The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
"Bride of Frankenstein" (original title)

Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Dr. Frankenstein (goaded by an even madder scientist) builds his monster a mate.

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

Mary Shelley (suggested by the original story written by), William Hurlbut (adapted by),

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Boris Karloff	...	The Monster (as Karloff)
Colin Clive	...	Henry Frankenstein
Valerie Hobson	...	Elizabeth
Ernest Thesiger	...	Doctor Pretorius
Elsa Lanchester	...	Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Bride (as ?)
Gavin Gordon	...	Lord Byron
Douglas Walton	...	Percy Bysshe Shelley
Una O'Connor	...	Minnie
E.E. Clive	...	Burgomaster
Lucien Prival	...	Butler
O.P. Heggie	...	Hermit
Dwight Frye	...	Karl
Reginald Barlow	...	Hans
Mary Gordon	...	Hans' Wife
Anne Darling	...	Shepherdess (as Ann Darling)

Storyline

Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive, not killed as previously believed. Dr. Frankenstein wants to get out of the evil experiment business, but when a mad scientist, Dr. Pretorius, kidnaps his wife, Dr. Frankenstein agrees to help him create a new creature, a woman, to be the companion of the monster.

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Plot Keywords:

monster | frankenstein | mad scientist | experiment | shot in the shoulder | 

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Taglines:

WHO will be The Bride of Frankenstein WHO will dare?

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frankenstein Lives Again!

Filming Locations:

Court of Miracles, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$397,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elsa Lanchester was only 5'4" but for the role was placed on stilts that made her 7' tall. The bandages were placed so tightly on her that she was unable to move and had to be carried about the studio and fed through a straw.

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Goofs

The Monster is named Frankenstein after his creator. In real life, inventions are sometimes named after their makers. In the prologue Lord Byron even says as much.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lord Byron: Prologue
[looking out the window at a thunderstorm]
Lord Byron: How beautifully dramatic! The cruelest savage exhibition of nature at her worst without.
[turns to face Mary and Percy Shelley, both seated]
Lord Byron: And we three. We elegant three within. I should like to think that an irate Jehovah was pointing those arrows of lightning directly at my head. The unbowed head of George Gordon, Lord Byron. England's greatest sinner. But I cannot flatter myself to that extent. Possibly those thunders are for ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits have the heading "A good cast is worth repeating".

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Connections

Referenced in The Last House on the Left (1972)

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Soundtracks

"Ave Maria (Op.52 No.1)"
(1825) (uncredited)
Written by Franz Schubert
Played on a violin by the Blind Man
Also played in the score

User Reviews

Here She Comes, There She Goes

This is a pretty solid movie, one of the few old-time horror films that still stands up to today's standards. The cinematography is excellent with many fascinating shadow-like shots, particularly with facial closeups.

A surprise is that the actual "bride" of Frankenstein is only created and then seen in the final minutes of the film. The title can be misleading as we expect most of the story to be about her. Instead, most of the movie is simply a sequel to the original Frankenstein, picking up where that film left off with the monster somehow surviving his fiery doom.

I would like to have seen more of the "bride," who was fascinating to view. Elsa Lanchester, who played that character, also played Mary Shelley in the beginning of the film.

The most interesting character, I thought, was the devil-like Dr. Praetorious, played by Ernest Thesiger. Now this guy had a true face of a "mad scientist!"

Most films need to be trimmed 10-15 minutes but here is an exception. This movie needed another 10 to 15 minutes tacked on, so we could see more of the "bride." It's still considered one of the best horror films of all time and, at just 74 minutes, would certainly be worth your time to check it out if you've seen it.