Doctor Waldman
Encyclopedia
Dr. Waldman is a fictional character
who appears in Mary Shelley
's novel, Frankenstein
and in its subsequent film
versions.
In the novel, he has a fairly small part—he is Victor Frankenstein
's teacher at medical school. In the 1931
Universal
film Frankenstein
, Dr. Waldman was played by Edward Van Sloan
. In Kenneth Branagh
's 1993
film, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
, Waldman was portrayed by John Cleese
. Both film versions expand his role, making him a mentor to Victor (Henry Frankenstein in the 1931 film).
In the 1931 film version of Frankenstein, Dr. Waldman was a professor of anatomical
studies at Goldstadt Medical College. Waldman had been Henry Frankenstein's favorite teacher during the aspiring young scientist
's time as a student there. Although Waldman had much respect for Henry's brilliance, he became increasingly disturbed when Henry began demanding fresh bodies for his experiments in chemical galvanism and electro-biology
: bodies that were not those of cats and dogs, but human beings. Eventually, the increasingly ambitious Henry left the college to pursue his researches in private.
Some time later, Henry's fiancée, Elizabeth, and best friend, Victor Moritz, came to the college to confide in Waldman their fears for Henry's health. After telling them of Henry's decision to leave the school, Waldman agreed to accompany them to Henry's lab to talk some sense into him. Instead, the three bore witness to Henry Frankenstein's crowning achievement: The creation of a creature
he had built from parts of dead bodies sewn together, plus a brain
that Henry's assistant Fritz
had stolen from Waldman's classroom. Waldman tried to tell Henry that the Monster had a defective brain and was dangerous, as Fritz had dropped the chosen brain and brought a criminal one, but this fact only sank in when the monster killed Fritz. They locked the Monster, and then unlocked the door, ijecting him with a sedative in the back which knocks him out after he nearly kills Frankenstein.
Suffering a nervous breakdown
, Henry was taken home by Elizabeth, Victor, and his father, Baron Frankenstein. Waldman remained at the laboratory for the purposes of destroying the Monster by dissection
. The Monster built up an immunity
to the sedative
s and awoke before Waldman could begin. Seizing Waldman by the throat, he proceeded to strangle the old man to death.
(The character of Dr. Waldman would later appear in 1932's Boo!, a comedy
short made by Universal, in which he is once again strangled to death by the Monster despite the narrator
's attempts to warn him.)
In Branagh's 1994 version of the film, it is Dr. Waldman who teaches Victor how to re-animate dead tissue. In both films, he is killed by the monster. In the 1931 film, he is killed by the recently "born" monster. In Branagh's film, he and Victor are administering vaccines to the local townspeople, one of whom resists, and kills Dr. Waldman, and is later hanged for it. Victor uses the killer's body for the creature, and Waldman's brain.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who appears in Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
's novel, Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
and in its subsequent film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
versions.
In the novel, he has a fairly small part—he is Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein was born in Napoli, is a Swiss fictional character and the protagonist of the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Shelley...
's teacher at medical school. In the 1931
1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
film Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
, Dr. Waldman was played by Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan was an American film character actor best remembered for his roles in Universal Studios horror films.-Career:...
. In Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
's 1993
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
film, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Frankenstein is a 1994 American horror film directed by Kenneth Branagh. The film starred Branagh, Robert De Niro, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter. It was produced on a budget of $45 million...
, Waldman was portrayed by John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
. Both film versions expand his role, making him a mentor to Victor (Henry Frankenstein in the 1931 film).
In the 1931 film version of Frankenstein, Dr. Waldman was a professor of anatomical
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
studies at Goldstadt Medical College. Waldman had been Henry Frankenstein's favorite teacher during the aspiring young scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
's time as a student there. Although Waldman had much respect for Henry's brilliance, he became increasingly disturbed when Henry began demanding fresh bodies for his experiments in chemical galvanism and electro-biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
: bodies that were not those of cats and dogs, but human beings. Eventually, the increasingly ambitious Henry left the college to pursue his researches in private.
Some time later, Henry's fiancée, Elizabeth, and best friend, Victor Moritz, came to the college to confide in Waldman their fears for Henry's health. After telling them of Henry's decision to leave the school, Waldman agreed to accompany them to Henry's lab to talk some sense into him. Instead, the three bore witness to Henry Frankenstein's crowning achievement: The creation of a creature
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
he had built from parts of dead bodies sewn together, plus a brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
that Henry's assistant Fritz
Fritz (Frankenstein)
Fritz is a fictional character who appears in the 1931 Universal film version of Mary Shelley' novel, Frankenstein. He was played by Dwight Frye...
had stolen from Waldman's classroom. Waldman tried to tell Henry that the Monster had a defective brain and was dangerous, as Fritz had dropped the chosen brain and brought a criminal one, but this fact only sank in when the monster killed Fritz. They locked the Monster, and then unlocked the door, ijecting him with a sedative in the back which knocks him out after he nearly kills Frankenstein.
Suffering a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
, Henry was taken home by Elizabeth, Victor, and his father, Baron Frankenstein. Waldman remained at the laboratory for the purposes of destroying the Monster by dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
. The Monster built up an immunity
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
to the sedative
Sedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
s and awoke before Waldman could begin. Seizing Waldman by the throat, he proceeded to strangle the old man to death.
(The character of Dr. Waldman would later appear in 1932's Boo!, a comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
short made by Universal, in which he is once again strangled to death by the Monster despite the narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
's attempts to warn him.)
In Branagh's 1994 version of the film, it is Dr. Waldman who teaches Victor how to re-animate dead tissue. In both films, he is killed by the monster. In the 1931 film, he is killed by the recently "born" monster. In Branagh's film, he and Victor are administering vaccines to the local townspeople, one of whom resists, and kills Dr. Waldman, and is later hanged for it. Victor uses the killer's body for the creature, and Waldman's brain.