Caught the old Universal horror pic Frankenstein on DVD. Even though it may not be scary by today's standards the movie still holds up. At 90 years old it's engaging, suspenseful, and highly watchable. (Above artwork by Basil Gogos)
I learned through recent research that Bela Legosi was originally cast as The Monster and was to play him as nothing more than a killing machine. Supposedly Legosi had some bad make-up tests and eventually left the project. Other evidence suggests that Legosi and original director, Robert Florey, were canned from the project.
Of course, James Whale replaced Florey and Boris Karloff replaced Legosi. The finished product gave the Monster more nuance, pathos, and humanity. This is precisely what makes the movie so appealing to me.
Boris Karloff is amazing in the role of the confused and tormented monster.
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