Frankenstein (1931)

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

John L. Balderston (based upon the composition by)
Mary Shelley (from the novel by)
(more)

Release Date:

21 November 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A Monster Science Created - But Could Not Destroy!

Plot:

Horror classic in which an obsessed scientist assembles a living being from parts of exhumed corpses.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Frankenstein | Experiment | Body Part | Laboratory

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Colin Clive	...	Henry Frankenstein
Mae Clarke	...	Elizabeth
John Boles	...	Victor Moritz
Boris Karloff	...	The Monster (as ?)
Edward Van Sloan	...	Dr. Waldman
Frederick Kerr	...	Baron Frankenstein
Dwight Frye	...	Fritz
Lionel Belmore	...	The Burgomaster
Marilyn Harris	...	Little Maria
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ted Billings	...	Villager (uncredited)
Mae Bruce	...	Screaming Maid (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	Extra (uncredited)
Arletta Duncan	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)
William Dyer	...	Gravedigger (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Hans (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Mourner (uncredited)
Soledad Jiménez	...	Mourner (uncredited)
Carmencita Johnson	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Seessel Anne Johnson	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Ludwig (uncredited)
Pauline Moore	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)
Inez Palange	...	Villager (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Mourner at Gravesite (uncredited)
Cecilia Parker	...	Maid (uncredited)
Rose Plumer	...	Villager (uncredited)
Cecil Reynolds	...	Waldman's Secretary (uncredited)
Ellinor Vanderveer	...	Medical Student (uncredited)

Directed by
James Whale

Writing credits
John L. Balderston		(based upon the composition by)
Mary Shelley		(from the novel by) (as Mrs. Percy B. Shelley)
Peggy Webling		(adapted from the play by)
Garrett Fort		(screenplay) &
Francis Edward Faragoh		(screenplay)
Richard Schayer		(scenario editor)
Robert Florey		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
John Russell		contributor to screenplay construction (uncredited)

Produced by
E.M. Asher	....	associate producer
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernhard Kaun		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson
Paul Ivano		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Clarence Kolster		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall

Makeup Department
Pauline Eells	....	wig maker (uncredited)
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup designer (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph A. McDonough	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ed Keyes	....	property master (uncredited)
Herman Rosse	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
C. Roy Hunter	....	recording supervisor
William Hedgcock	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Franz Dallons	....	props (uncredited)
Oscar Dallons	....	props (uncredited)
Paul Dallons	....	props (uncredited)
John P. Fulton	....	special effects (uncredited)
Ken Strickfaden	....	special electrical properties (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Brian J. McNamara	....	digital restoration artist (remastered version)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sherman Clark	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Jack Freulich	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mae Bruce	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Maurice Pivar	....	supervising film editor

Music Department
Giuseppe Becce	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
David Broekman	....	musical director (uncredited)
Gilbert Kurland	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter
Carl Laemmle	....	president: Universal Pictures Corp.
Frank Graves	....	electrical effects assistant (uncredited)
Raymond Lindsay	....	electrical effects (uncredited)
Robert Livingston	....	double: Colin Clive, closing distant shot (uncredited)
Cecil Reynolds	....	medical consultant (uncredited)
Gerald L.G. Sampson	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (as Universal Pictures Corp.)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1932) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1938) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Realart Pictures Inc. (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• MCA Videocassette (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Net5 (2004) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Fathom Events (2012) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | Sweden:11 | USA:Unrated | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (cinema version) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (2002) | Finland:K-15 (2004) | Iceland:16 | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Canada:(Banned) (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Norway:16 (video rating) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

According to the TLC network program "Hunt for Amazing Treasures", a unique six-sheet poster for the original 1931 release, showing Karloff as The Monster menacing Mae Clarke, is worth at least $600,000 US and is possibly the most valuable movie poster in the world. The only known (original) copy is owned by a private collector.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the gravedigger fills in the grave, he throws his coat on the ground. After the grave is filled, his coat (and hat) are neatly hanging from a pickaxe stuck in the ground.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Henry Frankenstein:Down! Down, you fool!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: Frankenstein (1931) (#1.23)" (1979)

A Memorable Monster In A Magnificent DVD Release

Although I have seen better prints of the film, this DVD issue of Universal Studio's famous FRANKENSTEIN is a magnificent package that is sure to delight any fan of classic horror. The film itself has been restored for content, and the Skal-hosted documentary--which traces the story from Mary Shelly's famous novel through its numerous film incarnations--is a delight, including numerous interviews with various historians, critics, and Karloff's daughter. The bonus audio track by Rudy Behlmer is also quite interesting, as are the various biographies and notes, and although the short film BOO is a spurious mix of footage from NOSFERATU, Dracula, THE CAT AND THE CANARY, and FRANKENSTEIN, it is an enjoyable little throw-away. All in all, it doesn't get much better than this.

As for the film itself, the production of FRANKENSTEIN was prompted by the incredible success of the earlier Dracula--but where Dracula is a rather problematic and significantly dated film, FRANKENSTEIN was and remains one of the most original horror films to ever emerge from Hollywood. Much of the credit for this goes to director James Whale, who by all accounts was deeply influenced by silent German film and his own traumatic experiences during World War I--and who mixed those elements with occasional flourishes of macabre humor to create a remarkably consistent vision of Mary Shelly's original novel.

Whale was extremely, extremely fortunate in his cast. Colin Clive was a difficult actor, but Whale not only managed to get him through the film but to draw from him his finest screen performance; Mae Clarke is a memorable Elizabeth; and Dwight Frye, so memorable in Dracula, tops himself as Fritz. But all eyes here are on Boris Karloff as the monster. Karloff had been kicking around Hollywood for a decade, and although he appeared in quite a few films before FRANKENSTEIN he never really registered with the public. But in this role, acting under heavy make-up, weighed down by lead weights in his shoes and struts around his legs, and without a line of intelligible dialogue he offered a performance that transcended the word "monster." This is a suffering being, dangerous mainly through innocence of his own power and the way of the world, goaded from disaster to disaster to disaster. Even some seventy-plus years later, it is difficult to imagine any other actor in the part.

Karloff would play the monster again in two later films, one of them directed by Whale, but although THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is a remarkable film in its own right, this is the original combination of talents and the original vision. Truly a national treasure, to be enjoyed over and over again. Strongly recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer