The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942

The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942 depicts Dr Ludwig Frankenstein’s attempt to restore the monster, leading to new terror.

Release date: 13 March 1942
Director: Erle C. Kenton

Cast: Lon Chaney Jr, Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, Janet Ann Gallow, Barton Yarborough, Olaf Hytten, Doris Lloyd, Leyland Hodgson, Holmes Herbert, Lawrence Grant, Otto Hoffman, Dwight Frye, Harry Cording, Harry Tenbrook

Studio: Universal Pictures
Country: United States

The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942 Review

The Ghost of Frankenstein is a 1942 horror film and the fourth entry in the Universal Studios Frankenstein series.

The movie picks up right where the previous film, The Son of Frankenstein, left off. The story follows Ygor (Bela Lugosi), the twisted assistant of Dr. Frankenstein, as he tries to resurrect the monster (Lon Chaney Jr) and restore his full strength.

However, Dr. Frankenstein’s son, Ludwig (Cedric Hardwicke), wants to transplant the brain of his colleague, Dr. Kettering (Barton Yarborough), into the monster to make him more intelligent. The experiment leads to disastrous consequences as the monster becomes increasingly unstable and dangerous.

The movie features a talented cast including Lugosi, Chaney Jr, and Hardwicke, who all give solid performances. The direction by Erle C. Kenton and the script by Scott Darling are both competent, and the special effects are impressive for the time. One of the highlights of the film is Lugosi’s portrayal of Ygor, which is both creepy and humorous.

The Ghost of Frankenstein was produced by Universal Studios and released in 1942. It was made on a modest budget of $200,000 and grossed $1.5 million at the box office. Interestingly, this film marks the first time that Lon Chaney Jr played the monster, taking over from Boris Karloff who played the role in the previous three films.

Overall, The Ghost of Frankenstein is a solid entry in the Universal Studios Frankenstein series.

While not as iconic as some of the earlier films, it’s still an entertaining and well-crafted horror movie that’s worth watching for fans of the genre.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942

• Lon Chaney Jr was cast as the Frankenstein Monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein while he was still filming The Wolf Man 1941. He finished making The Wolf Man on 27 November 1941, and started on Ghost of Frankenstein on 15 December. The film was finished on 15 January 1942 and released on 3 April.
• Lon Chaney Jr hated wearing the makeup/appliance for the monster because it was so uncomfortable. He even got a bad rash from the makeup. At one point, when he was complaining about the pain and no one was listening, he ripped it off which created a bad cut to his forehead. This lead to the production being closed down for a couple of days.
• Dwight Frye played two characters in The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942. As a villager who destroys the Frankenstein Castle at the beginning of the film, as well as Fritz, Dr Frankenstein’s evil hunchback assistant in flashbacks from the original Frankenstein 1931.
• The exterior shots of the fictional town of Visaria for Ghost of Frankenstein was the original set from All Quiet on the Western Front 1930.
• The burning castle shown at the end of The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942 is the same as that used in Night Monster 1942.

The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942E Trailer

Tell us what you thought of The Ghost of Frankenstein 1942 in the comments section below!