Movie review - "Son of Frankenstein" (1939) ***1/2

The film whose success prompted the third wave of horrors at Universal (after the Lon Chaney wave, then the Karloff-Lugosi wave). Karloff and Lugosi return in this one: Karloff as the monster of course and Lugosi as Ygor, the broken necked assistant who encourages Frankenstein's son (Basil Rathbone) to revive the monster. There is the inevitable rampage, Frankenstein realises he's done wrong and tries to kill it.

Once again, Frankenstein isn't very sympathetic - he starts off arrogant, doesn't take much persuading to bring the creature back from the dead, then goes into a sook and tries to kill it just because it chases his irritating curly haired son. Spectacular demise - Frankenstein swinging on a rope, kicking the monster into sulphur - I always remembered it from being a kid. I didn't remember Lugosi's performance, though it is very good - he's almost unrecognisable with a beard and gravelly voice and shows what he was capable of as an actor provided the director reigned him in - full of hatred and vengeance and determination. He's as much of a protagonist here as the Monster - it's a shame he doesn't get kicked into sulphur too but is rather tamely shot.

Apart from the performances of the lead three, the other highlights include: Leonard Atwill as the one armed police chief (spoofed in Young Frankenstein, which follows this film more closely than Frankenstein or Bride of Frankenstein), and the marvellous sets (love those massive rooms in Castle Frankenstein – there’s no furniture. No wonder Rathbone wants to spend time in the lab at least its cosy there.)

The script and direction are OK. It feels as though it goes on a bit long - although only 98 minutes that still makes it 30 mins longer than the first film. The Monster doesn't have as much to do in this one, though he does have a touching moment mourning Lugosi; most of the action involves Rathbone and Atwill, with Atwill going "what are you up to?" and Rathbone going "nothing, stop looking at me". I've got sympathy for the villagers here - they think Frankenstein would be up to no good and they're absolutely right; these films justify village lynchings.

Nonetheless this would be one of the best of the "third films" in a series, especially considering so much of what was once taken for granted (the actors, the sets, the mood) has now vanished and is impossible to recreate. Followed by Ghost of Frankenstein.