Bride of Frankenstein
Colin Clive's alcoholism had worsened since the first film, but James Whale did not recast the role because his "hysterical quality" was necessary for the film.,In the prologue explaining what happened in the first Frankenstein (1931), a man is shown in close-up being strangled by the monster; however, the monster's sleeves are torn and his arms already burned by the windmill fire. Clearly this close-up was newly filmed and inserted as if from the 1931 movie.,Doctor Pretorius: To a new world of gods and monsters!,The closing credits have the heading "A good cast is worth repeating".,The Director's cut was 87 minutes long, but Producer Carl Laemmle Jr. imposed a number of cuts, to tame down the Director's "excesses". The Prologue was cut (making difficult to understand the present dialogue), the body count was reduced from 21 to 10, two love scenes between the couple and a toy representing the Monster with a child have been deleted. This ammount of 12-minute footage has subsequently been lost, making it impossible to reconstruct the initial idea by 'James Whale'.,Edited into House of Dracula (1945),Frühlingslied (Spring Song) Op.62 #6
(1842) (uncredited)
Written by Felix Mendelssohn
Danced by Marie DeForrest,The sequel to the iconic horror classic Frankenstein is an oddball one. That's part of its charm. The Bride of Frankenstein sounds like a piece of parody rather than a sincere followup, and in a way it's awareness of its sometimes satirical nature makes it stronger than its straighter predecessor. However, its finest facets are its ahead-of-its-time technical aspects. The stark cinematography is astonishing and the precision of its sharp editing is unprecedented, let alone the reliably impressive production design. It's a much more entertaining and enduring experience than other films of the 30s. James Whale got much better conviction out of his actors this time around and it deals with the moral consequences of their actions rather than leaving it to loud anguish. While the film is a bit of retread of the first film as Frankenstein's monster is chased from place to place, it adds development and essential sensitivity to his character leading its tragic end to be much more meaningful in its destruction. This was a very pleasant surprise, ominously horrific and slyly comic, without the two clashing.

8/10,