The Bride of Frankenstein is an example of a horror film at it’s finest. It is a sequel that is better than its original. All of the main characters are solid. The monster talks, and Karloff brings pathos to the screen. The villagers are seen not as victims, but as persecutors. It also gives a brief introduction to the story, with the author, Mary Shelley, (Elsa Lanchester), finishing her tale. It also brings in the book’s philosophy. It gives the monster human feeling, but a separation from mankind. Many tales of terror on the big screen have tried to show both sides, with some succeeding, and many failing. This movie gives feeling, atmosphere and a true villain, Doctor Pretorius, (Ernest Thesiger).
The film begins showing a storm, and a castle. It is occupied by Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, (Gavin Gordon) and Percy Bysshe Shelley, (Douglas Walton). Byron is astonished that Mary could weave such a terrifying tale. He pleads with her to continue. She does reluctantly. The story picks up where Frankenstein left off. The villagers are watching the smoldering remains, of the windmill, where the monster seemingly perished in the flames. The Burgomaster, (E. E. Clive) has instructed everyone to go to their homes. They leave, carrying the seemingly dead Henry Frankenstein, to his castle.
All but three people obey the Burgomaster’s order. They are Hans, (Reginald Barlow) and his wife, (Mary Gordon) and Minnie, Una O’Connor. Hans and his spouse are the parents of Maria, the little girl, killed by the monster. Minnie, Frankenstein’s maid, just doesn’t follow instructions well. Hans wants to see the monster’s body. He gets his wish. The very alive monster, grabs him, and drowns him in water from a flooded cavern.His wife sees a hand, believing it to be her husband. It isn’t. She is also dispatched by the monster. He has sent both parents to the great beyond reuniting them with their daughter. Minnie sees the monster, and screams in terror. The monster ignores her and walks away. Una O’Connor would have won an Oscar, if screaming hysterically, was a category.
Minnie gets the word out to the villagers. Henry Frankenstein is not dead, and is recovering with the help of his bride, Elizabeth, (Valerie Hobson). While recovering, Henry is visited by an acquaintance, Doctor Pretorius. He discusses privately, his experiments. These involve creating life forms. Frankenstein is intrigued, and goes with Pretorius to his residence. The one rule of horror films, is that people don’t learn from their mistakes. Henry is shown little people in jars, and a mermaid. Its an interesting scene, and shows how Hollywood can do amazing special effects.
The monster is spotted in the town and goes on a killing spree. It is stopped when the overwhelming force of the villagers, captures him. He is chained and put in the dungeon. The creature breaks free and goes into the forest. He hears the sounds of a babbling brook, and birds, and feels at peace. It is here, that he finds a blind hermit, (O. P. Heggie). The interaction between Heggie and Karloff is outstanding. The monster is fed and is taught the vices of smoking and drinking. He also is taught basic english, and learns to speak. The hermit thanks God for sending him a friend, and ending his loneliness. The monster is happy and calls the hermit friend.
Happiness is a fleeting thing. Two hunter’s come by the cabin, seeking directions. They see the monster, who the hermit perceived as a friend. The monster sees their unfriendly intentions, and in his rage starts a fire, burning down the cottage. He wanders into a cemetery, stumbling into a mausoleum. This not only contains the dead, but the very alive and very evil Dr. Pretorius. He manages to take any good from the creature, and instills hatred for man and particularly Henry Frankenstein. There is a quote from the monster, “Hate living, love the dead.”It perfectly sums up the monster’s descent into darkness. The takeaway from the scene is that the monster is convinced that he needs a mate.
Frankenstein is forced to by Pretorius and the monster, to create a mate. His bride is kidnapped by the doctor’s henchman This is done by using a freshly killed body, unknown to Frankenstein. The process is successful, and Colin Clive doesn’t overact as much. This leads to the climactic scene, that determines whether the monster can lead a normal life.
Universal studios in the thirties, led the way with horror movies. It gave Boris Karloff stardom, playing the monster. Karloff’s fame came at a price. He endured hours of uncomfortable makeup sessions, and also uncomfortable walking boots. Colin Clive had achieved stardom, with his Henry Frankenstein role. He sadly passed away two years after his role in this movie. This was due to alcoholism. James Whale knew that Clive’s disease was very bad, but wanted him for the role. Whale was unfortunately not associated with the last film in the trilogy, Son of Frankenstein. The studio ownership changed hands, after Bride, and he didn’t want to do another Frankenstein film. This is unfortunate, because he may have stopped the series from degenerating.
James Whale’s ability to work with various actor’s helped The Bride of Frankenstein. Valerie Hobson does well in her role. She had to replace Mae Clark, due to illness. He does a great job directing Elsa Lancester in her dual role as Mary Shelley and the monster’s mate. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get her the valuable screen credit every actor needs. This was also done to Karloff, with Frankenstein. He was by the time of this film, a major Universal star. Elsa Lanchester did do well in Hollywood. She acted alongside her husband, Charles Laughton, as well as Cary Grant, James Stewart and Danny Kaye. James Whale did his best work working with Ernest Thesiger. He radiates evil in this movie, and is the primer for the monster becoming evil.
James Whale managed to get the creation scene to look as good as Frankenstein’s. He gets appropriate eeriness for scenes, and manages to do well with the scenes between Karloff and O. P. Heggie in the cottage. The sets for Frankenstein’s castle, and laboratory are great. Whale makes them look better with the lighting he uses. He remains the penultimate director of horror. Anyone wanting to direct a horror movie should watch this film.
The Bride of Frankenstein manages to break away from borrowing from German horror cinema. It is unique in its story telling, and managing to keep a sense of humor. This humor, although dark, keeps with the theme of the film. This is the evolution and devolution of The Frankenstein Monster. A movie like this is by nature, a horror film. However it has other elements. That is why it is not only better than the original, but makes many critic’s favorite film list.