Villain(s)  Reanimated corpse

Actor(s):  Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff

Brief Description  Frankenstein (1931) is a landmark Pre-Code horror film directed by James Whale and produced by Universal Pictures. Based on Peggy Webling's 1927 stage play, which adapted Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, the movie runs for 1 hour and 5 minutes and is widely regarded as one of the most influential horror films in cinema history. It launched Boris Karloff into stardom and established the definitive pop-culture visual identity of Frankenstein's monster.

Plot:
The Search for Parts: Obsessed scientist Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) steal corpses from graveyards and gallows to assemble a living human being.

The Wrong Brain: Sent to steal a brain from Goldstadt University, Fritz accidentally drops the "normal" brain and takes an "abnormal" murderer’s brain instead.

The Reanimation: Henry's fiancée Elizabeth (Mae Clarke), his friend Victor (John Boles), and his former professor Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan) try to intervene. Instead, they witness Henry harness lightning through specialized electrical equipment to bring the Creature to life, prompting his famous exclamation, "It's alive!"

Torment and Escape: The Creature (Boris Karloff) initially shows a gentle, curious nature but is terrified of fire. Fritz relentlessly tortures the Creature with a torch, driving it to kill Fritz in self-defense. Dr. Waldman prepares to dissect the sedated Creature, but it awakens, strangles him, and escapes into the Bavarian countryside.

The Lake Tragedy: The Creature encounters a young village girl named Maria (Marilyn Harris). They innocently play a game of throwing flowers into a lake. Believing Maria will float like the flowers, the Creature tosses her in, resulting in her tragic drowning. Horrified by what he has done, the Creature runs away.

The Windmill Confrontation: Maria's father carries her body into the village during Henry and Elizabeth's wedding celebration. An angry mob of villagers forms to hunt the monster. Separated from the mob, Henry confronts the Creature at an old windmill. The Creature knocks Henry unconscious, throws him from the roof, and is trapped inside as the villagers burn the windmill down.

Iconic Makeup: Makeup artist Jack Pierce designed the Creature's legendary look—including the flat head, neck bolts, drooping eyelids, and oversized asphalt-worker boots. This visual design was heavily protected by Universal Pictures copyright.

The "Igor" Myth: Pop culture often calls the assistant "Igor", but in this original film, the hunchbacked assistant is named Fritz. The character Ygor (played by Bela Lugosi) did not appear until the 1939 sequel, Son of Frankenstein.