Bride of Frankenstein
| Bride of Frankenstein | |
|---|---|
| File:Movie DVD cover the bride of frankenstein.jpg Bride of Frankenstein 1999 release DVD cover | |
| Directed by | James Whale |
| Written by | William Hurlbut (screenplay and adaptation) and John L. Balderston (adaptation) Mary Shelley novel Frankenstein |
| Produced by | Carl Laemmle Jr. |
| Starring | Boris Karloff Colin Clive Valerie Hobson Ernest Thesiger Elsa Lanchester |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates | April 22, 1935 (U.S. premiere) |
Running time | 75 min |
| Language | English |
Bride of Frankenstein is a horror film released on April 22, 1935, a sequel to the 1931 film Frankenstein.
Title and plot
The movie tells the story of Doctor Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive), who is forced by his monster (played by Boris Karloff) to build him a mate (Elsa Lanchester double-cast in the role of Mary Shelley). The plot uses the parallel story of Doctor Frankenstein's marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson). It is to this bride that the title refers, the other bride being the bride of the monster.
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
