Son of Frankenstein

[Earth 2 Chris]

Watched this again yesterday with the kids. I noticed before watching it that it's much longer than most Universal monster flicks. Most run just a bit over an hour. The pacing is a bit slower than most as well. It works well for the exchanges between Wolf and the Inspector, but did we really need to see Basil Rathbone go through all that trouble to search the laboratory for Ygor, and not find him? Most Universals could stand some padding, but this one could use a bit of a trim.

I can kind of see why Karloff didn't want to play the Monster after this. He didn't get to do nearly as much as in "Bride". The Monster spending most of the movie on a lab table kind of starts here. I know Karloff didn't want the Monster to speak, but I wish he had. He did do some great pantomime, showing how the monster was distressed over his appearance. Even in this, the lesser of his Frankenstein films, Boris outshines everyone who followed.

Bela's Ygor is a hoot. Such a great, evil character. I love how he badly covers up his body snatching to Wolf. The scene with him in the courtroom was quite nice. Man those guys are dumber than rocks though. You almost don't feel sorry for them!

I wonder how Ygor and Fritz got mixed together in the public eye? Fritz, from the first film, was clearly a hunchback, but Ygor was only deformed from being hanged. I'm guessing they were already merged in the public consciousness by the time Young Frankenstein was made.

Chris

[thunderbolt]

Bela looked like he was having a ball in the role, too. Loved the sets for this one, especially the castle rooms.

[The Toyroom]

This one is a favorite of mine...

[madmarva]

Ygor is one of Lugosi's best roles in my opinion. I read somewhere that the film was originally intended to be released in color, but I'm not sure if that's true. I have seen color photos of Karloff in his Frankenstien make-up from the film.

Love Basil Rathbone in anything. I think this came out the same year as Robin Hood. Lionel Atwill's really good as the Inspector, too.

I've told a lot of friends that they really need to watch this movie — and really the first two Frankenstien films — to get all the jokes in Young Frankenstein, but it's a hard sell.

[Werewolf]

Love the movie. Bela especially shines in this and proves he was a much better actor than people give him credit for.

Bela and Boris are also terrific in The Black Cat and The Raven.

[Mikey]

The inside of Frankenstein's castle looks like it was designed by Tim Burton.

[kingdom warrior]

Bela looked like he was having a ball in the role, too. Loved the sets for this one, especially the castle rooms.

Yeah so did I, the big windows the mood is great. Rathbone is awesome in anything

[Bruce Banner]

This is one of my favourite Universal monster movies. Rathbone, Karloff, Lugosi and Atwill are all excellent in this, and I just love the story. A true classic.

[Earth 2 Chris]

The inside of Frankenstein's castle looks like it was designed by Tim Burton.

Kind of weird how the German Expressionism movement was more prevalent in this movie than the earlier Frankensteins. When the Inspector is knocking at the door and the wife and the maid are running around in the hallway it does look like something out of Beetlejuice though!

Rathbone does a great job of playing a likable character. Wolf really does screw up, but you still cheer for him somewhat, especially when he dispatches Ygor.

I guess if your dad was Hitler you'd just concentrate on the fact that he fixed the roads in Germany, and not all the bad stuff.

Chris

[madmarva]

Speaking of Burton and Frankenstein, I watched "Sleepy Hollow" for the first time in a long while recently and I had forgotten the Windmill in it is just like the one in the climax of the 1931 "Frankenstein."

I know Burton did a short called Franken-weenie and "Edward Scissorhands" is certainly inspired to a degree by Frankenstein, but I wonder why he hasn't taken a stab at the real thing?

[Mikey]

Getting back to "Son"

It has a bit of weird subtle humor to it that almost don't belong in a Universal monster movie

I can see why Young Frankenstein took a lot from this one.

"Son" was fun, but not at all scary

Even Frankie's killing of that guy was kind of funny (swinging from the tree)

[Earth 2 Chris]

The scene where the Monster puts the guy's body under the wagon, and then makes the horses move forward, that may be the most gruesome thing Universal did "on screen".Although the scene cuts away at the very last second, you do see the wheels come up on the dummy's legs.

The little kid is cute in this movie, but man he flubs his lines over and over. I'm sure he was cast for his sweet factor, and not his acting chops.

I was reading over at UMA that Lionel Atwill was into some freaky stuff in his real life. Orgies and such. Hard to believe out of the proper Inspector here!

Chris

[Mikey]

The weird thing about the kid .....

I never knew if a guy with an English accent marries a woman from northeast America their son will produce a southern accent

I always wondered how southern accents came to be

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Yeah, even my son asked "Why is their kid a hillbilly?" And we're from Kentucky!!!

Chris

[thunderbolt]

Speaking of Burton and Frankenstein, I watched "Sleepy Hollow" for the first time in a long while recently and I had forgotten the Windmill in it is just like the one in the climax of the 1931 "Frankenstein."

I know Burton did a short called Franken-weenie and "Edward Scissorhands" is certainly inspired to a degree by Frankenstein, but I wonder why he hasn't taken a stab at the real thing?

That would be interesting to see, especially if he used his usual stable of actors. Depp as the Doctor, but who would he use for the Monster? Personally I would love to see Ron Perlman.