Rowland V. Lee is in charge of the third installment of the Frankenstein series that began back in 1931. In this installment the Frankenstein family grows a bit bigger in size, when Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone), the son of Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson/Mae Clarke), is introduced and becomes the story’s protagonist. After the passing of his father, Baron is the heir to the Frankenstein estate and is now in charge of getting his parents’ things in order. Baron, his wife Elsa (Josephine Hutchinson) and son, Peter (Donnie Dunagan) travel back to his father’s manor in Europe where he is, by no means, welcomed by the locals. The locals vividly remember the terror that his father brought to their town. One local, however, embraces the return of the Frankensteins. Baron finds himself in the presence of Ygor (Bela Lugosi), a cripple who is out to sneakily exact revenge on those who wronged him. Baron and Ygor’s time together brings them to a comatose monster (Boris Karloff), and they find themselves doing the unthinkable, reanimating the dangerous creature.
Lee, with the help of his cast and crew, brought back the intensity of Frankenstein. The attempted comedy that plagued The Bride of Frankenstein is all but gone in this film, and it is, without a doubt, for the better. The horror, the intensity and the suspense is back and it creates a story worth watching. Like the first installment, Son of Frankenstein keeps audiences on the edge of their seat as the story unfolds.
Karloff and Lugosi have long been known to shine when on the big screen, and their portrayal of the monster and Ygor, respectively, is no exception. The two are wonderfully talented and convey a sense of fear and excitement anytime they are on screen. These casting choices were simple, as the two, as previously mentioned, are brilliant and bring joie de vivre to the film that compares to the likes of modern stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. They perfectly embody these characters and make the audience feel like they are alive. The most pivotal casting decision was that of Baron Wolf von Frankenstein. The actor not only needed to have the talent to fill the shoes of Colin Clive, but he needed to have a presence that allowed audiences to believe he was the descendant of Henry. Rathbone was the perfect choice for this role. He possesses a similar look, and he, like Clive in Frankenstein, exudes confidence and intensity. He plays beautifully alongside Lugosi and Karloff, and he never allows these stars to outshine him. The three work together magnificently to create an intense and intriguing story that generations of viewers are able to appreciate.
Oddly enough, the biggest difference between the first two installments and Son of Frankenstein is its length. With the first two films clocking in at just over an hour and ten minutes a piece, Lee finds the third installment nearly an hour and forty-five minutes in length. The extended length of this film allows for better story development and multiple story-lines. Audiences are able to see characters develop in ways that had not yet been seen before in the series. This development (both of the story and the characters) provides the audience the ability to better appreciate what is in front of them. Rowland V. Lee and writer Willis Cooper develop a script that lent itself to a better understanding of the characters and the story. They clearly collaborate well and they create a product that is both dark and fun.
It is impossible to outdo the 1931 classic, Frankenstein. Son of Frankenstein comes incredibly close to the success of the first installment and far surpasses James Whale’s The Bride of Frankenstein from five years prior. With a giant step in the right direction, Lee, Cooper and their incredibly talented cast reinvigorates audiences and prepares them for future sequels. The film presents audiences with a well-developed story of insanity and revenge and leaves them with high expectations of these future installments.
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