OVP: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Film: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Stars: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Ernest Thesiger, Elsa Lanchester
Director: James Whale
Oscar History: 1 nominations (Best Sound)
Snap Judgment Ranking: 4/5 stars

Following Whale's previous film, it took a surprisingly long time for Universal to follow-up with a sequel(considering how frequently the studios churned out film series in the 1930's thanks to the studio system, I find it odd that they had to wait four years to get a second film on the docket).  The sequel, far more comedic and generally considered the better of the two films, was the true film I was hoping to catch in the Frankenstein series.  Shall we see if I liked it better?

(Spoilers throughout) The movie shows us the moments immediately following the harrowing "death" of the monster in the last film, but quite instantly you can tell that the movie has switched its tone.  Gone is the heavy-handed attitude of Dr. Frankenstein and his persecuted science, and instead you are greeted with a batty old woman who embraces the Monster's death, and the parents of the young girl, who want to go in for a closer look and end up making it a three-for-one deal at the village cemetery.  The Monster has in fact survived the windmill attack, and goes on rampaging throughout the city.

Meanwhile, Dr. Frankenstein has recovered from what was initially assumed to be death and wants no more of his violent creation, but is forced back into the world of the undead when Dr. Pretorious (the campy Ernest Thesiger), shows him that he has created a series of homunculi (including a miniature King Henry VII, a mermaid, and a devil), and coerces him into creating a mate for the Monster.

The Monster spends this time becoming a bit more "cosmopolitan," aided by a kind blind man who cannot tell that he is a monster (am I the only one who expects Gene Hackman to be playing the character, despite it being forty years too soon?), giving him a penchant for cigars and drink, and this could have worked splendidly if two passersby didn't point out that the Monster was who he was.

The film concludes with the climactic title sequence, when Elsa Lanchester, who had played Mary Shelley in an earlier scene, appears as the intended for Frankenstein's Monster, but instead shrieks and recoils from him in horror.  Dr. Frankenstein and his bride (anyone know why Valerie Hobson played this part instead of Mae Clarke-share in the comments!) are allowed to escape, but the Monster, his bride-to-be, and Dr. Pretorious all supposedly perish in fire.

The movie is a treat, particularly the comedic flourishes Whale takes with the film.  Much has been made about the gay-themed content, due largely to Whale's real-life homosexuality and the campy band of characters, principally Dr Pretorious, but I have to admit that while I acknowledged it, I thought people might be reading into things a bit to see a larger gay-metaphor.  I loved the character choices that Elsa Lanchester made in the film, practically winking to the audience during the opening scene where she's being doted upon by Byron and her husband (...I'll be back!) and then going to the rafters with her Marge Simpson hair and exaggerated arm gestures.  They didn't have a Best Supporting Actress trophy in 1935, but if they had, I think that it would have made a fine addition to the Sound nomination the film received.

So yes, I did like this film better, though they aren't really in the same style to compare the two (comparing the film to Young Frankenstein may be more appropriate).  However, I'd love your thoughts on this classic film.  What did you think of our second outing with Frankenstein?  Did you like the comedic elements better, or do you prefer them to stick to Shelley's original work?  And what Universal Monster do you think we should conquer next?