Frankenstein (1931) | |
| Director(s) | James Whale |
| Producer(s) | E.M. Asher (associate), Carl Laemmle Jr. |
| Top Genres | Horror, Science Fiction |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, Mad Scientists, Monster, Pre-Code Cinema |
Featured Cast:
Frankenstein Overview:
Frankenstein (1931) was a Horror - Science Fiction Film directed by James Whale and produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. and E.M. Asher.
The film was based on the novel Frankenstein (aka The Modern Prometheus) written by Mary Shelley published in 1818.
SYNOPSIS
The monster that mocked the sanctity of God's creation and brought ruin to his mad-scientist master firmly established a fertile movie genre and saved a studio in the bargain. Though the definitive monster movie, it succeeds purely because of the glimmer of humanity that Karloff allows us to see through the stitching and bolts, and the pathos of a barely human consciousness trapped in a hideous body. The versions available since the late '80s have restored the famously brutal sequence of the monster's encounter with a little girl at a lake shore. The laserdisc offers trailers, photos, and study sequences.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.Frankenstein was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1991.
BlogHub Articles:
Silver Screen Standards: Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
By Jennifer Garlen on Aug 13, 2026 From Classic Movie Hub BlogFrankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) I?m always impressed at just how many Frankenstein movies Universal turned out between 1931 and 1948, and I?m also deeply entertained by the studio?s mix and match approach to making those pictures where its stars were concerned. It might not make for the be... Read full article
FRANKENSTEIN (2025)
By Dan Day, Jr. on Jan 18, 2026 From The Hitless Wonder Movie BlogI don't have Netflix, but this new adaptation of Mary Shelley's story was shown at the Browning Cinema on the campus of the University of Notre Dame this weekend. Writer-director Guillermo del Toro's take on the famous tale is extravagantly made, but it lacks a certain.....spark??Del Toro goes overb... Read full article
10 Classic Frankenstein Movies Worth Watching
By Jennifer Garlen on Oct 24, 2024 From Virtual ViragoThis fall I taught a lifetime learning class about the history and cinematic legacy of Frankenstein, so of course I've had the iconic tale of gods and monsters on my mind throughout the Halloween season. One of the reasons for the story's enduring success is its adaptability; like Shakespearean play... Read full article
From the Archives: Son of Frankenstein (1939)
By The Metzinger Sisters on Oct 5, 2024 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film LoversBoris Karloff as the famous "Monster" from the Frankenstein films (in this photo, The Son of Frankenstein). The make-up for all of the early Frankenstein movies was done by Jack Pierce, whom you could read more about in our previous articles here. From the Archives is our latest series of posts wher... Read full article
Abbott and Costello Films: Naughty Nineties, Time of Their Lives, A&C Meet Frankenstein
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 6, 2023 From 4 Star FilmsThe next genre Abbott and Costello took on in The Naughty Nineties was the show boat-style musical. Henry Travers fits as a kindly old ship captain who promises family-friendly entertainment headlined by his daughter and a very familiar leading man (Bud Abbott).??Costello crops up in a local band po... Read full article
See all Frankenstein articles
Quotes from
[Locks door and pockets key]
Dr. Henry Frankenstein: Forgive me, but I'm forced to take unusual precautions.
Henry Frankenstein: Quite a good scene, isn't it? One man, crazy - three very sane spectators!
Henry Frankenstein: Help! Help!
Villager #1: Listen, it's Frankenstein.
Villager #2: That way.
read more quotes from Frankenstein...
Facts about
The method of animating the creature is never discussed in Mary Shelley's novel. In the book, Frankenstein, narrating, refuses to divulge how he did it so no one can re-create his actions. However, the use of lightning to resurrect the monster has become the accepted methodology and appears in virtually every Frankenstein movie since.
As the essential part of the "lake scene" was cut from the film in 1931, theater and later TV audiences were left to wonder how the girl, that was found in the lake actually met her death. Upon restoration of the scene , in the 1980s, on home video and later on Turner Classic Movies (TV), viewers can see what the angry townspeople didn't. Perhaps one might be sympathetic to the monster, in spite of the tragic loss of the child.
read more facts about Frankenstein...
