Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of)

This is my second retro-review in as many days.This time it is the companion set to the Mummy franchise,Universals'Legacy Collection of the original "Frankenstein" franchise.I have decided from time to time to go back into my collection and pick out titles that I have never touched and do a retro-review on them like this one.
This set is one of my more prized ones.Five movies are here starting with the absolute horror classic that spawned and inspired countless such films that came after it,the original 1931 "Frankenstein" starring the inimitable Boris Karloff.Karloff had been in the business for some years as a minor player in silent and early sound films.But it was this role that was to change his career and life forever and make him a household name almost overnight.I recall my mothers' recollections of this film on seeing it on its' debut run as a young girl.She always remembered the scene with the little girl being thrown into the water and that the entire picture scared the begeesus out of her.It still has the ability to scare and terrify even today.
Everybody is familiar with the plots of at least the first two films,"Frankenstein" and "The Bride of Frankenstein"(1935).They involve the doings of one Dr.Frankenstein(the monster had no name and was never called Frankenstein) who becomes obsessed with reanimating dead tissue.This leads him,with his assistant Ygor,to try his theories on human bodies;the fresher the better.When finally the good doctor brings to life his experiment the monster he has created becomes hard to handle.It is basically trying to get a grasp on his unusual situation but is being pulled in many directions at once.He escapes and has a few encounters with outsiders but his actions are totally misconstrued.He ends up being hunted down and eventually "perishes" inside Frankensteins' castle.
"The Bride of Frankenstein" stars Karloff again and this time the doctor wants to right the wrongs he made the first time.The monster has come a long way from his original animation and eventually persuades the doctor that he needs a companion.The doctor reluctantly obliges realizing though that another one is going to double his woes if not handled just right.He re-animates from body parts a woman for the original monsters' desires.The minute she awakes however it is the doctor she clings to and is abhorred at the sight of her expectant mate.Frankenstein again goes crazy which only ends with his "demise".
Part of the reason these two films are veritable classics is that they reek with atmosphere.As I stated in my recent Mummy review Universal was without peer when it came to creating the right sets and lighting to generate the proper look that it wanted.And the work they did in these films are benchmarks and without question still stand the test of time.
The next film in the series is "Son of Frankenstein"(1939).Basil Rathbone stars as the the deceased doctors' son who 25 years later comes back to his fathers' home.There is no warm reception for the young man who also happens to be a doctor.Wandering through the castle ruins one day he finds Ygor,played by Bela Lugosi.Ygor introduces the son to the monster(Karloff) who is still alive.Ygor wants the doctor to help him which he does but both are at cross purposes.The doctor thinks maybe he can somehow regain control of it while Ygor is suspicious of his plans and has other nefarious ideas of his own for the monster.Ygor eventually gets the monster on a killing spree which arouses the local townsfolk again.The hunt is on but not before the doctors' own son is kidnapped by the monster.It's touch and go but the monster is eventually pushed into the sulphur pit below the castle ruins.The doctor in disgrace ups and leaves the town for good.Karloff again plays the monster with some degree of feeling and sensitivity,things that would be lacking in the next two films.
"The Ghost of Frankenstein" finds Ygor still inhabiting the ruins of the castle.The townsfolk also get wind of this fact and decide to blow the place up once and for all.One explosion goes off and Ygor stumbles across the monster(Lon Chaney).Both escape and look back as the castle is totally blown away.They seek out the other son of the late doctor,Ludwig Frankenstein(Sir Cedric Hardwicke),who with the help of a receptive colleague has also been experimenting in the reanimation of dead tissue,but not to the extent of his late father.The monster and Ygor boldly walk through the village and when the monster helps a little girl retrieve her ball from a rooftop,the townspeople misinterpret the gesture and he is captured by the local constabulary and thrown in jail.Ygor goes to Ludwig and tells him the situation.Ygor retrieves the monster and when both show up Ludwig gases both of them.Ludwig wants to take the monster apart piece by piece but changes his mind when the ghost of his father shows up to persuade him otherwise.Instead Ludwig decides to transplant the brain of a more normal person into the monsters' head.However his assistant double crosses him and switches the good brain for Ygors'.The monster awakes but shortly learns the implant will not take as Ygors' blood type was not compatible with the monsters'.He goes on a suicidal rampage destroying the lab and house with himself in it.
"The House Of Frankenstein"(1944) involves the story of a disgraced and jailed Dr.Nieman(Karloff) who has obviously studied Dr.Frankensteins' lamentable methodology with a friend who bears a remarkable resemblance to Ygor.They escape and run into a wandering showman called Lampini.It seems Lampini has the skeleton of Count Dracula.Nieman kills Lampini and takes his identity.He raises Count Dracula(played by John Carradine)back to the living to do his bidding and take revenge on those that imprisoned him.But Dracula can't be restrained and he goes on a silent killing spree throughout the area.Nieman/Lampini with his friend and Dracula in tow try to outrun the town posse but Dracula is killed in the chase.The two escapees come to the ruins of Frankensteins' castle where they find the Wolfman(Lon Chaney) and the monster(Glenn Strange) encased in ice.Nieman tells the Wolfman that he will operate on him to relieve him of his affliction but in due course The Wolfman finds out that Nieman seems much more interested in the monster than in him.This leads to conflict between them and the Wolfman changes and starts to kill.He ends up being shot and killed and Nieman and the monster are pursued by an angry mob.Nieman is injured and the monster helps him to make their getaway but he takes him in the wrong direction and both disappear into a pit of quicksand.
To supplement this amazing collection(the best of the Legacy series) are some very fine additions.All theatrical trailers are here along with the 1931,1938 and 1951 re-issue trailers."Boo" a cute but odd short film is here along with poster galleries for the first two movies,"She's Alive" a documentary about "The Bride of Frankenstein",another documentary called "The Frankenstein Files:How Hollywood made a monster" and finally a take on the making of the Frankenstein films by the director of "Van Helsing",Stephen Sommers.
By all standards this release gets top marks all the way.The films have been wonderfully remastered and restored and are very clean and crisp.I highly recommend this set to everyone but as an ESSENTIAL to the collection of anyone who has even the slightest interest in the horror genre of motion pictures.The first two films here are absolute essentials and both still quicken the pulse and startle even a jaded fan like myself after all these years.This release has been around for about four years now.May I suggest if you haven't already that you get yours today before it is gone forever.

I couldn't possibly add to the well thought out and informed material that has already been sent in by prior writers. However, this is the film that started an avalanche of what we now refer to as classic horror. We all owe a debt of thanks to Universal for their pioneering and profitable efforts which many studios copied but almost none were able to duplicate. Universal developed film stories with more substance, haunting music, fantastic sets and the wonderful makeup of Jack Pierce. We also must never forget the acting magic of Boris Karloff.

Classic horror fans agree that Karloff's superb face, intended emotions and acting skills were visible through the pounds of makeup. The fact that Karloff could clearly convey his expressions like no other under these conditions is a tribute to his skills. Numerous other actors have tried and fallen short of his performance. My small personal circle of learned classic horror movie fans actually have a saying which is "Karloff's face was half of the makeup".

I will just state that the DVD transfer was excellent and note that I loved the film on my large format TV. Sadly, I don't have the memory of seeing this film on an actual full scale theater screen to compare it to, although I have come close when watching an excellent 16 mm copy in a privately owned theater. It was an amazing experience.

Memories of the grand opening of this film in New York were described by my mother (who most definitely was not a fan) who noted that nothing had ever been seen like Universal's Frankenstein on the screen before. A nurse was on call for each showing because of the numerous patrons who passed out and an ambulance and hearse were located outside the theater to add to the mood and to promote effective publicity.

As a previous reviewer noted this collection is terrific except for the packaging. One of the disks was loose and became damaged either in packaging or shipping.

As in the Dracula set of movies from the same company, the DVDs arrived in the manufacturer's container with scratches, blotches, fogging, and other obvious visual defects, and they would not play on either of my DVD players nor on my computer. I cannot recommend until the manufacturing defects are resolved.

To reiterate some of the previous posts: yes, my discs arrived loose in the case as well. But I must agree with the person who stated that it's not the discs being scratched that's causing the glitches on Disc 2, it's the discs themselves. My discs were not visibly scratched, so the manufacturer dropped the ball. Mine glitched during "Son of Frankenstein" but given the slow uneven pace of the film itself it was no loss. "Ghost of Frank" and "House of Frank" played fine. "House of Frankenstein" was a pleasant surprise, although the Monster in this one came perilously close to resembling Herman Munster. Apart from that, and the goofy animated bat effect, a good solid film of its kind. The transformation of the skeleton into Dracula was particularly effective. And you can't beat the traveling sideshow motif.
"Ghost of Frankenstein" was essentially a short. "Son of ..." had the aforementioned pacing issues, but contained some interesting special effects and good atmosphere. The first two are, of course, the best, but I had forgotten how goofy the homunculi were in "Bride" (except for the ballet dancer). And the tedious and unfunny maid just DOMINATES the film. They should have giver her top billing.