MovieChat Forums > Mad Love (1935) Discussion > Frankenstein (1931) references?

Frankenstein (1931) references?


Has anyone else noted the many references to James Whale's Frankenstein of four years earlier? Don't know if it was Freund paying homage to the 1931 classic, or just copping a blatant rip-off. I suspect the former.

The most obvious examples are the two gags involving Gogol's housekeeper. In the first, she rushes to answer the phone while mumbling something like "All right, all right…I'm coming! I'm coming!." (Great shot of her silhouette when she gets to her to the phone, btw) The second instance is an even more faithful copy of Dwight Frye's classic Frankenstein scene of Fritz making his way down the old stone staircase while mumbling, stopping to fix his sock, etc.

Another example is a cheesy cut-to-close-up shot of Colin Clive, which is reminiscent of a shot in Frankenstein.

There are several other little moments which seem to be nods to Frankenstein.

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There is a nod to Freund's The Mummy when Gogol's housekeeper is telling the police about "Galatea" and how "she went for a little walk." That's just what Bramwell Fletcher said after Im Ho Tep came back to life and walked away.

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There also seems to be an indirect reference to Tod Browning's Freaks, in which Ed Brophy also played a character named Rollo.

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The presence of Colin Clive is mainly the reason there seems to be a Frankenstein feel about this movie. I'll check more closely to those references the next time I watch this.

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The presence of Colin Clive is mainly the reason there seems to be a Frankenstein feel about this movie. I'll check more closely to those references the next time I watch this.

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