The Ghost of Frankenstein
'The
Ghost of Frankenstein' is the fourth in the long line of horror movies
based upon Mary Shelley's creation, and is the first NOT to feature
Boris Karloff as the monster. However, the film does assemble a stellar
line-up of Universal favourites, including Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi,
and Lon Chaney, Jr as the Monster.
The
movie involves Frankenstein's monster once again being reawakened from
his sulphurous tomb, and, led by Ygor (in a wonderfully perverse
portrayal from Lugosi), sets off to find the son of his creator (the
previous film was actually called 'Son of Frankenstein', and the
Frankenstein in 'Ghost...' is the brother of the other son). Before
long, this other Dr. Frankenstein (played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke) plans
to replace the diseased brain of the Monster with the brain of a good
person, curing the creature of its' evil. But Ygor, and the mislead Dr.
Bohmer (Lionel Atwill) have other plans....
Unlike
the previous three films, the plot here is decidely sillier and less
important, and would set the scene for pretty much every sequel
afterward. Mad scientists, incomprehensible science, and dead characters
returning from the grave in ever more convoluted ways would become the
standard. What matters here is less what happens, and more, how it happens.
Right
from the off, the audience is drawn in to the so-called 'Curse of
Frankenstein', with the ending of the previous movie explained away, and
the return of the Monster from its' sulpher tomb dealt with just
minutes after the opening credits. The angry mob, carrying their flaming
torches and raiding a ruined castle to rid it of the evil within, has
now become a staple of those old Universal films, and a cliche. It's a
short-hand way of setting the scene and stirring up the action, and it
is highly effective, if rather unoriginal.
Indeed, this film feels like a 'best of' of the Frankenstein films,
with little in the way of totally fresh ideas. The Monster becoming
friends with a little girl, for instance, is very similar to the
'flowers in the pond' sequence in the original, although there is no
disturbing child death here. Saying that, the friendship between the
Monster and the little girl (in a wonderful and honest performance by
Janet Ann Gallow) is a beautiful sight to behold, and their initial
meeting in the movie is one of the films' strongest moments.
Performance-wise,
'The Ghost of Frankenstein' is excellent. Bela Lugosi brings delightful
menace to the character of Ygor, without going over the top. Seeing him
play that peculiar horn in order to lure the Monster toward him is
strangely fascinating, and his delivery of such poetic lines as, "Your father was Frankenstein, but your mother was the lightning!" is absolutely spot-on.
Indeed, despite the unoriginality of the plot, and the out-and-out
lunacy of the brain-transplant idea (which comes to a head when Ygor has
his brain put inside the Monster, so he can have a stronger body with
which to rule the world!), Scott Darling and
Eric Taylor conjured some gorgeous lines of dialogue in order to create a
truly fantastical world, and it's something rarely seen in horror
movies today.
As
Ludwig Frankenstein, Sir Cedric Hardwicke is believable, mislead, and
not at all as villanous as one might expect. He brings a dignity to the
role, and a fallibility that allows the audience to sympathise with him.
Frankenstein's motives here are totally good, to rid the Monster of
its' evil, and Hardwicke emphasizes this with his performance.
Lionel Atwill, as the mislead Doctor Bohmer, is also believable, to a
point. Once Ygor tells him that he has to put Ygor's brain into the
Monsters body so he can rule all (without Frankenstein knowing, of
course), you do have to wonder what Bohmer was thinking, going along
with idea! But Atwill brings a nice edge to the character, and he also
has a tremendous death scene as well, which is a nice plus.
As the 'good guys' of the film, both Ralph Bellamy (as town prosector
Erik), and Evelyn Ankers (as Frankenstein's Daughter, Elsa), have little
depth or much in the way of memorable dialogue. The film favours the
villains, and so Erik is the do-gooder who saves the day, and Elsa
Frankenstein just has to act anxious a lot, scream when she has to, and
look good doing it (and miss Ankers is utterly stunning - it's very hard
to take your eyes off her!). They fulfill a specific role, and that's
all that can be said, really.
Lon Chaney, Jr, best known for playing the Wolfman, must have had the
most difficult job. Boris Karloff had made the monster his own in three
excellent movies, and yet, Chaney, Jr. takes on the role with gusto.
Yes, he is perhaps the most miserable-looking of all the Monsters (which
is no mean feat!), but he brings a touch of depth to the creature,
particularly in the scenes with the little girl. He doesn't merely
lumber around and roar, there's a subtle touch of substance that helps
the audience relate to him. Lon Chaney, Jr. perhaps wasn't quite as good
as Karloff in this particular role, but he does his best, and it's hard
not to feel sorry for him when the angry civilians attack him (on more
than one occasion!).
The
climax of the film, all electric shocks and explosions, is very good,
sharply directed by Erle C. Kenton, and not anywhere near as rushed as
the endings of some later sequels. The production values in 'Ghost...'
were not as great as the previous three installments', but Kenton, and
producer George Waggner, ensured that they did the best with the
resources they had at the time, and their ingenuity shines through.
*
House of Dracula
The ‘House of Dracula’ is yet another of the
Universal sequels, with familiar monsters, convoluted mad Doctor
plotlines and clichés galore. But it’s also rather good…
Dracula (John Carradine, in a chilling, dignified
performance), has decided he wants to be cured of his vampirism and
evil-ness, seeking out kindly Doctor Franz Edelmann (Onslow Stevens) to aid
him. Of course, Dracula is lying (the fiend!), using the ploy to get close to the Doctor’s
daughter, the sumptuous Milizia (Martha O’Driscoll). In a series of insane
events, however, the plot spirals out of control, as Lawrence Talbot turns up
wanting to be cured of his lycanthropy (and Lon Chaney, Jr. gives yet another
fantastic performance as the haunted Wolfman), Frankenstein’s monster is found
buried in the sand, and Dracula possesses Dr. Franz via his bloodstream!
This film offers nothing especially new to the
Universal horror table, and many of the clichés and settings are much the same
as in previous sequels ‘House of Frankenstein’ and ‘The Ghost of Frankenstein’. It
is, however, wonderfully enjoyable, and gorgeously directed by Erle C. Kenton.
We get to see Dracula actually transform into a bat
before our very eyes (a big thing for audiences at the time), and Dr. Franz go
from a force for good, to Mr. Hyde-esque vulgarity. Yes, Frankenstein’s
monster (played by Glenn Strange, who made the part his own in three movies) is
tacked on and used at the end just to bring the house down (literally), but his
inclusion adds to the fun. The shot of him buried in the sand is also suitably
chilling.
Lon Chaney, Jr. is splendid as Talbot. Indeed, being
the only actor to have played the Wolfman and his human counterpart in all the
original Universal films, you get the sense that Chaney understood his
character. Unlike the lumbering monster, or the cold evil of Dracula, Chaney
gives Talbot real emotional depth, and the scenes in this film with Talbot in
human form are far more interesting than when he becomes the Wolfman. It’s a
joy at the end, to learn that he has finally been cured of his lycanthropy.
As a Bela Lugosi fan, it’s always a sorry point to
look at how his career declined, and a sad fact that he never reprised Dracula
on screen (in a horror film, at least). Carradine, however, is simply
excellent. Rather than imitating Lugosi, he makes the role his own, taking
explicit inspiration from the original Bram Stoker novel. He manages to be both
suave and malicious, devious and sadistic. It’s all there. It is, however, a
surprise that his character is killed off so soon, considering the film bares his
name. It’s Dr. Franz who takes over as chief villain, possessed by Dracula and
essentially becoming a Mr. Hyde subtitute.
One ‘monster’ in the film who is not evil at all, is
the lovely Nina (Jane Adams). A beautiful, intelligent lady, Nina is also a
hunchback, and the use of such an attractive lady to play the part of somebody
with a disfigurement really adds character and depth to the film. It’s a
masterstroke, and Jane Adams does the role justice.
‘House of Dracula’ is a great popcorn flick. Action,
suspense, characters with depth, the usual lush settings of towers and caverns,
and four super monsters duking it out…all packed into a mere 65 minutes.
A must-see for any horror fan!
No comments:
Post a Comment