The Universal Frankenstein Franchise Retrospective // DC Classics

From 1931 to 1948 Universal produced 8 Frankenstein films, we look back at the changing role of the of Boris Karloff's monster as he meets his bride, the wolfman, Dracula and Abbott and Costello.
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Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein
Ghost of Frankenstein
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
House of Frankenstein
House of Dracula
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Written and Presented by Robin Bailes
Produced and Edited by Graham Trelfer
#Frankenstein #MovieRetrospective

[@connorbrennan4233]

"The ones who look like monsters aren't always the ones you should be scared of." A sad and frightening, yet true and poignant statement.

[@Sawlon]

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man was the first movie to introduce me to Universal Classic Monsters in the 60's. I'm now 65 and still love them!

[@garym6315]

Theres a line in one of the movies (possibly Son of Frankenstein?) where they explain that the scared villagers ended up calling the creature itself Frankenstein. I know that was probably done to tie in with the public perception that this is the monster's name, but from then on it is perfectly acceptable for people to know the monster as Frankenstein.

[@deandavidson1375]

That actually came from the play in which Frankenstein brings him into society.

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Agreed. I don't really get people's nitpick about this? If you say Frankenstein most people will automatically think of the monster. The Monster, Frankenstein, and The Creature have been interchangeable for years.

[@bloodrunsclear]

I LOVE the idea of monsters seeking out scientists to ‘fix’ them. Even if it doesn’t work it does indicate that they’re people struggling with a problem rather than just creatures who don’t feel anything.

[@TheTwick]

A&C may have been the the last nail in the coffin for the Universal series but you got to admit Mel Brooks gave it a proper burial in Young Frankenstein. Great video guys. One of your best.

[@LATVERIAN1]

Someone put it best when they referred to "Bride Of Frankenstein", being the "Citizen Kane" of horror films. Truly a classic.

[@PaulKyriazi]

Excellently written, narrated, choice of clips and pacing.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

thank you. The positive response means we will be doing more like this next year.

[@juliocaesaralcaraz9891]

Look 👀 what I just dug up, more on the Universal Classic Monsters. Excellent sir, very well done.

[@mikebrideson6512]

Great

[@cristerowarrior1450]

Ever since I was young the last words the monster speaks “ we belong dead” always stuck with me

[@radicalross7700]

That's right! Those were the last words of Karloff's version of the monster. FM reverts to grunting in the Son of Frankenstein, Karloff's last time as the Monster.

[@frankkolton1780]

These old Universal monster films were my "true" babysitters every Saturday night. Our parents alway went out that night, my brother and I would have pizza and pepsi, bring down our blankets from upstairs, turn all the lights off, and watch Creature Features on WGN. Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Werewolf and Dracula, we loved them all.

[@donaldpetkus1637]

I believe that John Carradine appears as an uncredited role as one of the hunters who appear at the hermit’s home In The Bride of Frankenstein.

[@WaterShowsProd]

Yes, that is him.

[@gordonstewart8897]

Not many people catch that.

[@brucedavis3816]

Correct!!!

[@reddhead2948]

@@gordonstewart8897 how could you not catch it John Carradine had a very distinct voice

[@milojanis4901]

@@reddhead2948 Face, too!

[@Guernicaman]

So...the REAL monster was Universal Studio system all along!

[@DrDespicable]

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF-MAN doesn't do much for the series continuity, but you have to admit, it has some splendid moments - and the first 10-15 minutes are as scary as anything in the Universal universe!

[@mikepastor.k6233]

It had a great opening sequence. So much for the B-movie tag. I mean I thought the production was for a top line movie. Maybe I have to watch it again.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

I agree. And I actually love the fact that there's a jolly musical number smack in the middle of it. It both fits in well with the general insanity, and anticipates "Puttin' On the Ritz" in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

[@deandavidson1375]

Talbot's transformation in the hospital is crazy cool

[@bezoticallyyours83]

I love it. It was my introduction to the original Wolf Man, and I've never liked werewolf movies much.

[@richardstange5939]

All of these movies are awesome and deserve absolutely nothing but praise and respect.

[@leftcoaster67]

Son of Frankenstein despite the inconsistencies is brilliant. And pretty much is the movie that helped create Young Frankenstein.

[@themoralreformchronicles9231]

I’ve loved the Frankenstein movies for personal reasons when I was a child I was always taller than everyone else and I had no friends to me as a child these movies were relatable and made me feel that I wasn’t alone in this world.

[@randybarnett2308]

Hey when I was a kid I was always very strong(still am) my friends ,instead of calling me Sampson or Hercules or Superboy, when I was a kid my friends called me Frankenstein!!!💪🤢,I guess nobody knew about the Hulk back then.😀😀😀😀😀

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

What about andre the giant he had alot of big person struggles and was often giving shit for it

[@MephProduction]

it wasn't much better being shorter than everyone either.

[@themoralreformchronicles9231]

@@randybarnett2308 Incredible Hulk was my favorite growing up!! I also had anger issues interestingly in my early teens and that’s when my mom introduced me to the live action show her and dad grew up with and I loved that show. Got the complete series of that and all the universal horror films

[@themoralreformchronicles9231]

@@GrosvnerMcaffrey I knew nothing about him. He wasn’t a topic in our house hold

[@antonioallen1763]

That was fun to see. I still enjoy the best of the Universal early run of the classic monsters. One of my favorite scenes is when the great Karloff as the monster first feels and then see's sunlight. His expression and need or yearning for more is powerful. Only his scene in the next movie, The BOF, crying at the compassion shown by the blind man while Ave Maria plays in the background equals the scene.

[@fredflintstone7943]

Boris Karloff was an amazing actor!

[@connorbrennan4233]

It's great to know that there are guys on KZbin with high standards for film.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thank you.

[@wolfhowlin1859]

,

[@juliocaesaralcaraz9891]

Well said Mr. Brennan. Keep more of these treasures coming

[@willcooke5308]

Awesome video! "Bride Of Frankenstein" might just be the "Citizen Kane" of horror films. It's so different from its peers, something only James Whale could have come up with...An absolute classic!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Agree, Bride is an amazing film.

[@raymondsteen5316]

@@DarkCornersReviews - I agree with you on that one bigtime which I am glad that this KZbin video exist!!!

[@haintedhouse3052]

Absolutely. Bride is a much richer film with improved sets, screenplay, music and dark humor-plus Elsa Lanchester as the most iconic female monster ever.

[@keithpl5438]

​@@DarkCornersReviews OK, this reply got away from me. Apologies. Just don't understand the love for BRIDE. It doesn't have a story until about halfway in, Mary Shelley telling the story at start is a failure of a 4th-wall-breaking story beat since we never get back to her in any way, the Bride of the title is intro’d 4 mins before the end, the monster starts talking out of the blue for no reason (Karloff was right in trying to stop that), with a few exceptions (most of them shown in this retrospective), the set design and lensing are generally flat and uninteresting, and Pretorious creates PERFECT tiny humans from what seems to be magic w/no scientific explanation (unlike Doc F & his monster) -- which essentially means he wouldn’t really need Doc F. I liked SON OF. The monster WAS used as a tool, but that was clearly the goal -- this was the story of Ygor and Jr. Plus, it was as gorgeous as the original yet in a completely different way. (One thing’s for sure, we can really see where Tim Burton got his entire aesthetic in this one movie, from the trees to the stair cases to the giant bas reliefs.). OK, thanks for letting me rant a bit. =]

[@reddhead2948]

Hell no Bride maybe the most overrated monster movie of all time

[@Hendo56]

The WOLF MAN came out in 1941, not 1939... Universal was billing Chaney as their MASTER CHARACTER CREATOR, but he was often re-creating other person's monsters- Dracula (Lugosi, and as the "Son of"), the Mummy (first done by Karloff), and Frankenstein (also Karloff). The Wolf Man, as Chaney liked to point out, was "his baby". And he did a great job with it.

[@johnmabary]

I wondered if I was the only one that caught that error.

[@deandavidson1375]

Yes! Chaney was the only one to play all four of the classic monsters. He appears a second time as the Monster for one scene on Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein when the monster throws the doctor through the window. Glenn Strange had a sprained ankle and it hurt too badly to do that scene. Check it out and you'll be able to see that it's Chaney in that moment. One of the funniest movies by the great comedy team.

[@jokerz7936]

Honestly I love Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and while it is a comedy I respect they never made the monster the butt of the jokes they were treated with respect as monsters.

[@connorbrennan4233]

I think, sadly, the monsters did gradually become the butt of jokes with each new Abbott and Costello film. In Meet the Invisible Man, the character is mostly funny with some traces of horror, but that's sort of expected because as the 1933 film showed, the Invisible Man character was one with a lot of comedic potential. In Meet Jekyll and Hyde, Hyde is a simple monster without much character and is used for some simple jokes. The only real horror comes from Boris Karloff's sinister performance as Jekyll, and the contrast between him and Bud and Lou is incredibly obvious. In Meet the Mummy, the mummy Klaris is just a comedic prop.

[@CashelOConnolly]

Abbot and Costello were dire

[@onlythewise1]

@@connorbrennan4233 I dont think so

[@davidsigalow7349]

It's a great example of how to make a genre-based comedy. If you subtracted A&C from the story, it would work as a straight, standard monster film - Larry Talbot trying to thwart a plot by Count Dracula and Dr. Sandra (who, the film hints, is a fugitive Nazi war criminal) to put a new brain into the Frankenstein monster. Those actors play it straight, and leave the clowning to A&C.

[@ferociousgumby]

@@CashelOConnolly They were horrible.

[@MrPleers]

And to think that Frankensteins monster is much more agile than a human in Mary Shelley´s story. Even climbing mountains in high speed. And very smart. Learning 3 languages in just a few years. A huge contrast to the monster in the Universal movies.

[@johnmabary]

Yes, and was animated by chemistry, not lightening. He was 8 feet tall, eloquent, and no bolts in his neck, with long scraggly hair.

[@DeanStrickson]

Wow, what an excellent retrospective! Thanks for making this, guys! I showed my daughter Bride of Frankenstein a few years ago when she was a jaded teenager. She really enjoyed it and even managed to put her phone down during huge swaths of it.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

High praise indeed.

[@RabbiKolakowski]

originally, Lugosi did speak in Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man, but it was unfortunately cut

[@ThomasK96]

That is True.

[@raymondsteen5316]

That's right as I even saw it mentioned in a few books I have involving the Universal Frankenstein films.

[@christopherwall2121]

There are even a few parts where you can see him silently mouthing lines that were ADR'd out of the picture.

[@chraighe]

How can only 219 people have watched this, I love Dark Corners. Takes me back to the 60s watching these movies on late night TV.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

We are very exclusive. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@joshua2814]

Well, I've shared DC with some people and I know at least one of those has shared some reviews with others, so keep it up.

[@waynedaly100]

The first 2 movies were great, true classics, I still watch them from time to time, and gods and monsters is a must watch movie

[@theking-nz1ut]

I love these old Frankenstein movies. You can't beat them no matter how many times they remake them. I love that famous line " we belong dead "

[@jasonjuneau3554]

Excellent video treatment. I appreciate looking at all the films.

[@NinjaNezumi]

I was waiting for 20:10 :D Abbot and Costello are definitely part of the series because it made a TON OF MONEY and anyone who hates it should sit and spin on a stick.

[@1MRBASSMAN]

I have loved all of these Universal horror movies since I was a child. I love them even more today over a half a century later. I've seen each of them countless times yet your documentaries are enlightening and eye opening. I also love the Hammer Studios films and your documentaries on them too. Thank you so much for these and please keep it up.

[@bax323]

Dr. Pretorius was a hoot.

[@thewomble1509]

Do you like Gin?, It is my only weakness!

[@christopherwall2121]

@@thewomble1509 Cigar? They're my only weakness.

[@thewomble1509]

@@christopherwall2121 Smoke, GOOOD!

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Agreed

[@mrjones29]

If anyone says Bride Of Frankenstein is the greatest sequel in cinema history, I won't have a problem about it. While there will be the famous ones of The Godfather, The Terminator, Star Wars and The Raid, "Brides" easily stands amongst the finest of the all. It's definitely the greatest sequel in Horror history that's for damn sure.

[@gordonstewart8897]

Absolutely one of the few sequels that outshines the original of any genre. The scenes of the creature being given comfort by the blind hermit and the creature's pseudo-crucifixion by the villagers are very powerful and encapsulates Whale's intended statement on the cruelty of society and its judgments towards those seen as different.

[@Cyber_Smoke]

@@gordonstewart8897 I wouldn't say it outshines the original but it shows how to do a sequel right it extends on the story, borrows more from the source material that it missed first time around.

[@MephProduction]

I still think the first one was far superior. plus the first one is a horror film but Bride is a comedy.

[@mrjones29]

@@MephProduction Where's the comedy? It's a gothic masterpiece. If you found it a comedy then you simply didn't get it. It's certainly camp and more so than the original, but it vastly broadened it's tale of not one but two grotesque monsters along with Boris Karloff getting to utter dialogue that's now legendary.

[@MephProduction]

@@mrjones29 being a "gothic masterpiece" doesn't stop it from being a comedy. It's overly camp, you've got Una O'Connor who is trying to be a comedic as she possibly can, plus Ernest is humours throughout the whole thing.. he's clearly having so much fun the audience is too. At lot if the interactions with the Hermit were done for laughs. It may not be Young Frankenstein but it's clearly trying to be more humorous than the previous one.. possibility because Whale didn't want to make another proper 'horror' picture.

[@coleparker]

As a kid growing up in the late 50s and 60s, I use to watch all of the Universal Monster Movies, and I had the the Revell (Aurora) models of the Wolfman, Dracula, and the Creature of the Black Lagoon

[@johnhermanson5249]

In Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, in many scenes (like Talbot pulling the monster out of the ice) the monster was played by Eddie Parker. I love these films and watched them regularly on Channel 9 in NY.

[@jimmythek4623]

A very good send up of the "Frankenstein" series. But you are much too harsh on "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein". The monsters are presented very well and look great! The gags are funny and entertaining. After the horrors of WWII the U.S. public could not be frightened by legendary monsters. It was a perfect send off of these beloved characters.

[@DDlambchop43]

I have to disagree there. A&C basically sunk the uni horror franchise. Slapstick doesn't not belong in proper horror movies. light humor, yes; that eases the tension, but slapstick is lowbrow nonsense and distracts from the story.

[@jimmythek4623]

@@DDlambchop43 Cannot take you seriously. A+C was a very entertaining comedy horror movie. If you do not like it so what?

[@BretRBoulter]

Excellent! Dark Corners has become my favorite YT channel. Informative, entertaining, and into the same stuff I love. Brilliant analysis of a legendary franchise, sealing the deal by not neglecting to mention Young Frankenstein and Gods And Monsters. And leveling the field around Whale and Welles, well, thank you.

[@juliocaesaralcaraz9891]

Bret R Boulter, mine also. Welcome horror fans!

[@christopherjames9843]

The Frankenstein films are so immersive. They actually build worlds around them that take you to them in your imagination.

[@dalebaker9109]

The 1931 Frankenstein is a wonderful film, I may even call it beautiful. Redone many times but certainly never ever bettered. A totally class video.

[@H3len50]

Magnificent video. I have seen them all but my favourites are "Frankenstein", "Bride of Frankenstein" and I have a soft spot for "Son of Frankenstein" as I love Basil Rathbone.

[@richardranke7878]

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN starred the three Bs-Boris, Bela and Basil.

[@mick_c_horror_and_pop_culture]

Great retrospective and review.🤘🎃 However. I am sure the Wolfman was 1941 and not 1939.

[@budobrass]

Thank you for doing this. The first two films are among my all time favorites. I watch them regularly.

[@jamesmackey8332]

My favorite Frankenstein scene would be when the monster, after making his first appearance in the first film, is drawn to the sunlight coming through the open skylight. It creates sympathy for the monster, which begets the question, who are the real monsters in the story. My close second scene would be when the monster backed out of the dungeon into the main set, and slowly turned to face the camera, followed by the unexpected jump cuts. That scene is the one which sent my father, as a child, running from the theater, followed by his angry older brother, who had paid for the movie tickets.

[@JamiJR]

I can't pinpoint any one scene I love because I love the entire movie, but I do know if I was going to do a crossover using Frankenstein's creature I'd actually pit him against Lovecraft's Herbert West. I'd also love to see Sherlock Holmes and The Phantom Of The Opera team up to take down Dracula. Both are highly intelligent, Erik knows how to build traps, Holmes can track just about anyone, they'd make a formidable vampire hunting team.

[@eq1373]

Fred Saberhagen did that in 1978

[@TimMacPA]

The Frankenstein series was my favorite. Growing up in the 60s without a TV for a period, books were my choice. I had several books on Karloff, at least 5 and a bunch on Frankenstein, including the original. One of my earliest childhood memories was the death of the monster in A&C meet F. Gave me nightmares for a long time.

[@IronSalamander8]

I love how you discuss the deeper aspects of horror here. I think that's why I love the classics so much, but am not as interested in the later or more 'mass produced' ones. I have the Universal classic monster boxed and am slowly going through them, and haven't gotten past Bride yet (going chronologically), some of which I've not seen since I was a kid in the 70s and 80s so it's a great mix of nostalgia and rediscovery. Great video!

[@seantds619]

Back on my Universal/Hammer phase, and this channel is one I revisit a lot in said phase

[@jaytender4949]

I don’t care anybody says, but I personally LOVE Frankenstein meets the Wolfman! Is it flawed, yes but I don’t care I loved it! 😍

[@keithf_]

Favourite Frankenstein scenes ... Two from the original movie 1) The monster's first appearance. Truly sends a shiver down the spine. 2) The monster's appearance at the window of Dr Frankenstein's wife's room. Genuinely scary.

[@raysmith7543]

This retrospective was very enjoyable. Thanks

[@firstelvys]

House of Frankenstein ended up being one of my faves. So much so that I have all remakes afterwards, including the made-for-tv version.

[@CrazyCartoonCat12]

The idea of a clinic for monsters sounds awesome.

[@LATVERIAN1]

"Second" best role of Lugosi's career. Number one shall always be "Dracula".

[@richardranke7878]

Igor was probably Lugosi's last quality role.

[@LATVERIAN1]

@@richardranke7878 No doubt. Sadly, if there were ever an actor cheated and abused by HELLywwod, then it would have been Bela Lugosi.

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

Glen or Glenda is an all time favorite.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1943) is worth a look.

[@LATVERIAN1]

@@oliverbrownlow5615 Yes; I do own that film; "Return Of The Vampire". It's based on the lost Lon Chaney Sr. silent film; "London After Midnight". As as with the original film, the latter was also directed by Todd Browning. To this day I had hoped that a copy of the original film would be found in some safe someplace. But this is becoming less likely as the years role by. Still, Chaney's vampire makeup was so brilliant that it remains to be as iconic as his Erik (*Phantom Of The Opera*) make-up, as well as his Quasimodo. What's interesting is that Chaney was slated to play "Dracula". Unfortunately, his untimely death prevented this. I'd love to take a journey to an alternate earth where Chaney had lived to actually do the role. I'd imagine he would have created a make-up more in tune with Bram Stoker's description of the Count. In the original novel, Dracula was described as a much older man; white hair along with an unkept bushy mustache. His teeth were more canine than human. His ears were both pointed. His finger nails were like talons, and he possessed hair in the palms of his hands. But as it stands, we'll never really know for sure.

[@raymondsteen5316]

Many thanks to Dark Corners 3, for showing this on KZbin. Now when it comes to my favorite Frankenstein films, here it goes! #1 top favorites are: Frankenstein. Bride of Frankenstein. Son of Frankenstein. #2 favorites: Ghost of Frankenstein. Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. Then comes "House of Dracula " before "House of Frankenstein" due my liking it slightly better. Good day now!!!!

[@keithf_]

I watched Ghost of Frankenstein again recently. And I have to say I was impressed. I liked it much more than I thought I did. The first 2 Frankenstein movies are brilliant, the next 2 are good, the rest are so-so. And I do actually prefer House of Dracula to House of Frankenstein.

[@AdamqK]

That was a beautiful and thoughtful retrospective, thank you. Your real love and knowledge of the genre shines through and makes all the difference!

[@AdamqK]

Sorry, I just realised I posted the same message twice, four months apart! Well, that's how impressed I was!

[@RONBONIX]

FRANKENSTEIN meets The WOLFMAN is my most favorite. Lon Chaney Jr. has a special spot in my heart. :)

[@BlueBrainMountainStream]

Thank you for mentioning the kid. That got so old so quick.

[@comedyshorts2]

Stills show the heart for the Creature was originally taken from the kidnapped Doctor's wife. This is why the Bride reaches toward the Doctor because her heart was still true to him. This corny ending was the reason for editing out and reshooting footage for the finished film.

[@AdamqK]

Brilliant commentary on the genre - informed and fun. thanks so much!

[@siggerson]

Terrific, engaging and insightful overview. Great stuff!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

+Vince Stadon thanks!

[@briancenti5423]

i Love everything Universal did. there theme music and characters are the main reason we have horror to this day. these are the classics, and nothing today ( CGI ) will ever compete.

[@abdulmuttalibalsagoff9842]

LOVE THIS!!! THANKS!

[@Monkofmagnesia]

The way Karloff potrayed the Monster, you cannot tell that he was against the creature talking.

[@Sparkyzilla85]

I'm really enjoying these retrospective videos. I'm really looking forward to the next one.

[@H3len50]

So overjoyed to discover this amazing channel.

[@GlenHallstrom]

Excellent, but here's a point to ponder and debate: actually, Abbott and Costello DID meet Frankenstein - A Frankenstein. The Monster was created by Dr. Frankenstein so that would make the Monster technically his offspring (in fact, I believe Mary Shelley named him Adam - so I guess he would be Adam Frankenstein).

[@beaumorris5289]

Frankenstein Started It For Me. I Became a Prosthetic Makeup Artist Because of Him... I won an Award for One of My Franks,.... and Another played Keyboard in an ONSTAGE Performance......

[@allenkracalik7662]

1.Whale adapted Peggy Webling's stage play, not Mary Shelly's novel for his film version of Frankenstein. 2. The conclusion of Bride of Frankenstein was undoubtedly changed during filming, since careful observation reveals Dr. Frankenstein, who has just escaped with Elizabeth, still standing in the watchtower laboratory when the explosion occurs. 3. The Son of Frankenstein sets were designed for color filming, which was Universal's original intention, but which was abandoned.

[@jgfear]

The first two installments of Universal’s Frankenstein films are with out a doubt trailblazing. James Whale was a brilliant filmmaker. I dare say along with Kane, they are two of the greatest films ever made . I make it a yearly tradition to watch them both back to back along with Universal’s other Classic Monsters around Hallloween season .

[@dimidomo7946]

Love it Dark Corners! All around informative, entertaining and presented.

[@CaminoAir]

Thank you. I always appreciate classic era films being discussed. I'm not familiar with the Universal Frankenstein films after 'Son of....', but even though their reputation doesn't match the first three, I'll still search them out. I don't know if it's the great wealth of character actors from that period, or just that there is still some silence and space in these older movies (instead of the frantic pace and editing of modern movies), but I always find myself drawn to older films.

[@ThreadBomb]

House of Frankenstein is definitely worth watching. It's a ton of fun, even if the actual Frankenstein's monster is barely in it.

[@SUPERMEDIABROTHERS6]

Personally I still prefer Frankenstein meets Wolfman to the house movies. But this is still a great run down. I love this channel's content.

[@michaelbailes2223]

Very many thanks for this. Great work guys.

[@bezoticallyyours83]

He's just holding that kid in her blanket like she was the morning paper. Lol

[@danddoty3981]

A&C MEET FRANKENSTEIN was the death knell for the horror films of the 30's and 40's. The Second World War, the Holocaust and the Atomic Bomb had made the monsters no longer scary to audiences who seen real horror up close and personal in both the bombing of cities such as London, Moscow , Berlin and Tokyo. As well as personal combat in Europe, Asia and the Pacific ; nothing could match up with 80 million dead. But still FRANKENSTEIN and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN are classic films that can still teach us about humanity , fear , and hubris. Also the arts of film making , story telling , set design and acting. My fav scene ? Karloff's monster seeing light for the first time , trying to touch it and pleading for it to come back. Only to have Fritz come in and torment the poor creature for his own sadistic pleasure.

[@mtc3000]

You were doing well until you got to Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. The film was shot with Igor speaking through the monster’s body, but it was all cut, unfortunately, as it worked well at the end of Ghost of Frankenstein. A fellow made a recreation of these scenes, and did a good job. You can find it on KZbin.

[@whitleybayman123]

Awesome Retro. Nice work, Im going to watch a few of these tonight now.

[@grimmations9603]

Still one of my favorite films to this day

[@gj8683]

Wonderful quips put in here and there. Very witty!

[@raymondsteen5316]

Many people say that Universal studios should've filmed a sequel to both "Dracula" & "Frankenstein". And not only call it "Frankenstein vs Dracula" or vice-versa, but have Boris Karloff & Bela Lugosi repeat their most famous roles of course. That's what most say!!! And if that did occur it sure as hell would have beat the hell out of that 1971 complete failure "Dracula vs Frankenstein ", even though it had 2 good actors like Lon Chaney Jr & J. Carroll Naish as a wheelchair bound Dr.Frankenstein. But Lon wasn't either monster as he was an Ygor-type mute lab assistant.

[@randyacuna3248]

Raymond Steen nash and Chaney both were declining in health and it is sad to see them in this bomb. The less said about this movie the better.

[@Noname-ut1ye]

I think I can explain Larry Talbot's resurrection in House of Dracula with 2 possible explainations. The first being that they stated quite often in the House of Frankenstein that only a woman who loves the lycanthrope enough to understand that killing him by shooting him in the heart with a silver bullet will set him free. She fell for Talbot fast and that is lust, not love. He revived shortly afterwards offscreen because Elanka didn't genuinely love him. The second being that Talbot rotted until the silver bullet fell out of his skeletal frame and he regenerated instantly because his curse is a supernatural one just as a vampire is revived when the stake is removed from the heart.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

You get a no-prize.

[@RavenHouseMystery]

Love the video. it clearly shows the great love and admiration you have for the Frankenstein monster. His iconic appearance will always be a part of cinema history, no matter how good or bad any individual film may be. Although the original Frankenstein film is my favorite of the series, I have also got to give Universal credit for giving us the first monster crossover battle with Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man. That film is just 100% pure fun.

[@mortimerzilch2608]

In 1910 the first Frankenstein was filmed.

[@dafrog491]

Didnt realize there were that many frankenstein flicks

[@bird10498]

A superb stand-out commentary. Well done!

[@jmen4ever257]

Remember reading how back in 1972,marvel comics wanted to go with the universal frank, but went with Ploog's version after they learned how much universal wanted for using the Karloff frank.

[@saintcruzin]

People don’t realize when Victor Frankenstein tries to calm down the monster in the original he says...”take care Herr Frankenstein.”.....referring to him as a Son...and calling him...Frankenstein....

[@johnmabary]

I thought I was the only one who caught that. It was the start of calling the monster “Frankenstein.” The book calls him “monster” and “daemon.”

[@JohnDoe-yr4wc]

This just makes me want to watch the Ed Wood movie.

[@DarthRushy]

Son Of Frankenstein was my favourite.

[@kentonclarkson1449]

The cinematography in "Son" is outstanding as is the set design. Amazing to look at. I have the series on Blu ray and watch all of them over and over

[@AliceBowie]

My favorite adaptations of Frankenstein are the Peter Cushing Frankenstein with Christopher Lee as the Monster, and then the Bernie Wrightson graphic novel and the Junji Ito manga.

[@gordonstewart8897]

In House of Dracula, the vampire is seeking a cure for his cursed existence. This plot line was later used in the 1970s film House of Dark Shadows where the vampire, Barnabas Collins , enlists the aid of scientist Julia Hoffman to cure his vampire affliction.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

The piano playing/hypnotism scene in HOUSE OF DRACULA (glimpsed briefly in the video) is interesting on its own terms, but is even more enjoyable when you realize it's swiped from a similar scene in REEFER MADNESS. Another fun aspect of HOD is that it references NOSFERATU in the second half, with the use of gigantic shadows.

[@gilbertramirez6626]

Outstanding !! My favorite scene is the one of the Monster trying to touch Sun light,

[@MrGadfly772]

Well if course the best scene is in The Bride of Frankenstein, which is brimming with great scenes. Ernest Thesiger captivated every scene that he is in. But the most moving scene is if course the creature finding friendship with the hermit.

[@chrisrose6014]

Funny thing is I'm not a Bride of Frankenstein fan but Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman is an all-time favorite

[@SciFiFan2012]

I'm willing to admit I didn't know as much about Frankenstein as I do after watching this video, thanks! Karloff toiled around the studios working for 20 yrs prior to his "big break", goes to show that talent and perseverance will lead to something positive (not in all cases lol).

[@blorac9869]

Enjoyed immensely! TYVM!

[@garym6315]

Totally agree. As much as I enjoy Dracula I kept telling myself that it was an early talkie and that's why it felt so dry, but then Frankenstein comes along and blows that theory out of the water.

[@CaptainCarten]

Here’s to hoping we can get one of these on the Gill Man soon

[@markwardel6751]

Excellent video...

[@Sardarkhan69]

Brilliant video