Dr. Waldman is a fictional character who appears in
Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...
's 1818 novel, ''
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...
'' and in its subsequent
film versions. He is a professor at
Ingolstadt University who specializes in
chemistry and is a mentor of
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist and title character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.. He is an Italian-Swiss scientist (born in Naples, Italy) who, after studyin ...
.
History
In the novel, Waldman is introduced when Frankenstein attends his lecture on chemistry. He is described as about fifty years old and both his kindness and his perspective on
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
make an impression on Frankenstein. He is presented in contrast with M. Krempe, another professor at the university, in that he did not scorn the study of alchemists.
Before Frankenstein came to the university, he had lost his interest in science, believing that nothing could be known about the world and disappointed by the inability of science to match the goals of the
alchemists
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...
he once studied.
At the conclusion of the lecture, Waldman makes a statement that has a great impact on Frankenstein.
Waldman restores Frankenstein's interest in science and inspires him to pursue his own research.
Adaptions
1931 version
In the 1931 film version of ''Frankenstein'', Dr. Waldman (portrayed by
Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as '' Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and ''T ...
) was a professor of
anatomical studies at
Goldstadt Medical College. Waldman had been
Henry Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist and title character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.. He is an Italian-Swiss scientist (born in Naples, Italy) who, after studying ...
's favourite teacher during the aspiring young
scientist
A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences.
In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...
'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
Galvanism is a term invented by the late 18th-century physicist and chemist Alessandro Volta to refer to the generation of electric current by chemical action. The term also came to refer to the discoveries of its namesake, Luigi Galvani, specif ...
and electro-
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
: 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
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, 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
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a ve ...
that Henry's assistant
Fritz
Fritz originated as a German nickname for Friedrich, or Frederick (''Der Alte Fritz'', and ''Stary Fryc'' were common nicknames for King Frederick II of Prussia and Frederick III, German Emperor) as well as for similar names including Fridolin a ...
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 up the Monster, and then unlocked the door, injecting him with a sedative in the back which knocked him out after he had nearly killed Frankenstein.
Suffering a
nervous breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...
, 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 awoke before Waldman could begin, however, and, 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 is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
short made by Universal, in which he is once again strangled to death by the Monster despite the
narrator
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...
's attempts to warn him.
1994 version
In Branagh's film, it is Professor Shmael Augustus Waldman (portrayed by
John Cleese) —first and middle name revealed in the comic adaptation of the film—who teaches Victor how to re-animate dead tissue. He previously followed the same path Victor will eventually take, conducting illegal experiments on the human body, only to stop after they brought about "abomination." Waldman and Victor are administering vaccines to the local townspeople. One townsperson (portrayed by
Robert De Niro) resists and kills Waldman, resulting in his hanging. Victor uses the killer's body, Waldman's brain, and the leg of a late fellow student named Schiller (portrayed by
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams (born 10 November 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey''. His performance on the show earned him a no ...
) who died from
Cholera to form the Monster (also portrayed by Robert De Niro).
Other versions
* The character of Professor Bernstein in the 1957
Hammer film ''
The Curse of Frankenstein
''The Curse of Frankenstein'' is a 1957 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions, loosely based on the 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus '' by Mary Shelley. It was Hammer's first colour horror film, and the first of t ...
'' is meant to be a replacement for Doctor Waldman.
* Professor Waldman appears in the 1973 ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...
'' film portrayed by
William Hansen.
* Professor Waldman appears in the 2004 miniseries ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...
'' portrayed by
William Hurt
William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor.
H ...
.
* In the 2007 film ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...
'', Andrew Waldman (portrayed by
Neil Pearson
Neil John Pearson (born 27 April 1959) is a British actor, known for his work on television. He was nominated for the 1994 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for '' Between the Lines'' (1992–1994). His other television roles include ''Drop the D ...
) is the friend and colleague of Victoria Frankenstein who helps to oversee the Universal Xenograft Project that involves
stem cells and
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
. When the UX is created from the blood of Victoria's son William, Waldman is informed of its creation and its escape. When the UX returns to the laboratory, it kills Waldman, Victoria's assistant Ed Gore, and a security guard.
Character origin
M. Waldman may have been inspired by
James Lind.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waldman, Doctor
Literary characters introduced in 1818
Fictional scientists
Frankenstein characters
Fictional Swiss people
Male characters in literature