Monday, October 18, 2010

Unique Poster: Bride of Frankenstein

The single identified Bride of Frankenstein style E film poster is for sale according to artdaily.com. The poster is ablaze in red with the giant monster in chains demanding to know who is going to marry him. The present exhibition is at the Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills. This poster has been in Todd Feiertag's collectanea for over thirty years; this aficionado has collected movie posters for half a century. It is awaiting its auction and will definitely sell for a mint.

The film was a 1935 Universal production; the concept was derived from Mary Shelley's novel published in 1816. John L. Balderston and William Harlbut wrote the screenplay. It took 46 days and about $400,000 to shoot the flick. This was a sequel to Frankenstein of 1931. The director, James Whale, imbued the effect of German Expressionism into the film's imagery and it is seen in the spasmodic steps and arm movement of Frankenstein's bride.

It starts with literary discussion between Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. It is a comic opening. Then it goes into a parody starting at the finale scene of Frankenstein with the windmill on fire. Dr. Pretorius plunges the plot into action and requests the aid of Henry Frankenstein in creating the monster's wife.

Back at the woods, the village folk capture and imprison the monster, though he again flees to the woods. A blind hermit befriends our anti-hero and he learns to speak a few words. When a couple of village folk spot and maul him, the monster runs to a graveyard to hid. He sees Dr. Petorius while inside the crypt and decides to help the doctor get the body parts for his bride.

Henry Frankenstein rejects the request to aid Dr. Petorius in creating the bride, until the mad doctor has Henry's wife kidnapped. Karl, the asisstant to Petorius obtains a heart to replace the unuseable one. Though, Karl murdered a woman and took her heart, he explains to Dr. Frankenstein that he took it from the police morgue.

They animate the bride with electricity at Henry's laboratory. The bride refuses the monster's affections, which incenses him, and he advises Dr. Frankenstein and Elizabeth to flee. He pulls a switch that detonates the castle.

The film's musical score by Franz Waxman threads through the movie's atmospehere accenting the gestures. Originally, there were 21 dead bodies in the film, but due to the outcry of the censors, the count was reduced to 10. The theme of the flick points out the evilness that lurks, waiting to get afoot.
                                                                                                                                      Bride of Frankenstein Cast

Boris Karloff played the monster in the films including Son of Frankenstein that debuted in 1939. Dr. Septimus Pretorious is portrayed by Ernest Thesigner. Colin Clive playes Henry Frankenstein. Valerie Hobson portrays Elizabeth Frankenstein. Elsa Lanchester has a double role playing Mary Shelley and the bride. Lord Byron is portrayed by Gavin Gordon. 

Douglas Walton plays Percy Shelley. Una O'Conner is Minnie. E.E. Clive plays Burgonmaster. The butler is played by Lucien Prival. O.P.Heggie is the hermit. Dwight Frye is Karl. Hans is played by Reginald Barlow and Mary Gordan is his wife. The sheperdess is portrayed by Anne Darling (character name is Ann Darling). Ted Billings plays Ludwig. There are about 30 uncredited characters.









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