Bride of Frankenstein

Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film Frankenstein. As with the first film, Bride was directed by James Whale, starring Boris Karloff as the Monster and Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein. Additionally, it features Elsa Lanchester in the dual role of Mary Shelley and the bride, Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Septimus Pretorius, and Oliver Peters Heggie as the blind hermit. Taking place immediately after the events of the earlier film, it is rooted in a subplot of the original Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818). Bride follows a chastened Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to abandon his plans to create life, only to be tempted and finally blackmailed by his old mentor Dr. Pretorius, along with threats from the Monster, into constructing a bride for the Monster. Preparation to film a sequel to Frankenstein began shortly after its premiere, but script problems delayed the project. Principal photography on Bride of Frankenstein finally commenced in January 1935, with creative personnel from the original returning both in front of and behind the camera. The film was released to critical and popular acclaim, although it encountered difficulties with some state and national censorship boards. Since its release Bride of Frankenstein's reputation has grown, and it is now frequently considered one of the greatest sequels ever made. Many critics consider it to be an improvement on the original, and have hailed it as Whale's masterpiece. In 1998, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry, having been deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".