but it was real. I loved the whole Rankin/Bass feel that it had. There were lots of terrific puppet books and View Master films made in this style during the 70s (often by Japanese animators). I really wish i could see this again.

Unknown said...

Very awesome. I guess viewmasters now have this level of integrity to them, to be such vehicles for vintage material, since they are fast becoming vintage themselves. Even more amazing is how they had zero mental filters back in the '70s, that they're applying this tech to everything, in perhaps the same way you've got Wasabi Kitkat in Japan. I was reminded of the original Frankenstein movie by this, stills of which you can put in viewmasters yourself :)

Image3d.com

Anonymous said...

I got this set for Christmas...must have been almost 40 years ago! Seeing the posted images has brought back a wave of childhood nostalgia! I loved that Viewmaster. Wonder whatever became of it...

slot168 said...

zeed slot168 ของพวกเรา วันนี้สามารถ ช่วยเพิ่มเดิมพันที่เหมาะสมที่สุด ให้กับนักร้องเพลงทุกคน pg slot สำหรับเพื่อการเลือกเข้าใช้บริการตรงนี้ กันแน่ๆ ค้ำประกันได้เลยว่าการสร้างรายได้

Barbara Nimmo said...

Wow, what a fascinating blog post about Elizabeth Hazel Court! I must admit, Elizabeth Hazel Court's impact on the genre is undeniable, and I'm thrilled to have learned more about her contributions to the iconic "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man."
can u use a walmart gift card for gas

Ashlee Rolfson said...

I stumbled upon this intriguing blog while researching the classic movie and actress Elizabeth Hazel Court, and I couldn't resist leaving a comment. But let's switch gears for a moment and talk about something quite practical yet essential in today's digital age.
how to use discount code on nintendo eshop

Timothee Lambert said...

"What an insightful and well-researched blog! The depth of information provided is truly commendable. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise on this topic."
https://www.aintpayingfull.com/

Edvin Berg said...

"The author's willingness to tackle controversial topics and present diverse perspectives is admirable. It fosters a healthy discourse among readers and encourages critical thinking. It's a brave and commendable stance in the world of online content."
https://tryvoucher.com/

การเล่นของค่าย pg slot said...

การเล่นของค่าย pg slot เว็บ PG เว็บเกมที่มีเกมให้ได้ทดลองเล่นฟรี แล้วก็ยังเป็น PG SLOT รูปแบบใหม่ตอนนี้ของปีแตกง่ายแม้มีทุนน้อยก็เล่นได้

Jennifer Walsh said...

The View-Master Frankenstein blog captures the essence of timeless storytelling. Much like unraveling the ageless mystery of Dolores in Encanto, exploring these vintage reels brings a sense of wonder and appreciation for classic tales. how old is dolores in encanto

สล็อต said...

สล็อต รับฟรีเครดิตฟรี พวกเรามั่นใจว่าสาวกสล็อตออนไลน์ ถ้าเกิดได้ยินคำว่า “ เครดิตฟรี ” จำเป็นต้องกำเนิดอาการตาพองวาว PG SLOT แต่ว่าในใจก็กำเนิดปัญหาว่า ฟรีใช่หรือไม่ ควรมีข้อตกลงอะไร