{"id":5377,"date":"2013-10-30T09:44:33","date_gmt":"2013-10-30T17:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/?p=5377"},"modified":"2015-07-16T22:18:17","modified_gmt":"2015-07-17T06:18:17","slug":"was-the-assistant-in-frankenstein-really-named-igor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2013\/10\/30\/was-the-assistant-in-frankenstein-really-named-igor\/","title":{"rendered":"Was the Assistant in Frankenstein Really Named Igor?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about movies and whether they are true or false. Click <a href=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2009\/04\/19\/movie-legends-revealed-history\/\">here<\/a> to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far.<\/p>\n<p><u><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">MOVIE URBAN LEGEND<\/span><\/u>: The assistant in Frankenstein was named Igor.<\/p>\n<p>An interesting situation that pops up frequently is the case of almost intellectual consolidation. Take a bunch of similar movies and whoever is the most memorable from that group will be what people remember.<\/p>\n<p>That is most likely the situation when you see people refer to Doctor Frankenstein&#8217;s hunchback assistant, Igor.<\/p>\n<p>In 1931&#8217;s Frankenstein, Doctor Henry Frankenstein does NOT have an assistant named Igor.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/frankenstein1.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><iframe src=\"http:\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?t=legenrevea-20&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=B00000JMOF&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=FFFFFF&#038;f=ifr\" style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<!--more--><br \/>\nHe DOES, however, have a weird assistant named Fritz, played by Dwight Frye.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/fritzb1.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The assistant character does not appear in Mary Shelley&#8217;s original novel, but first popped up in a stage adaptation a decade or so after the novel, Presumption: or the Fate of Frankenstein by Richard Brinsley Peake.<\/p>\n<p>In the sequel to the film, 1935&#8217;s Bride of Frankenstein, once again, there is no character named Igor.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/brideoffrankenstein.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><iframe src=\"http:\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?t=legenrevea-20&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=078323502X&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=FFFFFF&#038;f=ifr\" style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>However, once again, Frye plays a similar character, this time named Karl (unlike Fritz, Karl is a crony who does not actually work for Henry Frankenstein, but for a doctor who is blackmailing Frankenstein into creating a bride for the Monster).<\/p>\n<p><center><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/karl.gif\" alt=\"\" \/><\/center><\/p>\n<p>It is the SECOND sequel, 1939&#8217;s Son of Frankenstein, that finally introduces an Igor into the series. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/sonoffrankenstein1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><iframe src=\"http:\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?t=legenrevea-20&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=B00005LC4L&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=FFFFFF&#038;f=ifr\" style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Well, basically.<\/p>\n<p>In the film, with Basil Rathbone as the titular son of Frankenstein, the great Bela Lugosi plays the assistant, Ygor, who is deformed as a result of a hanging gone wrong.<\/p>\n<p><center><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/ygor1.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Ygor is actually the driving figure in the film, as he uses the Monster to get revenge against the jury who convicted him.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/ygor.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Lugosi was such a prominent character that he was brought back for the next sequel, Ghost of Frankenstein, where Ygor&#8217;s brain is transplanted into the Monster.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/ghost-of-frankenstein.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><iframe src=\"http:\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?t=legenrevea-20&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=B00005LC4L&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=FFFFFF&#038;f=ifr\" style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>So anyhow, over the years, Lugosi&#8217;s Ygor has been transposed in people&#8217;s minds as having been the assistant in the original film. Heck, most folks probably think Igor was ALWAYS a part of the Frankenstein mythos, as that is basically how he is treated in the years since.<\/p>\n<p>And he didn&#8217;t even show up until the third film!<\/p>\n<p>Poor Fritz, no respect. No respect at all.<\/p>\n<p>He could have been a contender!!<\/p>\n<p>The legend is&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><u><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">STATUS<\/span><\/u>: False<\/p>\n<p>Feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future installments! My e-mail address is b&#x63;&#x72;o&#110;&#x69;n&#64;&#x6c;&#x65;g&#101;&#x6e;ds&#x72;&#x65;v&#101;&#x61;le&#x64;&#x2e;c&#111;&#x6d;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about movies and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far. MOVIE URBAN LEGEND: The assistant in Frankenstein was named Igor. An interesting situation that pops up frequently is the case [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7MjBq-1oJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5379,"url":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2013\/11\/20\/was-the-first-movie-vampire-with-fangs-not-until-the-1950s\/","url_meta":{"origin":5377,"position":0},"title":"Was the First Movie Vampire With Fangs Not Until the 1950s?","date":"November 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about movies and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far. MOVIE URBAN LEGEND: Did Dracula (and vampires in general) not have vampire fangs in films\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Movie Legends Revealed&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/drakulainstanbul.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7926,"url":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2016\/05\/17\/did-steven-tyler-write-the-lyrics-to-walk-this-way-on-the-wall-of-a-stairwell\/","url_meta":{"origin":5377,"position":1},"title":"Did Steven Tyler Write the Lyrics to &#8220;Walk This Way&#8221; on the Wall of a Stairwell?","date":"May 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about music and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far. MUSIC URBAN LEGEND: Steven Tyler wrote the lyrics to \"Walk This Way\" on a wall\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music Legends Revealed&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"walk_this_way","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/walk_this_way-375x376.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9276,"url":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2020\/10\/31\/bela-lugosi-frankenstein-monster\/","url_meta":{"origin":5377,"position":2},"title":"Was Bela Lugosi Nearly the Original Universal Studios Frankenstein&#8217;s Monster?","date":"October 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about music and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far. MOVIE URBAN LEGEND: Bela Lugosi nearly played Frankenstein's Monster, who would have looked dramatically different!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Movie Legends Revealed&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/frankenstein-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4494,"url":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2013\/03\/07\/was-igor-stravinsky-arrested-for-adding-a-chord-to-the-national-anthem\/","url_meta":{"origin":5377,"position":3},"title":"Was Igor Stravinsky Arrested for Adding a Chord to the National Anthem?","date":"March 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about music and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the music urban legends featured so far. MUSIC URBAN LEGEND: Igor Stravinsky was arrested for adding a chord to the U.S. National\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music Legends Revealed&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5513,"url":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2013\/12\/10\/what-interesting-response-did-gwyneth-paltrow-have-to-a-radio-contest-involving-her\/","url_meta":{"origin":5377,"position":4},"title":"What Interesting Response Did Gwyneth Paltrow Have to a Radio Contest Involving Her?","date":"December 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about movies and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far. MOVIE URBAN LEGEND: Gwyneth Paltrow had an interesting approach to a radio contest revolving around\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Movie Legends Revealed&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4500,"url":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/2013\/03\/11\/did-igor-stravinsky-have-a-classic-response-to-a-telegram-from-billy-rose\/","url_meta":{"origin":5377,"position":5},"title":"Did Igor Stravinsky Have a Classic Response to a Telegram From Billy Rose?","date":"March 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about music and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the music urban legends featured so far. MUSIC URBAN LEGEND: Stravinsky had a particularly cutting telegram retort to a request to have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music Legends Revealed&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5377"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5377"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6873,"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5377\/revisions\/6873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendsrevealed.com\/entertainment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}