Frankenstein from 1931 is also one of Universal’s most important and iconic films. Based on the novel by the author Marry Shelly, adapted from the Universal script, the film was very successful at the time, and still is today. Otherwise a good old story about a mad scientist who tries to create a living being from multiple corpses, and actually brings it back to life, but it’s not what he expected. The monster acts like he has no brain, and kills people, so they start chasing him and the doctor. The legendary Boris Karloff played the monster. The film is short, about an hour and ten minutes, which was usual for those times.
It is decorated with excellent effects, the old ones: the scene in the cemetery when they steal the corpses, then those fogs, stripped trees, fallen statues and fences, good scenes when they chase a monster with torches through the forest, a well-done old-fashioned castle, the famous revival scene with all those effects… Since then, the most recognizable depiction of Frankenstein is the one from the Universal film—featuring the green face, neck bolts, and distinctive head shape—and it has become an integral part of Halloween themes and culture. Universal itself used that same character in multiple sequels and spin-offs.
The movie gets 9/10 from me. Here are some old pictures:
