SON OF FRANKENSTEIN Review

One of the greatest Frankenstein movies ever made is 1939's SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, starring Basil Rathbone as the title character, Bela Lugosi as Ygor, and Boris Karloff in his third and final appearance as the monster. Even if you haven't seen the original FRANKENSTEIN or its sequel BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, this movie stands on its own as a classic of horror. You may recognize the basic plot of this movie, which was played for laughs in Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. When the son of the notorious Baron Von Frankenstein inherits the family castle, you can bet your last deutschmark it's only a matter of time before he starts reanimating the dead, just like dear old dad. The premise is simple: the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, and, of course, Frankensteins will be Frankensteins. The sins of the father are visited upon the son, with angry villagers bearing torches and pitchforks also paying a visit.

This flick came about after Universal Pictures made a boatload of cash in 1938 by re-releasing DRACULA and the first FRANKENSTEIN MOVIE as a double bill. Figuring the public would pay to see a new Frankenstein flick, a script was ordered and the stars signed to do the movie, which was originally intended as a color film. Looking to maximize profits, Universal decided that color was too expensive, and their cheapness paid off: the black & white cinematography in this movie is awesome.

Boris Karloff was 50 years old when he made this movie, his final appearance as the moster. The heavy back brace he wore under his costume messed with his lumbago, so he hung up the neck bolts for good after this picture. After Boris, many actors tried to fill his size 19 boots: Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Glenn Strange, Christopher Lee, Michael Sarrazin, Bo Svenson, and Robert DeNiro have all had a go, but none of 'em can compare to the original.

Born William Henry Pratt in London, England, in 1887, he began his acting career in 1909. He eventually found his way to Hollywood, where he appeared in 80 films before his breakthrough role as the monster in 1931's FRANKENSTEIN. Karloff would go on to appear in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, and FRANKENSTEIN 1970. In addition to playing the Frankenstein monster, Boris also made his mark as THE MUMMY, FU MANCHU, and THE GHOUL. His career began to wind down in the 1950s, as he took whatever roles he could find, often on TV, but in the '60s, he experienced a career revival, making memorable appearances in such films as THE RAVEN, THE TERROR, THE SORCERERS, and TARGETS, not to mention BIKINI BEACH and THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI. He died in February 1969, leaving behind a legacy of over 200 film and television appearances and will forever be remembered as an icon of horror.

Basil Rathbone plays the title role, Baron Wolf Von Frankenstein, although he is best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in 13 feature films and numerous radio broadcasts. In a career that spanned five decades, Rathbone appeared in many classic films, including A TALE OF TWO CITIES, ROMEO AND JULIET, and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, while also copping a paycheck in such B-fare as QUEEN OF BLOOD, AUTOPSY OF A GHOST, and HILLBILLIES IN A HAUNTED HOUSE. Bela Lugosi, who plays Ygor, portrayed the Frankenstein monster in 1943's FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN.

Lugosi originally rose to stardom as DRACULA on stage and in the 1931 movie of the same name. He started out doing A-list projects like NINOTCHKA and MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, but soon found himself schlepping in poverty row quickies like SPOOKS RUN WILD, ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY, and MY SON THE VAMPIRE.

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN has it all, horror, suspense, pathos, and laughs played by a stellar cast. It holds it own with its predecessors, and creates enough of its own mythology to take its place among the top Frankentein movies ever made.

Available as part of Universal's FRANKENSTEIN COLLECTION.