Who was William Frankenstein?

The New York Times runs a section called “Corrections.” You may have noticed. It’s tucked away in a modest corner of the paper, rather inobtrusive, and, my guess, does not make a regular appearance if there are no mistakes to correct from the prior week. I happen to enjoy reading the section while appreciating a cup of steaming American coffee, al fresco, on a crisp Sunday autumn morning,

At some point prior to this past Halloween, amid the typical corrections for dates and titles, one correction caught my eye. It involved the latest movie version of Frankenstein, titled Frankenstein, and introduced Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s younger brother, William, into the plot.

By way of recall, Victor Frankenstein (alias Henry Frankenstein in the 1931 movie version) was the scientist, Dr. Frankenstein, and creator of the famed monster. He was also engaged to marry Elizabeth Lavenza. In the newly released Netflix version, writer and director Guillermo del Toro has engaged Elizabeth to William, and Elizabeth is no longer Victor’s fiancée, as the New York Times has clarified.

Why should William’s appearance in the storyline come as a surprise? Why the double take? After all, there is precedent for an expanded family tree. For example, in the 1974 version, Young Frankenstein, actor Gene Wilder, plays Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein.  One must consider that an enduring classic such as Frankenstein, is bound to open up artistic possibility and innovation.

That said, perhaps the randomness of this particular correction made an impression, coupled with learning that there is not only a Dr. Victor, a Dr. Frederick, a Dr. Henry but now a William Frankenstein, all in sync with Halloween. A sense of irony was possibly kindled, but why over analyze it? I guess you have to have been there.

It's admirable to consider that a prestigious newspaper owns up to occasional reporting errors, however minor they may be, and all in a day’s work. Journalistic transparency is more important than ever these days, part of the covenant with the readership. At one point, I thought of clipping out various newspaper corrections for some type of Art Deco collage, but alas, other obligations intervened...

In a recent article, Mr. del Toro expressed a longstanding motivation to make this movie, wishing to represent the creature through an existential portrayal. Special thanks to Mr. del Toro for re-creating a forever intriguing tale. I look forward to viewing his film.

Written by Jane B. Sofair

November 17, 2025

Author of The Beauty World Through The Lens of a Psychiatrist

Visit Jane at Janesofair.com

References:

Corrections. Inside Culture. The New York Times, Sunday, September 21,2025.

 It’s (still) alive! Why do we keep remembering ‘Frankenstein’? Schgal, P. The New York Times Magazine, November 9, 2025.