Directed by James Whale and released on November, 21, 1931, this adaptation of Frankenstein, produced by Universal Studios, is based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, Frankenstein (Suton). Not only is the movie based on the popular novel, but John L. Balderson's play, Frankenstein, from 1927 influenced it (Sites). This adpatation of Shelley's novel ushered in the idea of taking the foundation of a book, and creating a movie series that takes it own form. Frankenstein (1931) is the first movie in a series of three adaptations released during the 1930's. Whale's movie stands out among other adaptations of Frankenstein, because of how cavalier James Whale was in creating this. The 1931 movie adaptation of Frankenstein was under siege by harsh criticism at the time of its release. Thomas Patrick Doherty, author of Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex, Immortality, and Insurrection in America describes the scrutiny that Whale's film underwent by writing, "In Kansas, Frankenstein was banned on the grounds that it exhibited "cruelty and tended to debase morals." The state censor board objected specifically to thirty-two scenes..." (297). The notion that the film should be banned made the film famous, or infamous, depending on how it's framed, making this portrayal of Frankenstein very popular. It is not an adaptation that fell under the radar, rather it's one that audiences were keenly aware of. The talk of banning Frankenstein in a place like Kansas could be a factor that played into our modern day depiction of Frankenstein, which this film helped to usher in, being seared into our heads. Whale's depiction of the monster deviates from the societal criticism that Shelley intended, because he took pieces of her book and manufactured his own idea and storylines.

Citations:

Doherty, Thomas Patrick. Pre-Code Hollywood Sex, Immorality, and Insurrection in American Cinema, 1930-1934. Columbia University Press, 1999.

Sites, Melissa J. “Responses to and Adaptations of Frankenstein.” Romantic Circles, Romantic Circles, 1 Sept. 1999, https://romantic-circles.org/reference/misc/ficrep/frankenstein.html.

Suton, Koraljka. “'Frankenstein': James Whale's Macabre Take on One of the Most Sympathetic Characters Ever Created in the World of English Letters • Cinephilia & Beyond.” Cinephilia & Beyond, Cinephilia & Beyond, 2017, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/frankenstein/.