Frankenstein (1931)
James Whale’s 1931 adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel is often the extent of people’s classic film knowledge. It’s a film commonly taught in film schools and gives audiences a solid introduction to the world of horror, pre-1970, particularly the Universal kind. Universal was the studio for horror features, and both Frankenstein and Dracula ushered in an era of adaptations of popular horror novels, cementing a genre that’s endured to this day.
Frankenstein is the story of Dr. Frankenstein (played by Colin Clive) who decides to make a monster formed of disparate parts of dead people. Suffice it to say, things don’t work as planned. What makes Frankenstein, and several of the horror movies of the ‘30s, work so well is the slow build of empathy you have for the creature. It’s furthered in the film’s 1935 sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein, but even here you catch glimpses at the creature’s sad humanity. A scene struck from prints once the Hollywood Production Code was enforced involves the creature meeting a little girl named Maria. What starts as an innocent game of playing with flowers ends in a drowning and the creature knowing what he’s done is bad.
Like most of the Universal features of this time, Frankenstein isn’t necessarily frightening, but Whale infuses everything with a haunting ambiance that, again, is cranked up to 11 in the film’s sequel.
How to watch: You can stream it now on the Starz app.