Frankenstein 1931

Mordaunt Hall, New York Times: A stirring grand-guignol type of picture, one that aroused so much excitement at the Mayfair yesterday that many in the audience laughed to cover their true feelings. Read more

Don Druker, Chicago Reader: One of the most deservedly famous and chilling horror films of all time. Read more

Hollywood Reporter: James Whale has done a great job in his direction. This is not an easy thing to direct -- just how far to go in playing upon an audience's credulity, it's sympathy, it's nerves. Whale seems to have gone far enough, but not too far. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: As much as the later movies diluted the character of the Frankenstein creature, nothing could blunt the impact made by Karloff in the role of the most memorable movie monster of all time. Read more

TIME Magazine: [Whale] did it in the Grand Guignol manner, with as many queer sounds, dark corners, false faces and cellar stairs as could possibly be inserted. Read more

Tom Milne, Time Out: The film is unique in Whale's work in that the horror is played absolutely straight, and it has a weird fairytale beauty not matched until Cocteau made La Belle et la Bete. Read more

Alfred Rushford Greason, Variety: Maximum of stimulating shock is there, but the thing is handled with subtle change of pace and shift of tempo that keeps attention absorbed to a high voltage climax. Read more