@@darknessanddistance4469 Call me crazy, but I always wondered what would happen if Fritz had been kind to the monster. After all, they were both "handicapped" and outcasts. Perhaps Fritz would be the monster's master, and do his bidding (Sort of like Ygor in the Son of Frankenstein).
@@toddholmes4480 it seems very strange to me also, but evil begets evil even in the real world. Consider all of the molested children who have become child molesters, case in point
Thank you so much for addressing the lax safety standards in Frankenstein's lab, regarding the self destruct lever. OSHA requires all lab self destruct levers to have at least two safety interlocks to prevent unintentional actuation.
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Videos like this make me really appreciate James as a creator. You can tell he’s passionate about the movies and games he talks about outside of character. While I’ve found myself moving away from the reviewers who play angry characters, I always come back to James. Even older AVGN episodes that I’ve seen countless times are still entertaining because now I have the context of the passion he puts into his videos.
A biographer said that Karloff always refused to discuss his childhood, the implication being that he may have been bullied or abused because he had East Indian blood on his mother's side, which made his skin tones darker than usual for an English boy in a culture that was so class and color conscious. I suspect he brought this to his portrayal of the Creature, which made it so memorably poignant.
He was an air raid warden in London during WWII. The children loved him. They were not afraid of the bombs because Frankenstein was protecting them. Everybody who worked with Karloff described him as a true and kind gentleman. Great man, great actor.
@@ernestoa3140 big? You meet famous? Colin Clive was very well known. He appeared opposite Bette Davis as well. HIs death was considered a very great tragedy at the time. If Clive's acting ever seems over-the-top to you, remember that Henry Frankenstein is supposed to be hysterical. Often his acting is both subtle and charismatic.
The monster can be called Frankenstein, it's even in the book: "At length the thought of you crossed my mind. I learned from your papers that you were my father, my creator; and to whom could I apply with more fitness than to him who had given me life?" The monster self-identifies as the doctor's son and everything that goes with it, including his name.
Whale’s introduction of the Monster in Frankenstein is brilliant. Showing him from the back, then a closeup, then a tighter closeup, in complete silence. I can just imagine what a shock his appearance must have been to audiences back in ‘31.
Excerpt from Mary Shelley's early draft of Frankenstein: "And before the creature disappeared into the shadows, I heard him call from the darkness: "You can call me Frankenstein if you want to, I really don't mind!""
Mary Shelley didn't even write Frankenstein, she was dating Lord Bryon at the time, who in a drug and alcohol binge in a lake cabin, wrote the story then released it under her name. It's like the Beatles with the white album, he wanted to see if his work would still be a hit without his name attached.
@@A_Black_Sheep94 Mary Shelley did write Frankenstein though it was published anonymously in 1818 and republished in 1831 with her name added in but she was not dating Lord Byron, it was her future husband Percy Shelley.
@@A_Black_Sheep94 This is pure bullshit that's easily debunked. Lord Byron and Percy Shelley are two seperate people. There's no arguing about this. Mary primarily wrote Frankenstein but her husband Percy Shelley altered it. We have enough existing evidence to know what she wrote and what Percy wrote. Furthermore, Frankenstein was never published under Byron or Percy's name and was initially published ANOYMOUSLY until future publications in the 1830s credited Mary as the author.
I don’t know why, but Dwight Frye should have been one of the main Universal monster actors. I honestly think that he has a haunting laugh and could have been a good main villain.
A nice little retrospective. Thank you. The original '31 FRANKENSTEIN is a film with no music. During the pandemic, I painstakingly adapted a score which I believe really takes the film up a notch. I did the same thing with the '31 DRACULA, and prefer watching both films with the music. IMHO, the absence of a film score is one of the primary elements alienating modern audiences from these films.
So let me get this straight the Dracula, Frankenstein and wolfman movies all take place in the same universe? Does that mean this is the original cinematic universe?
@Devonte Huntley As long it gets done the way they way it was done with Boris Karloff. Scary, not too gory and with a thinking man's storyline. Then it would. be a good movie.
Devonte Huntley Don’t forger they already brought out and remade The Wolfman in 2010 with Benicio Del Tor, so I’m not sure what they will do with that. The next movie in the Dark Universal was supposed to be Jekyl and Hyde but scrapped it.
Karloff is such a menace yet so sympathetic and some what relatable. He’s been kicked around all his life so when he died in the book it is actually a sad moment.
When I was a kid Frankenstein was already 35 ,40 years old but I still liked it ,it was a good movie, as for the abnormal brain, my uncle made me laugh -- he told me that brain came from a surfer dude, COWABUNGA!!!👌👍💪🏄♂️
I can't really explain it but everyone I know just loves the bride. I think it's because she's very beautiful but also looks quite haunting. Plus you can't forget that scream.
In Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein, Dracula tells the doctor they meed a brain for the Monstsr thay will "have no will of his own". That is why they want Wilbur's brain, so the Monster will be easier to control.
Love Cinnemasacre in October and I absolutely love this video. James, I'm really hoping you'll do a video of this length on the Hammer Frankenstein and Dracula films. In fact, I'm not above begging: Please James...PLEASE do a Hammer Horror Film expose`.
Fun fact, in Germany a lot of monster films are named "Frankenstein" in reference to the monster, even if the monster is actually for example Godzilla! -- so they took the idea of "Frankenstein" being the monster and have seriously run with it.
Tony Horo Another example I can think of is how most southern US states, like Texas for example, call every type of soda “coke.” Things like this happen all the time with household names.
I finally broke down and bought Universal's Frankenstein Legacy Collection on DVD and loved every minute of it. Every horror buff needs to see these pictures. There's a reason these are classics.
Great movies, watch them every October. Love the reviews, although I always crack up when James tries to figure out continuity in the films from the 30's and 40's. When these movies were made, you saw them in the theatre once, then it would be years before you saw the next one. There wasn't TV broadcasts or video tapes for people to watch the films over and over and notice things. Remembering details from a movie you had seen two years earlier without a refresher is pretty difficult.
I'd like to add something that makes the opening of Bride of Frankenstein even more amazing imo that James left out. The couple The Monster kills at the beginning are the parents of the little girl he drowned in Frankenstein, and I think it's kinda funny in a twisted way how he killed them all the same way and drowned the entire family
In a very real sense, Dr. Frankenstein is the father of the creature. This would technically give the monster a surname of Frankenstein. Especially given the implication that the monster is, with regards to mentality, a new being with no prior memories from the previous owner of his brain. Had he maintained his previous personality, like Steve Austin from the 6 million dollar man, I’d argue otherwise.
I imagine it’s a reference to paradise lost, the epic the book was loosely based off of when Eve originally rejects Adam since she’s supposedly much more attractive than he was
I see it as deeper than that. The monster is seen as hideous even to other monsters. Revealing the prejudice and ignorance in human instincts. The Bride judges him only on his appareance, not even realizing she herself is just as grotesque. It reminds me of the blind old man in the novel, the blind man gets a chance to get to know the monster's friendly character because he doesnt reject him on his appearance. but then some son (iirc) enters the hut and goes apeshit on seeing a monster. it's tragic in that, while they were literally made for eachother, the bride doesn't realize they're the same, but also that she doesn't look beyond his appareance. At the same time shattering the cliche of "being made for eachother" all together. Most people have probably met someone that made them think they were made for eachother. But the other person doesn't agree. Are you then still made for eachother? Whether or not two people are actually arent perfect, or one of them simply doesnt realize it, it's a very recognizable theme.
Regarding the cars vs horse and buggy, parts of Europe didn't have cars as late as the 40s in the balkans and other areas, probably just a small poorer village (?)
Even in the United States. And horse transportation co-existed with autos in my area up until the 1950's. Garbage collecting vehicles , because of their constant stopping and standing were often drawn by horse.
Monster Madness is one of my favorite parts of the month. I'm sad you've stopped making new episodes but watching these old ones in a compilation are great too!
Especially so in the 1930s to the 1960s. The studios would bend over backward to keep their money making talent, but just as quickly toss the less talented.
Though I've been a big fan of the Universal film studio monsters ever since I was a kid ages 7 or 8, both the Frankenstein monster and the Wolfman happen to be my top favorites of all. Besides having numerous film books on the Universal Frankenstein films, I like drawing him as well.
One could argue that the monster is Frankenstein's child, since the Doc is the one who gave him life, which would make his surname Frankenstein as well. Having two characters named Frankenstein would be confusing to the readers and viewers, so the monster is just referred to as such. Ironically, that caused much more confusion over the years when The Bride of Frankenstein came out.
I think "Igor" being thought of as Dr. Frankenstein's assistant likely has its' origins in the "Monster Mash" song, as opposed to "Young Frankenstein."
Usually during "Halloween season" (October basically) I would binge watch stuff like Treehouse of Horror and old Monster Madness, thanks to James combining old episodes I just wave to watch whatever he puts up. Monster Madness is so not over!
Not quite, the monster sardonically compares himself to Adam when he’s talking to Frankenstein, “I ought be thy Adam, but am instead thy fallen angel.” Frankenstein on the other hand calls his creature terms such as “Monster” “Wretch” “Fiend” “Devil” “Daemon” Never “Adam.” One main ironic theme of the novel is that Frankenstein’s creation makes his creator as much of a wretch and a figure cut off from humanity as the monster is.
When I was a child, they used to play all the Universal Monster Movies on AMC once or twice a year. Couple that with the Crestwood House orange monster books from my local library and I was hooked on these. AMC rarely showed the "House" movies, though, so I don't have quite as many pleasant memories of them. Anyway, this is a great overview of these films. Very much of their time, but I still enjoy them.
I think I know how Dracula and The Wolfman came back in House of Dracula. When the sun descended, maybe Dracula was revived, and The Wolfman could have been revived when he was hit by the Full moon again after his death. That would have been a decent way to solve that plot hole.
"The Lever!!!" two reasons were examined; one Whale (who loved being absurd) wrote it as a quick way to tie the ending up by "killing them all" including Henry!; another, from Donald F Glut's writings, implied it was a way to get rid of evidence (grave robbing, murder, harboring a fugitive, crimes against nature) if their efforts were discovered by the authorities (and a great way to off the cops at the same time!) the reason Henry and Elizabeth are allowed to live are both to show the Monster as a noble hearted creature compared to his cohorts and to allow more sequels for what was a depression era goldmine!!
the way i see it everybody just calls the monster Frankenstein because that was the name of his creator, just like you'd share your parents' name at birth.
I really enjoy your reviews and history lessons on horror movies . I think posting old review on to RU-vid for people to view is great. Your reviews have inspired me to watch and collect all the old classics
I love all those universal movies, Dracula was my favorite. The Spanish version is very well made also. And bride of Frankenstein, one of the hunters is caridine.
I love videos where James just talks at length about something he's really enthusiastic about. Some of the most authentic and entertaining stuff on RU-vid.
A lot of the actors they reused in the Universal Horror franchise we contracted they were promised so many roles and Universal decided that they should use them in horror franchise than anything else because their look was perfect for the timeline of Frankenstein. Had to edit as I forgot to say excellent video and that the Universal Horror franchise was and always will be my fav as I remember watching these movies when I was 5 or 6 they used to show them on BBC2 on a Friday and Saturday and I was allowed to stay up and watch them as we would camp out in our living room and watch them every weekend. From then on I became a horror fan and still am today!
I think it’s kinda funny that one of the only versions of Frankenstein that doesn’t kill the monster is the original book, he just sort of disappears at the end
@@davidbanan. He mentioned at the end of the story that he would be building a funeral pyre for himself, Although how that would work out in the arctic I have no idea. 🤔 Maybe wood from wrecked ships frozen in the ice out there?
Technically, the monster *can* be called Frankenstein. In the novel, he refers to Viktor as his father. So, by technicality, he *can* be called Frankenstein.
There really is a decent defense of the discrepancies between House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, which I'm kinda surprised you didn't bring up. Both Dracula and the Wolfman have been shown to come back to life under the right circumstances, leaving Ol Frankymon to be brought back the same way he was when he was found in sulfur and ice. Yeah, there is a missing movie in between, but really they don't need it. Wolfy has the moon shine on him and Drac just has the sun go down. I"m genuinely perplex that you didn't notice that. You put so much thought into the rest.
After all these years, I think Son of Frankenstein has actually emerged as my favorite of the original 3 to watch. I absolutely love it. The supporting cast is just so phenomenal. Well, cept the kid of course, but I forgive.
Dude I'm so glad because I've been watching some of these old classics on peacock, and apparently a lot of these cut out scenes are still in this version.
Incidentally, the Frankenstein's machine made a re-appearance in of all things rock band Kiss' 1976 Destroyer tour but was taken off due to its expense of running.
Hey James, question. Can you make a You know what's Bullshit? on treat or treating? You haven't made them in a while and besides the nerd, it's my favorite series of yours. Love your videos man, keep up the good work dude!
Anyone else hear *Dr.Clitoris* every time he mentioned the guys name? A buddy overheard me watching this and asked if that's what he said and now I can't unhear it.
The reason that the continuity between those movies can be looser than we are used to now has to do with technology. Today we can re-watch movies any time we like and memorize details of the movies we love. That wasn't true in the 30s and 40s. Once a movie left theaters it stopped being available to the general public for the forseeable future. So, when a sequel came about years down the line, audiences would have only a vague recollection of the original. Also, in those movie series audiences will probably miss one entry eventually and not have a chance to watch it. So, for all those reasons, tight continuity was not expected nor delivered.