Bride of Frankenstein - Definition and Overview

Bride of Frankenstein 1999 release DVD cover

Bride of Frankenstein is a horror film released April 22, 1935, which is a sequel to the 1931 film Frankenstein. The movie tells the story of Doctor Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive), who is forced by his monster, played by Boris Karloff (billed simply as "Karloff", a mark that he had already become a serious 'brand' in 1930's horror and an improvement over the original film, in which he was listed as "???") to build him a mate (Elsa Lanchester double-cast in the role of Mary Shelley). The plot uses the parallel story of Doctor Frankenstein's marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson). It is to this bride that the title refers, the other bride being the bride of the monster.

The movie was adapted by William Hurlbut and John Balderston from an incident in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein in which the creature demands a mate. It was directed by James Whale, following his success with Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Old Dark House.

The film Gods and Monsters, which dramatized the life of James Whale, featured reconstructions of key scenes in the Bride of Frankenstein being filmed.

The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.