Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

William Hurlbut (screenplay)
William Hurlbut (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 April 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

WHO will be The Bride of Frakenstein WHO will dare ?

Plot:

Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Dr. Frankenstein (goaded by an even madder scientist) builds his monster a mate.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Mad Scientist | Experiment | Miniature People | Crypt

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	The Monster (as Karloff)
Colin Clive	...	Baron Henry von Frankenstein
Valerie Hobson	...	Elizabeth von Frankenstein
Ernest Thesiger	...	Dr. Pretorius
Elsa Lanchester	...	Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Bride (as ?)
Gavin Gordon	...	Lord Byron
Douglas Walton	...	Percy Shelley
Una O'Connor	...	Minnie - Housekeeper
E.E. Clive	...	Burgomaster
Lucien Prival	...	Albert - Butler
O.P. Heggie	...	Hermit
Dwight Frye	...	Karl
Reginald Barlow	...	Hans
Mary Gordon	...	Hans' Wife
Anne Darling	...	Shepherdess (as Ann Darling)
Ted Billings	...	Ludwig
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Curtis	...	A Hunter
Michael Mark	...	Ludwig (archive footage)
Helen Parrish	...	Communion Girl (scenes deleted)
Robert Adair	...	A Hunter (uncredited)
Norman Ainsley	...	Little Archbishop (uncredited)
Billy Barty	...	Little Baby (uncredited)
Frank Benson	...	Villager (uncredited)
Maurice Black	...	Gypsy (uncredited)
Walter Brennan	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Mae Bruce	...	Villager (uncredited)
A.S. 'Pop' Byron	...	Henry VIII: Little King (uncredited)
John Carradine	...	Hunter at Hermit's Cottage (uncredited)
D'Arcy Corrigan	...	Procession Leader (uncredited)
Grace Cunard	...	Villager (uncredited)
J. Gunnis Davis	...	Uncle Glutz (uncredited)
Kansas DeForrest	...	Little Ballerina (uncredited)
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Gypsy's Mother (uncredited)
Helen Jerome Eddy	...	Gypsy's Wife (uncredited)
Neil Fitzgerald	...	Rudy (uncredited)
Brenda Fowler	...	A Mother (uncredited)
John George	...	Villager (uncredited)
Helen Gibson	...	Villager (uncredited)
Marilyn Harris	...	Girl (uncredited)
Rollo Lloyd	...	(uncredited)
Josephine McKim	...	Little Mermaid (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Man Being Strangled by the Monster in Flashback During Prologue (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Villager (uncredited)
Sarah Schwartz	...	Marta (uncredited)
Peter Shaw	...	Little Devil (uncredited)
Mary Stewart	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Frank Terry	...	A Hunter (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Maid (uncredited)
Lucio Villegas	...	Priest (uncredited)
Joan Woodbury	...	Little Queen (uncredited)

Directed by
James Whale

Writing credits
William Hurlbut		(screenplay)
William Hurlbut		(adaptation) and
John L. Balderston		(adaptation) (as John Balderston)
Mary Shelley		(novel "Frankenstein")
Josef Berne		adaptation (uncredited)
Lawrence G. Blochman		adaptation (uncredited)
Morton Covan		adaptation (uncredited)
Robert Florey		story (uncredited)
Philip MacDonald		adaptation (uncredited)
Edmund Pearson		screenplay (uncredited)
Tom Reed		adaptation (uncredited)
R.C. Sherriff		adaptation (uncredited)

Produced by
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer
James Whale	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
John J. Mescall

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

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall

Makeup Department
Irma Kusely	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Otto Lederer	....	makeup associate (uncredited)
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frank	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Harry Mancke	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Joseph A. McDonough	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
William Hedgcock	....	sound technician (uncredited)
Gilbert Kurland	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects
David S. Horsley	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Ken Strickfaden	....	special electrical properties (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Dodds	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Alan Jones	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	conductor (as Bakaleinikoff)
Clifford Vaughan	....	orchestrator: musical score (uncredited)
Oliver Wallace	....	musician: organ (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter
Flo Brummel	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Buddy Daggett	....	secretary: Carl Laemmle Jr. (uncredited)
Peter Shaw	....	stand-in: Ernest Thesiger (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1935) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1935) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Realart Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal (1935) (France) (theatrical) (as Universal Films S.A.)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Net5 (2004) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Orchestra  orchestra
• Universal Scoring Stage  orchestra

Also Known As:

Frankenstein Lives Again! (USA) (working title)
The Bride of Frankenstein (USA) (poster title)
The Return of Frankenstein (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:A (original rating) | UK:H (re-rating: 1943) | UK:PG (video rating: 1989) | UK:X (re-rating: 1956) | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Norway:16 (1986) | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 (1976) | Germany:12 (video rating: 2000) | USA:Approved (PCA #768)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

For a time, Universal considered producing a sequel to Frankenstein (1931) without the involvement of James Whale. One possible story included an educated monster continuing Henry's research, while another chronicled Henry's creation of a death ray on the eve of a world war.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Karl and the monster are climbing up on the parapet, the background can clearly be seen through their figures.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lord Byron: Prologue
[looking out the window at a thunderstorm]
Lord Byron: How beautifully dramatic! The cruelest savage exhibition of nature at her worst without.
[turns to face Mary and Percy Shelley, both seated]
Lord Byron: And we three. We elegant three within. I should like to think that an irate Jehovah was pointing those arrows of lightning directly at my head. The unbowed head of George Gordon, Lord Byron. England's greatest sinner. But I cannot flatter myself to that extent. Possibly those thunders are for our dear Shelley. Heavens applause for England's greatest poet.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: Bride of Frankenstein (1935) (#1.43)" (1980)

Here She Comes, There She Goes

This is a pretty solid movie, one of the few old-time horror films that still stands up to today's standards. The cinematography is excellent with many fascinating shadow-like shots, particularly with facial closeups.

A surprise is that the actual "bride" of Frankenstein is only created and then seen in the final minutes of the film. The title can be misleading as we expect most of the story to be about her. Instead, most of the movie is simply a sequel to the original Frankenstein, picking up where that film left off with the monster somehow surviving his fiery doom.

I would like to have seen more of the "bride," who was fascinating to view. Elsa Lanchester, who played that character, also played Mary Shelley in the beginning of the film.

The most interesting character, I thought, was the devil-like Dr. Praetorious, played by Ernest Thesiger. Now this guy had a true face of a "mad scientist!"

Most films need to be trimmed 10-15 minutes but here is an exception. This movie needed another 10 to 15 minutes tacked on, so we could see more of the "bride." It's still considered one of the best horror films of all time and, at just 74 minutes, would certainly be worth your time to check it out if you've seen it.