Son of Frankenstein
Tags: revenge, gothic, murder

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens with the Universal Pictures globe and star logo and theme song; Title and credits follow. The scene opens with a view of the small village of Frankenstein and the castle high on a hill in the background. An "Eingang Verboten" sign warns all to stay away from the castle, but Ygor (Bela Lugosi) stares out from a second story window. The village council meets to discuss a matter regarding the Frankenstein heir. While Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill) looks on, the Burgomaster (Lawrence Grant) informs the assembled, "The old Baron Frankenstein gave me this chest of papers to deliver to his son, and deliver it I shall." The other Burghers (Gustav von Seyfferitz, Lorimer Johnston, and Tom Ricketts) express their opposition to any further association with the Frankensteins who have brought death and disrepute to the village. The Burgomaster assures his colleagues he agrees with their sentiments, but he intends to meet with the Baron's son at the train station and give him his father's papers, as promised. Elsa von Frankenstein (Josephine Hutchinson) tucks her young son's blanket around him on the train. Young Peter (Donnie Dunagan) is anxious to see his nanny, Amelia, again. Elsa joins her husband, Wolf (Basil Rathbone) in the adjoining railway compartment. She notes, as she looks out the window, "What a strange-looking country." Wolf replies, "Not much like America, is it?" It is a dark scene of dead trees. The pair are excited about their new life, joking about what the castle is like. Elsa speculates about a haunted room, and Wolf assures her, "Yes, there's sure to be a haunted room. The castle itself is supposed to be haunted...because of the things my father did there." The tone turns somber as Wolf recounts the story of the creation of the creature and the death and destruction that followed, all as the result of the blunder by his assistant, Ygor.It is pouring rain when the train pulls into Frankenstein. Wolf is greeted by the Burgomeister, the members of the council, and most of the inhabitants of the village. When Wolf tries to explain that his father was a great man and that he is sorry for the tragedy that followed, the villagers wander away. A car takes the family to the castle. The servants assist the family inside. Peter runs to see his nanny, Amelia (Emma Dunn). Benson (Edgar Norton) takes the Baron's coat. Amelia takes Peter upstairs to bed. Elsa expresses her mixed emotions about the castle then walks upstairs to join Amelia in putting Peter to bed. Wolf asks about the new servants. Benson tells the Baron that the servants are Tyrolean, "None of the people of the province would serve here, no matter what I offered to pay them." Wolf walks into the library with Benson. He sees a portrait of his father on the wall. The Baron opens the box of papers and reads the note his father left for him, "Herein you will find my faiths, my beliefs, and my unfoldments. A complete diary of my experiments, charts and secret formulas. In short, the sum total of my knowledge, such as it is. Perhaps you will regard my work with ridicule or even with distaste. If so, destroy these records. But if you, like me, burn with the irresistible desire to penetrate the unknown, carry on, even though the path is cruel and tortuous, carry on. Like every seeker after truth, you will be hated, blasphemed and condemned." Out in the rain, Ygor stares in at the Baron in the library.Up in Peter's room, the little boy says his prayers as Amelia and his mother look on. Elsa goes to her room and prepares for bed. In the village the wagon with the Baron's crated goods is stoned by the villagers. Inspector Krogh pays a visit to the castle. He meets with the Baron. [Note: The manipulation of his wooden arm was beautifully parodied by Kenneth Mars in Young Frankenstein.] Krogh tells the Baron he will be protected while in the castle, "As long as you continue to live in this place, you're in danger." The Baron demands proof of the monster's reign of destruction. He is unaware of Krogh's encounter, but is told by the Inspector himself. While cleaning his monocle, Krogh recounts his childhood encounter with the monster and the loss of his arm, "One does not easily forget, Herr Baron, an arm torn out by the roots." Krogh explains that there have been six mysterious deaths in the village and all are unsolved. Despite the Baron's insistence he needs no protection, Krogh assures him he will respond to any call for assistance. Upon his exit, Krogh is introduced to Elsa who invites him to dinner. Up in his room, young Peter sleeps through the thunder and lightning. Ygor spies on the boy from a hidden room behind a wooden panel.The next morning, Peter joins his parents at breakfast. Wolf walks over to the remains of the laboratory to explore it. The lab is a shambles of broken equipment. He peers down into a bubbling lake of sulphur-laden mud. Ygor pushes a stone down towards the Baron, but it misses its mark. Wolf orders Ygor down at the point of his rifle. When Wolf threatens to turn Ygor over to Krogh, Ygor explains he is already dead. He tells the Baron he was hanged once, which left him with a broken neck and he was declared dead. Ygor opens a door of stones and takes the Baron down into the bowels of the lab into the family crypt. To his amazement, the Baron sees the monster (Boris Karloff) lying on a slab. He thinks it is just the dead body of the creature and touches its hand. When the hand moves, the Baron recoils and exclaims, "He's alive!" Ygor explains the creature is sick, struck earlier by lightning. Ygor explains that the creature is, in a way, the Baron's brother and he wants him cured. Wolf is intrigued by the challenge.The village council demands to know what is going on at the castle. Krogh tries to reassure the council and agrees to bring in Ygor to explain his role at the castle. The Baron has rebuilt the lab with his own and repaired equipment left by his father. He hauls the monster up to the lab and places it on the table. Later, the Baron and Benson arrive at the lab to begin work. The Baron carries his father's notes in the case, but Ygor refuses to let Benson into the lab. The Baron assures Ygor that his help is required and vouches for his servant's discretion. The Baron examines the creature while Benson records the notes. Wolf is amazed by what he discovers, especially that two bullets are lodged in the creatures heart, yet it still lives.Ygor is questioned by the village council and the Burgomaster. Ewald Neumuller (Michael Mark) asks Ygor, "Has he asked you to rob and graves? To get him a body?" The council threatens Ygor to cooperate or they will see a better job of executing him for his crimes. Lang (Lionel Belmore) served on the first jury and with Neumuller found Ygor guilty and sentenced him to death. Ygor is dismissed and returns to the castle. The Baron and Benson discuss the process that gave the creature life--namely cosmic rays, "These rays are actually the source of life itself." Returning to the lab, the Baron is torn between his impulse to destroy the monster and his scientific quest to restore it back to conscious life. The Baron fires up the electrical equipment and restores the creature for a few seconds, but it lapses back into coma.Krogh stops by the castle and enjoys tea with the Baroness. She explains that her husband is engaged with an experiment, but she has no details. The Baron, back from a walk, joins the pair for tea. Peter joins the family and asks about Krogh's arm. He mentions being awakened from a nap by a giant. His mother and Amelia attribute it to an active imagination, but the Baron and Krogh register surprise and concern on their faces--one knows and the other suspects this is not the imagination of a child, but reality. The Baron carries his son back to his room and asks about the giant. His son's description of the giant so alarms the Baron that he bolts from the room. Krogh confronts the Baron on his way back to the lab. Wolf discovers the lab table empty, the monster gone, and searches for it calling for Ygor the whole time. Up from the sulphur pit the creature crawls and grabs the Baron. It reacts to its own reflection in a mirror. Ygor finally joins the pair and explains, "You make him well with your lightning. After you go, he get up and walk. Now he's all right again." Ygor reassures the creature that the Baron is a good man, and instructs the Baron never to touch him again. Upon his return to the residence, the Baron informs Benson that the creature is alive and admits to a cold fear of it. Ygor spies on the Baron and overhears the Baron's plan to continue his experimental work and send his family away for their own safety.Ygor plans to use the monster to extract a little personal revenge. He sends the creature after Herr Neumuller. The creature follows his wagon and waylays the man. It stages a wagon accident while Ygor plays a mournful tune on his flute. The Inspector joins the Baron and Baroness for dinner. Fritz (Perry Ivins) serves dinner in Benson's absence. A caller, one of the Inspector's men, tells Fritz that there has been an accident in the village. Krogh departs and Wolf goes to find Benson. Ygor tells the Baron that Benson came to see the creature then ran away.Krogh attends a coroner's inquest. The doctor explains that Neumuller must have fallen asleep and fallen off his wagon. The wheels crushed his legs and chest. The widow, Frau Neumuller (Caroline Francis Cooke) is present and distraught. Krogh dismisses the council of Burghers and tells them he will make out the death certificate with Dr. Burgher (an uncredited Clarence Wilson). Krogh suggests the neck and heart be examined. Ygor is waiting outside the shop of Emil Lang, he is the town apothecary. Back at the castle, Wolf and his wife retire for the night. Elsa asks about Benson, and then admits to being afraid. Ygor plays his flute while the creature walks to Lang's shop. In shadow we see the creature kill Lang.The next morning the angry villagers assemble and then walk to the castle. Krogh stops at the castle to inquire on the whereabouts of Benson. Wolf explains that his wife and son will be leaving for, "a slight holiday." Krogh explains that another mysterious death has occurred and that the Baron and his family should stay put at the castle. The mob arrives at the castle gate. As the crowd mills about outside, the Inspector and the Baron go inside to talk. Krogh goes up to see Peter in his room and asks about the giant. Peter shows Krogh a watch the giant gave him. It is Benson's engraved pocket watch. When Amelia returns the three walk downstairs for some hot chocolate. Elsa starts to suspect strange goings on. Krogh is called away and Wolf returns to the lab. He discovers the cave just off the sulphur pit and finds the sleeping monster. He picks up a rock and attempts to dispatch the creature but is stopped by Ygor. Ygor admits to having Neumuller and Lang disposed of by the creature. Meanwhile the ugly crowd outside the castle gate gets more unruly. Krogh returns to the castle. He finds the Baron in the Library playing darts. He explains, "My business tonight is official, not social." The Baron continues to throw darts at the board while the Inspector tells of another death--this time it is Lang. Wolf sarcastically asks if it was his father's creation, or perhaps one he whipped up. Finally, Krogh admits, "I promised your arrest to the villagers to keep them quiet...for the moment." He also admits searching the laboratory, but found nothing incriminating. He suspects Benson is dead and plans to hold the Baron as responsible. The Baron departs to remove Ygor from the estate and Krogh goes up to Peter's room. The Baron confronts Ygor with a gun and shoots and kills the man in self-defense. Krogh finds the switch that opens the wall. He enters the passage and finds Benson's dead body. In the lab, the creature finds Ygor's dead body and mourns. Krogh returns to the library. The Baron admits to killing Ygor, "He tried to murder me with his hammer, so I shot him. What are you gonna do about it?" Krogh demands to know where the monster is located. The monster carries Ygor's body to the crypt, then departs looking for revenge. He destroys the lab then seeks out the boy via the secret passage to Peter's room. The monster attacks Amelia while Krogh and the Baron play darts. It is Krogh's turn and he pokes his darts into his wooden arm, then throws the darts one at a time at the board. Elsa discovers Amelia and that her son is missing. The creature escorts Peter to the pit. He picks the child up and holds him over the pit. Peter is unafraid. For some unknown reason the creature places Peter on the ladder, and the two climb up to the lab. Krogh climbs up the ladder and confronts the creature. It pulls Krogh's wooden arm off and brandishes same. Krogh empties his service revolver into the monster, but with no effect. The monster steps on Peter while the Baron enters the lab from above. The Baron swings down on a rope and kicks the monster into the bubbling pit. The Baron picks up his son and they look down into the bubbling and flaming pit below.At the train station the next day, the Baron and his family prepare to depart. Wolf tells the crowd, "Herewith I deed to you the castle and the estate of Frankenstein. Do with them what you will. And may happiness and peace of mind be restored to you all. Good bye." We close with the family on the train car as it pulls away from the station and the cast credits.

Review: Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone), Henry's son, is on his way to claim his inheritance from his father, and receives a not-too-warm welcome from the small German town that has been frightened out of its wits by Henry's doings with monsters.
Lee has everything played various seriously, even Bela Lugosi's Ygor, which could have easily become funny, intentionally so or not.Adding to the atmosphere are the sets, which are just as grand in their own way as anything in either of Whale's two Frankenstein films.
Lionel Atwill, as Inspector Krogh, easily holds his own with the trio (although any fan of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (1974) is sure to laugh at occasional moments involving Krogh, since he is so perfectly spoofed in Brooks' film), as does the beautiful Josephine Hutchinson as Frankenstein's wife Elsa (named after the woman who played The Bride in the previous film, Elsa Lanchester) and Donnie Dunagan as their son Peter.Lugosi's Ygor was supposedly improvised then written into the film--Lugosi was originally slated to play a policeman.
This time Henry Frankenstein's son, Wolf (Basil Rathbone) revives the dormant monster with the help of Ygor (Bela Lugosi, in his most underrated performance).
Star billing goes to Basil Rathbone as Baron Wolf Von Frankenstein, the son of the scientist who brought nothing but misery in the German town, but the scene stealer in this production happens to be Bela Lugosi, almost unrecognizable as the bearded character of Ygor, possibly his best performance in his latter day career.
Then there is Lionel Atwill, another horror film veteran, making his debut in the series, playing a one armed police inspector, another interesting presence to the story.The story, set in a Gothic German village, finds Wolf Von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) returning by train to the town where his parents once lived.
Ygor is also the master of the Monster (Karloff), who "does things for him." His coma condition happens to be a result of an aftereffect of being struck by lightning, and Ygor calls on Wolf to help revive the monster."Son of Frankenstein" is more of a science fiction nature than horror, since the movie spends a great deal of footage in the laboratory having Frankenstein examining his father's creation and how this physical being has survived such ordeals after finding his heart containing two bullets, etc.
While Colin Clive's Frankenstein character allowed himself to become hysterical in the first two entries, viewers expect and accept this, but when Rathbone's character calls for him to do the same, especially during the dart playing sequence with Krough, this somewhat becomes embarrassing to sit through, in spite that Rathbone is a very capable actor who seldom overacts as he does here.While not on the same scale as James Whale's earlier carnations of the Frankenstein films, "Son of Frankenstein" is still watchable, mainly because of its Universal staff players, and added sound effects of thunder and lightning, as well as very moody setting made to the comforts of home for the Frankenstein family.
Once again, Karloff played the monster (for the last time in the movies) and here he was brilliantly supported by the finest horror cast ever assembled: Bela Lugosi (who for once has a decent-sized rolebuilt up by director/producer Leewhich he plays with admirable intensity); Basil Rathbone (supremely jittery as the misguided baron, Rathbone plays the heir with a clipped, compelling authority that is both convincing yet sympathetic); and Lionel Atwill (probably his most memorable part as the punctilious police inspector who uses his wooden arm as a grotesque prop).Although the monster doesn't enter for some time, the atmospheric build-up is absolutely terrific.
It has a Heavy, Weighty Appeal with a Handsome, Gothic, Expressionistic Mounting and a Number of Fine, Melodramatic Performances from the Period's Iconic Horror Actors.Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Lionel Atwill all Deliver Outstanding Characters that Come to Life and give the Picture a Rich Atmosphere of Living-Dread.
Ygor takes Wolf to the comatose body of the monster (Boris Karloff) his father created and the son decides to follow in his father's footsteps by reviving the creature.The third film in Universal's Frankenstein series and the first without James Whale.
He gets that chance when the hunchbacked Igor leads him to the monster.The two roles that are unforgettable in Son Of Frankenstein are Bela Lugosi as Igor and Lionel Atwill as the one armed inspector Krogh.
If you like Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, the classic Universal Monsters, great black and white movies, and horror films then I strongly recommend that you check out this film today!.
Howard Maxford says that this film is sometimes unintentionally funny due to Mel Brooks, and I presume that the character of Krogh is what he has in mind when he says that.Mike Mayo correctly says "the acting carries the film", with Lugosi "seldom better", Karloff "excellent", and Rathbone and Atwill "never upstaged." This film is widely considered to be the last good Universal Frankenstein film, before following "the sad path to the Abbott and Costello travesty", to quote Ivan Butler.
In addition, the living corpse of Ygor, played by Bela Lugosi (Dracula) keeps a close eye on his half-living, half-dead companion and uses the new Dr. Frankenstein to return life to the green-skinned creature."Son of Frankenstein" is not a very significant horror movie and is not in the same league as the first two movies of the series, but in comparison to a great many of the sequels that followed, it does stand out as one of the few passable entries.
First off you got Basil Rathbone,, one of the horror greats in here, as Wolf Frankenstein,, then of course you got Bela Lugosi, as Ygor the hunchback assistant,, and last but certainly not least the Monster,, Boris Karloff, also note that this is the last time that Boris plays the monster,, in later films,, it's Lon Chaney,, but this film is wonderful,, i loved the sets,, the shadows,, how dark everything was,, the inspector in this one,, reminds me of a modern day Columbo,, but kinda different,, i loved all of the secret rooms,, and ways that Wolf,, and the Monster, just seemed to sneak around that big house,, This is a wonderful addition to the first two movies,, just a hair below the first two,, but nonetheless very good indeed for all horror fans of all ages a definite must for anyone's collection..
It's a curious thing, watching "Son of Frankenstein."  The Frankenstein Monster, played by Boris Karloff for the last time, has comparatively little screen time -- we see him in the lab, menacing Wolf Frankenstein, doing Ygor's bidding, then going on his final rampage.
Lee and starring Basil Rathbone as Baron Frankenstein, Boris Karloff as The Monster (his last turn as the creature), Lionel Atwill as Inspector Krogh and Bela Lugosi as Ygor.
That's quite a cast list, add in a sharp script from Willis Cooper and the stunning sets from Russell Gausman, and you got a sequel that's well worth its salt.Following on from Bride Of Frankenstein (25 years later), the film sees son of Frankenstein Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Rathbone) return to the family home and scene of his fathers monstrosities.
Wolf then becomes obsessed with bringing the monster back to full life, thus to prove his father had the right intention but not the execution of his ideas.It's a ripper of a sequel is this, perhaps lacking in the humour that James Whale brought to the first two films, it is however a well constructed feature boasting great performances from Rathbone (the part was originally planned for Peter Lorre), Lionel Atwill (having a riot with his false arm) and Lugosi (possibly a career high in terms of substance).
Lee takes a weak script and gives it flesh and form with wonderful set design that definitely pay homage to the expressionist German movement that inspired Universal horror movies since their beginning.Boris Karloff repeats the role of the monster and a brilliant addition to the cast is the inclusion of legendary actor Basil Rathbone as Baron Wolf Von Frankenstein, the son of Henry Frankenstein who returns to home only to find his father's creation.
Lee never shows any of these "tender" moments between the monster & Peter on camera, but does give us the on-screen visual of the monster contemplating throwing the boy into a boiling sulphur pit (?!).Despite my criticisms of the monster's role, there's also much in this sequel to praise, starting with the man (who in spite of his third billing) is the real star of the film, "Bela Lugosi" as the sly & cunning Ygor who manipulates the young Baron into reviving the monster so he can continue his revenge against the eight jurors who sent him to the gallows.
Basil Rathbone does a fine job with his leading role as the somewhat naive Baron whose good intentions to clear his father's name go all wrong & doing a bit of his own scene-stealing is Lionel Atwill, who became a regular staple of the Frankenstein movies.
With this growing tension...just throw in the Frankenstein Monster (Boris Karloff) and a twisted blacksmith named Ygor (Bela Lugosi) making this one of best horror pictures ever made.
This film would have never worked, these 2 characters along with Rathbone as Wolf Frankenstein and of course The Monster, Boris Karloff.
Wolf then sets about reviving the monster, but Ygor instead uses him as an instrument of revenge against those who "wronged" him, leading to a violent showdown near the sulfur pits still bubbling in the lab...Well directed and designed film, featuring Boris Karloff's last performance as the monster, also has a good story and superb score.
Lee and the writer Wyllis Cooper) wisely added their own peculiar humor as well and created yet another excellent film, joining "Bride" on that short list of great pointless sequels.The son (Basil Rathbone) of Henry Frankenstein has returned with his wife and young boy to the village where his father had created a monster (Boris Karloff), which turned murderous, thus blackening the name of Frankenstein among the villagers and making the prodigal son a pariah.
Wolf Frankenstein becomes obsessed with his father's legacy; and when he discovers through a broken-necked freak named Ygor (Bela Lugosi) that the monster lives on in a coma, he decides to revive him."Son of" has three memorably eccentric performances.
This richness extends to the delightful if overlong script and the outstanding performances of the four stars: Basil Rathbone is an intellectual but edgy Frankenstein (I find his overacting here intoxicating and, quite honestly, one of the undoubted highlights of the film - pity he seemed not to care enough for the role to warrant a mention in his autobiography!); much has been said, too, about Karloff's lack of purpose this time around: I disagree, as he has plenty of opportunities to shine (particularly the mirror scene with Rathbone and his final rampage, certainly among the best bits of acting he's ever done!) and, in any case, he's always fascinating to watch in that make-up - and the sheepskin he wears throughout is an added treat; Bela Lugosi manages to steal the picture with a surprisingly fine turn as Ygor, a great characterization in any film but pitted against Rathbone's histrionics and alongside Karloff's semi-comatose monster (acting as an evil influence upon it, much as Ernest Thesiger had in BRIDE), he is extremely effective - in fact, Lugosi and Karloff's rapport here echoes the one the latter shared with Brember Wills in James Whale's masterful THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932) and which sadly wasn't replicated in the next entry, THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942), with the monster now played by Lon Chaney Jr.!; Lionel Atwill has his best role in a Universal horror film as one-armed Inspector Krogh - which rather typecast him from then on as a figure of authority!
- but, again, his scenes with Rathbone are to be relished (notably the celebrated game of darts), developing from protectiveness towards the Baron to admiration, suspicion and, ultimately, sacrifice!The rest of the cast features series staples like Lionel Belmore and Michael Mark but also horror regulars like Edgar Norton and Gustav von Seyffertitz; Josephine Hutchinson is okay as the current Baroness Frankenstein but Donnie Dunagan's acting as the couple's son is an abomination and, while Karloff's impulse to throw him into the sulphur pit at the bottom of the laboratory - in retaliation for Lugosi's killing by Rathbone - may be construed as a bit extreme, the child nonetheless would have deserved just that fate for his irritating performance alone!
This time, young Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) shows up to claim his family castle, where the maniacal Ygor (Bela Lugosi) has set up shop.
(Rathbone was 47 when this movie was made.) He meets up with Ygor (Played by Bela Lugosi, who turned down the role of the Monster in 1931) a hunchback hanged for assisting the original Frankenstein.
Ygor knows more about the fate of the monster (Boris Karloff) than anyone else, but sharing this knowledge with Wolf comes at a steep price.I almost titled this review "Bela Basil and Boris Oh My" until I realized that shortchanges the best performance in the film, Lionel Atwill's as Inspector Krogh.
Lee, Novel: Mary Shelley, Script: Wyllis Cooper, Cast: Basil Rathbone (Baron Von Frankenstein), Boris Karloff (Monster), Bela Lugosi (Ygor), Lionel Atwill (Insp.
"Son of Frankenstein" is certainly a worthy sequel to the previous Frankenstein installment, "The Bride of Frankenstein." In addition to Boris Karloff's final appearance as the Monster, we are treated to one of Bela Lugosi's greatest performances as the mysterious, broken-necked Ygor.
The last great Universal monster movie and representing the close of the 1930s golden age of horror films, "Son of Frankenstein" is an interesting deviation from its predecessors helmed by James Whale.
The Frankenstein saga continues on third movie where the Universal Studio make your main trademake,monsters and relatives stuffs,in this movie follow the same success's formula starting where the previous one left off,creating the same spooky atmosphere,large sets stage to making the whole concept still alive in the fabulous black and white scary monocromatic color,instead to see Boris Karloff shines here we have Bela Lugosi stealing the entire show in certainly one best acting or nearly,without forget the remain cast in particular way Lionel Atwill as the funny inspector Krogh whom the movie's success deserve too much your great and remarkable performance noticed for many!!!Resume:First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.25.
And don't even get me started about the immense proportions of the castle's door knockers!With Rathbone and Lugosi joined by fellow horror legend Lionel Atwill (as the village's one-armed police inspector Krogh) and, of course, Boris Karloff as the Monster, the film is an unabashed treat for classic monster movie fans, one that revels in its Gothic excess, with secret passageways, a bubbling sulphur pit, a laboratory full of crazy electrical machinery, and—as if you needed to be told—an angry mob of locals waving pitchforks and torches.
Add to that fine performances from Rathbone, Karloff, Lugosi and especially Atwill as the bitter but dutifull Police Inspector you have what is the most literate Universal film in the Frankenstein series.
It has been ages since I saw this film so I recently bought it on DVD.I have read several reviews of this by renowned critics and it is almost universally praised.I watched the movie very recently and felt a tinge of disappointment with what I saw.The film is actually quite boring a lot of the time with lots of talking and very little action.It is the longest of the three Karloff Frankenstein movies and it definitely suffers because of this.The story is stretched out and it drags.The acting is generally OK.Basil Rathbone is not too bad as Baron Wolf though he doesn't convince as much when he approaches near mania towards the end of the movie.Lionel Atwill clearly has a ball as Krogh but the false arm story is overcooked a little.The best performance comes from Bela Lugosi as Ygor but he too seemed to be bordering on pantomime villain at times.One of the biggest weaknesses here though are any scenes where child actor Donnie Dunagan has any dialogue.He is awful and you can feel the unease of the actors every time he has something to say.I don't know what the makers were thinking giving him so much to say as he obviously struggled at times and it was a relief when he had actually got his lines out.It isn't all bad.The sets are fantastic and it is great to see Boris Karloff again as the monster.It must be said though that in this film he really doesn't have too much to do except obey the orders of Ygor.In the first 'Frankenstein' the monster really did look like the walking dead.In 'Bride Of Frankenstein' the monster showed a more human side but here he is almost robot like and absolutely nothing is added to the character.There are a couple of good scenes with the monster.When he compares his face with Baron Wolfs and you can sense the anguish of the monster and the scenes where the Baron gives the monster a medical are interesting and well done.This isn't a terrible movie at all but it falls well short of the first two.Then again,they were a hell of a lot to live up to..
Son of Frankenstein (1939) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Third film in Universal's Frankenstein series has Basil Rathbone playing the son of the original doctor who returns to his father's castle where he runs into the broken necked Ygor (Bela Lugosi) who has befriended the sick monster (Boris Karloff).
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) *** Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill.