The Bride of Frankenstein | Hollywood Yesterday

Valerie Hobson from The Bride of Frankenstein

October 13, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Valerie Hobson

Lovely Valerie Hobson’s luck would be MY luck… she appears in a movie, did an outstanding job, and looked like a billion bucks… but remains in the vast shadows cast by the film’s lead characters and stars! The same can pretty much be said of every actor and actress who appeared in any of the old Hollywood Horror films. The monsters always steal the show!

However, when you’ve seen a film as many times as I’ve seen this one, you come to truly appreciate all that the supporting cast brings to the party. Without them, the party wouldn’t be such a smashing success. You can take it one step further, even. If they didn’t have the delicious team-player mentality that made them perfectly comfortable with dwelling in the shadows, the monsters would not have become the iconic stars they STILL are today.

I, for one, LOVE the ones who live in the shadows as much as those in the spotlight. It takes all of them to make the magic work.

Lovely Valerie Hobson was born in Northern Ireland in 1917. The Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, and Great Expectations are three of her best-known films.

You can find The Bride of Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Boris Karloff and Makeup ARTIST Jack Pierce: Behind the Scenes of The Bride of Frankenstein

October 11, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Boris Karloff and Jack Pierce

When watching my BELOVED old Hollywood movies or reading about them, I often come across men and women who I desperately wish had written a book. Makeup artist extraordinaire Jack Pierce is one of them. This man worked on some of the most legendary movies of all time and with some of their most extraordinary stars.

He had some stories to tell and I want to know every one of them!

You can find The Bride of Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Collin Clive, Elsa Lanchester, Boris Karloff, and Ernest Thesiger: The Bride of Frankenstein

October 9, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Collin Clive, Elsa Lanchester, Boris Karloff, and Ernest Thesiger

Okay, admittedly, I have been obsessed with posting The Bride of Frankenstein pictures of the day this month but I simply cannot help myself. Elsa Lanchester’s Bride is my favorite movie monster of all time and I want everyone else to appreciate her and her iconic film as much as I do!

I know I’ve gone on record as saying I am (overall) somewhat disappointed in this film but I want to clear something up while I have the chance. The disappointment comes only from the fact that she wasn’t given more scenes. I SO wish her character had been introduced earlier in the film and that she and her intended had wreaked havoc together.

Having said all of that, I do love many things about this film. The makeup, acting, and directing are all perfection… right to their core. Perhaps that’s why I get a bit disappointed when I watch it – it’s the realization of how MAGNIFICENT it would have been with more of the wonderful Elsa Lanchester.

It’s an iconic film to be sure and it is absolutely one of my favorite horror films.

You can find The Bride of Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Elsa Lanchester and Colin Clive: The Bride of Frankenstein

October 8, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Elsa Lanchester and Colin Clive

I am so obsessed with Elsa Lanchester as The Bride of Frankenstein that I collect LITERALLY anything associated with the movie. It’s such a phenomenal character and the only female monster from the wonderful old Hollywood horror films.

The movie also stars Boris Karloff as the monster, Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein, and Valerie Hobson as Elizabeth.

You can find The Bride of Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Elsa Lanchester

Boris Karloff: Behind the Scenes of The Bride of Frankenstein

October 6, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Boris Karloff

As I’ve stated often, I am obsessed with “on set” and “behind the scenes” pictures. I’m not sure WHY exactly, but they make my world spin.

This great photo of Boris Karloff kicked back enjoying a sandwich while filming The Bride of Frankenstein makes my day. Hopefully, serving as picture of the day, it’ll make your day as well.

You can find The Bride of Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Elsa Lanchester, Behind the Scenes of The Bride of Frankenstein

October 2, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Elsa Lanchester

I’m not sure I’ve ever published two photos of the day back to back of the same star (or even movie) before, but holy cats, it’s Halloween season and The Bride of Frankenstein is my favorite movie monster, so I can’t help myself.

I love this behind the scenes photo of Elsa. This iconic role was perfectly cast as a role could be cast – she was absolutely perfect in every way.

You can find The Bride of Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Kicking October off in Style! Elsa Lanchester, The Bride of Frankenstein

October 1, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Elsa Lanchester, The Bride of Frankenstein

As I’ve already stated on the old Hollywood blog several times, I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the Frankenstein movies. My favorite is The Bride of Frankenstein but it’s only because of Elsa Lanchester. If she had been in the movie more, I’d have liked it a lot more.

I’m really not sure why I’m not a bigger Frankenstein fan – I LOVE the Dracula movies. Heck I’ve never met one of those I didn’t like.

The most peculiar part of me not liking Frankenstein films is this… Elsa Lanchester isn’t just one of my favorite actress, she’s one I “collect,” as in every photo, doll, or piece of memorabilia I can get my hands on. I particularly love to collect The Bride of Frankenstein figurines and collectibles.

What’s more, in spite of the fact I love Dracula, she is actually my favorite movie monster. She was spectacular.

And yet…. I have no love for the movie… only her!

Sigh. Be that as it may, I enjoy her immensely every single year from about mid-September all the way up to October 31. I break out my Bride of Frankenstein decorations and watch her movie 3-4 times…. admittedly only watching her the final two times.

Even her short scene at the front of the film is outstanding. How could the people in charge not see how magical she was and featured her MORE in the film!?

Okay. Rant, officially over.

For now.

You can find The Bride of Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Elsa Lanchester as the Bride of Frankenstein: One of My Favorite Old Hollywood Monsters

October 31, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Elsa Lanchester as The Bride of Frankenstein

As I’ve said before on Hollywood Yesterday, I am one of the only people in the world who doesn’t like The Bride of Frankenstein.

Like… at all.

For one thing, Frankenstein’s monster, himself, simply doesn’t do it for me. I hated the book and wasn’t remotely fond of the first Frankenstein film. However, these aren’t the only reasons I have such contempt for The Bride of Frankenstein. The greatest reason I don’t like it has to do with the lovely monster you see here…. the big lug’s bride.

With the absolutely, devastatingly wonderful Elsa Lanchester in the role, they had the opportunity to make possibly the greatest movie ever made and create one of the greatest stories ever told. Had she been presented early in the movie and had she actually been the star (or at the very least, the co-star) of the movie – it would have been sensational. Even her makeup is extraordinary!

As it is, she is on screen for mere minutes (minutes which are, without a doubt, the best part of the whole movie).

Mind you, these are only my opinions and, yes, I’m very aware that I’m in the minority with this one. Heck, I may even be a minority of one!

It is what it is, though, and I will forever wish this film had been handled differently. This was one of the greatest, most talented actresses of all time and she would have been extraordinary in her own film. I’ll never forget the first time I saw this movie. I kept waiting for the movie’s namesake to show up… I waited, and waited, and waited… then there she was – in spectacular glory! – right before the movie ended.

Years later, I rewatched the movie – thinking that maybe, knowing how little she was in the film, I’d give the rest of it a fair chance.

Nope. Still didn’t like it.

I’ve tried, probably 8 times over the years to see if it, I don’t know, grows on me. Never has. I simply do not like it, I guess. Which is crazy because I am a huge fan of Boris Karloff and I absolutely LOVE Elsa in the role!

Elsa Lanchester as the Bride of Frankenstein