Frankenstein (1931) 4K Restoration
Director: James Whale Run Time: 70 min. Rating: Passed Release Year: 1931
Starring: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Edward Van Sloan, John Boles, Mae Clarke
Country: United States
Language: English
Celebrating the end of our summer From Book to Film series, join Gateway Film Center and the Columbus Metropolitan Library on Thursday, October 12, 2023, for a Happy Hour in The Festival Lounge at 5:00 PM followed by an introduction and screening of the Frankenstein (1931) 4K Restoration at 6:00 PM.
Admission is free with your library card on Thursday, October 12. Don’t have a card? You can apply for one online. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at regular pricing.
Unable to join us on Thursday? Encore presentations of the film are scheduled on Friday and Sunday at regular pricing.
Revisit From Book to Film 2023About the film:
Dr. Henry Frankenstein attempts to create life by assembling a creature from body parts of the deceased. Aided by his loyal misshapen assistant, Fritz, Frankenstein succeeds in animating his monster, but, confused and traumatized, it escapes into the countryside and begins to wreak havoc. Frankenstein searches for the elusive being and eventually must confront his tormented creation.
Influenced by German Expressionism and featuring Boris Karloff’s legendary, frightening performance as the monster, James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) became the definitive horror film from Universal, the studio that became known for the genre. The story was adapted from a 1927 play by Peggy Webling, which in turn was based on Mary Shelley’s landmark 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. An enduring cultural phenomenon, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1991.
About the filmmaker:
James Whale was an innovative English director best known for pioneering a new vision of horror with Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and The Invisible Man (1933). His journey took him from decorating signs and taking art classes in rural England to producing theatrical shows in a WWI German prison camp, to acting in stage plays and eventually directing theater on London’s West End, and ultimately to Hollywood. He made grim war dramas, including the stage play adaptations Journey’s End (1930) and Waterloo Bridge (1931), light comedy, adventure, mystery, and even a musical adaptation with the critically acclaimed 1936 film Show Boat. Considered one of the most stylized and talented filmmakers of the 1930s, Whale has profoundly influenced generations of filmmakers.
See our upcoming films