Bride of Frankenstein

Bride of Frankenstein is a horror film released on April 22, 1935, a sequel to the 1931 film Frankenstein.

Plot

Doctor Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) has resolved to abandon his experiments in creating life in favour of a peaceful marriage with the beautiful Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson). His old mentor, the effete Dr. Pretorious (Ernest Thesiger), who has himself created miniature human-like beings, tries to persuade Frankenstein to combine their efforts in "playing God". Frankenstein is torn between his upcoming marriage to Elizabeth, and the appeal of creating life with Dr. Pretorious: many scholars have seen homosexual overtones to the relationship between Frankenstein and Pretorious; for example, film historian Scott MacQueen notes it on the Bride of Frankenstein DVD commentary track.

The monster (Boris Karloff) befriends an old blind violinist in the woods, who teaches the monster how to speak. Pretorious, forced to continue his experiments without Frankenstein's involvement, has a chance encounter with the monster; by kidnapping Elizabeth, they black-mail Frankenstein into creating a bride for the monster (Elsa Lanchester, who also plays author Mary Shelley in the film's prologue).

The bride rejects the monster; spurned, he destroys the laboratory. "You go!" he tells Frankenstein. "We belong dead!" The film ends with the monster (and his bride) presumably dead; it was up to the Son of Frankenstein to resurrect him.

Title note

Just as the name "Frankenstein" is often mistaken to be that of the nameless monster, many believe that the "Bride of Frankenstein" is the monster's bride. The bride referred to by the title is literally Elizabeth.

Filmmakers

The movie was adapted by William Hurlbut and John Balderston from an incident in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein in which the creature demands a mate. It was again directed by James Whale, following his success with Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Old Dark House.

Sets and special effects

The financial success of the original Frankenstein movie enabled the producers to put much more money into the production than its low-budget predecessor. The laboratory is now not just barely equipped, it is overflowing with sparks, dials, and coils. The scene in which the mate is brought to life with a bolt of lightning is greatly improved over the original. Most critics consider "Bride" to be a generally better movie, but especially so for its production values.

The impressive village prison set would be reused for Bela Lugosi's lair in The Raven of the same year, also starring Boris Karloff. The watchtower staircase was featured in Universal's popular Flash Gordon serials starring Buster Crabbe, as well as Dracula's Daughter (1936). Kenneth Strickfaden, who created and maintained the laboratory equipment, shared it in the Mel Brooks homage/spoof, Young Frankenstein (1974). The European village set, left over from All Quiet on the Western Front of 1930, was used and maintained for dozens of other studio features, until it was accidentally destroyed by fire.

Credits

Boris Karloff is credited simply as "Karloff", a sign that he had already become a 'brand' in 1930s horror. This credit was an improvement over the original film, in which he was listed simply as "?".

Elsa Lanchester is credited for the role of Mary Shelley, but in a nod to the earlier film, the monster's bride is credited only as "?".

Afterlife

The film spawned numerous sequels, none of which were directed by Whale.

The film Gods and Monsters (1998) depicts the life of James Whale and features reconstructions of the filming of key scenes in Bride of Frankenstein.

The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

External links

Bride of Frankenstein at the All Movie Guide

1935 films | Horror films | Frankenstein films | Films based on horror books | United States National Film Registry