Villain(s)  Reanimated Frankenstein's creature

Actor(s):  Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi

Brief Description  The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) is an American monster horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and produced by Universal Pictures. It is the fourth installment in Universal’s iconic Frankenstein series, serving as a direct sequel to Son of Frankenstein (1939). Notably, it marks the first film in the franchise where Lon Chaney Jr. takes over the role of Frankenstein's Monster from Boris Karloff, while Béla Lugosi reprises his role as the deceptive Ygor.

Plot:
The story opens in the village of Frankenstein, where frustrated, angry townspeople decide to destroy Castle Frankenstein once and for all to rid themselves of the family's curse. They blow up the castle with dynamite. The explosion inadvertently blasts away a layer of hardened, dried sulfur—revealing that the Monster (Lon Chaney Jr.) survived falling into the pit at the end of the previous film. The explosion also frees Ygor (Bela Lugosi), who has survived his previous gunshot wounds. As a lightning storm sweeps in, the lightning strikes the Monster, recharging and rejuvenating his weakened body. Ygor and the Monster quickly flee the angry mob and travel to the town of Vasaria.

In Vasaria, Ygor seeks out Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), the younger son of Henry Frankenstein and brother to Wolf. Ludwig is a highly successful psychiatrist and brain surgeon who has spent years establishing a flawless reputation, deliberately detached from his family's dark legacy. When they arrive in town, the Monster wanders off and befriended a young girl named Cloestine. After saving her from a high rooftop, the Monster is captured by local police. During a courtroom hearing, Ludwig is called in to examine the silent giant. Ygor secretly corners Ludwig and blackmails him: if Ludwig does not help restore the Monster, Ygor will expose Ludwig's lineage to the citizens of Vasaria.

Ludwig manages to bring the Monster to his private laboratory. Shocked by the creature’s violent capacity after it murders Ludwig's associate, Dr. Kettering, Ludwig decides that the Monster is a dangerous plague that must be dissected and destroyed. However, Ludwig receives a supernatural visitation from the ghost of his father, Henry Frankenstein. The phantom convinces him not to destroy the creation, but to redeem the family name by replacing the Monster's criminal brain with a healthy, moral one. Ludwig decides to implant the brain of the deceased, noble Dr. Kettering. Ambitious and wicked, Ygor has alternative plans. He wants his own brain transplanted into the Monster's indestructible body so he can seek vengeance on his enemies and rule. Ygor manipulates Dr. Theodore Bohmer (Lionel Atwill), Ludwig's deeply jealous and slighted medical colleague. Bohmer agrees to double-cross Ludwig during surgery.

Unbeknownst to Ludwig, Bohmer secretly substitutes Ygor’s brain into the skull of the Monster instead of Kettering’s. Meanwhile, an angry mob of Vasaria villagers—discovering the Monster is loose—storms Ludwig's estate. The surgery is a technical success, and the Monster awakens. Ludwig confidently announces to the town prosecutor, Erik Ernst (Ralph Bellamy), and his daughter, Elsa (Evelyn Ankers), that the Monster is now reformed with Kettering's mind. However, the Monster speaks, boasting in the distinct, rasping voice of Ygor. Ygor's triumph is abruptly cut short. Bohmer failed to account for a critical biological incompatibility: Ygor's blood type does not match the Monster's body, causing a severe reaction that strikes the creature completely blind. Enraged by the betrayal, the blind Monster flies into a violent rampage. He throws Dr. Bohmer into a high-voltage electrical control board, electrocuting him. In his blind thrashing, the Monster smashes vital machinery and chemical vats, igniting a massive inferno. As the laboratory collapses into flames, Ludwig and the Monster perish inside, while Erik and Elsa escape into the safety of the sunrise.