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When Universal
found that Frankenstein was an unexpected hit, it had a problem.
The monster had perished, seemingly incinerated within a windmill
burnt to the ground. So how does the studio create a franchise
and mount a sequel? The answer: cheat. Use the same technique
that worked so well for its weekly theatrical serials. As
I mentioned in my review of The Rocketeer, apply creative
editing. At the end of a serial's episode, we might see our
hero plunge off a cliff in a truck while he's busy having
a fistfight with a bad guy. Is this the end of our hero? No.
For next week, a missing scene is spliced mysteriously into
the sequence showing our hero leaping from the truck just
before it takes to the air. So writers William Hurlbut and
John L. Balderston decided that the monster hadn't been reduced
to ashes after all. Instead, he had fallen through the burning
windmill's floor into the safety of the water below. And this
simple plot contrivance permitted director James Whale to
proceed to fashion a sequel, a far better film than the original,
a film called The Bride of Frankenstein.
To remind
the audience what took place before, some exposition is slipped
into a sly opening sequence. On a dark and stormy night (clichÄ
intended), the gothic tale's author, Mary Shelley (Elsa Lanchester),
Lord Byron (Gavin Gordon), and Percy Shelley (Douglas Walton)
reminisce about her gruesome novel. This inspires her to continue
the story and we eventually dissolve to the monster's fiery
end.
Dr. Henry
Frankenstein (Colin Clive) barely survives his confrontation
with the monster (Boris Karloff). His fiancÄe Elizabeth (Valerie
Hobson) - who dyed her hair from blonde to brunette as he
was out monster hunting - nurses him back to health. His recovery
is interrupted by one Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger in a
droll performance) who proposes that they work together to
create a mate for the monster, recently resurfaced. "You mean...a
woman?" asks the seemingly bewildered Frankenstein.
Meanwhile,
back in the forest, the monster inadvertently terrorizes everyone
who lays eyes on him. So it's most fortunate that he stumbles
into the remote cabin of a blind hermit. They become fast
friends and the monster even learns to speak. We'll never
know how civilized the monster may have become, for two hunters
stop by to ask directions and the monster becomes victim once
again. The villagers chase the monster into a cemetery where
he hides in a subterranean crypt. As his pursuers run through
the graveyard, the monster stumbles on Pretorius doing a little
grave robbing. Unfazed by the sudden appearance of the monster,
Pretorius conspires with him to kidnap Elizabeth, which should
ensure Henry Frankenstein's cooperation.
Will Elizabeth
be saved? Will the monster find true love? Will his bride
fire her hairdresser? All will be revealed in a scant one
hour and fifteen minutes. James Whale and Boris Karloff manage
to make the monster even more sympathetic than in the original
film. We're left with the feeling that he may be monstrous,
he may have been driven to perform monstrous acts, but inside
there's a sensitive, lonely person who hates the shell in
which he's trapped. (Hey, is Dan talking about the right film?)
For a little fun, pause the DVD during the explosive climax.
You'll find a character still in the laboratory that had left
the building, an artifact of a last minute change in the ending.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The film's
original aspect ratio of 1.37:1 is presented in full-frame
video. The transfer is not as good as Universal's Frankenstein
DVD. Black is deep and rich. White is clean and bright. But
all levels of gray in-between dance with the digital compression
artifacts caused by significant film grain. I thought I even
spotted some coring early in the film on a bright spherical
object. As you might expect, there are a few scratches and
nicks on the source print. But don't let me deter you. These
effects are not serious enough to avoid this wonderful film.
And the level of detail is quite good.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The Dolby
Digital monaural sound is rather good for a film of this age
and seems a bit better than the Frankenstein DVD. As with
that release, the soundtrack has limited bandwidth and distortion
levels are not up to modern standards. But the dialog is consistently
clear and this sequel has the added benefit of Franz Waxman's
excellent score (repeatedly reused by Universal, most obviously
in the Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials). For score buffs,
there is an excellent modern recording by Kenneth Alwyn and
the Westmister Philharmonic Orchestra on Silva Screen SSD1028,
released in 1993.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? "She's
Alive! Creating The Bride of Frankenstein" is a good
thirty-two minute documentary that emphasizes Whale's accomplishment
in surpassing the original with the sequel. Film historian
Scott MacQueen narrates an informative full-length screen-specific
screen-specific audio commentary throughout the film as well. Plus, "The
Bride of Frankenstein Archive" features lobby posters
and continuity stills set against the score. There are several
screens of production notes, and the usual cast and crew biographies
and filmographies. A full-frame theatrical trailer is included
that's completely devoid of voiceover (consistent with artistic
choices of the day). There are eighteen chapter stops. English
and French captions are available. While not as generous as
the previous Frankenstein DVD,but the supplements are ample
and informative.
Parting Thoughts
Una O'Connor's
Minnie may be over the top, and I can no longer watch the
hermit sequence without having involuntary flashbacks to Gene
Hackman's satirical interpretation in Young Frankenstein.
But Bride of Frankenstein remains a significant achievement
that genuinely entertains and will greatly please fans of
the genre.
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