BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)

By Steve Biodrowski     June 07, 2001

Regarded by many as the greatest horror film ever made, director James Whale's sequel to FRANKENSTEIN (#16 on our list) was for many years a complete anomaly in the genre: a big-budget film from a major studio, helmed by their top director working at the height of his powers. Whale, of course, resisted being typecast as a horror director (this would be his last film in the genre), and clearly the instilling of fear was not high on his agenda this time out. Instead, the film is more a whimsical fantasy, expanding on the themes of the first film and actually incorporating more of Mary Shelley's book. There is grave-robbing galore, in addition to ghoulish goings-on, but mostly we're asked to identify with the monster and feel his pathos. Meanwhile, Ernest Thesiger camps it up as the evil Dr. Praetorious, forcing Baron Frankenstein (Colin Clive) to fulfill the monster's request for a mate. The sets are bigger; the production values are lavish; and the score is lush. Also, the film is extremely funny-a quality that perhaps dilutes the horror but which makes the film a more personal, unique piece of work. James Whale set the standard for comic relief, inviting audiences to laugh at quirky supporting characters, and thus diminishing the chances of laughing at an inappropriate moment. Altogether, this film is a delight, a true classic that retains its power to amuse and entertain even sixty-five years later.