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Frankenstein
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Frankenstein (1931) More at IMDbPro »

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Frankenstein (1931) -- Horror classic in which an obsessed scientist assembles a living being from parts of exhumed corpses.

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
James Whale
Writers:
Mary Shelley (novel)
Peggy Webling (play)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Frankenstein on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 November 1931 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller more
Tagline:
A Monster Science Created - But Could Not Destroy! more
Plot:
Horror classic in which an obsessed scientist assembles a living being from parts of exhumed corpses. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(37 articles)
Doug Jones Talks Frankenstein, The Hobbit, & Hellboy 3
 (From Screen Rant. 24 June 2009, 11:18 AM, PDT)

"Bride Of Frankenstein" comes to life
 (From OhMyGore. 21 June 2009, 4:44 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Wow! What a movie! A horror classic and still pure entertainment. more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
71 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (cinema version) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (2002) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-15 (2004) | Iceland:16 | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Canada:(Banned) (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Norway:16 (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Ken Strickfaden, who created all the electrical effects for the movie, also doubled for Boris Karloff during the sequences that showed the million volt sparks playing over his body. The same machines were later used in the comedy Young Frankenstein (1974). more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the brain-theft scene, the hanging skeleton's rate of bounce varies from shot to shot. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Dr. Henry Frankenstein: Down! Down, you fool!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in These Girls (2005) more

FAQ

Where was Ygor?
How closely does the film follow Shelley's novel?
How tall was Boris Karloff in full costume?
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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
Wow! What a movie! A horror classic and still pure entertainment., 16 April 2003
Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia

'Frankenstein', like Todd Browning's 'Dracula' released earlier the same year (1931, a landmark year which also saw the release of Fritz Lang's dazzling serial killer thriller 'M'!), is an important movie and should be compulsory viewing for any SF/horror fan, but it isn't a dull movie to be studied, it is a wonderfully entertaining movie to be ENJOYED. Okay, the modern viewer has to try and watch it without jaded and cynical eyes and take it in its historical context to really appreciate it, but that isn't difficult. The acting is often hokey, the special effects, which were astonishing 70+ years ago, may look a little primitive by our standards, and the movie isn't anywhere near as terrifying to us as it was to 1930s movie audiences, but even so, I can't see how anyone can not LOVE this movie! Director James Whale was a lot more sophisticated and original than Todd Browning, and as much as I enjoy 'Dracula', 'Frankenstein' is a much better movie, and the best from this era, not counting its brilliant sequel 'Bride Of Frankenstein' which to mind mind actually surpasses it. Talented character actors Edward Van Sloan and Dwight Frye, both from 'Dracula', reappear in different but similar roles, and Colin Clive is fine as Henry Frankenstein, the prototype mad scientist, but the real star of the show, and the main reason this movie has lived for so many years, is the utterly superb performance by the legendary Boris Karloff as The Monster. I think Karloff is amazing in this and doesn't get the respect he deserves because many dismiss it as "just a horror movie". 'Frankenstein' is one of the most important and influential movies ever made, and is one movie I NEVER tire of no matter how many times I watch it, and James Whale is one of the most underrated directors of all time, looking at his innovative work in this, 'The Invisible Man', and especially 'Bride Of Frankenstein', the greatest sequel in the history of motion pictures. What a movie! What a director!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Frankenstein (1931)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Better Than Bride of Frankenstein GoneNuclear
Novel adaptation to film the_killer_girl
Sequel goofs. ( SPOILERS) keithbryantm
SPOILER: The Brain... paul-tait
Ted Danson born to play this role! padfoot7726
Quote Help yodoods1
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Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
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Bride of Frankenstein Young Frankenstein The Curse of Frankenstein Frankenstein House of Frankenstein
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