Frankenstein - 1931

Here is another great card that I got from Night Owl.





Why am I putting up a card of Mary Shelley you ask? Because this is the very talented woman who penned the classic, Frankenstein. Which is today's movie of the day.

Dr. Frankenstein is trying to create life from death. After being shunned by the medical community he previously worked with he has been reduced to stealing bodies from local graves and putting his creature together piece by piece until there's only one piece left, the brain. His assistant (not Ygor, he doesn't show up until a couple movies later) steals a brain from the local university. However the brain he steals is actually a murderer's brain. Once pieced together Frankenstein's monster is brought to life but Dr. Frankenstein and his colleagues are unable to contain the monster and he breaks free. Once out in the open the town mobs together to destroy the monster, but can they destroy what is essentially already dead?

This movie is definitely a classic and Boris Karloff is amazing as the monster. You may be wondering why I keep calling him the monster and not Frankenstein. Well that is because that was his name, the monster. In all of the movies he is never actually named. The name Frankenstein comes from his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. I'm not to sure what I can say about this film that has not been said over the years but it is a great movie to see.

The thing I love most about this film is the pity you feel for Karloff as the Monster. The more you watch the more you realize that this movie is a parody on society. Frankenstein himself does not act out at all unless someone treats him bad. Which is evidenced by his interaction with the little girl. Frankenstein himself even with a killer's brain was not a killer, more of a misunderstood soul. The film shows how we as a society try to destroy and hate all that we do not understand.

I will say this is not my favorite of the Frankenstein films. To be honest I think the best was the sequel Bride of Frankenstein. You felt even more for the monster and the special effects, yes thats right I said special effects, for a movie made in 1935 are amazing.

The original though still is a landmark in cinematic history and gets 4 burning skulls from me. Please enjoy the trailer below and again thanks to Night Owl for the card. Pleasant Dreams!