Page "James Whale" Paragraph 16

In 1931, Universal chief Carl Laemmle, Jr. offered Whale his choice of any property the studio owned.

Whale chose Frankenstein, mostly because none of Universal's other properties particularly interested him and he wanted to make something other than a war picture.

Casting the familiar Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein and Mae Clarke as his fiancée Elizabeth, Whale turned to an unknown actor named Boris Karloff to play the Monster.

Shooting began on 24 August 1931 and wrapped on 3 October.

Previews were held 29 October, with wide release on 21 November.

Frankenstein was an instant hit with critics and the public.

The film received glowing reviews and shattered box office records across the country, earning Universal $ 12 million on first release.

It is one of only a few of Whale's films that has remained in the public eye and is regarded as a classic of the horror genre.