The Frankenstein Monster and The Wolf Man, along with the other golden age Universal Monsters, are among the cinema’s most memorable characters and helped define the horror genre in the United States. This special double feature event includes 2 fully restored classics Frankenstein (1931), starring Boris Karloff and The Wolf Man (1941), starring Lon Chaney, Jr. These landmark motion pictures sparked a legacy that continues to inspire numerous remakes/adaptations that reinforce the legend of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man, from Old Hollywood to the present.
The New Castle-Henry County Public Library invites you to a free showing of Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941), October 19 at 6:30 pm in the auditorium. Enjoy popcorn while you’re there.
Fun Trivia
- Boris Karloff’s role in Frankenstein and subsequent films like Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Black Room, and The Raven made him the kind of horror films. Late in his career, he hosted a suspense anthology series on television called Thriller and narrated the Dr. Seuss holiday special How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
- Bela Lugosi, star of the 1931 version of Dracula, was originally offered the role of Frankenstein’s monster, but refused to do a role without speaking. He would later appear in the sequels Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein, and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, the latter in which Lugosi finally decided to play the Frankenstein monster.
- Universal had previously made a motion picture about werewolves in Werewolf of London (1935), the title later serving as inspiration for Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” and the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London.
- Boris Karloff played the Frankenstein monster 3 times (Lon Chaney, Jr., Bela Lugosi, and Glenn Strange took on the role in subsequent sequels). Lon Chaney, Jr. played Larry Talbot/The Wolf Man a total of 5 times.
