During the 1930’s, Universal had great success with The Frankenstein trilogy. These movies starred Boris Karloff as the monster. Karloff achieved stardom with these films, but after the last film, decided to leave. The studio after a three year hiatus, decided to start up production, on more Frankenstein films. The studio used a variety of actors in the role of the monster. They were Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange. These actors were adequate, but never filled Karloff’s boots. The films in order are, The Ghost of Frankenstein, (1942), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, (1943) The House of Frankenstein, (1944) and Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). There was alsoThe House of Dracula, (1945), but it doesn’t have Frankenstein in the title, but features the monster. These films, although not being on the same level as the trilogy, do have merit. There is some quality acting, interesting set design, and Bela Lugosi brought back as Dracula.
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
The Ghost of Frankenstein has Cedric Hardwicke as Ludwig Frankenstein, the second son of Frankenstein. Ludwig is a respected doctor, practicing in the town of Vasaria. The studio has given the town the Hollywood treatment, making it look like a quaint town, where nothing exciting ever happens. The townsfolk are soon going to have quite a tale for their children and grandchildren.
The curse on the family name, {the monster}, Lon Chaney, has been revived after Frankenstein’s castle has been torched by villagers. Ygor, (Bela Lugosi), thought dead, after being shot by Wolf Frankenstein, in Son Of Frankenstein, has waited for this moment. He flees with the monster; who needs another member of the Frankenstein family, to revive him. Ygor and his friend, the monster, go looking for Ludwig Frankenstein. Ygor and the monster come to Vasaria, and the monster befriends a little girl, Cloestine Hussman, (Janet Ann Gallow). The residents see this and panic, and the police apprehend Frankenstein’s monster. The prosecutor, Erik Ernst, (Ralph Bellamy), wants Dr. Frankenstein, to examine the monster. He agrees after he finishes with some work. Ygor, pays the doctor a visit, asking him to heal his father’s creation. Frankenstein refuses, not wanting the monster to ruin his life, like it did his father’s. Ygor threatens to reveal the doctor’s heritage. Frankenstein then agrees to cooperate.
The monster is being questioned at the police station, when Frankenstein arrives. He recognizes the doctor, but Frankenstein denies ever seeing him. Having been denied by a member of the family, the monster becomes enraged, and breaks free. Ygor then leads him away. They head to Frankenstein’s home, and break into his laboratory. The monster kills one of the doctor’s assistants. Frankenstein has gone to his laboratory, and his daughter, Elsa follows. The monster grabs Elsa, but Frankenstein pumps gas into the lab, knocking out the monster.
Frankenstein decides to destroy his father’s creation, on his own, when his assistant, Dr. Bohmer, (Lionel Atwill), won’t help. Bohmer has rationalized that it’s murder to kill a living dead thing? Frankenstein, while pondering how to destroy the bane of the Frankenstein family, has a Hamlet moment. He is visited by his father’s ghost. The father tells the son, to give the monster a good brain. He agrees and decides to use his late assistant, Dr. Kettering’s brain, who was killed by the monster. He then charges the monster, to give him strength for the operation. Ygor in the meantime, has told Dr. Bohmer, that he shouldn’t live in Frankenstein’s shadow, and he should give the monster the brain of Ygor. Bohmer ponders this and agrees to do it.
The police, looking for the missing monster, go to Frankenstein’s house. They find the laboratory, but no sign of the monster. Ygor and his scary friend, have left the house, and are in the town. The monster abducts Cloestine, and returns to the Frankenstein residence. He wants her brain, but she doesn’t want to give it to him. The monster reluctantly gives the girl to Elsa Frankenstein, (Evelyn Ankers). Frankenstein performs surgery, but doesn’t realize that Ygor’s brain has been substituted for Kettering’s.
Cloestine’s father has rallied the townsfolk, saying the monster has taken his daughter, and that Frankenstein has given the monster safe haven. They go to Frankenstein’s residence, but Erik Ernst, convinces them to give him five minutes to speak to Frankenstein, to surrender the monster. The doctor says he has the monster, and shows Erik. The monster gets up, and shocks the doctor, by speaking with Ygor’s voice.
The townsfolk storm the house, and the monster fills the house with gas. Frankenstein tries to stop the cursed creation, but he is killed. The monster goes blind, because Ygor’s blood isn’t able to feed the monster’s senses. The monster, in his anger kills Doctor Bohmer, and accidentally sets fire to the house, and perishes in the fire. Erik and Elsa walk off together to the sunrise.
The Ghost of Frankenstein, is the weakest of the four Frankenstein films. Cedric Hardwicke seems to be going through the motions. The story isn’t the best, with the abduction of the little girl, borrowing slightly from Frankenstein (1931) The best thing about this movie, is the acting of Bela Lugosi. He stills plays a villain, but slightly less creepy, and develops a relationship with the monster; something he didn’t have with people. This movie can be skipped, its only purpose being to be another sequel.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
The best thing about Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is Lon Chaney coming back to the role of the tortured Larry Talbot. Bela Lugosi appears as the Frankenstein Monster, not quite as good as Ygor, in the previous two Frankenstein movies. He just lumbers around and grimaces, looking barely awake. The film also features the frightened and angry villagers, a constant staple with these films.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man starts with two crooks attempting to rob the Talbot mausoleum. They come across Larry Talbot’s tomb, and wonder why there is wolfsbane, on top of the body. They also didn’t think about the full moon. Their greed overcoming them, they pull off the wolfsbane, and Talbot transforms into his hated alter ego. The crook closest to the werewolf is mauled to death, and the other one runs away. Talbot later wakes up in a hospital, with his head bandaged. His identity is questioned, by Dr. Mannering, (Patrick Knowles) and he says he’s Larry Talbot. Inspector Owen, (Dennis Hoey) is called in on the case. Talbot keeps insisting that he’s the late Lawrence Talbot. A close look at a picture of Talbot, further clouds the stranger’s identity. The inspector visits the mausoleum. he finds the door open and the thief’s body on the floor. Talbot’s body is missing. Upon Inspector Owen’s return, Larry Talbot insists he’s a werewolf. Dr. Mannering tells Talbot that he’s mentally ill, and his lycanthropy can be treated. Unfortunately, the good doctor, has the same belief Larry’s father did in The Wolf Man (1941). He puts Talbot in a room, in a straight jacket, to restrain him. This doesn’t work, and Talbot becomes a werewolf, and escapes.
After this, Larry Talbot goes searching for Maleva, (Maria Ouspenskaya), the gypsy woman, from The Wolf Man, who helped him. He finds her, and she says Dr. Frankenstein may be able to help. They are traveling in a horse drawn wagon, when the change comes over Talbot. He leaps out running into the woods, to save her life. After changing back, the next day he awakens under the icy ruins of Frankenstein Castle. He discovers the frozen monster, and throwing caution to the winds, frees him from the ice. The two make it to the castle, and Talbot finds Dr. Frankenstein’s books on his research. Larry Talbot doesn’t find what he needs, but later meets with Baroness Frankenstein. He offers to buy the castle, but she declines the offer; but agrees to meet with him at the town festival. During the meeting, Doctor Mannering appears. Mannering is not only a doctor, but appears to have the detective skills of Sherlock Holmes, having tracked Talbot across Europe. This upsets Talbot, and he creates a scene, spoiling the festival. After Talbot’s outburst, an unofficial member of the baroness’ family appears:the monster. Talbot leaves with him. They go back to the castle followed by the baroness and the doctor. Doctor Mannering tells Larry Talbot and the monster, that he can help them both. He straps them to tables and prepares to send electrical energy into them, but because he’s obsessed with the monster, sends the energy into him. Talbot changes into a werewolf, and the monster grabs the baroness. The Wolf Man frees the baroness and attacks the monster. They are locked in battle, when one of the villagers blows up the dam, flooding the castle, and sweeping away the monsters. Doctor Mannering and Baroness Frankenstein escape just in time.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man has one of the creepiest and scary beginnings of any horror film. It has the welcome addition of Lon Chaney; who with his performance in this film, shows his father wasn’t the only one in the family, who could act. He makes you feel Lawrence Talbot’s pain at killing innocents, because he can’t control the beast inside. The finale is also well done. It does beg the question of how many times Castle Frankenstein can be destroyed, by monster or man. It is also where the scriptwriter forgot the original warning in The Wolf Man. It was changed to “Even a man who is pure in heart, may become a wolf, when the wolfsbane blooms and the moon is full and bright.” It was changed from autumn moon. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is far from a perfect film, but is enjoyable to watch.
The House of Frankenstein (1944)
The good news about The House of Frankenstein is that the master of horror, Boris Karloff is back: playing Doctor Niemann, as villainous as possible. The bad part is the miscasting of John Carradine as Dracula. He doesn’t make people forget Bela Lugosi. Lon Chaney is back in his best performance as the cursed Larry Talbot. His misery is shared in this film by Illonka, (Elena Verdugo). A strong performance is given by J. Carrol Naish as Daniel. The Frankenstein Monster is played by Glenn Strange. This was many years before he was Sam, the bartender, on Gunsmoke. The person putting together this solid rendition of a horror movie is, director, Eric C. Kenton.
Dr. Nieman and his hunchbacked assistant, Daniel are in prison, when lighting strikes the jail freeing them both. Niemann, is now free to carry out his revenge, on the people who sent him to jail. Along his path to vengeance, he meets a showman named Dr. Lampini, who has a traveling horror show. Karloff’s character decides to kill Lampini and his driver. He gives this job to Daniel. He willingly commits murder, because Niemann has promised to cure him, using Dr. Frankenstein’s notes. After assuming Lampini’s identity, Niemann frees the show’s main attraction, Dracula. He pulls the stake from the bones, making Dracula once again one of the undead. Dracula wants to continue his bloodsucking ways. He is reminded by the criminally insane doctor, that a debt is owed. That debt is to kill the burgomeister, responsible for Niemann’s imprisonment. The count does this, and decides to prey on the townspeople. He has taken a little too long, and the sun is rising. Dracula heads to the wagon. Daniel alerts Niemann, and to avoid being caught; the coffin is thrown from the wagon. The vampire, denied his escape, is destroyed, by the rising of the sun.
The two criminals proceed to Castle Frankenstein to look for the books. They find Illonka, the gypsy girl. She is being assaulted and Daniel goes to her rescue. She goes with these two less than stellar people. During the journey, the ice cave, from Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, is found. Of course, Larry Talbot, never to enjoy eternal rest, is found and thawed. He is bitter, because he will once again be cursed. He is consoled by Niemann, who says he will cure him, if he helps him. Talbot agrees, putting aside past hostilities with Dr. Frankenstein’s monster. Everyone begins the journey to Vasaria, where Dr. Niemann’s laboratory is located.
Larry Talbot and Illonka fall in love on the journey. This is distressing to Daniel, who also loves her. When the travelers arrive in Vasaria, Daniel and Niemann kidnap two more people who’ve incurred the wrath of Dr. Niemmann. They are Herr Ullman, (Frank Reicher), and Herr Strauss, (Michael Mark). The insane plan is to replace the monsters’ brains with theirs. Daniel is upset that he isn’t getting Talbot’s body. He lets jealousy get the best of him, and tells Illonka that Talbot is a werewolf. She doesn’t believe him.
Talbot transforms the next day, and confesses to his love, that they may have a turbulent relationship. She understands and prepares to defend herself. She makes a silver bullet for a pistol. The same night, it’s a go for the brain transplants. It is a little too late. Larry Talbot becomes a werewolf, and attacks Illonka, who fires the bullet killing Talbot, before dying herself. Daniel attacks Niemann in his anger. The monster defending his rescuer, throws him out the window, killing him. The villagers see the lights in the laboratory and attack the monster. The monster picks up Dr. Niemann and leaves. He heads to a swamp, which the villagers torch. He moves away from the fire, and toward a quicksand bog, sinking with Niemann.
The thing that The House of Frankenstein shows is that you can make a good movie without Karloff as the monster. The tragic love story between Larry Talbot and Illonka, brings the story up, making it more three dimensional. Even though Boris Karloff went onto even better roles, he is solid in this. It is a fine portrayal of an unremorsful mad scientist, stepping away from the obsessed and deluded Frankenstein family. This was a step in the right direction, after the two previous films lacked true villains and solid storylines.
Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were to Universal Studios in the 1940’s what their monster costars were in the 1930’s. They kept the studio afloat with their appeal. They were on a lesser scale the studio’s Laurel and Hardy. It is a film that would seem to be nothing more than a farce, and be very disjointed. That is not the case with this movie. Charles Barton, the director, keeps the pace going. He previously worked with the duo, and their comic timing is at it’s best. Walter Lance, the creator of Woody Woodpecker, designed the opening credits, which are animated. Lon Chaney’s tragic character, Larry Talbot, is even played for laughs. This works, particularly, when he’s talking to Lou Costello’s character on the phone, and changes into a werewolf. Costello says not to growl at him. This is how the duo interacts with Universal’s monsters throughout the film.
Abbot and Costello play hapless movers, Chick and Wilbur. They are employed by Mr. McDougal, (Frank Ferguson), who is driven up the wall, by the duo’s incompetence. They are delivering crates that contain The Frankenstein Monster and Dracula. Chick asks Wilbur to watch the crates, while he tends to some work. While Wilbur is alone, Dracula attempts to get out of his coffin, making for some good laughs. Throughout most of the film, Chick never believes Wilbur.
Dracula finally gets out and recruits a female mad scientist, Sandra Mornay, (Lenore Albert), to help revive the monster. His selfish plan is to have the monster as his slave. He also wants to give the monster a brain. The candidate is Wilbur. Dracula, a vampire who has lived for hundreds of years, has decided better a moron’s brain, than none at all. Wilbur is deceived by Sandra and is prepared for brain surgery. Chick along with Larry Talbot come to the rescue. The angry monster kills Sandra Mornay and goes after Chick and Wilbur. Larry Talbot turns into a werewolf and attacks Dracula and falls into the sea. Wilbur and Chick are running from the monster, and find a boat, and start rowing. This is just before the pier is set on fire, and Frankenstein’s monster is engulfed by flames. He is never to be seen again in a movie by Universal, durig this era. It seems that Chick and Wilbur are out of danger, until they see a lit cigarette, and hear the voice of The Invisible Man.
Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein is a fitting end to the monster franchise. It gives laughs provided by two hapless people. The monsters don’t even lose their place among the comedy. This ranges from slapstick to simple lines, with Larry Talbot, trying to explain his curse to Wilbur. He tells him he turns into a wolf at night. Wilbur responds by saying, you and a million other guys. Talbot is relegated to hero status; as much as someone who kills as a werewolf can be. He tries desperately to stop Dracula’s sinister plan. Bela Lugosi is still menacing as Dracula. His power of hypnosis is still working, using it on Wilbur and Chick. He even hides in plain sight at a costume party. The funny part among many in this film, is Wilbur believing women like him for his brain. This has Chick scratching his head. Throughout most of the movie, Chick doesn’t believe Wilbur. He believes him when they’re being chased by Frankenstein’s creation. Overall everything works, mainly because the Abbot and Costello make scary monsters into comic foils.
These films work, even though they are cheaper versions of the Frankenstein trilogy. The monster was played with not much emotion, by Lugosi, Chaney and Glenn Strange. Lon Chaney had to play the monster again, when Glenn Strange, broke his leg; filming a scene in Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The monster is used in these films for the selfish designs of the villains. He seems to be like a genie in a bottle. The monster, because of scientific curiosity, seems to change normal people Ludwig Frankenstein and Dr. Mannering into mad scientists. The best part of these films is Lon Chaney, who makes the audience feel Larry Talbot’s pain and suffering. These films were the studio’s way of trying to make a profit. They did that and also have interesting stories and characters. This was an accomplishment and sequels should all be like these; with simple effective storytelling.