The Man Who Made A Monster

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye, Edward van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Lionel Belmore

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You have created a monster, and it will destroy you!" - Dr. Waldman

Why watch this? It is a landmark in horror cinema history.

Plot Summary: Dr. Henry Frankenstein, obsessed with creating life, pieces together a human body from various sources and successfully brings it to life through electricity. However, the creature, despite its initial innocence, faces fear and rejection from society, leading to tragic consequences. The film explores themes of ambition, the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement, and the impact of isolation and prejudice on both the creator and his creation.

Dad's Preview: Hot on heels of Dracula (1931), Universal Studios created its second iconic monster film. Though only loosely based on the original Mary Shelly novel, we do see Baron Frankenstein create life. All goes wrong as that life becomes too dangerous to contain. Boris Karloff, wearing an incredible makeup application, gives the monster an unexpected level of humanity. However, he will kill when provoked. This helped to kick off many more Universal monster films and spawned a slew of B-movie sequels.

Universal Pictures