Son of Frankenstein
Encyclopedia
Son of Frankenstein is the third film in Universal Studios
' Frankenstein
series and the last to feature Boris Karloff
as the Monster
as well as the first to feature Béla Lugosi
as Ygor
. It is a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein
.
The film was a reaction to the very popular re-releases of Dracula
and Frankenstein
as a double-feature in 1938. Universal's declining horror output was revitalized with the enormously successful Son, and the studio enjoyed another two decades of popular monster movies.
), son of Henry Frankenstein (creator of the Monster), relocates his wife Elsa (Josephine Hutchinson
) and young son Peter (Donnie Dunagan
) to the family castle in the eponymous village. Wolf wants to redeem his father's reputation, but finds that such a feat will be harder than he thought after he encounters hostility from the villagers. Aside from his family, Wolf's only friend is the local policeman Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill
) who bears an artificial arm, his real arm having been "ripped out by the roots" in an encounter with the Monster as a child.
While investigating his father's castle, Wolf ends up meeting Ygor (Béla Lugosi
), a demented blacksmith who has survived a hanging for graverobbing and has a deformed neck as a result. Wolf finds the Monster's comatose body in the crypt where his father was buried with the chalk writing on his stone casket stating "Henry Frankenstein: Maker of Monsters." He decides to revive it to prove his father was right and to restore honor to his family. Wolf starts out by using the torch to etch out the Monster's part of the chalk writing and write "Men" in its place. When the Monster (Boris Karloff
) is revived, it only answers Ygor's wishes and commits a series of murders at his command; the victims were all jurors at Ygor's trial. Wolf discovers this and confronts Ygor. Wolf ends up shooting Ygor, and apparently killing him. The Monster finds Ygor's body and abducts Peter as revenge. The Monster cannot bring himself to kill the child, however. When the abduction is discovered, Krogh and Wolf pursue the Monster to the nearby laboratory, where a struggle ensues, during which the Monster tears out Krogh's false arm. Wolf swings on a rope and knocks the Monster into a molten sulphur pit under the laboratory, saving his son.
The film ends with the village turning out to cheer the Frankenstein family as they leave by train to head back to America. We also see Krogh has a new false arm. Wolf leaves the keys to Frankenstein's Castle to the villagers.
and Dracula
on a double bill. The result became a phenomenon and soon, Universal decided to make a big budget version of the next Frankenstein sequel.
After director James Whale
had departed from Universal Films, Universal selected Rowland V. Lee
to direct Son. Lee's film explores dramatic themes: family, security, isolation, responsibility and father-son relationships.
Son of Frankenstein marks changes in the Monster's character from Bride of Frankenstein
. The Monster is duller and no longer speaks. The monster also wore a giant fur vest, not seen in the first two Frankenstein films. He is fond of Ygor, and obeys his orders. Unlike the previous two films, the Monster only shows humanity in two scenes: first when he discovers Ygor's body, letting out a powerful scream and later when he contemplates killing Peter, but changes his mind.
Peter Lorre
was originally cast as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, but he had to leave the production when he became ill. Replacing Lorre, was Basil Rathbone who had scored a major trimuph as Sir Guy of Gisborne, in The Adventures of Robin Hood
.
According to the documentary "Universal Horror" (1998) the film was intended to be shot in color. Test shooting took place although the monsters make-up did not look good enough and the idea was abandoned. Color clips of Boris Karloff
in monster make-up clowning around are included in the documentary.
After the phenomenial success of Son of Frankenstein, Karloff decided not to return to the role of the monster, feeling that the monster was becoming the brunt of jokes. Also Son marked the final "A" production of the Frankenstein films, which later went to "B" films beginning with Ghost of Frankenstein in 1942.
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
' Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
series and the last to feature Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
as the Monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
as well as the first to feature Béla Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
as Ygor
Igor (fictional character)
Igor is the traditional stock character or cliché hunch-backed assistant or butler to many types of villain, such as Count Dracula or a mad scientist, familiar from many horror movies and horror movie parodies, the Frankenstein series and Van Helsing films in particular.-Origins:Dwight Frye's...
. It is a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein...
.
The film was a reaction to the very popular re-releases of Dracula
Dracula (1931 film)
Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
and Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
as a double-feature in 1938. Universal's declining horror output was revitalized with the enormously successful Son, and the studio enjoyed another two decades of popular monster movies.
Plot
It's been years since the events of the last movie. Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil RathboneBasil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
), son of Henry Frankenstein (creator of the Monster), relocates his wife Elsa (Josephine Hutchinson
Josephine Hutchinson
Josephine Hutchinson was an American actress.She was born in Seattle, Washington. Her mother, Leona Roberts, was an actress best-known for her role as "Mrs. Meade" in Gone with the Wind. Through her mother's connections, Hutchinson made her film debut at the age of thirteen in The Little Princess,...
) and young son Peter (Donnie Dunagan
Donnie Dunagan
Donald "Donnie" Roan Dunagan is a semi-retired American former child actor and United States Marine Corps drill instructor. He was a voice actor in the Bambi film, providing the voice of Young Bambi. A 28-page interview, his first after decades as a "lost Hollywood player," can be found in the...
) to the family castle in the eponymous village. Wolf wants to redeem his father's reputation, but finds that such a feat will be harder than he thought after he encounters hostility from the villagers. Aside from his family, Wolf's only friend is the local policeman Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill
Lionel Atwill
Lionel Atwill was an English stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England.He studied architecture before his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre, London in 1904. He become a star in Broadway theatre by 1918, and made his screen debut in 1919. He acted on the stage in Australia but was most...
) who bears an artificial arm, his real arm having been "ripped out by the roots" in an encounter with the Monster as a child.
While investigating his father's castle, Wolf ends up meeting Ygor (Béla Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
), a demented blacksmith who has survived a hanging for graverobbing and has a deformed neck as a result. Wolf finds the Monster's comatose body in the crypt where his father was buried with the chalk writing on his stone casket stating "Henry Frankenstein: Maker of Monsters." He decides to revive it to prove his father was right and to restore honor to his family. Wolf starts out by using the torch to etch out the Monster's part of the chalk writing and write "Men" in its place. When the Monster (Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
) is revived, it only answers Ygor's wishes and commits a series of murders at his command; the victims were all jurors at Ygor's trial. Wolf discovers this and confronts Ygor. Wolf ends up shooting Ygor, and apparently killing him. The Monster finds Ygor's body and abducts Peter as revenge. The Monster cannot bring himself to kill the child, however. When the abduction is discovered, Krogh and Wolf pursue the Monster to the nearby laboratory, where a struggle ensues, during which the Monster tears out Krogh's false arm. Wolf swings on a rope and knocks the Monster into a molten sulphur pit under the laboratory, saving his son.
The film ends with the village turning out to cheer the Frankenstein family as they leave by train to head back to America. We also see Krogh has a new false arm. Wolf leaves the keys to Frankenstein's Castle to the villagers.
Cast
- Basil RathboneBasil RathboneSir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein - Boris KarloffBoris KarloffWilliam Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
as The Monster - Béla LugosiBéla LugosiBéla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
as Ygor - Lionel AtwillLionel AtwillLionel Atwill was an English stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England.He studied architecture before his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre, London in 1904. He become a star in Broadway theatre by 1918, and made his screen debut in 1919. He acted on the stage in Australia but was most...
as Inspector Krogh - Josephine HutchinsonJosephine HutchinsonJosephine Hutchinson was an American actress.She was born in Seattle, Washington. Her mother, Leona Roberts, was an actress best-known for her role as "Mrs. Meade" in Gone with the Wind. Through her mother's connections, Hutchinson made her film debut at the age of thirteen in The Little Princess,...
as Elsa von Frankenstein - Donnie DunaganDonnie DunaganDonald "Donnie" Roan Dunagan is a semi-retired American former child actor and United States Marine Corps drill instructor. He was a voice actor in the Bambi film, providing the voice of Young Bambi. A 28-page interview, his first after decades as a "lost Hollywood player," can be found in the...
as Peter von Frankenstein - Emma DunnEmma DunnEmma Dunn was an English-born American film actress. She appeared in 108 films between 1914 and 1948....
as Amelia - Edgar Norton as Thomas Benson (Credited as Benson)
- Perry Ivins as Fritz
- Lawrence GrantLawrence GrantPercy Reginald Lawrence-Grant was an English actor known for his supporting roles in films such as The Living Ghost, I'll Tell the World, The Mask of Fu Manchu, and Son of Frankenstein...
as Burgomaster - Lionel BelmoreLionel BelmoreLionel Belmore . When he was born, Wimbledon was in Surrey. He was an English character actor and director on stage for more than a quarter of a century, appearing with Wilson Barrett, Sir Henry Irving, William Faversham, Lily Langtry and other famous actors. He entered in films from 1911...
as Emil Lang (Credited as Lang) - Michael Mark as Ewald Neumüller
- Caroline Frances CookeCaroline CookeCaroline Frances Cooke was an American silent film actress and screenwriter.-Career:Cooke was signed in 1913 and starred in about 15 films between 1913 and 1916. She briefly had two roles in twenty years after that in 1926 and 1939. In 1939 she starred in the classic Son of Frankenstein playing the...
as Mrs. Neumüller - Gustav von SeyffertitzGustav von SeyffertitzGustav von Seyffertitz was a German film actor and director. He appeared in 118 films between 1917 and 1939.He was born in Haimhausen, Bavaria and died in Los Angeles, California, aged 81.-Selected filmography:...
as Burgher - Lorimer JohnsonLorimer JohnstonLorimer Johnston was an American silent film actor and director....
as Burgher - Tom RickettsTom RickettsThomas "Tom" Ricketts was an English American silent film actor, director and screenwriter who was involved in almost 350 motion pictures....
as Burgher
Uncredited
- Dwight FryeDwight FryeDwight Iliff Frye was an American stage and screen actor, noted for his appearances in the classic horror films Dracula , Frankenstein , The Invisible Man , and Bride of Frankenstein .-Early life and career:Frye was born in Salina, Kansas...
as Villager (scenes deleted) - Ward BondWard BondWardell Edwin "Ward" Bond was an American film actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 movies and the television series Wagon Train.-Early life:...
as Gendarme at Gate - Ed Cassidy as Webber (burgher)
- Russ PowellRuss PowellRuss Powell was an American film actor. He appeared in 186 films between 1915 and 1943.He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:* Kindled Courage...
as Webber (burgher) - Harry CordingHarry CordingHarry Cording was a British character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films from the 1920s to the 1950s. Due to his stocky build and imposing 6'0 height, he usually portrayed thugs and henchman to the main villain....
as Bearded gendarme - Clarence Wilson as Dr. Berger
- Betty Chay as Extra
- Jack Harris as Extra
- Bud Wolfe as Extra
- Jackie Chan as Extra
Production
After the dissolve of the Laemmles with Universal and the British embargo on American horror films in 1936, Karloff and Lugosi, found themselves in a career slump. For two years, horror films were out of the New Universal Studios line up. On April 5, 1938, a nearly bankrupt theatre in Los Angeles staged a desperate stunt by booking FrankensteinFrankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
and Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
on a double bill. The result became a phenomenon and soon, Universal decided to make a big budget version of the next Frankenstein sequel.
After director James Whale
James Whale
James Whale was an English film director, theatre director and actor. He is best remembered for his work in the horror film genre, having directed such classics as Frankenstein , The Old Dark House , The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein...
had departed from Universal Films, Universal selected Rowland V. Lee
Rowland V. Lee
Rowland Vance Lee was a U.S. film director, writer, and producer....
to direct Son. Lee's film explores dramatic themes: family, security, isolation, responsibility and father-son relationships.
Son of Frankenstein marks changes in the Monster's character from Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein...
. The Monster is duller and no longer speaks. The monster also wore a giant fur vest, not seen in the first two Frankenstein films. He is fond of Ygor, and obeys his orders. Unlike the previous two films, the Monster only shows humanity in two scenes: first when he discovers Ygor's body, letting out a powerful scream and later when he contemplates killing Peter, but changes his mind.
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
was originally cast as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, but he had to leave the production when he became ill. Replacing Lorre, was Basil Rathbone who had scored a major trimuph as Sir Guy of Gisborne, in The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...
.
According to the documentary "Universal Horror" (1998) the film was intended to be shot in color. Test shooting took place although the monsters make-up did not look good enough and the idea was abandoned. Color clips of Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
in monster make-up clowning around are included in the documentary.
After the phenomenial success of Son of Frankenstein, Karloff decided not to return to the role of the monster, feeling that the monster was becoming the brunt of jokes. Also Son marked the final "A" production of the Frankenstein films, which later went to "B" films beginning with Ghost of Frankenstein in 1942.
See also
- List of American films of 1939
- Boris Karloff filmographyBoris Karloff filmographyThis is the filmography of Boris Karloff. Born as William Henry Pratt, he joined a touring company and adopted the stage name Boris Karloff. During these early stages of his career he was mostly left in obscurity. By 1919, Karloff found regular work as an extra at Universal Studios. Karloff's first...
- Béla Lugosi filmographyBela Lugosi filmographyBela Lugosi was in a large number of movies during the course of his career. The following list is believed complete.-1910s:*Nászdal *Az Ezredes *A Régiséggyüjtö *Leoni Leo *Casanova *Lulu...
External links
- Son of Frankenstein at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- 100 Years of Horror: at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...