Frankenstein (1931)

Written by Wuchak on September 30, 2023

Iconic Gothic horror tragedy

This Universal classic from 1931 was based on the 1927 play by Peggy Webling rather than Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. For those interested in versions fairly faithful to the book, I suggest Kenneth Branagh's 1994 version with De Niro as the creature or the 2004 version with Luke Goss as the monster, the latter of which runs almost 3 hours.

Of course, the gist of Shelley’s story is here and this is the movie that set the standard for the proverbial "mad" scientist with a hunchbacked assistant. While I’m not a fan of B&W movies, it works here to give the illusion of a Bavarian village back in the day. Speaking of which, the director said the story takes place in an "alternate universe," which explains the peculiar mixing of technology & fashions from 1930 (when the film was shot) with elements of the early 1800s.

At the end of the day, this is a truncated, but iconic version of the Frankenstein story, a Gothic horror tragedy highlighted by Boris Karloff’s unforgettable rendition of the monster.

The movie runs 1 hour, 10 minutes, and was shot at Universal Studios and various spots in the greater Los Angeles area (Malibou Lake, Vasquez Rocks and Pasadena).

GRADE: B