Despite starting strong with their string of horror films, the Laemmle’s were bought out of Universal due to overspending. After the release of Dracula’s Daughter in 1936, the new studio heads put an end to the Universal Monsters. In 1938, a near-bankrupt LA theater rereleased Dracula, Frankenstein, and King Kong as a triple feature to great financial success. Seeing the potential in this, Universal decided to revive their monster movies starting with a big-budget Frankenstein movie. Unfortunately, James Whale’s career was on a downward slope, and Colin Clive passed away in 1937 due to tuberculosis. Due to Whale’s disinterest in making horror films, prolific filmmaker Rowland V. Lee was hired to direct the sequel. Boris Karloff returned for what became his last on-screen appearance as the monster, feeling the character had run its course. In 1939, four years after the last installment, Son of Frankenstein was released that January.
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Synopsis
Years after the events of The Bride of Frankenstein, Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) returns to the family castle. He brings along his wife Elsa (Josephine Hutchinson) and son Peter (Donnie Dunagan), but they aren’t welcome by the villagers. The local police Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill) promises them his protection, but Wolf is determined to redeem his family’s name. While investigating the ruins of his father’s laboratory, Wolf meets Ygor (Bela Lugosi), a demented blacksmith claiming to know Frankenstein. Ygor takes Wolf to the monster (Boris Karloff), who’s been comatose for years, and Wolf decides to revive him. He successfully revives the monster, but the monster only responds to Ygor, who uses him for his own means. Turns out Ygor was lynched years ago for graverobbing but survived, and he has the monster kill the jurors responsible. It’s a battle of wits between Wolf and Ygor over the monster.
Review
Son of Frankenstein is one of those films that shouldn’t work for various reasons, but it somehow does despite itself. There’s no Dr. Frankenstein, no James Whale, very loose continuity, and certain contrivances to move the plot along. Despite all of that, this is a surprisingly great entry thanks to some phenomenal performances and impressive filmmaking on display. Given that it’s his last appearance as the monster, Karloff gives a solid performance, once again silent like in Frankenstein. While it’s strange he doesn’t speak anymore, he still gives the character some depth and uses body language effectively. Though a stretch to believe him as Colin Clive’s son, Basil Rathbone does a great job, being sympathetic and determined. Lionel Atwill also brings a lot of dignity as the inspector, his scenes with Rathbone being a highlight. The scene where he explains to Wolf his wooden arm is absolutely bone-chilling.
However, Bela Lugosi’s Ygor absolutely steals the show, giving perhaps his best performance since Dracula, maybe even better than that. Right when you first see him, you can tell he’s up to no good, always scheming and plotting. He delivers some chilling monologues, like when he talks about how he survived his hanging, saying he’s among the dead. You can definitely see the money on the screen with its elaborate sets, booming score, and longer runtime. Ironically, this had a higher budget than any other Frankenstein film, yet overspending is why the Laemmle’s were bought out. While Rowland V. Lee does a solid job behind the camera, it makes you wish Whale had returned. Even with its issues, this is still a great film and launchpad for the second wave of Universal Horror. Overall, Son of Frankenstein is a solid entry that, much like Wolf, redeems the name, Frankenstein.
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