Son of Frankenstein (1939)

(On Cable TV, November 2022) Considering that the first Frankenstein created an iconic character and the sequel Bride of Frankenstein is unanimously regarded as an improvement on the first film (thus creating another iconic character), no third film could live up to the example left by its predecessors. Indeed, Son of Frankenstein does not—while professionally made and pitting Boris Karloff (as the monster) versus Bela Lugosi (as Igor), the film feels like very familiar material made lukewarm. It’s not terrible (although some moments are sillier than expected), but it marks the inflection point between the all-time classics of the Frankenstein series and the somewhat sillier, shallower fare that would follow. As it turns out, the later intrusion of Abbott and Costello into the Universal Monsters series wasn’t a radical departure as much as it reaffirmed existing tendencies. Also worth mentioning: the capital influence of this third entry over Mel Brooks’ pastiche Young Frankenstein.