Frankenstein 1931 - opening scene

The opening scene of the film Frankenstein (1931) is a cautionary warning to the audience that the faint of heart should leave the theater before the movie begins.
Check out this short tribute to Classic Horror: • Children of the Night ...
Frankenstein is a 1931 horror monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale.
I do not claim rights/ownership to any of the video or audio clips presented in this film.

[@thesnakeman8006]

Screw the Hollywood rating system from now on every film should have this kind of intro no matter what it is. (Pg, R, or otherwise)

[@kyleshiflet9952]

I'd welcome it

[@BillFarrell]

Brilliant way to open a film

[@kyleshiflet9952]

Hell yeah

[@mamarremamarremamarremamar4092]

Yeah

[@egglady]

This introduction made the movie even scarier to me when I was a kid. I used to get scared when they'd put warnings before movies on TV, too.

[@robforbes5814]

I was the same way. Any type of warner/disclaimer used to creep me out.

[@MasterSplinter931]

people today: *complains about trigger warnings, and how "sensitive" everyone is today* this film from the 1930s: hold my beer

[@bluhmer1990]

0:18 "A man of science who sought to create a man of his own image, without reckoning upon God." And yet he made his monster look...well like a monster.

[@okoenig.3424]

Maybe his own image was that of a monster.

[@deavioncartertv6522]

@@okoenig.3424 interesting

[@godofzombi]

He didn't say Frankenstein was very good at it.

[@Wishbone4evr]

THAT'S where they got it from when Marge used to opens up Treehouse of Horror episodes. 😄

[@victormaldonado7376]

yep, but the intro where it's homer who warns the audience comes from somewhere else

[@maxfranklinmeans]

@@victormaldonado7376 Treehouse Of Horror III

[@katamekothriis1613]

@@victormaldonado7376 That one was taken from Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a horror anthology similar to The Twilight Zone

[@maxfranklinmeans]

So THIS is where Marge Simpson's _Treehouse Of Horror_ opening warning came from!

[@elchanchopato9601]

Same with the opening of the Phineas and Ferb episode "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein"!

[@tadimaggio]

With this speech, Edward Van Sloan pointed the way to William Castle (many years later), whose films supposedly provided a doctor and nurse in the lobby for the faint-hearted. And let's not forget that immortal horror classic "The Screaming Skull", with its opening shot of an open coffin, featuring a sign reading "RESERVED FOR YOU", in case you died of terror while watching the film. I've always wondered what would have happened if anyone had actually HAD a heart attack during a Castle film, and tried to avail themselves of the services of that doctor and nurse. "Hey, buddy, I'm just an actor they hired for the day!" Rather like that bit of dark comedy on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", when Ted had a heart attack on the air, they called for a doctor, and then buttonholed the first guy who walked through the door. ""Well, how is he?" "How should I know? I'm here to fix the copier!"

[@opale1572]

🤣🤣🤣

[@benhamilton1156]

Thanx for that warning, Edward Van Sloan. The original know-it-all old man.

[@RobDog65]

“The brrrrain you stole from the laboratory…was a CRRRRIMINAL brain!”

[@beggo321]

This was such a badass thing to do back then!

[@leftyspade]

This guy was far scarier than Karloff and his voice is beyond horrifying.

[@kyleshiflet9952]

That's Van Helsing from 1931s Dracula

[@leftyspade]

@@kyleshiflet9952 Yup and still scares the bejeezus out of me

[@robforbes5814]

This whole presentation is scarier than Karloff's performance

[@AGETheGawdYT]

Y'all are bugging Karloff's performance was HAUNTING. #youtube 🙄

[@atthis6340]

First time i watched this film i was hooked Right away especially by this introduction

[@veeseee128]

Well, we warned you.

[@usefulpineapple4538]

First few Treehouse of Horror openings anyone?

[@steveperry1344]

i first saw this as a 5 year old kid in 1955 on our new television and it scared the heck out of me. it is still one of my favorites.

[@jonwells-nx5ge]

Audience member in 1931-"Yeah right, I spent 40 cents on this ticket, I'm sitting through the whole thing.

[@elmultiversodejoaquin405]

This is the Reference to The Halloween Series of Simpsons

[@Hupomone]

So great. 1931 was a great year for films!

[@alecjmariano2066]

How do you do,Mr. Guillermo Del Toro feels it would be a little unkind to present this friendly warning. We are about to unfold the story of Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, A Girl who sought to read a book 📖 and became real. I think it’ll thrill you, it may shock you and even horrified you. So if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now’s your chance to - uh, well, we warned you.

[@AllMyWakingHours]

If anyone's a fan of the Simpsons, they spoofed this warning in those early episodes of Treehouse of Horror when Marge would come out and give a warning that the episode would be scary.

[@inatklw]

Legendary

[@aztardino7254]

Too good .

[@swordchicken5629]

“How do you do? Ms. Zelda Williams feels it would be little unkind to present this picture without just a friendly word of warning: We are about to unfold the story of Lisa Swallows, a woman of youth who sought to create a lover of her own image without reckoning upon god. It is one of the strangest tales ever told. It deals with the two great mysteries of creation: life and death. I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even *horrify* you. So, if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now’s your chance to uh, well,- we warned you!”

[@DarientLambert]

To think This opening sound irrelevant by today's standard, we've seen scarier ones

[@godofzombi]

Did you just call the audience chicken?

[@edited7382]

I would have been disappointed if I if I saw this movie when it originally opened. He's building up the scary aspect so much that I think I would have felt It didn't live up to his hype.

[@MyMy-zi7yv]

Surely you must realize that there must have been some adults and children in the audience who may have viewed a movie for the first time in their life back then in 1931, as there for sure there weren't any TV at home at the time.

[@edited7382]

@@MyMy-zi7yv I'm not saying there weren't people seeing it for the first time, just that he's building it up like you'll be screaming and running from the theater or have a medical issue watching it. I would have been expecting so much, I probably would have been disappointed that it wasn't THAT scary.😒

[@gamegladi8or669]

This was one of the first horror films to be shown widely to American audiences

[@cedmondsdragonwing]

Does anyone know who that is?

[@rodman9301]

Edward Van Sloan. He later shows up as Dr. Waldman and played Van Helsing in Dracula the same year.

[@thelongestjohn]

Edward Van Sloan.

[@inater06]

Can someone sample this for their next rap album?

[@folivlogs6696]

Hi 1u