Gods and Monsters

On Mai 29, 1957, the body of James Whale, retired filmmaker, was discovered in the bottom of his swimming pool at his residence in the Pacific Palisdades in California. The strange circumstances surrounding his death brought to mind certain aspects found in the film Sunset Boulevard. Whale, a confirmed homosexual, was suspected of being the victim of a crime of passion, assassinated by one of the many young regulars who frequented his swimming pool.

Gods and Monsters is a work of fiction based on the last days of this film director, drawing from the spirit of Whale's most well-known films: The Bride of Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man. Bill Condon (director/screenplay) drew inspiration from the book by Christopher Bram. Synopsis When Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser), a handsome young drifter, becomes the gardener for an ill-tempered old man, he is surprised to learn that this eccentric recluse is none other than James Whale (Ian McKellen), the once-famous genius who created the original Frankenstein films of the early thirties. Upon meeting Clayton for the first time, Whale seems immediately taken with his masculine good looks and tries to befriend him. At first flattered by his request, Clayton agrees to let Whale paint his portrait. When Clayton tells all of his friends about his famous employer, they are suspicious and derisive of his career as an artist's model, but they are also jealous of the exciting new world of wealth and glamour to which Whale has introduced him. Whale and Clayton begin an unlikely friendship which leads to the revelation of their deepest emotions. But, when an angry and confused Clayton naively comes to believe that Whale may have ulterior motives, he is shocked to discover what Whale's real motive is, and he comes to understand that true friendship and compassion can surpass all the boundaries of prejudice. Bill Condon, director/screenplay Bill Condon was born in New York and studied philosophy at Columbia University. After his university studies, he began writing for several magazines specialized in cinema such as American Film and Millimeter. Condon co-wrote the screenplays for Strange Behavior and Strange Invaders, cult films before making his first film Sister, Sister with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eric Stolz and Judith Ivey, followed by Murder 101 with Pierce Brosnan, which won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar award. For cable television, he directed White Lie with Gregory Hines and the comedy Dead in the Water with Bryan Brown.

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FILM CREDITS
Producer	Paul Colichman, Gregg Fienberg, Mark R. Harris
Director	Bill Condon
Screenplay	Bill Condon
Photo	Stephen M. Katz
Production Design	Richard Sherman
Editor	Virginia Katz
Artistic Director	Valorie Massalas
Cast	Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich, Kevin O'Connor, David Dukes
Running Time	105 min
International Sales	Regent Entertainment,