Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
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The story
Following the events of the 1931 film Frankenstein, Henry Frankenstein attempts to abandon his experiments with life. However, he is confronted by his former mentor, the mysterious Doctor Septimus Pretorius, who demands Henry's assistance in creating a mate for the Monster. Amidst the tension of their conflicting goals, the Monster remains at large, roaming the countryside and encountering various people. As the pressure from Pretorius and the looming presence of the Monster mount, Henry finds himself pulled back into the dangerous world of reanimation, ultimately leading to the construction of a bride for the creature.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with a prologue where Mary Shelley tells her friends about her novel. In the main story, the Monster survives a fire and encounters a hermit before being captured and later escaping. Henry Frankenstein, recovering from a presumed death, is visited by his former mentor, Doctor Septimus Pretorius. Pretorius blackmails Henry into helping him create a mate for the Monster. While the Monster is captured and later escapes, Henry and his wife Elizabeth are confronted by Pretorius. Despite his initial refusal, Henry is coerced into completing the Bride's body. A storm provides the power to animate the Bride. When the Monster sees the Bride, she rejects him, and he rages through the lab. In the final confrontation, the Monster tells Henry and Elizabeth to flee while he and the Bride remain behind. The laboratory is destroyed in a massive explosion, leaving the fate of the characters ambiguous as they are separated by the destruction.
- First release year
- 1935
- Runtime (minutes)
- 75
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Whale
- Writers
- William Hurlbut · screenplay; William Hurlbut · story; John L. Balderston · story
- Cast and characters
- Boris Karloff · Frankenstein's Monster / The Monster; Colin Clive · Baron Henry Frankenstein; Valerie Hobson · Elizabeth Frankenstein; Ernest Thesiger · Doctor Pretorius; Elsa Lanchester · The Monster's Mate (credited as ?) and as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley; Gavin Gordon · Lord Byron; Douglas Walton · Percy Bysshe Shelley; Una O'Connor · Minnie
- Genres
- horror; science fiction
- Themes
- the consequences of a mortal man who tries to play God; the dangers of scientific ambition
- Tone and mood
- macabre; gothic
- Premise and plot tags
- sequel; monster; mad scientist
- Source material / true-story basis
- Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818)
- Franchise connections
- Frankenstein (Universal film series)
- Reception
- The film was critically praised upon its release and is now frequently considered one of the greatest sequels ever made, often cited as James Whale's masterpiece and a premier example of gothic horror.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 95 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Sound Recording · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1998.; The Monster's vocabulary was based on test papers of ten-year-olds.; The Bride's iconic hair style was inspired by Nefertiti.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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