{"id":17366,"date":"2011-06-28T11:50:18","date_gmt":"2011-06-28T18:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=17366"},"modified":"2020-12-19T15:49:05","modified_gmt":"2020-12-19T22:49:05","slug":"bride-of-frankenstein-1935","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=17366","title":{"rendered":"Bride of Frankenstein (1935)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Science &#8212; like love &#8212; has her little surprises.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Poster-146x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-17367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Poster-146x300.jpg 146w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Poster-62x128.jpg 62w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Poster.jpg 288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 146px) 100vw, 146px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nHaving survived a fire, the Monster (Boris Karloff) created by Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) goes on another rampage, this time seeking temporary companionship with a blind hermit (O.P. Heggie) and learning to speak a few words. Meanwhile, Dr. Frankenstein&#8217;s former mentor (Ernest Thesiger) &#8212; obsessed with creating a race of monsters &#8212; forces Frankenstein to collaborate on his scheme to craft a mate (Elsa Lanchester) for the Monster.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boris Karloff Films<\/li>\n<li>Colin Clive Films<\/li>\n<li>Elsa Lanchester Films<\/li>\n<li>Frankenstein<\/li>\n<li>Horror<\/li>\n<li>James Whale Films<\/li>\n<li>Mad Doctors and Scientists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary argues that &#8220;James Whale&#8217;s stylized, stunningly imaginative, wickedly funny horror masterpiece&#8221; is &#8220;surpassed only by <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=43687\"><em>King Kong<\/em><\/a> among the all-time best monster movies&#8221;, and notes that &#8220;not even [<em>Kong<\/em>] has as much &#8216;class'&#8221;. Indeed, it&#8217;s a rare sequel which is widely cited as better than its predecessor. While I&#8217;m quite fond of the original <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=18354\"><em>Frankenstein<\/em><\/a> (I think it holds up equally well, on its own merits), I&#8217;ll concede that <em>Bride<\/em> &#8212; a darkly humorous campy romp &#8212; is even more <u>fun<\/u> in many ways. Peary notes that &#8220;there are many reasons the film is better than the original, not the least being that it deals with the Monster&#8217;s need for female companionship, which is central to the second half of Shelley&#8217;s novel&#8221;. Indeed, to that end, I would actually argue (as I&#8217;ve read elsewhere) that the two short films could\/should be viewed as Part One and Part Two of the same movie, given that they possess (mostly) the same roster of actors, and were directed by the same visionary. <\/p>\n<p>At any rate, Peary goes on to argue that this second film &#8220;is not cold, bleak, or depressing like the original&#8221; (apples and oranges, anybody? I find nothing wrong with the first film having more of this tone), and that it &#8220;has a higher budget [so that] the production values breathe life into the story&#8221; (though again, I found the production values just fine in the original). He notes that &#8220;the claustrophobic castle and laboratory sets are balanced by spacious, candle-lit chambers with shiny floors and columns, all covered with shadows&#8221;, and exclaims (rightfully so) over &#8220;how wonderful the expressionistic forest [is]!&#8221; As Peary points out, &#8220;neither Whale nor cameraman John Mescall strove for realism&#8221;, given that this &#8220;film is meant to be a visualization of a story&#8221;. He calls out the way Whale &#8220;has fun with the four stars&#8217; angular faces&#8221;, shooting them &#8220;in tremendous close-ups, often using wild camera angles&#8221; &#8212; indeed, it&#8217;s this particular element of the film that strikes one as most innovative and astonishing. (&#8220;Really? He&#8217;s filming from THAT perspective?!&#8221; you&#8217;ll find yourself wondering aloud.) <\/p>\n<p>Peary accurately argues that the 5&#8217;4&#8243; Lanchester is &#8220;marvelous in her brief appearance as the Bride&#8221;, walking on &#8220;2 1\/2-foot stilts that make her movements birdlike&#8221; &#8212; yet despite her visual dominance in our collective consciousness of this film, she&#8217;s really a very minor character, not showing up until the very end, and on-screen for less than five minutes. Thus, Peary&#8217;s right to note that &#8220;it is Karloff&#8217;s touching performance&#8221; (as in the original) &#8220;that makes this film great.&#8221; While he&#8217;s &#8220;almost hidden beneath Jack Pearce&#8217;s remarkable make-up, his sensitive eyes still come through, expressing the Monster&#8217;s feelings&#8221;. Peary sums it up perfectly: &#8220;With Karloff in the part, the Monster is eloquent even when silent&#8221;. Just as memorable, however &#8212; and arguably an equally essential ingredient in the film&#8217;s success &#8212; is the bold performance given by Thesiger as &#8220;one of the genre&#8217;s most eccentric scoundrels&#8221;. Whenever this angular villain is on-screen, we simply can&#8217;t look away &#8212; particularly as he&#8217;s showcasing his display of miniaturized humans, each perfectly realized, and reminding one of the expert special effects work done a year later in Tod Browning&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=11743\"><em>The Devil Doll<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boris Karloff as The Monster (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Karloff.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Karloff-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-17370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Karloff-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Karloff-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Karloff-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Karloff.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Ernest Thesiger as Dr. Pretorius<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Thesiger4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Thesiger4-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-17371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Thesiger4-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Thesiger4-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Thesiger4-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Thesiger4.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Elsa Lanchester&#8217;s brief appearance as the Monster&#8217;s would-be bride<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Lanchester.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Lanchester-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-17373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Lanchester-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Lanchester-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Lanchester-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Lanchester.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Mescall&#8217;s atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography5-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-17374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography5-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography5-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography5-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography5.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Charles D. Hall&#8217;s Gothic sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Sets-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-17372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Sets-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Sets-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Sets-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Sets.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Expressionistic direction by Whale<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Direction.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Direction-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-17376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Direction-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Direction-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Direction-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Bride-of-Frankenstein-Direction.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Franz Waxman&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes &#8212; as one of the undisputed classics of early horror. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0026138\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1935\/05\/11\/archives\/at-the-roxy.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/bride.html\">Greatest Films Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/69663\/bride-of-frankenstein#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/horror\/bride-of-frankenstein-1935.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/reviews\/68433\/bride_of_frankenstein.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/u>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Science &#8212; like love &#8212; has her little surprises.&#8221; Synopsis: Having survived a fire, the Monster (Boris Karloff) created by Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) goes on another rampage, this time seeking temporary companionship with a blind hermit (O.P. Heggie) and learning to speak a few words. Meanwhile, Dr. Frankenstein&#8217;s former mentor (Ernest Thesiger) &#8212; obsessed with creating a race of monsters &#8212; forces Frankenstein to collaborate on his scheme to craft a mate (Elsa Lanchester) for the Monster. Genres, Themes,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=17366\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17366"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58547,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17366\/revisions\/58547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}