The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
93%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
4 wins & 3 nominations total
An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.
Bride of Frankenstein is a classic horror film that’s so good, it’s scary. With stunning black and white photography, groundbreaking make-up and special effects, and mad dark comedy, this movie is a must-see for every horror fan. Plus, it’s got plenty of queer subtext to boot, making it a favorite among the LGBTQ+ community. And let’s not forget about Elsa Lanchester’s iconic portrayal of the monster’s bride, who steals the show in her brief but unforgettable appearance. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready to be spooked and entertained all at once.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal International Pictures, Film Classics Inc., Universal Pictures, Universal Home Entertainment, Realart Pictures Inc.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Court of Miracles, Backlot, Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1935
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:1h 15m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 1935 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 28, 2001
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
Bride of Frankenstein, horror, classic, James Whale, Carl Laemmle Jr., William Hurlbut, John L Balderston, Mary Shelley, Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, O.P Heggie, Una O’Connor, box office, budget, MPAA rating, reviewed by Simon Braund, Variety Staff, Don Druker, Frank S Nugent, Geoff Andrew, Marjorie Baumgarten, Mattie Lucas, David Reddish, Trace Thurman, Meyer Levin, directed by James Whale, written by William Hurlbut, John L Balderston, Mary Shelley, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., horror classic, Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures, Film Classics Inc., Realart Pictures Inc., Mono sound mix
Worldwide gross: $10,493
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $275,795
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,874
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 30,076
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Elsa Lanchester – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, The Monster’s Mate
Colin Clive – Dr. Henry Frankenstein
Valerie Hobson – Elizabeth Frankenstein
O.P. Heggie – Hermit
Una O’Connor – Minnie
Director(s)
James Whale
Writer(s)
William Hurlbut, John L. Balderston, Mary Shelley
Producer(s)
Carl Laemmle Jr.
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
4 wins & 3 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (1)
Whale’s erudite genius brings it all together. He sculpts every nuance of self-parody, social satire, horror, humour, wit and whimsy into a dazzling whole, keeping every one of his fantastical plates spinning until the tragic, inevitable finale.
September 24, 2007 | Rating: 5/5
Simon Braund
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Karloff manages to invest the character with some subtleties of emotion that are surprisingly real and touching.
June 4, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Whale added an element of playful sexuality to this version, casting the proceedings in a bizarre visual framework that makes this film a good deal more surreal than the original.
June 4, 2007
Don Druker
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Another astonishing chapter in the career of the Monster.
August 8, 2006
Frank S. Nugent
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Whale’s most perfectly realised movie, a delight from start to finish.
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
[A] great horror classic.
March 10, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Made by a gay filmmaker in 1935 who understood better than anyone what it was like to be hated for who he was, and crafted as unabashedly queer a film as anything else in Hollywood at the time.
June 30, 2022
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Chock full of stunning black and white photography, groundbreaking make-up and special effects, and mad dark comedy, classic horror doesnt get much better than Bride of Frankenstein. It doesnt get much gayer, either.
March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
David Reddish
Queerty
A masterpiece of classic horror with plenty of queer subtext to boot.
July 26, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Trace Thurman
Horror Queers Podcast
This is an absolutely unforgettable film, a must-see for every gay horror fan.
October 30, 2020
David-Elijah Nahmod
Bay Area Reporter
The chief new element is the monster’s bride, played by Elsa Lanchester, who doesn’t appear in her entirety until approximately five minutes before the movie ends.
July 24, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Splendid pictorial composition and dramatic lighting make this a worthy successor to Frankenstein.
April 16, 2020
Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy)
Esquire Magazine…
Plot
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive, not killed as previously believed. Dr. Frankenstein wants to get out of the evil experiment business, but when a mad scientist, Dr. Pretorius, kidnaps his wife, Dr. Frankenstein agrees to help him create a new creature, a woman, to be the companion of the monster.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Boris Karloff’s portrayal of the Monster in Bride of Frankenstein is considered one of his most iconic roles.
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