THE YEAR: 1935
Greetings, friends. I started this column for Bloody Disgusting last fall and wrote about horror films from 1931-1934. My duties as an adjunct English instructor prohibited me from continuing the column until now, but I’m pleased to revive the column (with 1935) for one main reason: Bride of Frankenstein. As far as sequels go, it’s one the best that you can find. Universal significantly increased director James Whale’s budget, and Boris Karloff’s performance as the monster is even more touching than it was in 1931’s Frankenstein. It must be said, however, that 1935 was a pretty lean year as far as horror is concerned. As mentioned in the 1934 editorial, the Hays Code was in full swing, and – for the most part – studios weren’t budgeting for horror movies. Nonetheless, there are several low budget gems worth your consideration. Boris Karloff, aside from reprising his role of the monster in Bride of Frankenstein, shared the screen again with Bela Lugosi in a (loose) adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven; Karloff also starred in a strange film about the psychological connection of twins in The Black Room; Karl Freund (who directed Karloff in The Mummy (1932)) directed his final film, Mad Love, before he became – almost exclusively – a cinematographer; and Henry Hull starred in the thought-provoking Werewolf of London. So sit back, relax, and let me pique your interest in the five best horror films of 1935.
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BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
(D) James Whale
(W) William Hurlbut
(S) Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, and Valerie Hobson
You would be hard-pressed to find a better sequel than Bride of Frankenstein. Many of the same people from Frankenstein (1931) – both in front of and behind the camera – are involved, and this film benefits greatly from that consistency. Initially, we get a bit of back story, including the origin of the legend (which has also been detailed in Ken Russell’s GOTHIC (1986) and Ivan Passer’s Haunted Summer 1988)), in which Mary Shelley (Lanchester, who also plays the Bride) conjures up the idea for her novel, Frankenstein, after sharing ghost stories with her husband, Percy Shelley (Douglas Walton) and Lord Byron (Gavin Gordon). Afterwards (in a bit of contrivance), Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Clive, reprising his role from the original) and his monster (Karloff), are discovered to be alive! Dr. Frankenstein’s mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) – in a great scene – proceeds to show him several small creatures that have been re-animated. Pretorius suggests to Henry that they should create a mate for Henry’s initial creation. Of course, things don’t go as planned. Check out this sequel for the excellent acting and heart-breaking performances from Karloff and Lanchester.
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THE RAVEN
(D) Louis Friedlander (a.k.a. Lew Landers)
(W) David Boehm
(S) Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lester Matthews, and Irene Ware
Once again, as they had in The Black Cat (1934), horror legends Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi share the screen in Friedlander’s The Raven, and the results are – at times – electric. Lugosi plays Dr. Vollin, a retired neurosurgeon who is obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe; he even has his very own torture chamber in his basement, which harkens particularly to The Pit and the Pendulum. Vollin is solicited by Judge Thatcher (Samuel Hinds) and Jerry Halden (Matthews) to bring a severely injured Jean Thatcher (Ware) back to health. Vollin falls in love with Jean, prompting the judge and Halden to try to tear Jean away. In order to keep Judge Thatcher and Halden at bay, Vollin enlists the help of Edmond Bateman (Karloff) a murderer on the lam. The scenes that Lugosi and Karloff share are wonderful and help to alleviate sporadic poor acting from some of their counterparts and some slow pacing. Poe fans will notice many “easter eggs” to his various works throughout the film.
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THE BLACK ROOM
(D) R. William Neill
(W) Arthur Strawn and Henry Myers
(S) Boris Karloff, Marian Marsh, and Robert Allen
Boris Karloff, the busiest man in Hollywood horror cinema, stars as both Baron Gregor and his twin brother, Anton, in The Black Room. Baron Gregor is a despotic ruler who likes to kill women; enter Anton, who is incredulous of his brother’s actions. The townspeople wind up admiring Anton (especially in light of his brother’s exploits), so Gregor abandons his position. All’s well that ends well, right? Not so fast. Gregor, jealous of Anton, lures him to the titular room and kills his twin. After this deed, Gregor takes over his twin brother’s life and prepares to marry Anton’s betrothed, Thea (the lovely Marian Marsh). In an interesting twist – and one that’s sure to please dog lovers – Anton’s mastiff suspects Gregor’s deception, and the dog, along with the townspeople, reveal Gregor’s true identity. Let’s just say things don’t turn out as Gregor planned in this chilling psychological thriller.
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MAD LOVE
(D) Karl Freund
(W) P.J. Wolfson and John L. Balderston
(S) Peter Lorre, Frances Drake, Colin Clive, and Sara Haden
Mad Love is another adaptation of the novel Les Mains d’Orlac (The Hands of Orlac) by Maurice Renard. If you’ve never seen the original The Hands of Orlac (1924), directed by Robert Weine and starring Conrad Veidt (both from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)), do yourself a favor and give it a watch. Horror icon Peter Lorre plays Dr. Gogol, who lusts after Yvonne Orlac (Drake). Gogol’s obsession with Yvonne is so absolute that he orders a full size wax figure of her so that he can keep her in his home. Meanwhile, Dr. Orlac (Clive), is returning to Paris when he is involved in a gruesome train accident that mangles his hands. Yvonne, aware of Gogol’s surgical talents, beseeches him to fix her husband’s hands; however, (in a Frankenstein-esque twist) Gogol replaces Orlac’s hands with those of a murderer. The transplant causes Orlac to exhibit strange behavior, and that’s only the beginning of the crazy plot. Watch this as a double bill with the aforementioned The Hands of Orlac for a complete experience.
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WEREWOLF OF LONDON
(D) Stuart Walker
(W) John Colton
(S) Henry Hull, Warner Oland, and Valerie Hobson
Released a full six years before the seminal The Wolf Man (1941), Werewolf of London earns a spot on this list for the excellent make-up provided by Jack Pierce. You are probably familiar with the story, and this version doesn’t stray too far from the versions you’re more familiar with. Wilfred Glendon (Hull) is an English botanist who travels to Tibet in search of the mariphasa plant, which has eluded botanists for years. While in Tibet, Glendon becomes the victim of a werewolf’s bite, and we all know what that means. Coincidentally, the mariphasa plant is revealed to be an antidote for the lycanthropic disease that Glendon has contracted. Glendon uses mariphasa to successfully quell his first transformation, but he is unable to suppress his subsequent ones. There is an interesting plot twist (that seasoned horror vets will probably see coming), but Werewolf of London is largely successful because of the excellent make-up, eerie settings, and uniformly strong acting.
