Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

William Hurlbut (screenplay)
William Hurlbut (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

22 April 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

WHO will be The Bride of Frakenstein WHO will dare ?

Plot:

Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Dr. Frankenstein (goaded by an even madder scientist) builds his monster a mate.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Mad Scientist | Experiment | Miniature People | Crypt

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	The Monster (as Karloff)
Colin Clive	...	Baron Henry von Frankenstein
Valerie Hobson	...	Elizabeth von Frankenstein
Ernest Thesiger	...	Dr. Pretorius
Elsa Lanchester	...	Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Bride (as ?)
Gavin Gordon	...	Lord Byron
Douglas Walton	...	Percy Shelley
Una O'Connor	...	Minnie - Housekeeper
E.E. Clive	...	Burgomaster
Lucien Prival	...	Albert - Butler
O.P. Heggie	...	Hermit
Dwight Frye	...	Karl
Reginald Barlow	...	Hans
Mary Gordon	...	Hans' Wife
Anne Darling	...	Shepherdess (as Ann Darling)

Also Known As:

Frankenstein Lives Again! (USA) (working title)
The Bride of Frankenstein (USA) (poster title)
The Return of Frankenstein (USA) (working title)
A Noiva de Frankenstein (Portugal) [pt]
Frankenstayn'in nisanlisi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Frankensteinin morsian (Finland) [fi]
Frankensteins Braut (Germany) [de]
Frankensteins Rückkehr (Austria) [de]
Frankensteins brud (Sweden) [sv]
I mnisti tou Frankenstein (Greece) [el]
I nyfi tou Frankenstein (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
La fiancée de Frankenstein (France) [fr]
La moglie di Frankenstein (Italy) [it]
La novia de Frankenstein (Spain) [es]
Narzeczona Frankensteina (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:A (original rating) | UK:H (re-rating: 1943) | UK:PG (video rating: 1989) | UK:X (re-rating: 1956) | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Norway:16 (1986) | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 (1976) | Germany:12 (video rating: 2000) | USA:Approved (PCA #768)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

There was an epilogue to this movie featuring Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley, but it was cut from the final film.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Lord Byron recaps the events of the first film as if they were part of Mary Shelley's novel, when in fact very little of what is described was actually written by Mary. However, this may have a creative decision by James Whale, who wanted to make a reference to Frankenstein literary roots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lord Byron: Prologue
[looking out the window at a thunderstorm]
Lord Byron: How beautifully dramatic! The cruelest savage exhibition of nature at her worst without.
[turns to face Mary and Percy Shelley, both seated]
Lord Byron: And we three. We elegant three within. I should like to think that an irate Jehovah was pointing those arrows of lightning directly at my head. The unbowed head of George Gordon, Lord Byron. England's greatest sinner. But I cannot flatter myself to that extent. Possibly those thunders are for our dear Shelley. Heavens applause for England's greatest poet.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Here She Comes, There She Goes

This is a pretty solid movie, one of the few old-time horror films that still stands up to today's standards. The cinematography is excellent with many fascinating shadow-like shots, particularly with facial closeups.

A surprise is that the actual "bride" of Frankenstein is only created and then seen in the final minutes of the film. The title can be misleading as we expect most of the story to be about her. Instead, most of the movie is simply a sequel to the original Frankenstein, picking up where that film left off with the monster somehow surviving his fiery doom.

I would like to have seen more of the "bride," who was fascinating to view. Elsa Lanchester, who played that character, also played Mary Shelley in the beginning of the film.

The most interesting character, I thought, was the devil-like Dr. Praetorious, played by Ernest Thesiger. Now this guy had a true face of a "mad scientist!"

Most films need to be trimmed 10-15 minutes but here is an exception. This movie needed another 10 to 15 minutes tacked on, so we could see more of the "bride." It's still considered one of the best horror films of all time and, at just 74 minutes, would certainly be worth your time to check it out if you've seen it.