Frankenstein (1931): Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Mae Clark, Edward Van Sloan and Dwight Frye. Directed by James Whale, Screenplay by John L. Balderston, based on the play by Peggy Webling, in turn based upon the Mary Shelley novel.

Universal Monsters Thursdays continue with my second favorite classic creature. Released the same year as Todd Browning's "Dracula" starring Bela Lugosi, this James Whale film continued to prove to Hollywood that the supernatural could sell. To this day, there is still discussion and controversy over whether or not Lugosi was originally to play the role of the monster in the film. The studio, to generate excitement, did not release any casting details or photos of the monster prior to the film's release, (the credits of the film, in fact, list the monster as being played by "?") leading some to erroneously believe that Lugosi would play the role. A poster even exists from the time crediting Lugosi with the role, only to confuse matters further. There's another version of the story that says Lugosi was offered the role, but turned it down because he feared his performance would be lost under all the make-up that would be required.

Apparently all this make-up was not an issue for (the great) Boris Karloff (after the initial opening and success of this film, he was merely billed as "Karloff") who did end up playing the role, and played it with great dignity and compassion, a difficult task for a character who does not utter a single word throughout the entire movie.

The film includes what I think is one of the best introductions to a monster in the history of film: a door opens, and Karloff's hulking mass enters, slowly, backward, then turns, into the light. We cut, closer, with the monster looking straight into the camera. Far more jarring and terrifying to audiences at the time, than, say, Lugosi's plain-looking "Dracula".

The monster's now-iconic flat head look was designed and achieved by Jack Pierce and has become recognized worldwide today. Other actors would take over Karloff's role after this film and its outstanding sequel "The Bride of Frankenstein" (in which the monster finally speaks), including Lon Chaney Jr, Glen Strange and even Bela Lugosi himself, but it was the man who first gave the role life who best portrayed this ultimately human monster. Like bad photocopies, each subsequent portrayal relied more and more on the monster being an inherently evil, soulless creature.

It was the humanity, though, of a confused and misunderstood monster being hunted and ultimately killed, that's the key to the heart of the Karloff originals. He did not ask for life, but was given life by his creator, and thrown into a cruel world that will not accept him for what he is.

Rarely in film, beyond this point, were monsters every shown again to have such humanity. The lowest-common-denominator of "monsters sell" was most likely employed, without any real regard to how and why they sold. I think with "Frankenstein" (and, to some degree, later, "King Kong"), the audience was drawn to, and identified with the monster, and felt sympathy for him even when he acted like, well, a monster.

By the end of "The Bride of Frankenstein", he understands he will never belong, that he is a monster that was never meant to be, and with his hand on a switch that will destroy himself and his new bride, he urges his creator away, "Go, You live ... We belong ... dead."

Get it at Amazon:
Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of)