starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff
directed by James Whale
70 minutes
Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) ignores Elizabeth (Mae Clarke) his fiancée and works in his lab. Using a collection of body parts that he stole with the help of Fritz, his faithful assistant, Henry brings to life a man-like creation (Boris Karloff) which is later described by some as The Monster.
Henry delights in what he has wrought until his creation kills Fritz and almost kills him. Doctor Waldman, Henry’s mentor, convinces him to abandon his research and return to Elizabeth. Waldman promises to look after and dispose of The Monster.
Henry returns to his father’s home and gets ready to get married but on his wedding day he learns that Waldman is dead and that his creation is on the loose. It has already killed a little girl and it almost kills Elizabeth.
Henry joins the townspeople in hunting down his creation.
Thoughts
I thought that I might have seen this movie before, and maybe I have, but watching it this time around did not ring any bells for me.
The script for this film is based on a play which in turn was based on the novel Frankenstein by Marry Shelley. It is the first sound film to bring the novel to life in a movie. It is the earliest feature film version of the book that still exists. Two earlier films have been lost, one of which was Italian.
The Monster is a supporting character in this movie which focuses for the most part on Henry Frankenstein. The Monster only makes noises in this movie. It does not speak.
This movie is okay. I like Colin Clive's performance but most of the other actors didn't really catch my interest. I don't regret watching this film but I'm lukewarm at best on it.
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