James Whale's brilliant follow-up to his 1931 smash Frankenstein is that uncommon rarity in movies, a sequel that's superior to the original. A true treasure of Hollywood's "Golden Age", Bride is — almost 70 years on — rightly considered one of the greatest American films of all time.
Working with more control and a bigger budget than he enjoyed on the first film, Whale fashions a near perfect blend of horror, satire and absurd humor. Inspired by the German Expressionist design of Lang and Murnau, the huge gothic sets (interior and exterior) are absolutely marvelous. The performances of the players are equal to the milieu created for them. Colin Clive is thankfully more restrained here as Henry Frankenstein; Ernest Thesinger’s Dr. Pretorious — accentuating his relish for sacrilege with a devilish foppery — remains one of the most memorable mad scientists of the movies. Created by Frankenstein and Pretorius as a mate for the lonely Monster, Elsa Lanchester's surprisingly short screen time as the "bride" was nonetheless powerful enough to make an indelible impression on pop culture.
The amazing Boris Karloff (now portraying a creature with the power of speech) matches his brilliant performance in the first film... That he was passed over for an Oscar nomination is inexcusable. His interpretation of this iconic role will live forever.
