 Frankenstein (1931) Frankenstein is mostly corny, though I still can't tell whether it's intentionally so or not … the distinction has long been lost, since all old movies seem corny almost by default. And certainly it's hard to take it seriously at all if you're familiar with Young Frankenstein, which conditions you to see nothing but comedy in the Frankenstein tale. But it has a lot going for it, such as the relishy performances of Colin Clive and Dwight Frye and many unforgettable sequences (the whole "It's alive!" scene; The Monster throwing the annoying little girl into a lake; the burning windmill at the end). However, above all, it has the Baron! Baron Frankenstein, father of Dr. Frankenstein, is the true reason to love Frankenstein, for it is really his story – the story of a cantankerous old man saving his son from madness. Frederick Kerr is hilarious as the Baron – totally unreasonable and displeased at all times, distrustful that anyone can do the job right, and making off-color jokes about alcohol. One wishes that audiences hadn't latched on so much to The Monster, so that the Frankenstein sequels could have focused on the Baron, detailing his exploits as he traveled the world being equally unreasonable and hostile everywhere he went. He's like a more belligerent Gerard Hoffnung. Only one question lingers: Who played The Monster?
Review by Jocelyn Eachbone |