Wednesday, May 15 @ 7:30 PM / NEIU — The Auditorium at NEIU — 3701 W Bryn Mawr Ave
Tickets: $10 at the door
FRANKENSTEIN
Directed by James Whale • 1931
Frankenstein stands as a reanimated behemoth in cinema history and cultural lore. We follow deranged medical student Henry Frankenstein, who dares to play God by piecing together body parts from rifled graves in an attempt to create life, only to create a monster in an experiment — and within himself. After Bela Lugosi’s rise to fame from Universal’s first monster movie success, Dracula, he was initially slated to embody Frankenstein’s monster, but he declined the part (on account of it being a non-speaking role), paving the way for Boris Karloff’s iconic portrayal. Karloff was already a seasoned actor with over 80 Hollywood silent films and talkies under his belt, from bit parts in Westerns to a powerful supporting performance in Howard Hawks’s 1930 crime drama The Criminal Code. But it was through a chance encounter at Universal’s commissary that he caught the eye of director James Whale, who noticed Karloff’s towering presence and distinctive jawline and found that the pair’s British camaraderie made him the perfect fit. To become the monster, Karloff underwent grueling makeup sessions orchestrated by Jack Pierce, who would later be known for his work on The Mummy and The Wolf Man. Pierce’s painstaking attention to detail included adhering mortician’s wax to Karloff’s eyelids, making his eyes heavy to open — giving the monster a less alive, and more corpse-like, gaze. In addition, to pull off the weighted look of the monster, Karloff wore 4-inch platform boots that weighed 11 pounds each. The amalgamation of special effects and Karloff’s appearance cemented the style of Frankenstein’s monster across countless adaptations and sequels. The tale of Frankenstin’s monster has left an enduring legacy that has captivated audiences for nearly two centuries, from Mary Shelley’s publication of the original novel in 1818 to the present day. As a cornerstone of Universal’s Monster franchise, Karloff’s hypnotizing performance as the monster, full of pathos, challenges us to reflect on our humanity. The legacy of Frankenstein affirms its status as a timeless classic, a testament to the power of Shelley’s tale and Whale’s cinematic vision. (TV)
71 min • Universal Pictures • 35mm from Universal
Preceded by: Nocturne (Peter Tscherkassky, 2006) – 9 min – 35mm from Canyon Cinema
NEXT UP: The Spirit of the Beehive on Tuesday, May 28 at NEIU
