Frankenstein (1931 film)

Frankenstein
Frankenstein
	Theatrical release poster by Karoly Grosz
Directed by	James Whale
Screenplay by	Garrett Fort; Francis Edward Faragoh; Uncredited:; Robert Florey; John Russell;
Story by	Richard Schayer (scenario editor)
Based on	Frankenstein; 1818 novel; by Mary Shelley; Frankenstein; 1927 play; by Peggy Webling; John L. Balderston;
Produced by	Carl Laemmle Jr.
Starring	Colin Clive; Mae Clarke; John Boles; Boris Karloff; Dwight Frye; Edward van Sloan; Frederick Kerr;
Cinematography	Arthur Edeson
Edited by	Clarence Kolster; Maurice Pivar;
Production; company	Universal Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	November 21, 1931;
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$262,007
Box office	$12 million

Frankenstein is a 1931 American pre-Code science fiction horror film directed by James Whale, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., and adapted from a 1927 play by Peggy Webling, which in turn was based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The Webling play was adapted by John L. Balderston and the screenplay written by Francis Edward Faragoh and Garrett Fort, with uncredited contributions from Robert Florey and John Russell.

Frankenstein stars Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein (Victor Frankenstein in the novel), an obsessed scientist who digs up corpses with his assistant in order to assemble a living being from body parts. The resulting creature, often known as Frankenstein's monster, is portrayed by Boris Karloff. The makeup for the monster was provided by Jack Pierce. Alongside Clive and Karloff, the film's cast also includes Mae Clarke, John Boles, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan.

Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, the film was a commercial success upon release, and was generally well received by both critics and audiences. It spawned a number of sequels and spin-offs, and has had a significant impact on popular culture: the imagery of a maniacal "mad" scientist with a hunchbacked assistant and the film's depiction of Frankenstein's monster have since become iconic. In 1991, the United States Library of Congress selected Frankenstein for preservation in the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[4]^[5]

^ Nourmand & Marsh. pg. 134
^ Michael Brunas, John Brunas & Tom Weaver, Universal Horrors: The Studios Classic Films, 1931–46, McFarland, 1990 p24
^ Box Office Information for Frankenstein. Archived February 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine The Numbers. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
^ Kehr, Dave (September 26, 1991). "U.S. Film Registry Adds 25 'Significant' Movies". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing: National Film Preservation Board". Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via The Library of Congress.

[1] Nourmand & Marsh. pg. 134

[universal-2] Michael Brunas, John Brunas & Tom Weaver, Universal Horrors: The Studios Classic Films, 1931–46, McFarland, 1990 p24

[3] Box Office Information for Frankenstein. Archived February 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine The Numbers. Retrieved April 13, 2012.

[4] Kehr, Dave (September 26, 1991). "U.S. Film Registry Adds 25 'Significant' Movies". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.

[5] "Complete National Film Registry Listing: National Film Preservation Board". Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via The Library of Congress.

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