Darth Vader, Frankenstein, Death Race 2000, and a Mid-1970s Scandal

Death Race 2000 Promotional Poster

New World Pictures - 1975

The most infamous villain in the history of film is Darth Vader. Perhaps no character is more recognizable in more places and in more circles than this sinister figure. When presented with an image of Darth Vader, people of almost any generation or background will immediately recognize the signature World War II era Stahlhelm-inspired helmet, the black mask, black gloves, heavy black boots, the long black cape, etc.

Since the 1970s, the image of Darth Vader has become simply iconic, but what if it turns out that Darth Vader's look is not entirely original? What if another movie character arrived on the scene just before the creation of the Darth Vader we know and served as a key source of inspiration for the greatest movie villain of all time?

Death Race 2000 Promotional Poster

New World Pictures - 1975

Not to be confused with Death Race (the 2008 remake), Death Race 2000, inspired by Ib Melchior's 1956 short story "The Racer," is a hopelessly cheesy 1970s cult classic film about a futuristic long-distance auto race where drivers earn points by running down pedestrians and killing each other. One of the significant characters in the film, "Machine-Gun" Joe Viterbo, is portrayed by Sylvester Stallone (who would eventually lose the role of Han Solo to Harrison Ford). The main character in this film is Frankenstein. Portrayed by David Carradine, this central character earned the nickname Frankenstein for supposedly being horribly disfigured in a series of terrible auto accidents throughout his many years of competitive racing. Of course, the nickname comes from Frankenstein's monster in the classic 1818 novel by Mary Shelley. (Note: The main character in Ib Melchior's "The Racer" is Willie Connors, and the story states almost nothing about his physical appearance.)

In Death Race 2000, Frankenstein is revered as the greatest, most ferocious, and ruthless champion of his sport. As the film's legend goes, over the years, Frankenstein was pieced together through a series of reconstructive surgeries and had become barely human--a sort of monster. (That is what the characters in the movie are told anyway.)

If you have seen Death Race 2000, you were probably struck by how similar Frankenstein is to Darth Vader. Not only is Frankenstein a lone, mysterious warrior who had been disfigured in battle, he is feared by all and renowned for his exceptional talent. He also wears a helmet that somewhat resembles a Stahlhelm, a black mask, black gloves, heavy black boots, and a long black cape. To top it all off, Frankenstein even has a prosthetic right hand.

Frankenstein is so incredibly similar to Darth Vader in so many ways, one would instinctively theorize the director or costume designer for Death Race 2000 just stole the Darth Vader character or copied his concept as an homage or parody. There is, however, one huge problem with that theory: Death Race 2000 came out on April 27, 1975. The original Star Wars (currently known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) was released on May 25, 1977.

Since Death Race 2000, predates Star Wars by more than two years, one must ask an obvious question: How could the makers of Death Race 2000 have possibly stolen from Star Wars? Even though it is difficult to track down exact dates on the production of Death Race 2000, it is nearly certain that much or all of the film's principal photography was completed by the end of 1974.

In 1975, the same year Death Race 2000 came out, George Lucas hired Ralph McQuarrie to make the first conceptual paintings for what was--around that time--called The Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller, a project that was generating very little interest in Hollywood and had little chance of ever getting produced. Given the timeline, it would have been practically impossible for anyone working on Death Race 2000 to know anything about Darth Vader's look or back-story while Death Race 2000 was still in production. There is a remote chance a rogue insider could have possibly had some limited knowledge of Darth Vader in 1974, but the odds of that are extremely small.

A far more logical explanation is that someone involved in the pre-production of Star Wars, either saw Death Race 2000 in a theater when it was released in 1975 or had knowledge of the film while it was still in production. The similarities between Darth Vader and Frankenstein are just too numerous to ignore. Clearly one character inspired the other in some fashion. It is just a matter of who, how, and when.

Frankenstein from Death Race 2000

New World Pictures - 1975

What is your opinion? Was Darth Vader inspired by Frankenstein from Death Race 2000? Could someone involved with Death Race 2000 have obtained knowledge of Darth Vader in time to rip off the character and work the concept into the film? Does it seem peculiar that "Death Race" and "Death Star" are such similar terms, and does that parallel also hint at a creative connection between the two films? Given the iconic status of Darth Vader and the fact the Star Wars saga has become ingrained in human culture over the last few decades, these are questions that are worth at least exploring.