The Ghost of Frankenstein

Starring: Lon Chaney Jr., Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers
Directed by: Erle C. Kenton
Rating: Approved
Genre: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
1942

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Igor (Bela Lugosi) brings Frankenstein's Monster (Lon Chaney Jr.) to Frankenstein's other son (Cedric Hardwicke), who decides to swap the monster's brain out for another.

Review:

Tim: The Ghost of Frankenstein feels like a bit misstep in a franchise that has been fairly decent over the years. It does continue the story, but the script makes some odd choices that hurt the overall film. I'd say this is the least effective film in the franchise yet.

The story seems to really miss the mark. With the fourth film in the franchise, there were plenty of avenues open to pursue. Why the writers chose this one is a bit of a head scratcher. The previous film, Son of Frankenstein featured Dr. Frankenstein's son picking up where his father left off. This movie brings in Frankenstein's other son to continue both his brother and his father's work. Seriously, this is the best they could come up with? What's the next film, "Uncle of Frankenstein"? The story treads the same exact ground again. How many members of the Frankenstein family are brilliant scientists? That a major plot of this film is basically a rehash of the previous movie felt like a major misstep to me.

It also seems like the plot had little to no forward momentum. Igor discovers the Monster and decides to take him to the other Frankenstein. I can't exactly remember why- it's not well established. Anyway, they make their way to a village where the Monster befriends a little girl and kills a few people. This upsets the townspeople, so they start hunting the Monster. They meet up with Frankenstein, who decides to give the Monster a new brain. The whole thing feels like either a rehash of what we've already seen, or these plot points that are barely connected. The story didn't seem to flow well, which created a slightly unpleasant viewing experience.

The cast was okay, but no one really stood out. It mostly felt like B-actors going through the motions. Lon Chaney Jr. was fine as the Monster. Bela Lugosi was decent as Igor. I didn't care much for Cedric Hardwicke as the latest Frankenstein. He felt too wooden to me. I never really believed his character. As a whole, I just kind of shrug my shoulders at the cast. It was fine, but mostly a minor factor.

Now, there are a few strong moments in the film. Any time you have a giant, fairly stupid killing machine like Frankenstein's Monster, it creates some tension, especially when you've paired him with a little girl. There's something about the innocence of a child teamed with an unnatural freak that just makes you pretty nervous.

As a whole, I was fairly disappointed with The Ghost of Frankenstein. The whole brain swapping plot felt unimportant to me. We didn't really learn a whole lot about any of the characters. This just felt like a lackluster, uninspired turn. You can certainly do worse than this movie, but in a franchise with a lot of potential, this is the low point so far.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein