Frankenstein (Universal film series)

Frankenstein
1931 teaser poster for Frankenstein
Original workFilm
Films and television
Film(s)

Frankenstein is a film series of horror films from Universal Pictures based on the play version by Peggy Webling and the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley.[1] The series follow the story of a monster created by Henry Frankenstein who is made from body parts of corpses and brought back to life. The rest of the series generally follows the monster continuously being revived and eventually focuses on a series of cross overs with other Universal horror film characters such as The Wolf Man. The series consists of the following films: Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

The series was praised by film historians, such as Ken Hanke, who described the Frankenstein series as "the most famous, influential and important of all horror series"[2] and Gregory William Mank who stated in 1981 that "today, few film scholars would debate the fact that Universal Studio's Frankenstein films [...] constitute the most beloved horror film series ever produced".[3] The series led to other acclaimed productions that reference or parody the work such as The Spirit of the Beehive and Young Frankenstein.

  1. ^ Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 38.
  2. ^ Hanke 2014, p. 33.
  3. ^ Mank 1981, p. Introduction.