''Frankenstein'' is a film series of

horror films Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoc ...

from

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

based on the play version by Peggy Webling and the 1818 novel ''

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...

'' by

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...

. The series follow the story of a monster created by Henry Frankenstein who is made from body parts of corpses and brought back to life. The rest of the series generally follows the monsters continuously being revived and eventually focuses on a series of cross overs with other Universal horror film characters such as The Wolf Man. The series consists of the following films: ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...

'' (1931), ''

Bride of Frankenstein ''Bride of Frankenstein'' is a 1935 American science fiction horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film ''Frankenstein''. As with the first film, ''Bride of Frankenstein'' was directed by James Whale starring Boris Karlo ...

'' (1935), ''

Son of Frankenstein ''Son of Frankenstein'' is a 1939 American horror film that was directed by Rowland V. Lee and stars Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The film is the third in Universal Pictures' ''Frankenstein'' series and is the follow-up to the ...

'' (1939), ''

The Ghost of Frankenstein ''The Ghost of Frankenstein'' is a 1942 American horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. It is the fourth film in the ''Frankenstein'' series by Universal Pictures, and the follow-up ...

'' (1942), ''

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man ''Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of later called "monster rallie ...

'' (1943), '' House of Frankenstein'' (1944), ''

House of Dracula ''House of Dracula'' is a 1945 American horror film released and distributed by Universal Pictures Company, Universal Pictures. Directed by Erle C. Kenton, the film features several Universal Horror properties meeting as they had done in the 19 ...

'' (1945) and ''

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein ''Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein'' is a 1948 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton (director), Charles Barton. The film features Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) who has become partners with Dr. Sandra Mornay (Lenore Aubert), a ...

'' (1948). The series was praised by film historians, such as Ken Hanke described the ''Frankenstein'' series as "the most famous, influential and important of all horror series" and Gregory William Mank who stated in 1981 that "today, few film scholars would debate the fact that Universal Studio's ''Frankenstein'' films ..constitute the most beloved horror film series ever produced". The series led to other acclaimed productions that reference or parody the work such as ''

The Spirit of the Beehive ''The Spirit of the Beehive'' (Spanish: ''El espíritu de la colmena'') is a 1973 Spanish drama film directed by Víctor Erice. The film was Erice's debut and is considered a masterpiece of Spanish cinema. The film focuses on a young girl named ...

'' and ''

Young Frankenstein ''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor F ...

''.

Films

Ken Hanke wrote in ''A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series'' stated that Universal's ''Frankenstein'' series consisted of ''

'' (1931), ''

'' (1935), ''

'' (1939), '' Ghost of Frankenstein'' (1942), ''

'' (1943), '' House of Frankenstein'' (1944), ''

'' (1945) and ''

'' (1948).

''Frankenstein''

''Frankenstein'' follows the obsessed scientist Dr. Henry Frankenstein (

Colin Clive Colin Clive (born Colin Glenn Clive-Greig; 20 January 1900 – 25 June 1937) was a British stage and screen actor. His most memorable role was Henry Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, in the 1931 film ''Frankenstein'' and its 1935 sequel ...

) as he attempts to create life by assembling a creature from body parts of the deceased. Aided by his assistant, Fritz (

Dwight Frye Dwight Iliff Frye (born Fry; February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American character actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayals of neurotic, murderous villains in several classic Universal horror films, such as R ...

), Frankenstein succeeds in animating his monster (

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

), but, the confused creature escapes into the countryside and begins to wreak havoc. Frankenstein searches for the elusive being, and eventually must confront his tormented creation.

''Bride of Frankenstein''

''Bride of Frankenstein'' takes place immediately after the events of ''Frankenstein''. It follows a chastened Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to abandon his plans to create life, only to be tempted and finally coerced by his old mentor Dr. Pretorius, along with threats from the Monster, into constructing a mate for the Monster.

''Son of Frankenstein''

The film follows Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

) who, with his wife Elsa (Josephine Hutchinson) and son Peter (Donnie Dunagan), return to his late father's estate. Near their castle lives Ygor (Bela Lugosi), a crazed shepherd whose neck was broken in an unsuccessful hanging attempt. Among the castle's remains, Frankenstein discovers the remains of the monster (Boris Karloff) and decides to try save his family name by resurrecting the creature to prove his father was correct. He finds, however, the monster only responds to Ygor's commands.

''Ghost of Frankenstein''

The Monster (

Lon Chaney Jr. Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...

) and his companion Ygor (Lugosi) are chased out of town. They go to another small town to encourage the younger son of Dr. Frankenstein (

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and ...

) to continue his father's experiments, so that Ygor can have revenge against his enemies and his brain transplanted into the Monster's skull. The experiment is put forward placing Ygor's mind into that of the Monster where he then finds himself blind. This leads to the monster attacking the scientist Dr. Theodore Bohmer (Lionel Atwill) which accidentally leads to the destruction of their lab trapping them all in its wreckage.

''Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man''

A follow-up to both ''The Ghost of Frankenstein'', and '' The Wolf Man'' (1941), the film involves Larry Talbot who is brought back to life and is seeking a way to return to his death to escape his werewolf curse. Talbot meets with gypsy Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) who advises him that the only way to stay dead is to confer with Dr. Frankenstein. The doctor is long dead but his equipment is in working condition, leading Talbot to seek the help of scientist Dr. Mannering (Patric Knowles) and Frankenstein descendant Baroness Elsa Frankenstein (Ilona Massey). Talbot then attempts to have his life sucked from his body and transferred into Frankenstein's monster (Bela Lugosi). They continue work with Dr. Mannering who begins the experiment but decided to fulfill his scientific curiosity to see the monster at full strength, and revives the monster. The experiment coincides on the night of a full moon, leading Talbot transforms yet again as the Monster regains his strength and vision; both escape their restraints. The Monster begins to carry Elsa away, but the Wolf Man attacks him, and she escapes from the castle with Mannering. The Wolf Man and the Monster then engage in a fight until they are both swept away in the flood that results when a local innkeeper destroys a dam to destroy Castle Frankenstein.

''House of Frankenstein''

Dr. Gustav Niemann (Boris Karloff) escapes from prison and promises to create a new body for his assistant Daniel. The two move on to the ruins of Castle Frankenstein where they find the body of Frankenstein's monster and Larry Talbot in the castle. Niemann thaws them and promises to cure Talbot of his werewolf curse, but secretly plots to revive Frankenstein's monster instead. The werewolf attacks and fatally wounds a woman, but not before she manages to shoot and kill Talbot with a silver bullet. Daniel blames Niemann and turns on him. The monster intervenes, throwing Daniel out of the window, and carries the half-conscious Niemann outside, where the villagers chase them into the marshes. There, both the monster and Niemann get caught in quicksand and sink to their deaths in it.

''House of Dracula''

At the castle home of Dr. Franz Edelmann, the doctor is visited first by Count Dracula and Larry Talbot who are trying to cure their vampirism and lycanthropy, respectively. The doctor agrees to help Dracula but is unable to aid Talbot. Talbot tries to get himself imprisoned to control his Werewolf other self and eventually tries to commit suicide by leaping into the ocean near the castle. Talbot survives the fall, only to find the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave below the base of the castle. Edelemann takes the monster's body back to his laboratory, but finds Count Dracula has awoken and by attacking his assistants, he captures Edelmann and forces a reverse blood transfusion, which gives Edelmann a split personality that likes to wreak havoc with those around him. Edelman awakens and begins transforming into a more monstrous personality and murders his gardener. When the townspeople discover the body, they chase Edelmann, believing him to be Talbot. At the castle, the operation cures Talbot, but Edelmann again turns into his monstrous self. The doctor revives Frankenstein's monster, with the others witnessing Edelmann's transformation. The townspeople rush to the castle, where the police attack the monster, but are subdued by the creature. Talbot shoots Edelmann dead and traps the monster under shelving as the house burns down around them as the burning roof collapses on the monster.

''Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein''

In Florida, two railway baggage handlers make a mistake as they move a pair of crates belonging to a house of horrors museum, the museum's director, Mr. MacDougal (

Frank Ferguson Frank S. Ferguson (December 25, 1906 – September 12, 1978) was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television. Background Ferguson was the younger of two children of W. Thomas Ferguson, a native Scottish ...

), demands that Wilbur (

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), professionally known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with straight man Bud Abbott and their routine " Who's on First? ...

) and his friend, Chick Young (

Bud Abbott William Alexander "Bud" Abbott (October 2, 1897 – April 24, 1974) was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known as the straight man half of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello. Early life Abbott was born in Asbury Park, New J ...

), deliver them personally so that the crates can be inspected for insurance purposes. Lawrence Talbot (

) tries to warn Chick and Wilbur that the crates contain the bodies of Count Dracula (

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

) and the Frankenstein Monster ( Glenn Strange).

Production

The idea to adapt ''Frankenstein'' into a film was first put forward by director and screenwriter

Robert Florey Robert Florey (14 September 1900 – 16 May 1979) was a French-American director, screenwriter, film journalist and actor. Born as Robert Fuchs in Paris, he became an orphan at an early age and was then raised in Switzerland. In 1920 he worked a ...

. Florey had arrived in Hollywood in 1921 as a correspondent for the French ''Cinema-gazine'' and stayed on to serve as publicity for

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

and

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thie ...

. Florey was invited to the studio to work on its horror properties. Following the release of ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' (1931), Universal's sales manager Phil Reisman announced in February 1931 that the film to was a "domestic sensation" and "one of the outstanding box office sensations of all time". Florey met with Universal's story editor Richard Schayer to discuss follow-ups which included adaptations of

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devo ...

'' and

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

's "

The Murders in the Rue Morgue "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in ''Graham's Magazine'' in 1841. It has been described as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". C. Auguste Dup ...

". Florey recalled that Schayer admired the story of ''Frankenstein'' but felt if would not be prime for adaptation into a film. Florey formed a five-page synopsis for the film with

, the title star of ''Dracula'' to play. Universal officially picked up the rights to a stage version of ''Frankenstein'' that was by Peggy Webling.

Hamilton Deane Hamilton Deane (1880 – 25 October 1958) was an Irish actor, playwright and director. He played a key role in popularising Bram Stoker's 1897 novel '' Dracula'' as a 1924 stage play and a 1931 film. Biography Deane was born in New Ross i ...

adapted the stage play to a screenplay. This led to Florey becoming cautious with Universal, who had only signed him with a contract to promised him to write and direct a film, but not specifically for ''Frankenstein''. Florey began a screenplay with

Garrett Fort Garrett Elsden Fort (June 5 1990 – October 26 1945) was an American short story writer, playwright, and Hollywood screenwriter. He is mostly known for his connections with 1930s horror films, with film historian Gary Don Rhodes describing hi ...

. Their script had elements in the original films: the criminal brain being placed in the monster and the climax in an old windmill. A two-reel test was shot for ''Frankenstein'' with Florey directing and Lugosi actin as the monster. Lugosi's appearance of the monster resembled the creature from

Paul Wegener Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and conce ...

's '' The Golem'' (1920). Florey recalled that the Laemmle Jr. burst out laughing when seeing the test footage.

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fran ...

, who was hired after Laemmelle Jr. was impressed with Whale's ''

Journey's End ''Journey's End'' is a 1928 dramatic play by English playwright R. C. Sherriff, set in the trenches near Saint-Quentin, Aisne, towards the end of the First World War. The story plays out in the officers' dugout of a British Army infantry c ...

''. Whale was offered to choose from 30 projects and opted for ''Frankenstein'', leading Florey to direct ''Murders in the Rue Morgue'' with Lugosi who he was still on good terms with. Whale then revised the Florey script and took parts of Balderston adaptation (including scenes of the Monster experiencing sunlight the first time and the drowning of the small girl).

Francis Edward Faragoh Francis Edward Faragoh (born Ferenc Eduárd Faragó; October 16, 1898 – July 25, 1966) was a Hungarian-American screenwriter. He wrote for 20 films between 1929 and 1947. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1931 for Best Writing, A ...

was brought in to submit a rewrite of the ''Frankenstein'' script and at Whale's insistence, added some mildly comic touches to the material. Production began on August 24, 1931, and ended on October 3 with a final budget of $291,000. As early as 1933, Universal had set plans for the sequel titled ''The Return of Frankenstein''. The project was announced as entering production in 1934. Whale initially had no interest in directing a sequel to ''Frankenstein'' feeling he had "squeezed the idea dry". The assignment was initially given to Kurt Neumann. After Whale completed work on ''

One More River ''One More River'' is a 1934 American drama film mystery directed by James Whale. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and starred Colin Clive, Diana Wynyard and stage actress Mrs Patrick Campbell in one of her very few films. T ...

'' (1934), Whale changed his mind and agree to return for the ''Frankenstein'' sequel. Whale initially had R.C. Sherriff to writing the film, but the writer backed out of the film leading to John L. Balderston to write a treatment that was finished by William Hurlbut and mystery writer Edmund Pearson. Pearson's name does not appear in the credits. Universal went back and forth on the title of the film as it was alternately announced as both ''The Return of Frankenstein'' and ''Bride of Frankenstein'' in trade papers, with ''The Universal Weekly'' stating January 5, 1935 that the title would be ''Return'' since "the monster was not named Frankenstein". By January 19, the title was changed back to ''Bride''. The film began production on January 2, 1935, and finished on March 7. Following the release of ''

Dracula's Daughter ''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American vampire film, vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film ''Dracula (1931 English-language film), Dracula''. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett F ...

'' in May 1936, all horror film productions were dropped from

production schedules. The studio resumed horror film production after a two-year break with the announcement of ''Son of Frankenstein'' in August 1938. The decision for a new ''Frankenstein'' film was made after the success of the triple bill of ''

'', ''

'' and ''

Son of Kong ''The Son of Kong'' (also known and publicized simply as ''Son of Kong'') is a 1933 American Pre-Code adventure monster film produced by RKO Pictures. Directed by Ernest Schoedsack and featuring special effects by Willis O'Brien and Buzz Gibson ...

'' at Los Angeles' Regina Theatre on

Wilshire Boulevard Wilshire Boulevard is a prominent boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, extending from Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles. One of the principal ...

. The screenings at the 659-seat theater packed houses for five weeks, leading Universal to reissue ''Frankenstein'' and ''Dracula'' on one program in theaters across the United States. ''Son of Frankenstein'' was first mentioned in trade papers on August 29, 1938, when ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' reported Universal was negotiating a two-horror-picture deal with

, the first one being a sequel to ''Frankenstein''. By September 2, the magazine reported Universal had announced the film as ''After Frankenstein''. Production of ''Son of Frankenstein'' began on October 17, 1938, but filming was delayed until November 9 due to due Director Roland V. Lee's dissatisfaction with the initial script by

Wyllis Cooper Wyllis Oswald Cooper (January 26, 1899 – June 22, 1955) was an American writer and producer. He is best remembered for creating and writing the Golden Age of Radio, old time radio programs ''Lights Out (radio show), Lights Out'' (1934&ndash ...

. The lack of a completed script led to actors receiving freshly written pages minutes before scenes were set up to be filmed. The finishing date of the production was postponed from December 10 to 17. According to actor Josephine Hutchinson, director Lee did some rewriting on set. After the success of ''Son of Frankenstein'', Universal announced a follow-up film, ''

'', on November 13, 1941, saying they had been searching for a new lead to play the monster. The next day, producer

George Waggner George Waggner (September 7, 1894 – December 11, 1984) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He is best known for producing and directing the 1941 film '' The Wolf Man''. For some unknown reason, Waggner sometimes configured his ...

was instructed to order the same type of makeup Karloff wore for the new actor, with instructions that changing the appearance may "kill the interest of Frankenstein follower".

Lon Chaney, Jr. Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...

was chosen to play the monster. ''The Ghost of Frankenstein'' was released on March 13, 1942. Early versions of the script were written by Eric Taylor, and included elements not used in the film, such as the return of

's character from ''Son of Frankenstein''. The film went into production on December 14, 1941, and completed in early January 1942.

Monster rally films

According to Richard G. Hubler of the ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...

'', the next film in the ''Frankenstein'' series, ''

'', was prompted by the nearly one million dollar gross of '' The Wolf Man'' (1941). Iniitally titled ''Wolf Man Meets Frankenstein'', the screenplay merges the stories of the two films, as ''The Wolf Man'' was set in the present day with the sequel taking place four years later, while the ''Frankenstein'' story is set in a much earlier era. The authors of ''Universal Horrors'' commented on this, stating "probably almost no one noticed or cared about details like this when the film was released", as Universal had begun targeting their films to a younger audience. ''Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' went into production in October 1942. The film premiered in New York on March 5, 1943. ''Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' was the first of what would become known as the "monster rally films". These would be followed with other name-brand film monsters in crossovers such as '' House of Frankenstein'' and ''

''. Preparations for ''House of Frankenstein'' began in August 1943 under the title ''The Devil's Brood''. The film's story author

Curt Siodmak Curt Siodmak (August 10, 1902 – September 2, 2000) was a German-American novelist and screenwriter. He is known for his work in the horror and science fiction film genres, with such films as '' The Wolf Man'' and '' Donovan's Brain'' (the l ...

spoke little on developing the story for the film, stating that "the idea was to put all the horror characters into one picture. I only wrote the story. I didn't write the script. I never saw the picture". ''House of Dracula'' is a continuation of the film ''House of Frankenstein'' and used much of that film's crew. Actor

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later Jo ...

, who portrayed Dracula in both ''House of'' films commented that around the time that ''House of Draculas script was finished, soldiers were returning from World War II. Many families were dealing with relatives suffering from the horrors of war. This led to film studios "running scared from any type of horror film. The public now wanted musicals and light fantasy. The horror and monster company on the lot was reduced to what could be compared today as a weekly television soap opera or series". The film began production on September 17, 1945, and completed on October 25. On November 28, 1945, Universal joined with British entrepreneur

J. Arthur Rank Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank (22 December 1888 – 29 March 1972) was a British industrialist who was head and founder of the Rank Organisation. Family business Rank was born on 22 or 23 December 1888 at Kingston upon Hull in England into ...

who bought one-fourth interest in the studio. In 1946, Universal reported a profit of only $4.6 million which led to it dropping many actors from their contract roster including Chaney. On July 31, 1946, an official merger began leading to the company now called Universal-International which only had

Deanna Durbin Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With t ...

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People *Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

Maria Montez María África Gracia Vidal (6 June 1912 – 7 September 1951), known professionally as Maria Montez, was a Dominican motion picture actress who gained fame and popularity in the 1940s starring in a series of filmed-in-Technicolor costume ...

and a few other actors remaining on their payroll. Abbott and Costello popularity was described as being "on the wane" in 1948 by film historian Gregory William Mank. They had not placed in the top Ten Box office lists since 1944. Producer Robert Arthur came up with an idea developing a script with veteran Abbot and Costello writers Frederic Rinaldo,

Robert Lees Robert Lees (July 10, 1912 – June 13, 2004) was an American television and film screenwriter. Lees was best known for writing comedy, including several Abbott and Costello films. Life and career Born in San Francisco, California, Lees ...

and John Grant that would partner the duo with the Universal's monsters including Count Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster. Abbott and Costello initially were against the picture but were in need of money and eventually agreed. The film previewed at the Los Angeles Forum Theatre on June 25, 1948.

Undeveloped films

Robert Florey submitted a short treatment for ''The New Adventures of Frankenstein - The Monster Lives!'' in early 1932. It was rejected and returned to Florey in a few weeks. Universal staff writer Tom Reed wrote a treatment under the title ''The Return of Frankenstein'', a title retained until filming began. Following its acceptance in 1933, Reed wrote a full script that was submitted to the

Hays office The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...

for review. The script passed its review, but Whale, who by then had been contracted to direct, complained that "it stinks to heaven".

, the creator of the radio show '' Lights Out'', submitted an original screenplay for ''Son of Frankenstein'' that was initially rejected. This screenplay, which was dated October 20, 1938, involved Wolf, his wife Else and their young son Erwin arriving at Castle Frankenstein to claim their inheritance. Wolf's father's will stipulates the monster remain out of commission for at least 25 years following the watchtower explosion before any inheritance can be claimed. Cooper's original script had several other references to ''Bride of Frankenstein'', including the finding of the skeletal remains of

Doctor Septimus Pretorius Septimus Pretorius is a fictional character who appears in the Universal film ''Bride of Frankenstein'' (1935). He is played by British stage and film actor Ernest Thesiger. Some sources claim he was originally to have been played by Bela Lugosi o ...

and the

. The script continues with the monster surviving the explosion and confronting Wolf to make a friend for him, and threatening to kill Else and Erwin if Wolf disobeys.

Cast and crew

Recurring characters

Crew

Reception and legacy

Hanke described the ''Frankenstein'' series as "the most famous, influential and important of all horror series". Gregory William Mank wrote in his book on the Universal's ''Frankenstein'' series in 1981 that "today, few film scholars would debate the fact that Universal Studio's ''Frankenstein'' films ..constitute the most beloved horror film series every produced". Several forms of media were influenced by the ''Frankenstein'' series. In the 1957, one of the highest-grossing films in the United Kingdom was ''

The Curse of Frankenstein ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' is a 1957 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions, loosely based on the 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus '' by Mary Shelley. It was Hammer's first colour horror film, and the first of t ...

''. When the director

Terence Fisher Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Films. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, ...

was asked to compare his film to the original film by James Whale, Fisher responded "I wouldn't dream of comparing them!" and "

hale's Hale's or Hale Bros., was a department store based in Sacramento with branches throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1880 Prentis Cobb Hale and his two brothers opened the Criterion store in Downtown Sacramento, and in 1881 they renamed it Ha ...

was made some time ago. he did what he considered best. Everybody's right is to express themselves sin the way they want ..His was probably a greater achievement in that it was the first one". In 1974,

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began h ...

' film ''

'' was released which parodied the original Universal film series. ''

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...

'' premiered in CBS on September 24, 1964, with make-up that resembled that of the Frankenstein monster from the Universal series. Brooks declared the film to be a "salute to James Whale and the wonderful directors of the past, and that beautiful black-and-white look". The script of the film by

Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...

resembles that of ''Son of Frankenstein'' and lampooned characters such as Ygor. The Spanish film ''

'' which won several European film festival honors owed material to the ''Frankenstein'' series. The film took place in 1940 in a small European village where a travelling film exhibitor shows them Whales ''Frankenstein''. The small girls tease each other that the monster is real which leads to one of the girls searching for the monster in the countryside.

Proposed remakes

Universal Pictures has sought to remake ''Bride of Frankenstein'' on several occasions. While the novel ''Frankenstein'' has been adapted to film many times, ''Bride of Frankenstein''s closest remake was the non-Universal film ''The Bride'' (1985), starring Sting,

Clancy Brown Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...

, and

Jennifer Beals Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and former teen model. She made her film debut in '' My Bodyguard'' (1980), before receiving critical acclaim for her role in ''Flashdance'' (1983), for which she won NAACP Image A ...

. In 1991, the studio sought to remake the film for cable television with

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

expressed interest in directing. In the first decade of the 21st century, Universal paired with

Imagine Entertainment Imagine Entertainment (formerly Imagine Films Entertainment), also known simply as Imagine, is an American film and television production company founded in November 1985 by producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard. Background Brian Graz ...

and contracted

Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Shari Springer Berman (born July 13, 1963) and Robert Pulcini (born August 24, 1964) are an American team of filmmakers. Biographies Both Springer Berman and Pulcini were born in New York, New York. Springer Berman graduated from Wesleyan Un ...

, who wrote the screenplay for ''

American Splendor ''American Splendor'' is a series of autobiographical comic books written by Harvey Pekar and drawn by a variety of artists. The first issue was published in 1976 and the last one in September 2008, with publication occurring at irregular interv ...

'', to write a remake. The screenwriters set the story in contemporary New York. Jacob Estes was also involved with the project at one point and wrote a draft. In June 2009, Universal and Imagine entered discussions with director

Neil Burger Neil Norman Burger (born November 22, 1963) is an American filmmaker. He is known for the fake-documentary ''Interview with the Assassin'' (2002), the period drama '' The Illusionist'' (2006), '' Limitless'' (2011), and the sci-fi action film '' ...

and his writing partner Dirk Wittenborn, and producer

Brian Grazer Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer and writer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated f ...

was assigned to oversee the development of the remake. In December 2015, ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported that

David Koepp David Koepp (; born June 9, 1963) is an American filmmaker. Koepp is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts with a total gross of over $2.3 billion. Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial ...

will write the script. By October 2017, it was reported that pre-production had begun when the creative team and studio decided to postpone the release in order to further work on the script with intentions being to improve the story.

Javier Bardem Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem (; born 1 March 1969) is a Spanish actor. Known for his roles in blockbusters and foreign films, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the psychopathic assassin Anton Chigurh in ...

and

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...

were still attached to the film as

Frankenstein's monster Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compares ...

and the film's

reluctant bride ''Reluctant Bride'' (released in the U.S. as ''Two Grooms for a Bride'') is a 1955 British comedy film. Plot summary Jeff Longstreet and Laura Weeks are paired together to take care of a group of wild children whose parents are lost on an Afric ...

, respectively. The same month Condon stated that should Jolie decide to leave the project, he would be interested in seeing

Gal Gadot Gal Gadot-Varsano ( he, גל גדות ; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress and model. At age 18, she was crowned Miss Israel 2004. She then served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years as a combat fitness instructor, whereafter she ...

play the titular character. On November 8,

Alex Kurtzman Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers (film), Transformers'' (2007), ''Transformers: Revenge ...

and Chris Morgan moved on to other projects, leaving the future of the ''Dark Universe'' in doubt. In November 2019, Condon reflected on the proposed ''Bride of Frankenstein'' remake not entering production. He stated: "That was a heartbreaker, really ..the simplest way to say it is that I think ''The Mummy'', and not to say anything against the movie, but the fact that that hadn't worked for them and it was the beginning of this whole reinvention of their monsters gave them cold feet at the end of the day. Because David Koepp was writing the script, I thought it was unbelievably good, and we were on the verge of making a really beautiful movie, I thought. So that was a shame". Later that same month,

James Wan James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. He has primarily worked in the horror genre as the co-creator of the ''Saw'' and ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of The Conjurin ...

was announced to serve as producer on a reboot of the ''Frankenstein'' film series. Jason Blum expressed interest in joining the production in a producing role. In March 2020, Robbie Thompson was hired to serve as screenwriter, with the plot revolving around a group of teenagers who discover that a neighbor is creating a monster in their basement. The project will be a joint production between Universal Pictures and Wan's

Atomic Monster Productions Atomic Monster is an American film and television production company, founded in 2014 by James Wan. The company is known for producing films in ''The Conjuring'' Universe, '' Lights Out'', ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Malignant'' and '' M3GAN''. Overvi ...

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frankenstein (Universal film series) Film series introduced in 1931 Horror film series Science fiction film series Universal Pictures franchises Universal Monsters film series Frankenstein films Resurrection in film