THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
US, 1935, 75 minutes, Black and white.
Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger, Una O’ Connor, Dwight Frye.
Directed by James Whale.
The Bride of Frankenstein was James Whale's sequel to his original Frankenstein of 1931. That film had made great impact and set a tone for quality horror films from Universal in the thirties.
Colin Clive, and Boris Karloff were employed again to re-create their roles and a link was made with the original film. However, a prologue featuring Mary Shelley with her brother and Byron was added to give a background of the origins of the novel. Elsa Lanchester playing Mary Shelley very sweetly reappeared at the end as the terrified bride of Frankenstein.
Boris Karloff brought more skill and subtlety to this development of the monster character - especially in the scene with the hermit where he learned to speak. Ernest Thesiger has a peculiarly comic sinister role as Dr. Praetorius. James Whale considered that this film was so good and so well budgeted and made that he could not continue any other sequels. Rowland V. Lee directed the next sequel The Son of Frankenstein in 1939. This film remains a classic.
1. The classic status of this horror film? Its role as a sequel to the original? Its quality in its own right? A classic of the 30s?
2. The film had a larger budget than usual for such horror films. How was this evident - in the sets, make-up, photography, score?
3. The importance of the prologue and its impact? The significance of the audience seeing Mary Shelley as the young girl that she was, at the turn of the 19th century, as related to Shelley and the background of his poetry, telling the story to Byron with him, poetic background? The room in which the story was told, the storm?
5. How well did the film make the link with the original story? showing scenes of the finale again but the variation with the continuing life of the monster, Dr Frankenstein recovering? The background of the farmer and the loss of his daughter and then his death at Frankenstein’s hand, the death of his wife? The mood of the earlier film, knowledge about it as leading into this film? Minnie and her role as alerting the townspeople to the monster's being alive?
6. The picture of Dr Frankenstein and his revival? His having made the monster and trying to play God in creating life? His repudiating his ideas? The romantic scenes with Elizabeth? The growing consciousness that he should continue with his work, the discussions with Elizabeth about playing with life, the talk of love and marriage leading into an awareness of creating a bride for the monster? The clash with Elizabeth? Her being taken by the monster? The decision that Dr. Frankenstein had to make and the monster urging him at the end to live?
7. The importance of the romance and the happy sequences as indicating the possibilities for Frankenstein and his bride? The irony that the bride should be terrified of him and cause destruction? The variations on the beauty and the beast theme - the monster kidnapping Elizabeth, the beauty of the bride attracting the monster and yet her fear of the beast?
8. Audience response to the monster - to his killing the farmer and his wife at the beginning? Fearing people, terrifying many? His having to cope in the forest? The importance of the encounter with the hermit and the fact that the hermit could not see him? The hermit and the relationship, teaching him to talk, humanizing him? How well did Boris Karloff humanize the monster and make him acceptable to the audience? His needs, feelings?
9. The significance of Dr Praetorius and his sinister presence? His meeting of Dr Frankenstein, his demonstrating his skill with the homunculi? (The special effects in presenting these?) His madness, his obsession, his style of speaking? The sinister comic overtones of his character? His persuading Dr Frankenstein to continue the experiments?
10. The science fiction background and apparatus of the laboratory sequences? The motives for creating the bride for Frankenstein? The attention and detail given to their work, the machinery, Hans and his assistance? The atmosphere of climax ? Elizabeth kidnapped, the storm building up, the need for electricity, the wrapped picture of the bride?
11. The climax reached with the bride coming to life, standing, her appearance, her jerky movements and the monstrous style that she had? The irony of Elsa Lanchester playing this role? Frankenstein's attraction and admiration for her? The immediate reaction of her being terrified by him? Beauty and the Beast and the beauty terrified of the monster, causing death and destruction? The irony of Frankenstein urging the doctor to go with Elizabeth? The holocaust and the destruction of the horror? How appropriate an ending?
12. Why do audiences enjoy such films? The popularity of the Frankenstein myth the monster, the scientist playing God and trying to create life? The atmosphere of fear, death and destruction? Horror films visualizing audience fears?
