Who Played The Classic Universal "Frankenstein" Monster? (1931-1948) (video)

Boris Karloff created the role of the Monster in 1931's "Frankenstein."

Karloff repeated the role in "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935)...
...and "Son of Frankenstein" in 1939.

"Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942) gave us a new Monster in Lon Chaney, Jr.

Bela Lugosi played the Monster in "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man" (1943)...
...with the help of stand-ins such as Gil Perkins and Eddie Parker.

"House of Frankenstein" (1944) introduced Glenn Strange in the role.
Strange returned in "House of Dracula" (1945), the last serious entry in the series...
...and finally in the comedy, "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948).

Karloff will always be generally considered as the best actor in the role.
Glenn Strange also made the character his own and is still highly popular.


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Who Played The Classic Universal "Frankenstein" Monster? (1931-1948) (video)

All The Glenn Strange Monster Scenes From "House Of Frankenstein" (1944) (video)

 

Actor/stuntman Glenn Strange made his debut as the Frankenstein Monster...

...in the 1944 Universal classic "House of Frankenstein." The character had previously been portrayed by Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., and Bela Lugosi in the earlier films in the "Frankenstein" series.

As legend has it, Strange was visiting makeup maestro Jack Pierce's chair to get a fake scar for his current role, and Pierce, recognizing a great facial structure and physique when he saw it, notified execs that he had found their new Frankenstein Monster.

After playing the role in this and following movies ("House of Dracula", "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein"), Glenn Strange's Monster became second only to that of Boris Karloff. In fact, when Karloff died many newspapers mistakenly used a photo of Strange in the obit.

Strange's craggy visage as the Monster continues to be popular in model kits, posters, action figures, and other elements of monster fandom.   

Video by Porfle Popnecker. I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

 

 

All The Glenn Strange Monster Scenes From "House Of Frankenstein" (1944) (video)

All the Glenn Strange Monster Scenes From "HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN" (1944) (video)

 

Although the original Frankenstein Monster, Boris Karloff, stars in this film...

...the Monster is played this time by actor-stuntman Glenn Strange.

Karloff is the mad scientist who restores the Monster to full power.
Strange, the fourth actor to star as the Monster, is memorable in the role.

In 1942, he played a werewolf in "The Mad Monster."

He would later gain television fame as Butch Cavendish on "The Lone Ranger"...
...and as Sam the Bartender in the 1960s western "Gunsmoke."

Strange enjoyed recounting how Karloff gave him advice on how to play the Monster.

Makeup master Jack Pierce had been searching for a new Monster when he spotted Strange.
The brawny actor's imposing physique and craggy features convinced Pierce he'd found his Monster.

He would play the Frankenstein Monster two more times, in "House of Dracula" (1945)...
...and "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948).

His likeness adorns much of the Frankenstein Monster merchandise...
...and even accompanied some of Karloff's obituary notices.



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All the Glenn Strange Monster Scenes From "HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN" (1944) (video)

Hopalong Cassidy Being A Total Bada** #5 ("FORTY THIEVES", 1944) (video)

Hoppy (William Boyd) is marked for death...

...by an outlaw boss (Douglass Dumbrille) and a crooked sheriff (Kirk Alyn).

But when they let a hand of cards decide which hired gun gets the first shot...

...Hoppy decides to deal himself into the game.


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Hopalong Cassidy Being A Total Bada** #5 ("FORTY THIEVES", 1944) (video)

How The Frankenstein Monster Was Wasted In "House Of Dracula" (1945) (video)

In Universal's final serious Frankenstein film...

...Glenn Strange's Monster doesn't have much to do.

He gets discovered buried in mud in a cave under Dr. Edelmann's castle.

Then he ends up on a lab table...
...to be revived during the film's finale.

Whereupon he stomps around for a minute or so...
...before being replaced by stock footage of Lon Chaney's Monster from GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Earlier, however, after being infected with Dracula's blood...
...Dr. Edelmann dreams of using the Monster to terrorize the village.

These scenes were actually shot, yet only a few seconds were used.

It's a dreadful waste, and a missed opportunity...
...for a more interesting and eventful storyline for the Monster.

Instead of a rerun of Lon Chaney stomping around in a fire.


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How The Frankenstein Monster Was Wasted In "House Of Dracula" (1945) (video)

Just How Much Time Did Frankenstein's Monster Spend On A Lab Table? (video)

If you watch the entire Universal series with Frankenstein's Monster...

...the Monster often spends an inordinate amount of time strapped to lab tables.

In the original 1931 film, of course, he's born on one...
...and almost dies on it.

In the sequel, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), he avoids them altogether.
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) puts him back on the table...
...and so does GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942).

In FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943), he's on the table...
...just long enough for a quick pick-me-up.

It's in the two HOUSE movies where he really racks up the table time.

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944)
HOUSE OF DRACULA (1945)

In these films, he gets up for a brief last-reel stomp and that's it.

Finally, after a brief lie-down in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948)...
...he gets to go on a proper rampage.


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Just How Much Time Did Frankenstein's Monster Spend On A Lab Table? (video)

Glenn Strange Transforms Into A Werewolf In "Mad Monster" (1942) (video)

Glenn Strange was known for his many western roles...

...as well as playing the Frankenstein monster in three Universal films.

But before that, Glenn played another, very different monster.

In "The Mad Monster" (1942), Glenn's weakminded character Petro is transformed by George Zucco...

...into a fearsome werewolf who does Zucco's bidding. 


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Glenn Strange Transforms Into A Werewolf In "Mad Monster" (1942) (video)

"Ghost of Frankenstein" Ending Reused In "House of Dracula" (video)

At the end of "Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942), Lon Chaney's Monster perishes in a fiery rampage.

In "House of Dracula" three years later, the Monster is played by Glenn Strange...

...but in that film's blazing finale, the Chaney footage from "Ghost" is reused.


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"Ghost of Frankenstein" Ending Reused In "House of Dracula" (video)

What Kind Of Boots Did Frankenstein's Monster Wear? (video)

In "Frankenstein" (1931), Boris Karloff wore special boots for greater height.

They were a modified pair of knee-high "asphalt spreader" boots with the soles greatly enlarged.
Each boot is said to have weighed 13 pounds.  This added to the Monster's lumbering gait.

There have been conflicting accounts over the years...
...as to how the construction and weight of the boots vary in subsequent sequels.
They do seem smoother and more custom crafted in later films.

The Monster has been caught without his trademark boots only once...
...at the end of "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1944).

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Thanks to Joro Gaming for the music.

What Kind Of Boots Did Frankenstein's Monster Wear? (video)

Lon Chaney Replaces Injured Glenn Strange as the Monster in "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) (video)

In this popular Abbott & Costello comedy, Lon Chaney reprises his most famous role, the Wolf Man.

Meanwhile, Glenn Strange makes his third consecutive appearance as the Frankenstein Monster.

But in a climactic scene, Strange breaks his ankle while tossing a stuntwoman through a window.

So Chaney, who hasn't played the Monster since "Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942), gets into the makeup and finishes the scene for Strange.

It's the only time he would play both the Monster and the Wolf Man in the same film.


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Lon Chaney Replaces Injured Glenn Strange as the Monster in "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) (video)

Karloff Scream Used In Two "FRANKENSTEIN" Movies

In "Son of Frankenstein" (1939), the Monster (Boris Karloff) finds his friend Ygor (Bela Lugosi) dead...and his grief explodes in a piercing scream.

In the 1944 sequel "House of Frankenstein", Glenn Strange plays the Monster to Karloff's Dr. Niemann.

When the hunchback Daniel (J. Carrol Naish) attacks Niemann, the Monster seeks revenge.

Recognize Daniel's scream?  It's Karloff's from "Son of Frankenstein."

Boris' scream was so nice, they had to use it twice.


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Karloff Scream Used In Two "FRANKENSTEIN" Movies