Bride of Frankenstein (advertised as The Bride of Frankenstein) is a 1935 science fiction/horror film. It is the sequel to the influential film Frankenstein (1931). Bride of Frankenstein was directed by James Whale and stars Boris Karloff as The Monster, Elsa Lanchester as his Mate and Mary Shelley, Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein and Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Septimus Pretorius.
The film immediately follows the events of the first film and is rooted in the original novel. A subplot from the latter half of the book involves the Monster promising to leave Frankenstein, and the human race, alone if Frankenstein will create a mate for him. Frankenstein creates the female monster, but never brings it to life, deciding instead to destroy it.
Bride of Frankenstein was released to great critical and popular success. In the decades since its release, the film's reputation has grown and it is hailed as director James Whale's masterpiece. Some modern film scholars, noting the homosexuality of James Whale and others in the production, have found a gay sensibility in the piece.
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive, not killed as previously believed. Dr. Frankenstein wants to get out of the evil experiment business, but when a mad scientist, Dr. Pretorius, kidnaps his wife, Dr. Frankenstein agrees to help him create a new creature, a woman, to be the companion of the monster. Written by John Oswalt
