When Dracula
and Frankenstein became box office hits for Universal, Carl Laemmle Jr.
immediately ordered that sequels be written for both films. Scripts were
prepared, but Junior's choice of director, James Whale, had enough of monster
films and was doing everything he could to avoid them.
Finally in 1935,
after getting out of shooting Dracula's Daughter, Whale agreed to direct
The Return of Frankenstein.
In
this volume is the final shooting script by John L. Balderston. He added more
scenes from the novel, such as the monster hiding in a peasant's hut and
learning to read and speak, but Whale thought his version of the Monster's
personality too brutish and evil.
He wrote a new
script with screenwriter William Hurlbut, added new characters, such as Mini
and Dr. Pretorius, keeping Balderston's script as just an outline. Most
historians and fans feel that when Return of Frankenstein was renamed Bride
of Frankenstein that it became the most beloved film in Universal's Classic
Monster films.
Review from Psychobabble
