Date Posted:21:35:36 01/11/08 Fri Author: Tim Subject: Re: Poll: Rating the Frankenstein Sequels... In reply to:
Rick
's message, "Poll: Rating the Frankenstein Sequels..." on 12:40:06 12/30/07 Sun
(1) Bride of Frankenstein. A picture often cited as being better than the original 1931 Frankenstein. I disagree with that, but do agree it is one of the best sequels ever. An amazing cast of characters! The sequence featuring the blind hermit (O.P. Heggie) still retains its pathos, despite being famously parodied in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein.
(2) Son of Frankenstein. Lacking the James Whale magic touch, the cast helps keep this one near the top. Lionel Atwill is an amazing scene-stealer with that arm of his! One of Bela Lugosi's finest performances and, sadly, Boris Karloff's swan song playing the Monster.
(3) House of Frankenstein. Boris Karloff is back, not as the Monster but as a mad scientist named Dr Niemann! Great work by J. Carrol Naish, Lionel Atwill and George Zucco, among others. John Carradine and Lon Chaney shine, respectively, as Dracula and The Wolf Man. Glenn Strange's first turn as the Monster.
(4) Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man. A okay film, but a great title, lurid and sensational! There's actually more Wolf Man than Frankenstein in this Frankenstein sequel. I remember watching it as a kid and impatiently waiting for the promised battle between the two monsters. An embarrassing chapter in Bela Lugosi's career, through no fault of his own.
(5) Ghost of Frankenstein. Lon Chaney as the Monster, with Bela Lugosi back as Ygor. Definitely one of the lesser efforts in the series, it seems more like a B movie in comparison to the first three Frankenstein films. Still a lot of fun to watch on a rainy afternoon.
