Thursday, May 26, 2022

Ghost of Frankenstein Through a "Kid's" Eyes


The first Frankenstein film without Karloff, but Bela's Ygor comes back!
Note- Unlike the immortal monster, there is no reason given for Ygor surviving the last movie other than he is "hard to kill." 
Nice if you can pull that off.

Ygor is still a scarier and a more complete character than Dracula. 
I will die on this hill.

It's cool to see Lionel Atwill's range. He gets to be a Mad Scientist in this one instead of a policeman.

Aside- Yes we did watch Young Frankenstein after the first three Frankenstein films. I was too busy laughing in anticipation of, at, and after every joke to take any notes.  Watching it close to the originals does highlight what a magnificent job Brooks, Wilder and company did recreating the look of these classics.

On the continuing franchise:
Me- "This could be called 'The Other Son of Frankenstein'."
Rosa- "There’s ANOTHER son?!?"
Me- "Yup. Ludwig.  
Lon Chaney Jr. takes over as the Monster this time."
Rosa- "Who?"
Me- "He played the Wolf Man. By this point in the franchise, I think they cast whoever could handle the long periods in Jack Peirce's make up chair.
 
On the opening:
Me- "Hey we get an angry mob of villagers at the beginning instead of the end this time."
*the villagers summarize the plot of Son of Frankenstein and reference there being a "Curse of Frankenstein"*
Me- "That would be a better title." 
*looks at mob*
Me- "Hey! there's little Maria's dad again!"
 
On finding the monster:
Rosa- "Who's that?"
Me- "The one in the sulfur pit? That they just mentioned?"
Rosa- "The salsa pit? Is he dancing in this one?"

On relatives:
Me- "Maybe Ralph Bellamy is 'Frodrick's' father."  
No then he'd have a different last name. It must be Bambi."
  
On the other son's daughter (Elsa) reading the original Frankenstein's notes as images are shown:
Rosa- "They’re watching the first movie again?"
 
On the odd patterns of Elsa's dress:
Me- "It looks like the Master's robe from Manos Hands of Fate. 
Vera West what were you thinking?"

On Elsa running towards the Monster when scared:
Rosa- "Really?"
 
On Ludwig's system to flood his entire asylum with knock out gas:
Me- "Finally, someone who builds one of these has foresight that everyone in it will escape."
 
On the titular Ghost appearing to talk to his son for no reason and with no major effect:
Rosa- "Ok???" 
*very long, confused pause*
 
On there being a secret dungeon under the asylum:
Me- "Like ya do."
*The police find it immediately*
Rosa- "They didn't close the secret door good."
 
On the Monster going to the home of the little girl he helped in the beginning:
Rosa- " How did he get there?"
Me- "Um...he walked."
Rosa- "No, how did he know where she lived?
Wait, why does he want her?"
Me- "They're friends."
Rosa- "Oh no, he wants her brain!
That's a problem."

On the girl being taken from the Monster but not returned home:
Rosa- "Where’s the girl?"
Me- "He must have kept her in the house."
*Ralph Bellamy visits weeks later, any time Ludwig is on screen Rosa yells*
Rosa- "WHERE IS THE LITTLE GIRL?!"
 
On the time period:
Me- "Now everyone rides horses. The Wolf Man and other films had cars and they line up soon. I have no idea if this is supposed to be contemporary with when it was made or not."

On geography:
Me- "This town is walking distance away from the village of Frankenstein and they never heard about the Monster that rampaged there three times.  
Maybe it is the distant past?
 
On Ludwig saying he replaced the Monster's evil brain with a good one, after Doctor Bohmer worked with Ygor to get his twisted brain in there:
Rosa- *sing song* "No you DIIIID-n't!"
*Ludwig states he redeemed the name of Frankenstein*
Rosa- *whispers* "No... you didn't."

On the new Monster with Ygor's brain:
*the Monster speaks in Bela's voice*
Rosa- "They just transferred the brain, not the vocal cords."
*The police try shooting the Monster... again *
Rosa- "Shoot him in the brain."
 
On Ygor / Monster turning on the asylum gas:
Rosa- "It will just make them sleep."
*people start dying*
Me- "Apparently not."
 Rosa- *excited and relieved* 
"THERE'S THE GIRL!"

On Ralph Bellamy trying to be the hero:
Rosa- "He told Elsa to go. She didn’t. 
Now he has to deal with her."

On Ygor/ Monster going blind:
Rosa- "Well, you picked to be the brain."
 
On Ygor/ Monster throwing Doctor Bohmer into the equipment:
Rosa- "Ugh, he's fried. Good."
*Ygor/ Monster is caught in the flames*
Rosa- "Ew, his makeup is peeling."
"Where's the Doctor?" 
*meaning Ludwig, repeated*

Elsa walks off into the sunset with Ralph Bellamy while the building is in flames and no one else comes out:
Rosa- "Her father is burning and they go off walking hand in hand."

On old movie run times:
Rosa- "That was a short one."
Me- "They're all short ones now."
Rosa- "That's a good thing."

2 comments:

longbow said...

So, no one makes espresso in any of these movies?

Jeff McGinley said...

Sadly no. But "Young" was made so well its impossible to watch the blind man scene in "Bride" (or the darts scene in "son" or a bunch of others) without cracking up.

thanx for playing!