Number 229 on IMDb's Top 250
Frankenstein (1931) veers quite far from the novel. Though it is the basic plot of the book "Frankenstein", one could not say that it is anything other than loosely based on the novel. Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster from various posthumous 'donors' and combines them into a massive creature, to whom he wishes to bestow life. The movie centers on this monster and his struggle in this life after death. Hilarity ensues.
Trivia: 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. In one scene, the Monster (Boris Karloff) walks through a forest and comes upon a little girl, Maria, who is throwing flowers into a pond. The monster joins her in the activity but soon runs out of flowers. At a loss for something to throw into the water, he looks at Maria and moves toward her. In all American prints of the movie, the scene ends here. But as originally filmed, the action continues to show the monster grabbing Maria, hurling her into the lake, then departing in confusion when Maria fails to float as the flowers did. This bit was deleted because Karloff - objecting to the director's interpretation of the scene - felt that the monster should have gently put Maria into the lake. This scene is restored in the videocassette and DVD reissue. Note: There is that American audience thing again.
Well, this movie was pretty much what I expected. I'm not sure why I never saw it before. I particularly loved the mob scene at the end where the everyone in the early 20th century (I guess) European village evidently went home and put on their mob gear that consisted of fedora hats and suits.Number 196 on IMDb's Top 250
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive, not killed as previously believed. Dr. Frankenstein wants to get out of the evil mad scientist business, but when a mad scientist, Dr. Pretorius (local 234, Mad Scientist Union), kidnaps his wife, Dr. Frankenstein agrees to help him create a new creature, a woman, to be the companion of the monster. Hilarity ensues.
Trivia: It is considered inaccurate to refer to the Monster by the name "Frankenstein" rather than "Frankenstein's Monster", however in the prologue, Lord Byron actually does attach the name Frankenstein to the monster. When filming the scene where the monster emerges from the burnt windmill, Boris Karloff slipped and fell into the water-filled well. Upon being helped out, he realized he had broken a leg in the fall. The metal struts used to stiffen his legs (for the famous "monster lurch") helped keep the bones in place until they could be properly set. Like in the opening credits of the original where "The Monster" is followed by a question mark and not Boris Karloff's name, the cast list of Bride says "The Monster's Mate" followed by a question mark.
Alright! They recreated the mob scene at the beginning of this film with the fedoras and suits. I thought it was creative to have Mary Shelley (Elsa Lanchester) basically introduce the movie and then have Elsa Lanchester play the Bride. Watching these two movies gave me a lot more respect for Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. Man, that movie was spot on.
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