Frankenstein (1931)

Frankenstein is a 1931 American pre-Code science fiction horror film directed by James Whale, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., and adapted from Peggy Webling's 1927 play, which was based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. John L. Balderston adapted the Webling play, and the screenplay was written by Francis Edward Faragoh and Garrett Fort, with uncredited assistance from Robert Florey and John Russell.

Colin Clive plays Henry Frankenstein (Victor Frankenstein in the novel), an obsessed scientist who excavates corpses with his assistant in order to build a living person from body parts. Boris Karloff plays the resulting beast, known as Frankenstein's monster. Jack Pierce was responsible for the monster's makeup. The film's cast also features Mae Clarke, John Boles, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan, in addition to Clive and Karloff.

The film, which was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, was a monetary success upon its initial release and was generally well regarded by both critics and audiences. It generated a number of sequels and spin-offs and had a considerable cultural impact: the images of a crazed "mad" scientist with a servile hunchbacked helper, as well as the film's depiction of Frankenstein's monster, have since become legendary. In 1991, the United States Library of Congress designated Frankenstein as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Cast

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International versions

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