Directed by James Whale
1934/USA
Universal Pictures
Repeated viewing
#92 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
The Monster: Alone: bad. Friend: good!
Neither Frankenstein nor his Monster were killed at the end of Frankenstein. The Monster is only looking for a friend but meets with terror everywhere he turns. Is the solution to build him a Bride from dead body parts? The nutty Dr. Pretorius thinks so! With Boris Karloff as the Monster, Colin Clive as Frankenstein, Valerie Hobson as Elizabeth, Ernest Thesinger as Dr. Pretorius, Dwight Frye as miscellaneous ghouls, and Una O’Connor as Minnie.
I may be in the minority in preferring the 1931 original to this sequel. This one is just a little bit too arch for me and the original didn’t have all that shreeking by Una O’Connor. That said, Karloff is wonderful despite the ill-advised decision to have him speak, the lighting and sets are atmospheric, and the special effects are first-rate for their time. I can have fun every time I come back to this classic.
Re-release trailer
The image of Elsa Lanchester as the bride is unforgettable with her bird like movements and that great hair. She has very little screen time but it is the image I remember from the film. And boy, could I have done without Una O’Conner. I was also disappointed that Karloff spoke. He was too good with facial expressions to add speech to his portrayal. But this film seems to always be one of the the few where the sequel is considered superior to the initial film…..like you, I disagree
Jack Pierce did an outstanding job on the make-up, both Elsa’s and Karloff’s. I like the burn marks on the new Monster face. According to the commentary, Lancaster was none too pleased with Pierce. Said he took himself too seriously.
I agree with you in preferring the first Frankenstein film. Frankensteins bride shifted somewhat from sublime goth to something more kitschy or corny, like The Black Cat. That is largely due to Dr. Pretorious and his weird and wacky “science”. I enjoyed Bride of Frankenstein but it missed the exact points where Frankenstein was great.
It’s good to know I’m not alone!