United States – Universal, 1935 Directed by James Whale Genre: poetic Gothic horror, not without dark spicy touches of humour Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr

The opening shots show Mary Shelly telling the sequel to her tale to the elite of British literature, the romantic poets Lord Byron and Percy Shelley. The Monster (now called Frankenstein) is not dead after all. He has escaped to the countryside and has been taken in by a blind hermit, who teaches him to speak, and appreciate wine and good music. They live happily in bucolic simplicity together in what is the highpoint of Frankenstein’s life, but this is short lived. Discovered, he must flee.
Meanwhile the raving mad Dr Pretorius has kidnapped Henry’s wife and is blackmailing him to help him create a woman out of dead body parts – a woman who is to be the mate of Frankenstein. (Actually Henry’s old obsessive demons have returned, and he seems almost exalted by this new project). Pretorius has already grown a garden of tiny homunculi from seeds, which Henry deems no better than black magic. Together, they create a hissing and clicking, mechanical bride for Frankenstein. But the bride is reluctant and Frankenstein the Monster is no longer the botched dimwit from the ruins of Henry’s egotistical scheme. In a magnificent display of autonomy and moral superiority, he turns the tables on Dr Frankenstein his creator and Pretorius his manipulator and ends the macabre dance on his own terms. He outshines everyone in this spectacular ending.


Cast: Boris Karloff The Monster, now known as Frankenstein; Colin Clive as Baron Henry von Frankenstein; Valerie Hobson as Elizabeth; Ernest Thesiger as Dr Pretorius; Elsa Lanchester as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly and the Monster’s mate, Gavin Gorden as Lord Byron, Douglas Walton as Percy Shelly.
Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr
Based on the novel by Mary Shelly and the play by Peggy Webling (adapted by John L. Balderston)
Screenplay: William Hurlbut Editor: Ted Kint
Photography: John J. Mescall
Special effects: John P. Fulton Make up: Jack P. Pierce
Art direction: Charles D. Hall
Music: Franz Watman