Frankenstein - actors, characters and roles

All actors and their roles in the film "Frankenstein"
Frankenstein (1931)
Timing: 1:10 (70 min)
Frankenstein - TMDB rating
7.5/10
1755
Frankenstein - Kinopoisk rating
7.399/10
8333
Frankenstein - IMDB rating
7.8/10
78237

Actors and characters

Photo Colin Clive #86945Photo Colin Clive #86946Photo Colin Clive #86947

Colin Clive

Colin Clive
Character Henry Frankenstein
Photo Mae Clarke #86948Photo Mae Clarke #86949Photo Mae Clarke #86950Photo Mae Clarke #86951

Mae Clarke

Mae Clarke
Character Elizabeth
Photo John Boles #86954Photo John Boles #86955

John Boles

John Boles
Character Victor Moritz
Photo Boris Karloff #47783Photo Boris Karloff #47784Photo Boris Karloff #47785Photo Boris Karloff #47786

Boris Karloff

Boris Karloff
Character The Monster
Photo Edward Van Sloan #52032Photo Edward Van Sloan #52033Photo Edward Van Sloan #52034

Edward Van Sloan

Edward Van Sloan
Character Doctor Waldman
Photo Frederick Kerr #86956Photo Frederick Kerr #86957

Frederick Kerr

Frederick Kerr
Character Baron Frankenstein
Photo Dwight Frye #79403

Dwight Frye

Dwight Frye
Character Fritz
Photo Lionel Belmore #85812Photo Lionel Belmore #85813

Lionel Belmore

Lionel Belmore
Character The Burgomaster
Photo Marilyn Harris #86958

Marilyn Harris

Marilyn Harris
Character Little Maria
Ted Billings
Character Villager (uncredited)
Mae Bruce
Character Screaming Maid (uncredited)
Photo Jack Curtis #2452
Jack Curtis
Character Villager (uncredited)
Photo Arletta Duncan #86959
Arletta Duncan
Character Bridesmaid (uncredited)
Photo William Dyer #86960

William Dyer

William Dyer
Character Gravedigger (uncredited)
Photo Francis Ford #86961Photo Francis Ford #86962

Francis Ford

Francis Ford
Character Hans (uncredited)
Photo Soledad Jiménez #86963Photo Soledad Jiménez #86964
Soledad Jiménez
Character Mourner (uncredited)
Photo Carmencita Johnson #86965Photo Carmencita Johnson #86966
Carmencita Johnson
Character Little Girl (uncredited)
Seessel Anne Johnson
Character Little Girl (uncredited)
Photo Margaret Mann #54355Photo Margaret Mann #54356
Margaret Mann
Character Mourner (uncredited)
Photo Michael Mark #86967

Michael Mark

Michael Mark
Character Ludwig (uncredited)
Photo Pauline Moore #86968

Pauline Moore

Pauline Moore
Character Bridesmaid (uncredited)
Photo Inez Palange #86969
Inez Palange
Character Villager (uncredited)
Photo Paul Panzer #86970Photo Paul Panzer #86971

Paul Panzer

Paul Panzer
Character Mourner (uncredited)
Photo Cecilia Parker #86972Photo Cecilia Parker #86973Photo Cecilia Parker #86974Photo Cecilia Parker #86975

Cecilia Parker

Cecilia Parker
Character Maid (uncredited)

Rose Plumer

Rose Plumer
Character Villager (uncredited)
Cecil Reynolds
Character Waldman's Secretary (uncredited)
Photo Ellinor Vanderveer #86977
Ellinor Vanderveer
Character Medical Student (uncredited)
Photo Robert Milasch #86978
Robert Milasch
Character Villager (uncredited)

What's left behind the scenes

  • Initially, Béla Lugosi was planned to play the role of the Monster, and Robert Florey was to direct the film. However, Florey quickly left the project, and James Whale, who replaced him, quickly disagreed with Lugosi on the direction of the production. After the first tests, Lugosi refused to participate in the film, stating that he was not interested in a role without words and that he did not want to spend a long time in makeup. As a result, Whale found Boris Karloff for this role, whose work in the film became classic and made the actor a new star of horror films.
  • The role of the Creature was also offered to John Carradine, but he declined it, believing his level of skill was too high to play monsters.
  • Karloff himself suggested to makeup artist Jack Pierce that he remove a lateral dental prosthesis from his mouth to make the Creature's cheeks more sunken.
  • Each morning, Karloff had to spend three and a half hours getting made up; removing the makeup after filming took another hour and a half.
  • The Creature's makeup and costume together weighed approximately 24 kilograms.
  • The Creature's appearance was kept strictly secret until the film's premiere. If Karloff had to move around in makeup during the day on studio grounds outside the soundstage, a pillowcase with eyeholes was placed over his head. Meals were brought to him from the cafeteria directly to the set.
  • Karloff was apprehensive about filming scenes involving electrical discharges. In these scenes, he was replaced by Ken Strickfaden, the creator of the film's electrical machinery, who covered his face. Incidentally, the equipment he created was preserved and later used during the filming of Mel Brooks' parody comedy, "Young Frankenstein" (1974).
  • The scene in which the Creature throws the girl into the water was cut from the released version of the film at the censors' request, as it was considered too harsh. The film was later subjected to a number of further cuts. However, the removed material was preserved, and the version currently released on video media is almost identical to the original edit.
  • The producers believed the film was so frightening that they insisted on adding an opening sequence in which Edward Van Sloan warned viewers that those with weak nerves should leave the theater, and those who stayed should blame themselves if they were disturbed.
  • In the film's credits, the author of the original novel is listed as "Mrs. Percy B. Shelley".
  • In the cast list at the beginning of the film, a large question mark is placed opposite the role of the Creature instead of Karloff's name. Karloff's name as the performer of this role is indicated in the end credits.
  • The makeup and image of the creature created by Jack Pierce are protected by a special patent and will remain exclusively with Universal Pictures until 2026.
  • The makeup artist Jack Pierce studied ancient burial techniques and anatomy to create the image of Frankenstein, and the flattened top of the head appeared because Pierce believed it would be more convenient to directly transplant the brain to his creature that way.
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