Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Director:

Rowland V. Lee

Writers:

Mary Shelley (suggested by the story written in 1816)
Wyllis Cooper (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 January 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror | Drama

Tagline:

The black shadows of the past bred this half-man . . . half-demon ! . . . creating a new and terrible juggernaut of destruction !

Plot:

One of the sons of Frankenstein finds his father's monster in a coma and revives him, only to find out he is controlled by Ygor who is bent on revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Inspector | Laboratory | Falling From Height | Grave Robber | Orchestral Music Score

Cast

Basil Rathbone	...	Baron Wolf von Frankenstein
Boris Karloff	...	The Monster
Bela Lugosi	...	Ygor
Lionel Atwill	...	Krogh
Josephine Hutchinson	...	Elsa von Frankenstein
Donnie Dunagan	...	Peter von Frankenstein
Emma Dunn	...	Amelia
Edgar Norton	...	Benson
Perry Ivins	...	Fritz
Lawrence Grant	...	Burgomaster
Lionel Belmore	...	Lang
Michael Mark	...	Ewald Neumüller
Caroline Frances Cooke	...	Mrs. Neumüller (as Caroline Cooke)
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	Burgher
Lorimer Johnston	...	Burgher (as Lorimer Johnson)
Tom Ricketts	...	Burgher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ed Cassidy	...	Burgher (unconfirmed)
Dwight Frye	...	Villager (unconfirmed)
Ward Bond	...	Gendarme at Gate (uncredited)
Betty Chay	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Bearded Gendarme (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	Actor (uncredited)
Jack Harris	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Russ Powell	...	Webber - Burgher (uncredited)
Clarence Wilson	...	Dr. Berger (uncredited)

Directed by
Rowland V. Lee

Writing credits
Mary Shelley		(suggested by the story written in 1816) (as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
Wyllis Cooper		(screenplay) (as Willis Cooper)

Produced by
Rowland V. Lee	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
George Robinson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent		(as Ted Kent)

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frank	....	assistant director

Art Department
Richard H. Riedel	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound supervisor
William Hedgcock	....	sound technician

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bud Wolfe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director
Hans J. Salter	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (as Universal Pictures Company Inc.)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal International Pictures (UI) (1939) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Realart Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (2004) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:(Banned) (1955) | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Norway:16 (1955) | Norway:16 (cut) | Netherlands:12 (2004) | UK:H (1939) | UK:PG (video rating) (2005) | Netherlands:18 (re-rating) (1958) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1939) | Brazil:Livre | Finland:(Banned) (1939) | USA:Approved (PCA #4987) | Sweden:7

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The name of the town where the action takes place is "Goldstadt" in the first two films in the series, Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Here it is called "Frankenstein." In the two subsequent films, the stories would take place in another fictional town, "Vasaria" (or "Visaria").

Goofs:

Continuity: On the train ride to his father's estate, the same tree passes by Baron Wolf Frankenstein's train window several times.

Quotes:

Ygor:[after faking a coughing fit and pointing to his broken neck] I'm sorry. I cough. You see, bone get stuck in throat!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Girls Next Door: Heavy Lifting (#4.2)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Sailing, Sailing, Over the Bounding Main

Or...The Legend of the Frankenstein Monster!

'Frankenstein' and 'Bride of...' pretty much told a complete story. And the story was fashioned in such a way that the viewer is watching the events as they unfold. As the events unfold, the story shifts from the torment of the creator, Frankenstein, to the torment of the creation, the Monster.

Now in 'Son of...', the emphasis is shifted back to the scientist. And Karloff no longer has a monopoly on the role of the 'Back From the Dead'; he shares that with Lugosi's 'Ygor'. Nor does he have the monopoly on the 'Artificial Human'; he shares that spot with Atwill's one-armed 'Inspector Krogh'. Nor does he possess his personality that was gradually evolving in the first two entries. The Monster has been reduced to a hulking henchman bound to the will of the evil Ygor.

The 'Monster turned pawn' had actually begun in 'Bride of...' as Pretorious used him to force Frankenstein to create the Monster's mate. You could almost say that the Monster was used as a tool for Henry Frankenstein to play God; a tool for Pretorious' dream to create a new race; and a tool for Ygor's desire for revenge on the jurors who condemned him to the hangman's noose. The difference in 'Son of...' is that the Monster no longer evolves and the character is left with no where to go.

But this is still a fascinating film. Director Lee replaces realistic sets and background with surrealism. Details from the first two films are abandoned for light background and twisted, gargantuan shadows. And much of some great action set-pieces have already occurred off screen, before the movie begins. Which means we're left with alot of talk of 'what was' and 'what happened before'. Which kind of fits into the definition of what a legend constitutes. Fortunately, the actors doing the talking are Rathbone, Lugosi and Atwill. Even Rathbone's over the top performance can be forgiven, knowing his next film(?) was his signature (& debut) role as Sherlock Holmes in 'Hound of the Baskervilles', a role he was absolutely brilliant in.

Even though Karloff has a much reduced role, the gigantic sets, dead trees and slanted architecture compels the viewer to be constantly aware of his lurking menace. It is this approach that, standing on its own, makes this a fine film. The viewer is forced to rely on imagination more than the first two movies put together. It is certainly a more polished film than the original. And Lugosi and Atwill's support acting are leagues above the wooden Mae Clarke, John Boles and Valerie Hobson.

Like the Monster; "tis better to have been made, than never to have been made at all". We would have missed out on all that fun.

7 out of 10 ! One of my favorite 'Frankenstein' films.