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Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Elsa Lanchester, Ernst Thesiger ... see more see more... , Dwight Frye , O.P. Heggie , E.E. Clive , Una O'Connor , Norman Ainsley , Reginald Barlow , Billy Barty , Ted Billings , Walter Brennan , John Carradine , Grace Cunard , Anne Darling , Gunnis Davis , Kansas de Forest , Neil Fitzgerald , Helen Gibson , Gavin Gordon , Mary Gordon , Josephine McKim , Monte Montague , Helen Parrish , Tempe Piggott , Lucien Prival , Lucio Villegas , Douglas Walton , Joan Woodbury , Peter Shaw , Edwin Mordant , Ernest Thesiger , Dwight Eyre

This greatest of all Frankenstein movies begins during a raging thunderstorm. Warm and cozy inside their palatial villa, Lord Byron (Gavin Gordon), Percy Shelley (Douglas Walton), and Shelley's wife M... read more read more...ary (Elsa Lanchester) engage in morbidly sparkling conversation. The wicked Byron mockingly chastises Mary for frightening the literary world with her recent novel Frankenstein, but Mary insists that her horror tale preached a valuable moral, that man was not meant to dabble in the works of God. Moreover, Mary adds that her story did not end with the death of Frankenstein's monster, whereupon she tells the enthralled Byron and Shelley what happened next. Surviving the windmill fire that brought the original 1931 Frankenstein to a close, the Monster (Boris Karloff) quickly revives and goes on another rampage of death and destruction. Meanwhile, his ailing creator Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) discovers that his former mentor, the demented Doctor Praetorius (Ernst Thesiger), plans to create another life-sized monster -- this time a woman! After a wild and wooly "creation" sequence, the bandages are unwrapped, and the Bride of the Monster (Elsa Lanchester again) emerges. Alas, the Monster's tender efforts to connect with his new Mate are rewarded only by her revulsion and hoarse screams. "She hate me," he growls, "Just like others!" Wonderfully acted and directed, The Bride of Frankenstein is further enhanced by the vivid Franz Waxman musical score; even the film's occasional lapses in logic and continuity (it was trimmed from 90 to 75 minutes after the first preview) are oddly endearing. Director James Whale was memorably embodied by Ian McKellen in the Oscar-winning 1998 biopic Gods and Monsters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Unrated, 1 hr. 15 min.

Directed by: James Whale

Release Date: January 1, 1935

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DVD Release Date: August 28, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (1,051)

  • FilmFanatik
    November 1, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    The Bride of Frankenstein reunites James Whale, Colin Clive and Boris Karloff for a sequel that often overshadows its predecessor in popularity, especially when Halloween rolls around. The problem that I have with it is that it kind of ruins the first film in a way, which is a pr... read moreoblem most sequels seem to have. The monster being dead at the end of the first film only to be alive in the second one makes the impact of that film less satisfying. Karloff himself was also unhappy with the direction it took at times, citing that it was silly for the monster to be talking so much. The other problem that I have is that there's this enormous build-up for the final scene of seeing The Bride, only to be blown up in an explosion not long after. It's anti-climactic and doesn't give the film any real power. However, the scenes with the blind hermit, the visual effects and the overall style are very good and add to the story a bit more. It's just a shame that it puts a bit of a tarnish on the original after seeing it.
  • fb1664868775
    October 27, 2011
    fb1664868775
    A horror classic, though in my opinion lacks the cinematic beauty of the images in the first film.
  • blkbomb
    September 27, 2011
    blkbomb
    Mary Shelley: It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters. 

    "A Mate... For The Monster!"

    Bride of Frankenstein is known as a horror classic for good reason. I actually did like this sequel slightly more then the original Frankenstein, whi... read morech I liked very much. Played today, this movie is silly at times, never scary and overall just a fun movie to watch. There's some scenes of brilliance such as Frankenstein with his blind friend or Frankenstein being bind to a log. It also has some instances where it just goes over the top in silliness. The worst of this comes from the old woman. She has to be one of the most annoying characters I've ever watched.

    Boris Karloff reprises his famous role of The Monster. Once again he does a really good job. He even gets to talk in this one. The movie picks up after the first with The Monster surviving a fire and going on a killing spree(although it looks to me like he just knocks some people down, but I'm told he kills them. So I guess I just have to believe he killed them). 

    This is a must see for horror and film fans alike. It's got everything that makes the old, old horror films great. The terrific atmosphere that the black and white color and bad sound create. An iconic actor, in this case that would be Boris Karloff. And a quick runtime that really doesn't waste anytime jumping right into plot. The start of this movie is awesome too, with a cool sequence involving the writing of the book.
  • sanjurosamurai
    November 15, 2010
    sanjurosamurai
    although many feel that this sequel is superior to the original, i find it just slightly inferior due to some silliness in the beginning and a continuity flaw. having said that, this is still an excellent film that continues the philosophical inquiries of the first and capitaliz... read morees on more iconic imagery. the way that the monster is established as a sympathetic character, leaving the viewer to root for him while knowing that he has to be stopped, is a difficult thing to do in storytelling, but this film develops such plot lines flawlessly.
  • ajv2688
    September 15, 2010
    ajv2688
    This is a great old horror movie, great special effects, story, etc.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    July 14, 2010
    cancercapricorn2002
    Here we have a movie that is timeless and iconic on the level of Citizen Kane or the Godfather. A movie that is not only outstanding but is a staple of the American motion picture business. If we didn't have the prejudice toward the horror genre it would be on every critics list ... read moreof greatest achievements in film. It is one of the few movies that deserves the all too often thrown around title of masterpiece. You can't praise James Whales' Bride of Frankenstein enough.

    Bride of Frankenstein is a movie where everything connects together perfectly. The cast, the direction, and the set design are perfect.

    If there is one film that rises Karloff above your typical bogeyman and cements him as one of the all time greats it would be Bride of Frankenstein. His "monster" is one of the most tragic characters in cinema. Karloff objected to giving the monster dialogue but his objections were ill founded, his performance here is Academy Award worthy. The Monsters dialogue gives insight into a dark and desperately lonely soul. He isn't very articulate in his speech but it's more effective that he isn't. His simple speech offers glimpses into a variety of human emotions and how they can effect anyone. The monster make-up works very well with Karloff's face and his facial expressions are outstanding as well. The scene where tears sprout from the Monster's scarred face is heartbreaking. This creature is anything but a monster, he is someone who longs to be understood and loved.

    Ernest Thesiger is a show stealer as the villainous Pretorius. He lacks any morality whatsoever and is the personification of the devious side of ambition. Thesiger's Pretorius is the most effective deliver of the movie's dark humor. He delivers the lines in a very dry way. You can't help but let out a devilish smirk with Pretorius as he gives the iconic line "To a new world of Gods and Monsters"

    Colin Clive is sad to watch in this film. You can tell he is in pain both physically and mentally. He doesn't seem to be as alert in the delivery of his lines and his face shows signs of his alcoholism. That being said his performance is all the more admirable considering his hardships.

    Elsa Lanchester gives a brief but iconic performance as the Bride. Jack Pierce deserves credit for another job well done, she looks nothing like her attractive counterpart Mary Shelley in the film's introduction.

    Bride of Frankenstein has been called the essential film to look at when you want to see a director's personality. Well if this is true James Whale would have been someone I would have liked to have had a chat with. The movie is so bizarre and so different from the other pictures of the 30's. I wasn't a huge fan of the Ian McKellan bio Gods and Monsters simply because I felt it did Whale a great injustice by trying to over simplify Whale by saying he was a non-conformist homosexual in a conservative society. Whale was much more than that, he was clever, witty and one of the greatest directors of all time.
  • cosmo313
    April 1, 2010
    cosmo313
    This was director James Whale's last horror film. It was horror then, but not really the case now. It's more funny and moving than scary. It's one of the few sequels to actually be better than the original. The narrative structure and overall direction are different, and contain ... read moremore stuff from the novel. The way Karloff looks here isn't as iconic as in the first film, but he still does a great job. As the titular character, Lanchester is quite striking and memorable, but unfortunately her screen time could be longer, as could the whole movie. I really liked this-it's lots of fun, and, like the first one, the art direction and set design are phenomenal.
  • ythelastman89
    December 11, 2009
    ythelastman89
    While it is nowhere close to the level of perfection that the first, it is a great addition the series. I could have done without some of the cheesy elements, tiny people, it is still enjoyable and intelligent. My big complaint was the retconning of events and characters/actors f... read morerom the first. It was both confusing and highly unnecessary. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff are the heart and soul of the film, they make it a classic.
  • rubystevens
    November 12, 2009
    rubystevens
    a rare sequel better than the original. dr. pretorious steals the show
  • sononothing
    November 5, 2008
    sononothing
    One of the first true sequels and the first sequel that is superior to the original film, The Bride of Frankenstein picks up right where the original film leaves off. The monster (again played by Boris Karloff) is not dead and is still terrorizing the village as Dr. Frankenstein ... read more(Colin Clive returning) recovers from his fall from the windmill. His rest is short lived as Dr. Pretorious (played with relish by Ernest Thesiger) approaches Frankenstein about merging his creation experiments with his own and creating a mate for his monster.

    James Whale returns to direct and once again gives us an amazing array of sights to behold (including Pretorius's experiments). Karloff gets to speak in this one and gives us one of the best lines in film history as his monster becomes even more sympathetic than in the last film. A great achievement with a story that not only builds on the original, but expands it into new territory. A classic horror picture.

View All The Bride of Frankenstein Reviews

Critic Reviews

October 7, 2008
TIME Magazine

Screenwriters Hurlbut & Balderston and Director James Whale have given it the macabre intensity proper to all good horror pieces, but have substituted a queer kind of mechanistic pathos for the sheer ... Full Review

June 4, 2007
Variety

Karloff manages to invest the character with some subtleties of emotion that are surprisingly real and touching. Full Review

Don Druker
June 4, 2007
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

Whale added an element of playful sexuality to this version, casting the proceedings in a bizarre visual framework that makes this film a good deal more surreal than the original. Full Review

Frank S. Nugent
August 8, 2006
Frank S. Nugent, New York Times

Another astonishing chapter in the career of the Monster. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Seen today, Whale's masterpiece is more surprising than when it was made because today's audiences are more alert to its buried hints of homosexuality, necrophilia and sacrilege. But you don't have to... Full Review

Bob Graham
January 1, 2000
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

The Bride of Frankenstein has an in-your- face audacity that hasn't dimmed all that much after 63 years. Full Review

Scott G. Mignola
January 2, 2011
Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media

A riveting, funny, and suspenseful horror classic. Full Review

Tim Brayton
October 15, 2009
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

This was to be [director James Whale's] last horror film. Small wonder; what could he possibly have left to prove? Full Review

September 24, 2007
Film4

A must for anyone with even a passing interest in horror, this not only confirms Karloff as a master of the genre, but also shows, more than any of Whale's subsequent films, the influence of his vision. Full Review

Simon Braund
September 24, 2007
Simon Braund, Empire Magazine

Whale's erudite genius brings it all together. He sculpts every nuance of self-parody, social satire, horror, humour, wit and whimsy into a dazzling whole, keeping every one of his fantastical plates ... Full Review

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Facts

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    • The Monster: You stay. We belong dead.
    • Mary Shelley/The Bride: It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters.
    • Dr. Septimus Pretorius: Do you know who Henry Frankenstein is, who you are?
    • The Monster: Yes, I know... made me from dead... I love dead... hate living.
    • Dr. Septimus Pretorius: You are wise in your generation.
    • Dr. Septimus Pretorius: To a new world of gods and monsters!
    • The Monster: We belong dead.
Submit a Fact | View All

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The Bride of Frankenstein Trivia

  • Which British director directed the classic Universal horror films: Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein and the Invisible Man?  Answer »
  • Who played Septimus Pretorious, the sinister doctor who promised Frankenstein's Monster a mate, in "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935)?   Answer »
  • The movie line "We belong dead" [Bride Of Frankenstein] was voted # 1 as the greatest movie line by Premiere in 2007 ?  Answer »
  • Who portrays Frankenstein the monster in Bride Of Frankenstein ?   Answer »
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