Frankenstein

SmokeScreeners Rating:   

Year of Release:  1931

MPAA Rating:  Unrated.

Director:  James Whale

Distributor:  Universal Studios

The film was reviewed by Dr. Barry Hummel on 11/9/2008.

Dr. Barry Hummel posted the following additional comments:

"In this scene, which reveals Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster, the pompous Dr. Frankenstein is debating the issue of creating life with his former mentor Dr. Waldman:

'Have you never wanted to do anything dangerous?' Dr. Frankenstein asks Dr. Waldman, as he puffs away on his cigarette... a dangerous activity in and of itself.  The irony is that Dr. Waldman is doing something dangerous by breathing that cloud of secondhand smoke created by Dr. Frankenstein.

You have to admire a narcissist like Dr. Frankenstein.  On the one hand, he creates life in the form of the monster; on the other hand, he is destroying the lives of himself and those around him by using tobacco."