Frankenstein
Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
Universal Studios  (1931) 71 mins Unrated

8.1 (17,877 votes) Top 250: #221
Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) has fantastic ideals of the benefits of being able to regenerate life into dead cells. Taking his experiments a step further, he decides that he, like God, would like to make a man in his own image. He creates the monster (Boris Karloff) using body parts of freshly buried corpses. After he brings the monster to life, he realizes that he has failed to make a person he can teach and with whom he can reason. He is saddened by the idea of having to lock the monster up, but he doesn't want to destroy him. However, the monster escapes and visits people in the nearby village. In these encounters, the monster shows that he is both human and yet unpredictable. Because of his lack of understanding about how to relate to people, the people of the village chase the monster and want to destroy him. Dr. Frankenstein must decide if it is worth the risks to his relat...

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Cast and Crew
Colin Clive  ......  Dr. Henry Frankenstein
Mae Clarke  ......  Elizabeth
John Boles  ......  Victor Moritz
Boris Karloff  ......  The Monster
Edward Van Sloan  ......  Dr. Waldman
Frederick Kerr  ......  Baron Frankenstein
Director  .....  James Whale
Producer  .....  Carl Laemmle Jr.; E.M. Asher
Writer  .....  Robert Florey; Mary Shelley; Peggy Webling
Cinematography  .....  Arthur Edeson; Paul Ivano
Musician  .....  Bernhard Kaun
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: After the Monster kills Frankenstein's assistant, Fritz, he's hanging from a rope. When everyone leaves the room and then pass by where he was hanged, his body is no longer there. (more)

Trivia:
According to the TLC network program "Hunt for Amazing Treasures", a unique six-sheet poster for the original 1931 release, showing Karloff as The Monster menacing Mae Clarke, is worth at least $600,000 US and is possibly the most valuable movie poster in the world. The only known (original) copy is owned by a private collector. (more)

Filming Locations:
Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA (more)

Quotes:
[first lines]
Dr. Henry Frankenstein: Down! Down, you fool!
(more)

Awards:
1 win (more)