REVIEW: The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)
Title: The Bride Of Frankenstein
Release Year: 1935
Genre: Science Fiction Horror
Cast: Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester
Plot: Dr. Frankenstein along with another mad scientist, create a mate for the Frankenstein monster.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ＿ ＿
Review: This film is a sequel to Frankenstein, 1931. I never watched that one, but in Bride Of Frankenstein, you actually get a summary of the events that partook in the previous one, so you don't really have to watch the first in order to understand the story.
I'll still watch it some other time though because I'm curious. I think there's also another one after this as well, so I'll eventually watch that one too.
Production:
After the success of the first film, there were instant talks of a sequel, which the director strongly protested as he felt there was no other story that could follow or be as successful. Universal Studios insisted on it though, but over the years many writers had failed to create a thrilling continuation to the story, until John L. Balderston played around the idea that was already suggested in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; a bride for Frankie!
Director James Whale was still not satisfied with the story, so more writers were hired to work on the project, until they found the perfect version.
It took only around a month and a half to complete the film and most of the scenes were edited out in the final version. After the first week of screening and after many complaints about some of the content shown, another 15 minutes of the film was further cut out.
The gypsy camp scene was added as a replacement, which I'm grateful for, because it was the funniest scene in the film hehehe
The Story:
After a near death experience, Dr Frankenstein realises his mistakes and decides to discontinue his previous experiment, but still proposes to find a way to immortality. Dr Pretorius - Dr Frankenstein's mentor - then convinces him to create a mate for Frankenstein.
The Characters:
Boris Karloff reprised his role as Frankenstein, the creature created as a scientific experiment to prove that manufactured humans can be brought to life.
This time though, the monster speaks, but Karloff was against the idea, as he felt the monster loses his charm that way:
As the studio still went along with the idea, Whale and the Universal Studios' psychiatrist tried to compile a list of words that a ten year old would use most frequently as they still wanted the monster to retain his innocent persona even if he can speak.
I loved the idea of him speaking because we learned more about his confusion. When he didn't speak, he was like an animal, but when he started speaking, he turned into a child and that made him seem more like a monster because it was harder to classify him as any one living thing.
Karloff was injured while doing the first scene of the film and dislocated his hip. He didn't have time to recover as they were required to continue shooting, so he often recieved massages and heat treatments for the rest of filming.
I don't know how well Karloff played Frankenstein the first time round, but judging by this film, I can imagine he did brilliantly, as he did with this one.
Ernest Thesiger played Dr. Pretorius a mad devil of a scientist and a mentor of Dr. Frankenstein's.
The role was said to have been considered for Bela Lugosi or Claude Rains, but neither were available. Lugosi was cast in the following sequel Son of Frankenstein, 1939 though.
Else Lancaster plays the bride of Frankenstein, a monster created to be Frankenstein's mate. Even though the film is named after her, Frankenstein's bride actually only appears in the last five minutes of the film.
As the monster, Lanchester who was 5'4", had to stand on boards to make her 7ft tall and she had to perm her hair and hold it in a large wire frame in order to look like Nefertiti - if she were in an explosion hehe.
In her one scene, all she did was shriek and move her head in confusion. She said she was inspired by the the swans in Regent's Park, London:
I didn't like her in the film, for such a short screen time, she annoyed the heck out of me.
The Ending:
The ending was changed because the director thought it harsh and wanted a happy ending. But I hated the ending simply because, although Dr. Frankenstein seemed very sorry in the end, he didn't when he was first revived and there wasn't anything that explained why he could change his beliefs so suddenly. Thus, he shouldn't have survived!
Maybe by cutting out so many scenes, his story was lost. Who knows, but they could've at least cut out the part where he went on about continuing his experiments and instead, they should've made him ill with remorse. That way, no scene contradicts another.
Plus when he was with the other mad scientist, he still protested indirectly, that his work wasn't unethical...
Favourite Scenes:
I loved the scene of the friendship between Frankenstein and the blind man. It reminded me of The Iron Giant, 1999, when the little boy taught the robot how to speak. They probably got the idea from this film.
Reception:
The film garnered a lot of profit and recieved great critical acclaim for the genre. The actors and production team were all praised as well.
I highly recommend this film eventhough it's disturbing. I felt so sorry for Frankenstein, because it got me thinking about all the unethical scientific crap we see these days, like cloning...
Release Year: 1935
Genre: Science Fiction Horror
Cast: Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester
Plot: Dr. Frankenstein along with another mad scientist, create a mate for the Frankenstein monster.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ＿ ＿
Review: This film is a sequel to Frankenstein, 1931. I never watched that one, but in Bride Of Frankenstein, you actually get a summary of the events that partook in the previous one, so you don't really have to watch the first in order to understand the story.
I'll still watch it some other time though because I'm curious. I think there's also another one after this as well, so I'll eventually watch that one too.
Production:
After the success of the first film, there were instant talks of a sequel, which the director strongly protested as he felt there was no other story that could follow or be as successful. Universal Studios insisted on it though, but over the years many writers had failed to create a thrilling continuation to the story, until John L. Balderston played around the idea that was already suggested in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; a bride for Frankie!
Director James Whale was still not satisfied with the story, so more writers were hired to work on the project, until they found the perfect version.
It took only around a month and a half to complete the film and most of the scenes were edited out in the final version. After the first week of screening and after many complaints about some of the content shown, another 15 minutes of the film was further cut out.
The gypsy camp scene was added as a replacement, which I'm grateful for, because it was the funniest scene in the film hehehe
The Story:
After a near death experience, Dr Frankenstein realises his mistakes and decides to discontinue his previous experiment, but still proposes to find a way to immortality. Dr Pretorius - Dr Frankenstein's mentor - then convinces him to create a mate for Frankenstein.
The Characters:
Boris Karloff reprised his role as Frankenstein, the creature created as a scientific experiment to prove that manufactured humans can be brought to life.
This time though, the monster speaks, but Karloff was against the idea, as he felt the monster loses his charm that way:
"Speech! Stupid! My argument was that if the monster had any impact or charm, it was because he was inarticulate. This great, lumbering, inarticulate creature. The moment he spoke you might as well, play it straight!"
As the studio still went along with the idea, Whale and the Universal Studios' psychiatrist tried to compile a list of words that a ten year old would use most frequently as they still wanted the monster to retain his innocent persona even if he can speak.
I loved the idea of him speaking because we learned more about his confusion. When he didn't speak, he was like an animal, but when he started speaking, he turned into a child and that made him seem more like a monster because it was harder to classify him as any one living thing.
Karloff was injured while doing the first scene of the film and dislocated his hip. He didn't have time to recover as they were required to continue shooting, so he often recieved massages and heat treatments for the rest of filming.
I don't know how well Karloff played Frankenstein the first time round, but judging by this film, I can imagine he did brilliantly, as he did with this one.
Colin Clive played Dr Frankenstein the mad scientist with no moral virtues. I wasn't fond of his acting. I don't know if it was him or his role that annoyed me the most...
Ernest Thesiger played Dr. Pretorius a mad devil of a scientist and a mentor of Dr. Frankenstein's.
The role was said to have been considered for Bela Lugosi or Claude Rains, but neither were available. Lugosi was cast in the following sequel Son of Frankenstein, 1939 though.
Else Lancaster plays the bride of Frankenstein, a monster created to be Frankenstein's mate. Even though the film is named after her, Frankenstein's bride actually only appears in the last five minutes of the film.
As the monster, Lanchester who was 5'4", had to stand on boards to make her 7ft tall and she had to perm her hair and hold it in a large wire frame in order to look like Nefertiti - if she were in an explosion hehe.
In her one scene, all she did was shriek and move her head in confusion. She said she was inspired by the the swans in Regent's Park, London:
"They're really very nasty creatures"
I didn't like her in the film, for such a short screen time, she annoyed the heck out of me.
The Ending:
The ending was changed because the director thought it harsh and wanted a happy ending. But I hated the ending simply because, although Dr. Frankenstein seemed very sorry in the end, he didn't when he was first revived and there wasn't anything that explained why he could change his beliefs so suddenly. Thus, he shouldn't have survived!
Maybe by cutting out so many scenes, his story was lost. Who knows, but they could've at least cut out the part where he went on about continuing his experiments and instead, they should've made him ill with remorse. That way, no scene contradicts another.
Plus when he was with the other mad scientist, he still protested indirectly, that his work wasn't unethical...
Favourite Scenes:
I loved the scene of the friendship between Frankenstein and the blind man. It reminded me of The Iron Giant, 1999, when the little boy taught the robot how to speak. They probably got the idea from this film.
Reception:
The film garnered a lot of profit and recieved great critical acclaim for the genre. The actors and production team were all praised as well.
I highly recommend this film eventhough it's disturbing. I felt so sorry for Frankenstein, because it got me thinking about all the unethical scientific crap we see these days, like cloning...
Also, his final words really ached my heart: "We belong dead".
I think I like the film a little bit more after reading this review. Love your review...absolutely loved it. Very detailed as usual!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn’t enjoy watching this film but remember the funny parts made the film okay. I didn’t like it for the reason you explained about Dr Frankenstein.
Usually in the 1940’s 1950’s Horrors the scientists/monster makers either repent in the end or be punished in some way for their immortality, but in this it was neither, which made the ending very disturbing. That and Elsa Lanchester. She wasn’t that good of an actress, especially to play the lead. I remember how it took me decades to accept her in ‘Mary Poppins’...heheh.
Hehehe yes I know!
DeleteDr Frankenstein and Dr Pretorius were both blasphemous that’s probably why we were a little disturbed all the way through but Karloff really pulled the film together.