Frankenstein 80th Anniversary: ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ Revisited
by Marc Patterson
“The air itself is filled with monsters…”
Eighty years ago James Whale introduced the world to the iconic image of the Frankenstein Monster. Boris Karloff’s rendition of Mary Shelley’s creation would forever alter how we view and imagine this creature. With his pronounced high forehead and sharp cutting features Karloff became the standard to which all other torchbearers would be held. With the sequel, Whale was able to give us another equally iconic image – The Bride of Frankenstein. The two films together formed the perfect cinematic marriage. Though the sequel was never planned in advance it was a film that became a seamless continuation of the original, a feat Hollywood is rarely able to accomplish.
With the Pre-Code Frankenstein smashing box office records, making it the top grossing film of 1931, there was no way a sequel wasn’t inevitable. (And you thought that this whole sequel/remake trend was new!) The Bride of Frankenstein was that perfect extension, even though it was made post-Hays Code.
Frankenstein was a film rife with moody atmosphere and post-Expressionist influences. In my opinion, The Bride of Frankenstein, though it takes a slightly different tone, is every bit as good as the original film. Shot by Expressionist cinematographer John J. Mescall, it maintained the atmospheric vibe of the first film, but contrasts the original film with an odd sense of subtle humor slyly injected into it, while lending itself to a deeper sense of social commentary.
It’s amazing to think that The Bride of Frankenstein almost never happened. With its massive box office success the wheels towards creating the sequel started turning almost immediately, but it wasn’t until 1934, and several films later, that James Whale agreed to return, after being promised by Universal that he would retain full artistic control. Talk about a true artist.
The set-up focuses on Mary Shelley, played by Elsa Lanchester, who on a stormy night regales her companions, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron, with her macabre continuation to her controversial novel. Of course, we must try to forget that what James Whale did in 1931 was a departure from Shelley’s novel and what is being presented to us by the fictionalized author as “fact” is in all actually a continuation of Whale’s interpretation, not Shelley’s. Nonetheless, we proceed unaffected.
The burning inferno, meant to destroy the monster of Frankenstein has failed to do so. The Monster lives on and more than ever wishes to be free to live his cursed life. Where the focal point of Frankenstein was the madness of the doctor, Bride of Frankenstein is concerned with humanizing the monster, with drawing empathy from the audience for this poor creature. And it’s easy to do. Clearly the monster is misunderstood. He saves a shepherdess, but is shot for the favor. He befriends a poor blind beggar, but the beggar’s house is burned to the ground as a result. The original film was thematically focused on man playing God while this sequel is about God’s rejected monster finding his place in the world, learning that for some creatures there is no place of acceptance.
The obvious draw is The Bride. Elsa Lanchester, who portrayed Mary Shelley in the opening scene, frames out the film by also taking on the role of The Bride. No question, for a film titled The Bride of Frankenstein, screen time for this iconic character is extremely limited (as the film is truly about The Monster) but it’s one of the precious few instances in which the wait is worth it. Even now, years later, I find myself in constant anticipation, but yet never tempted to hit that fast forward button. When it arrives it’s a moment of total geek excitement. The crackling of electricity flows through the air as the famous line is exclaimed, “She’s alive! Alive!” It’s nearly more powerful than the “It’s alive” of the original film.
Making the film that much more a perfect companion to the first is the inclusion of the key original cast. We’ve already mentioned Karloff, but in addition Colin Clive returns as Dr. Frankenstein, though he reportedly suffered from a horse riding accident and had to be filmed sitting or lying down. His battle with alcoholism also became a factor in the shoot, and though I haven’t read that it was necessarily problematic with shooting, I have to wonder. His performance, though still strong, seemed to be overshadowed by so many others and ultimately he died a few years thereafter from the effects of heavy drinking.
One big addition, and one that trumps that of Clive’s performance was the role of Dr. Pretorius, brought to life by Ernest Thesiger. Now if there were ever a mad scientist! In fact, when you typically imagine the crazy haired image of the mad scientist you’re basically visualizing Thesiger. Even in Young Frankenstein Gene Wilder’s character more closely resembles that of Pretorius than he does of his supposed ancestor. And yes, for the record – I have a near impossible time watching the scene with the blind beggar and NOT thinking about Gene Hackman. So sue me!
What more can I say in such a small amount of space? I grew up on Universal films. Even in the confines of my conservative Baptist home I was afforded the luxury of watching films like Dracula, The Mummy and Frankenstein. These classics laid down the foundation for my insatiable love of horror that has continued on to this day. To James Whale, Boris Karloff, and the whole gang – I wish you all the most wonderful of birthdays. Happy 80th!
