Before all that, well go back to the beginning.
Mad scientist:Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive).
Considerably more sympathetic than Peter Cushings Victor, Clives Henry is a brilliant man undone by hubris.
Over eighty years on, Boris Karloff remains the gold standard for his ability to humanise the inhuman.
No matter how horrific he appears, or how deplorable his actions are, Karloffs Monster remains extremely pitiable.
He is arguably more of a villain than either Henry or the monster.
Ultimately he is probably more responsible for the Monsters aggressive behaviour than anyone else.
Cinematically, it is a far better movie than its stablemate, Tod BrowningsDracula.
And for the time, it is incredibly dynamic and impactful.
And the finale, in which the Monster flees into the mountains, is a masterpiece of art direction.
Final verdict:While it is not as polished as its sequel,Frankensteinremains a horror classic.
Mad scientist:Clives Frankenstein gets his thunder stolen by Ernst Thesigers batty Dr. Pretorius.
and wants to continue Frankensteins work.
The Monster:Saved from death by a flooded basement, Karloffs monster returns.
He helps Pretorius do his dirty work, including finding a fresh heart for the Bride.
Fryes boss-eyed performance is distinct from the sadistic Fritz, and despite being less malignant somehow even creepier.
He ends up tossed off the top of Pretorius castle.
Review:Released four years later, and yet it feels more like twenty.
In every respect,Bride Of Frankensteinis an improvement over its predecessor.
Mad scientist:Hes not mad, but he is a scientist.
Basil Rathbone stars as Henrys son Wolf.
The implication is that his injuries from prior rampages have dulled his brain.
We do learn that he is basically immortal, and he has become incredibly strong.
While prone to rage, Ygor is able to control him.
Unlike the previous movies, the Monster is a willing serf for Ygors mad schemes.
Igor sighting:Or Ygor, in this case.
Played with relish by Bela Lugosi, Ygor is a former assistant of Wolfs father.
Caught following the Monsters rampage, he was hanged.
The execution was botched and now he lives with a grotesquely misshapen neck.
Lionel Atwill and Lugosi are the standouts Atwill plays the villages chief of police, Krogh.
He is a victim of the monster, losing an arm in a previous rampage.
Once it is clear that the Monster is loose, he leaps into action mode.
The continuity with this entry is incredibly sketchy.
All that aside,Son Of Frankensteinis a terrific picture that more than holds its own with its predecessors.
And while the production design is completely different, it is extremely evocative and atmospheric.
Trivia:Peter Lorre was originally set to play Wolf Frankenstein.
If the series had ended here, it would have completely satisfying.
Mad scientist:This one is a two-for.
Unlike his brother, he has the good sense to refuse to involve himself with the Monster.
In the end, he is convinced by his fathers ghost(!)
that he can improve the Monster by giving him a new brain.
The real mad scientist of the piece is Dr Theodore Bohmer, Ludwigs colleague.
Played bySon ofs Lionel Atwill, he has far less compunction about meddling with the Monster.
Attracted to the idea of correcting his pupils failure, Bohmer is all-too eager to get his hands dirty.
He was the first actor to step into Boris Karloffs big boots.
Indeed, his role may actually be more fleshed-out thanSon Of Frankenstein.
The Monster pushes the door open until Ygor is crushed against the wall.
Once he is revived, Ygor becomes a genuine super villain and Lon Chaney Jr finally gets to act.
Igor promptly strangles Bohmer and tosses him into a control panel.
The panel explodes, the building catches fire and Ygor-Monster is crushed under debris.
Review:LikeBride Of Frankenstein,Ghost Of Frankensteinfeels like a continuation of the previous movie.
It moves quickly and is never boring, but it lacks the depth and character of the original trilogy.
However, what it lacks in nutrition,Son Of Frankensteinmakes up for in fat globs of sweet cheese.
Watch it for Ygor-Monster alone.
This character is completely inexplicable.
On this evidence he should have passed.
Lugosis version is possibly the most ineffective incarnation to this point.
Igor sighting:None, sadly.
Final verdict:Ugh.
The final battle takes up literally seconds of screentime.
Mad scientist:Dr. Neimann, played by Boris Karloff.
After a freak storm destroys the prison, Neimann and his hunchbacked companion Daniel escape.
As his first act, Neimann resurrects Dracula and enlists his services to destroy his enemies.
After Dracula kills his first target, Neimann moves on to Castle Frankenstein to locate the good doctors records.
He manages to revive the Wolf Man, but the Monster remains comatose.
Reportedly coached onset by Karloff, Stranges Monster is not around long enough to make a real impact.
Igor sighting:Fritz.
And now, Daniel (J. Carrol Naish).
Despite these qualities, he is just as murderous as his predecessors.
And when his beloved falls for Larry Talbot, Daniel becomes increasingly jealous.
The story structure of this movie feels very odd.
The first 30 minutes feel like a separate movie featuring Neimann and Dracula.
Karloff is superlative in the lead, and makes for the best out-and-out villain of the series.
The movie is not up there with the first three, but it comes damn close.
In a slightly odd conceit, Edelman has gained a reputation for curing monsters.
Eventually, the doctor is infected by a transfusion of Draculas blood and becomes a vampire.
It is ultimately this overconfidence which does him in.
Resurrected at the climax, Talbot ends the Monsters resurrection by dumping a rack of chemicals on him.
The Monster disappears in the inferno of Edelmanns castle.
Easily the most inconsequential of the Monsters appearances in the series.
Like her employer, Nina is another spin on the established formula however, little is made of this.
Ninas role is relatively minor compared to the assistants in previous movies.
Final verdict:Like its predecessor,House Of Draculais considerably better than its reputation would suggest.
If there is one criticism, it is as vehicle for Frankensteins Monster.
It really isnt one, and his presence here is not that interesting or necessary.
She has already found the perfect lame brain, her dotting boyfriend Wilbur (Lou Costello).
The Monster:Glenn Strange makes a final appearance as the Monster.
With this film, he matched Karloffs number of appearances.
Igor sighting:None, but not really necessary.
This movie is really good.
Or, to clarify, the last great movie he appears in.
For while it might have Frankensteins name in the title, this is Draculas show.
And somehow, it never feels jarring.
And thats theFrankensteinseries done.
Overall, really impressive.
And to top it all off, you get a great horror comedy inAbbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Its the perfect send-off to a great franchise.
