Frankenstein (1931)
Universal Studios Home Video
DVD 71 minutes, B&W, 1931

review by Shade Rupe

In the name of cinema, now I know how it feels to be treated like a filmgoer! While not exactly the exclamation previously silenced out of the film by early censors, film fans should be screaming something similar in appreciation for Universal's restoration of this true classic of cinema, a film that will be preserved and restored again and again for whatever new recording mediums arise.
One of the most exciting revelations of this latest restoration is the inclusion of a line that had been missing from the film since 1938, when the Hays Office ordered its removal from all prints. After Frankenstein's monstrous creation moves its hand ever so slowly against thunder and lightning, its creator maniacally shrieks "In the name of God, now I know what it feels like to be God!" The last restoration showed Colin Clive mouthing the words, but the dialogue was still overshadowed by the crashing thunder.
While today we find little offense at such a line (or at least those reading this review I'm sure), there were many, many cuts imposed on the film, the most being the censor board in Kansas City, MO, which ordered a record 32 cuts! Some countries banned the film entirely. Nevertheless, the film still ended up as one of 1932's highest-grossing films, grossing over 15 million upon its initial release (the film's premiere was held at the Mayfair Theatre in Manhattan, Dec. 4, 1931).
Beyond the thrilling discovery of the missing piece here and there, we can triumphantly state that Universal's new video release is one of the more remarkable restorations we've yet seen. No more flickering, scratchy, grainfests in darkness. This film is crisp and clear. There are a few little bits that they could�ve spent an extra few months on for even cleaner look, but we found little to complain about here. In fact the film is so clear, you can even see ripples in the night sky backdrops! Background artwork, castle and lab details, and more come to full almost three-dimensional life, breathing a wholly new life to the experience of the picture.
The sound itself is also a remarkable improvement. Gone are the multitudinous pops and crackles of the old track, which reduced many lines to buckled utterances. This track is clear of all defects. Totally. Which I actually must complain about. Although it is wonderful to just hear the film itself, no room tone was substituted for the pops in the original tracks, leaving us with emphatic, dead silence between lines, which almost makes the film sound like it was recorded in a studio at a later date. But this is the only complaint that can be made on this title.
A 45-minute documentary, The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made A Monster,produced, written, directed, narrated and hosted by horror film professor David J. Skal (with appearances by Sara Karloff, Rick Baker, and Ivan Butler) provides some knowledgable insight on the film. The documentary uses a lower-quality transfer for its reprisals of footage of the film, showing how vast the difference is from the previous atrocities of video presentation we've had to sit through. Also included are commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer; a strange, comedic short comprised of various scenes from Frankenstein, Nosferatuand The Cat Creeps,some excellent production notes, a 'moving' still gallery, and a trailer for the film.
A really quite impressive work from the folks at Universal.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
www.universalstudios.com/dvd

BACK