Classic horror film, released in
1935. Directed by
James Whale and written by
William Hurlbut. Music by
Franz Waxman, with makeup designed by
Jack Pierce. Starred
Boris Karloff as
The Monster,
Colin Clive as
Dr. Henry Frankenstein,
Ernest Thesiger as
Dr. Pretorius,
Dwight Frye as
Karl, and
Elsa Lanchester in a
dual role as
Mary Shelley and
the Monster's Bride.
This was the first major
horror sequel and is actually a better
film than "
Frankenstein", with
scarier sequences and some very
funny moments. Karloff actually gets to
talk in this one ("
Fire bad! Drink good!" How true. How true.), and the
special effects are very good, particularly the
miniature people created by the
evil Dr. Pretorius. Elsa Lanchester is, of course,
excellent--her jerky,
hissing,
bouffant-haired
Bride has been as
influential in the horror genre as Karloff's
lumbering Monster.