"Bride of Frankenstein" Lives! Quiz

Answer: False

The title is just "Bride of Frankenstein" in the film, although it is officially known as "THE Bride of Frankenstein" on the original posters, and other film review sources.

Answer: The Monster's Mate....?

Although Elsa Lanchester portrayed both Mary Shelley and "The Monster's Mate," it was listed just as Boris Karloff was listed at the beginning of "Frankenstein" (1931), with a question mark, not the actor's name.

Answer: Victor Moritz and Baron Frankenstein

Although Baron Frankenstein (Frederick Kerr) is referred to at the beginning of the film, he never makes an appearence, and one may infer that he has died because his son Henry is called Baron by the first time Henry meets Doctor Pretorius, who mentions the change. Victor Moritz (John Boles) was Henry's friend in the first film, but he must have had enough of Henry's experiments, because he doesn't make an appearence, nor is he mentioned. Both Fritz (Dwight Frye) and Doctor Waldman (Edward Van Sloan) were killed by the monster in the first film.

Answer: Minnie

The part of Minnie was written with her in mind. Minnie wasn't her only role in the film. If you look quickly, you can see her taking the wolfhounds out of the room in the first scene. Irish born actress, Una O'Connor, was in many classic movies - Hitchcock's "Murder!" (1930), Whale's "The Invisible Man" (1933), "David Copperfield" (1935), "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), "The Sea Hawk" (1940), "How Green Was My Valley" (1941), and "The Bells of St. Mary's" (1945).

Her last film was "Witness for the Prosecution" (1957).

She also appeared in many television drama guest roles.

Answer: 17

Yes, hard to believe, but Valerie was only seventeen! Although she had an English accent, she was born in 1917 in Ireland. She also appeared in "The Werewolf of London" (1935), and as Estella in David Lean's "Great Expectations" (1946). Interesting to note: James Whale wanted Mae Clarke to again play Elizabeth, as she had in "Frankenstein," but she was in poor health, so Valerie Hobson was cast.

Answer: False

According to a documentary included with the DVD release of "Bride of Frankenstein", Claude Rains was the first choice. When he was not available, Ernest Thesiger took over the part. Ernest Thesiger, born in 1879, started in silent pictures in 1916. Some of his movies include: "The Old Dark House" (1932), "Caesar and Cleopatra" (1945), "The Magic Box" and "The Man in the White Suit" both (1951), "The Robe" (1953), and his last movie, "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (1961).

He is also seen by millions every holiday season as the undertaker who collects Marley's dead body in the 1951, Alastair Sim classic, "A Christmas Carol" (aka "Scrooge").

Answer: "How beautifully dramatic!"

It is spoken by Lord Byron who is portrayed by Gavin Gordon. Some of his other credits include: Hitchcock's "Notorious" (1946), "There's No Business Like Show Business" (1954), "High Society" (1955), "The Ten Commandments" (1956), "The Nutty Professor" (1963), and his last film, "The Patsy" (1964).

Answer: Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan can be seen holding an axe, in profile on the right for an instant. This was far from Walter Brennan's first film, he had been appearing in over ninety bit parts in films since 1926! He went on to be the most beloved and recognizable character actor in Hollywood. Beginning in 1957, he was in a popular television series called "The Real McCoys", playing Grandpa Amos McCoy.

Answer: Franz Waxman

This was Franz Waxman's first big Hollywood movie, and he composed a magnificent score that was later used as stock music in Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials. His score is so evocative, all you have to hear are the first few notes, and you know where you heard it first.

The monster, Dr. Pretorius, and the bride all have their own themes or motifs that coincide with their appearences in the movie.

Answer: "Let me in, my good woman."

Millie's reaction to Dr. Pretorius, and his name, is especially amusing.

Answer: "I do hope he won't upset Henry."

It comes off as very odd, the way she talks to herself outside the door, but poor Elizabeth is a woman who says she is seeing things, apparitions that Henry can't see, so talking to herself is the least of her problems!

Answer: Gin

Strangly enough, while Pretorius tells Henry that gin was his only weakness, he later, in the crypt, tells the monster that cigars are his only weakness. I seriously doubt gin, as a beverage, was his only weakness. He had a bottle of whiskey handy, when he slipped the monster a mickey in the lab! Perhaps it was Henry's whiskey. Or maybe Dr. Waldman left it the time he was there to kill the monster in the first movie.

Answer: gods and monsters

The quote was used for the wonderful 1998 film loosely based on the later life of James Whale, "Gods and Monsters."

Answer: A baby in a high chair

Another cut in the film took out the part where he shows and explains to Henry the jar where, if you look closely at 23:50 to 24:02 on your DVD player, you can see a baby in a high-chair inside the jar. The baby is seen from behind bouncing something in its hands, then waving to the outside when Pretorius approaches Henry.

The jar is the fifth one from the right, between the ballerina and the "seaweed experiment" that looks like a mermaid. It was none other than Billy Barty playing the baby! A good deal of the film was cut, including a subplot about Karl murdering his uncle while the monster was at large, so that the blame of the murder would be on the monster, and not he. Karl then muses to himself that he could do the same to his aunt.

Answer: His left arm

He holds his left arm as he runs away from the hunters.

Answer: Pepper and salt

This scene was filmed after the cuts were made to Karl's subplot, to provide a link to the following scenes.

Answer: Bread

"Bread" is the first word he says during his lesson with the hermit, beautifully played by character actor O.P. Heggie, who died in 1936 of pneumonia at the age of 55.

Answer: John Carradine

John Carradine went on to take over the role of Count Dracula in the two later sequels, "House of Frankenstein" (1944) and "House of Dracula" (1945). He made films right up into the 1980s before he died. His sons David and Keith were accomplished actors, also.

Answer: "I can smell the ghosts already."

Karl is actually a combination of three different characters; one, the man who kills his uncle; two, the man who assists Pretorius in grave-digging; and three, the man who assists in the final scenes who was named Karl, but James Whale had Dwight Frye play all three as one, Karl. Dwight Frye seems to be in many important Universal horror movies: "Dracula" (1931), "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Invisible Man" (1933), "Son of Frankenstein" (1939), "Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942), and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" (1943).

He died in 1943, of a heart attack, at the age of 42.

Answer: Cosmic diffuser

A lot of the original equipment used in the Universal horror films was re-used many years later, in the Mel Brooks comedy, "Young Frankenstein."

Answer: we belong dead

Notice how the monster sheds a tear just before he pulls the lever? He was in pain because he was rejected by the woman he loved; a common story. He cried once before, when the hermit cried.

Answer: Henry is seen inside the lab after he went out the door with Elizabeth.

Henry can be seen on the left side of the lab as it collapses, but he ran out the door with Elizabeth just a moment before! This was because, as originally filmed, Henry and Elizabeth die with the others inside. A new and happier ending was filmed with Henry and Elizabeth escaping, but the collapsing watchtower, interior and exterior, wasn't re-shot.

Answer: "Darling, darling."

This was spoken by Colin Clive to Elizabeth, played by Valerie Hobson. Sadly, Colin Clive was an alcoholic who died in 1937, from tuberculosis, at the age of 37.

Answer: The Return of Frankenstein

The name was changed at James Whale's insistance.

Answer: A Good Cast is Worth Repeating

I believe this phrase was also used to head other Universal film cast lists, though I'm not certain. I think you would get a laugh from a present day audience if this phrase were used for a cast list at the end of a new film.