Frankenstein
Short description
Henry Frankenstein, a young scientist, assembles a body from parts taken from the dead and succeeds in bringing it to life. His assistant Fritz is sent to obtain a brain for the experiment, but the one used came from a criminal. The creature that results is confused and violent, and it flees into the countryside, leaving its maker to search for it and face what he has made.
James Whale directed the film, the first in his chronological filmography, followed by The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein and The Man in the Iron Mask. The screenplay is credited to Francis Edward Faragoh, Garrett Fort and Robert Florey, with Carl Laemmle Jr. producing for Universal Pictures. Colin Clive plays Henry Frankenstein, with Mae Clarke as Elizabeth, John Boles as Victor Moritz, Edward Van Sloan as Doctor Waldman, Frederick Kerr as Baron Frankenstein and Boris Karloff as the creature. Twenty-eight cast members and forty-three crew members are credited.
The film runs seventy minutes and was released in November 1931. It took twelve million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.8 out of 10 from over seventy-eight thousand votes, and on TMDB 7.5 out of 10 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 8.8 out of 10 from ninety-five reviews places it above both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The makeup and image of the creature created by Jack Pierce are protected by a special patent and will remain exclusively with Universal Pictures until 2026.
- In the cast list at the beginning of the film, a large question mark is placed opposite the role of the Creature instead of Karloff's name. Karloff's name as the performer of this role is indicated in the end credits.
- The Creature's appearance was kept strictly secret until the film's premiere. If Karloff had to move around in makeup during the day on studio grounds outside the soundstage, a pillowcase with eyeholes was placed over his head. Meals were brought to him from the cafeteria directly to the set.
- Karloff was apprehensive about filming scenes involving electrical discharges. In these scenes, he was replaced by Ken Strickfaden, the creator of the film's electrical machinery, who covered his face. Incidentally, the equipment he created was preserved and later used during the filming of Mel Brooks' parody comedy, "Young Frankenstein" (1974).
- The role of the Creature was also offered to John Carradine, but he declined it, believing his level of skill was too high to play monsters.
- The Creature's makeup and costume together weighed approximately 24 kilograms.
- Initially, Béla Lugosi was planned to play the role of the Monster, and Robert Florey was to direct the film. However, Florey quickly left the project, and James Whale, who replaced him, quickly disagreed with Lugosi on the direction of the production. After the first tests, Lugosi refused to participate in the film, stating that he was not interested in a role without words and that he did not want to spend a long time in makeup. As a result, Whale found Boris Karloff for this role, whose work in the film became classic and made the actor a new star of horror films.
- In the film's credits, the author of the original novel is listed as "Mrs. Percy B. Shelley".
- The makeup artist Jack Pierce studied ancient burial techniques and anatomy to create the image of Frankenstein, and the flattened top of the head appeared because Pierce believed it would be more convenient to directly transplant the brain to his creature that way.
- The scene in which the Creature throws the girl into the water was cut from the released version of the film at the censors' request, as it was considered too harsh. The film was later subjected to a number of further cuts. However, the removed material was preserved, and the version currently released on video media is almost identical to the original edit.
- Each morning, Karloff had to spend three and a half hours getting made up; removing the makeup after filming took another hour and a half.
- Karloff himself suggested to makeup artist Jack Pierce that he remove a lateral dental prosthesis from his mouth to make the Creature's cheeks more sunken.
- The producers believed the film was so frightening that they insisted on adding an opening sequence in which Edward Van Sloan warned viewers that those with weak nerves should leave the theater, and those who stayed should blame themselves if they were disturbed.
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