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Today heralds the beginning of “Frankenstein Sundays” taking place throughout October. TCM is, of course, referring mostly to Frankenstein’s monster, and not the person who gave birth to him in his mad scientist lab. Boris Karloff’s rendition of the monster is one of the reasons I became obsessed with movies at an early age. My identification with the sad creature probably had something to do with the fact that Karloff was a walking freak show who fully represented mutant otherness. As a child growing up Mexican-Norwegian in mostly non-Mexican and non-Norwegian Boulder, Colorado, I was constantly reminded of being “the other” – by both peers and adults. Part of me wanted to embrace this otherness, which might explain why, when my mom took me to the dentist to cure a massive over-bite in Jr. High, I begged and pleaded with her to please leave my horrific teeth exactly as they were. How could I ever play the part of a monster with perfect teeth? Those braces, however, were put in place, for five long years, and everything got straightened out. Steve Buscemi faced this same dilemma – albeit as a young adult – and he was able to keep his bad teeth to great cinematic effect. I’d regret my mother’s decision if I had any delusions to having acting chops. But I don’t. Good job, mom!
On to Frankenstein’s monster, which has been well covered. I won’t add to the canon other than to present the following capsule reviews pertaining to the Universal studios version of Frankenstein (1931) that are gleaned from seven different books randomly selected off of my book shelf. I’ll present them here in chronological order and add only that I think they all have something unique to offer as they move from prints, to video, then mentioning laser discs. Tellingly, the last book is from 1999, at which point the internet took out the market for books trafficking in capsule movie reviews – so don’t expect to hear about Blu-ray releases (which were unveiled in 2000).
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The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film (1983), by Michael Weldon.
(No ratings.)
After 12 years of acting obscurity, 44-year-old Boris Karloff became a household name by playing the monster made from dead bodies. It’s still powerful today, despite the lack of music and some prerelease censoring by the studio. When Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Live) has his great “It’s alive!” scene, he originally continued, “Now I know what it’s like to be a God!” The monster was also shown throwing the little girl into the water. Two endings were filmed. In one, the doctor dies when thrown from the windmill; in the other, he lives. With Edward Van Sloane, Mae Clarke, and Dwight Faye as the hunchback Fritz, snatcher of the famous bad brain. Some original prints were tinted green, “the color of fear.” Karloff worked for director Whale a year later in The Old Dark House. The Bride of Frankenstein had to wait until ’35.
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On-Screen Off-Screen Movie Guide (1993), by Ted Sennett.
(No ratings.)
On Screen: A man-made monster mistakenly receives an abnormal brain. Arguably the classic horror movie, Frankenstein continues to startle us with the grotesque appearance of its central character – the lumbering gait, the boxy head with shuttered eyes and a snarling gash of a mouth. The monster’s first stirrings of life, its unintentional drowning of a child, the raging windmill fire in which it and its creator are trapped – these are among the scenes that unfailingly shock as well as fascinate. Colin Clive is properly impassioned in the title role as the overreaching scientist, Mae Clarke is convincingly distraught by her husband’s obsession, and dwarfish Dwight Frye is almost endearing as Clive’s bumbling grave-robber assistant. But the move belongs to Karloff, whose sensitive portrayal of the monster is unforgettable.
Off-Screen: Bela Lugosi who objected to the cumbersome makeup, and John Carradine turned down the part of the monster. Bette Davis was rejected for the Clarke role because director James Whale considered her, understandably, “too aggressive” for the character. Sets from the studio’s recent All Quiet on the Western Front provided Frankenstein with its picturesque village. Robert Florey, originally engaged to write the screenplay, and direct, got the idea for the film’s climactic scene from the windmill logo of an L.A. bakery. Jack Pierce’s elaborate facial makeup and costuming – platform boots and quilted suit – for Karloff weighed nearly fifty pounds and took four hours to apply. Clive’s exultant cry, “Now I know what it feels like to be God!” and the scene of little Marilyn Harris’s drowning, both long deleted from circulated prints, are restored to the video release. (CFB)
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Terror on Tape (1994), by James O’Neill.
Three out of four stars.
Whale’s classic adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel about an obsessed young scientist (Clive) who brings to life a monster (the unforgettable Karloff) who is driven to kill by a criminal brain. A gothic masterpiece dominated by Whale’s moody direction and trenchant sense of humor and Karloff’s marvelous child-like performance as the tragic monster. Followed by seven sequels beginning with Bride of Frankenstein; current video editions retain several seconds of footage (including the infamous drowning of a little girl) cut from the film’s TV prints.
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Creature Features Movie Guide Strikes Again (1994), by John Stanley.
(No ratings.)
Granddaddy of the Walking Monster films, so cleverly directed by James Whale it takes on greater classicality with each viewing. Boris Karloff, as Frankenstein’s Monster in the make-up of Jack Pierce, projects a paradoxical mixture of pathos and horror. Whale’s vision was years ahead of its time, influencing a superb adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel (by Garrett Ford, Robert Florey, Francis E. Faragoh) and crisp, Gothic-inspired camerawork by Arthur Edeson. Whale went on to make Bride of Frankenstein, which many feel is superior to the original… but unquestionably this established a cinema trend. Whale’s superb cast includes Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein (“It’s alive! It’s Alive”), Mae Clarke, John Boles, Edward van Sloan, Dwight Frye. A new video version contains the controversial scenes cut from the original of the Monster drowning a little girl in the village pond. (Video/Laser:MCA)
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VideoHound’s Complete Guide to Cult Flics and Trash Pics (1996), edited by Carol Schwartz.
Four bones out of four bones.
The definitive expressionistic Gothic horror classic that set the mold, liberally adapted from the Mary Shelley novel about Dr. Henry Frankenstein, the scientist who robs graves to create a terrifying, yet strangely sympathetic monster. Great performance by Karloff as the creation, enhanced by Jack Pierce’s original, grotesque makeup which made him a star. Several powerful scenes, excised from the original version, have been restored. Side two of the laser disc version contains the original theatrical trailer, plus a collection of photos and scenes replayed for study purposes. Spoofed – with great respect and affection – in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein.
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The A-Z of Horror Films (1997), by Howard Maxford.
Four out of four stars.
One of the most influential horror movies ever made, this stylish and still effective adaptation of the celebrated Mary Shelley novel made an instant star out of Karloff and, along with Dracula (1930), made its studio synonymous with such genre offerings for the next two decades. Despite its age and hurried running time it remains vastly enjoyable and has many points of interest along the way.
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The Essential Monster Movie Guide; a Century of Creature Features on Film, TV, and Video (1999), by Stephen Jones.
Four out of four stars.
Director Whale’s dark, Gothic version of Mrs Percy B. Shelley’s classic novel has some nice moments of humour and, along with Dracula (1931) from the same studio, kicked off the first great horror cycle. Still memorable for Clive’s manic Henry Frankenstein (“It’s alive!”) and Frye’s demented hunchback, Fritz. After Bela Lugosi and John Carradine both reputedly turned the role down because it involved no dialogue, the Monster (created by make-up artist Jack Pierce) made a star of forty-four year-old Karloff, who brought a unique child-like pathos to the role. In the 1980s it was re-released in its full version, which included the Monster throwing little Maria (Marilyn Harris) into the river to see if she would float like the flowers. With Lionel Belmore as the Burgomaster, and electrical equipment created and operated by Frank Graves, Kenneth Strickfaden and Raymond Lindsay. Some original release prints were apparently tinted green. Universal filmed two endings and, following previews, decided to use the one where Henry survives. Crestwood House published a juvenile novelisation by Ian Thorpe in 1977, the film was recreated by Richard J. Anobile with frame blow-ups in a 1974 volume, and the original shooting script was published by MagicImage Filmbooks in 1989. A sequel announced in 1933, The Return of Frankenstein, stayed on the studio’s tentative schedule until 1935.
Frankenstein is unleashed tonight on TCM, along with The Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, The Ghost of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, and House of Frankenstein. To unmask yet more of what Frankenstein has wrought, don’t forget to tune in next Sunday as the rampage continues.
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