The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) with Sara Karloff at the Pickwick Theatre!

WHAT: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935, DCP) Season 6 Opening Night
WHEN: October 18, 2018 2 PM & 7:30 PM
WHERE: Pickwick Theatre, Park Ridge, IL
WHAT ELSE: Special guest Sara Karloff, daughter of horror icon Boris Karloff.
Sara will present rare home movies and introduce both screenings. She will meet with fans before and after the shows.
We are also celebrating the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
HOW MUCH: $12/$10 advance and $10 for 2 PM matinee.

We open our sixth season of classic movies at The Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series on October 18, 2018, with a screening of 1935’s The Bride of Frankenstein. A masterpiece of the macabre, the film is considered the peak of the Universal horror cycle– and a sequel that surpasses the original. Traditionally, the horror genre attracts a mostly male audience, particularly with modern horror, but our event will have a distinctly female emphasis. This October, we are honoring the creator, the bride, and the daughter of the Frankenstein Monster! Two thousand and eighteen marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of author Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1818. A landmark work of horror literature, Shelley’s novel has inspired numerous cinematic incarnations over the last century. Some of the most indelible images based on her creation have been that of the Monster as portrayed by Boris Karloff in three films in the 1930s. The Bride of Frankenstein, a follow-up to the 1931 original, also starred Elsa Lanchester as both Mary Shelley and the Monster’s bride. To help us honor this legacy, we will have in attendance Boris Karloff’s daughter, Sara. Born Sarah Jane Karloff on her father’s 51st birthday on November 23, 1938, Sara has become one of the most popular guests at monster movie conventions. She has made it her mission to preserve the memory of her father.

“An evening with Sara Karloff” will be a more intimate affair than originally planned as we will be in a smaller theatre. Due to delays in the renovation of Theatre 1, which is being turned into a “Mega-Theatre,” our screening will take place upstairs in Theatre 4 in the rear. Seating will be limited to 200 for both the matinee and the evening performance. Sara will be available before and after the show and will be signing photos she’ll have for sale. ($25 for color and $20 for black and white stills. There is no charge if you have something for her to sign.) Sara will be introducing the film and will be presenting rare home movies at both screenings.

Boris Karloff, born William Henry Pratt in Camberwell, South London, in 1887, starred in over 150 movies during the course of a 50 year career. Though associated primarily with horror, Karloff was an accomplished character actor who appeared in films of all genres. In addition to his gifts as an actor, Karloff had the good fortune to work with some of the finest directors in Hollywood, including Howard Hawks, John Ford, Val Lewton, and of course, James Whale. Nearly fifty years after his death in 1969, the name Karloff evokes images of the golden age of horror, most famously, the Universal Studios classics of the 1930s like Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, The Mummy, and The Bride of Frankenstein. Monster fans equally remember his numerous collaborations with the other titan of terror, Bela Lugosi, in films like The Black Cat and Son of Frankenstein. Boris Karloff’s influence continues to this day as evidenced by the undying enthusiasm of his fans (and the licensing of the Karloff image in toys and collectibles). His greatness as a performer was in the pathos he brought to his characters; he made moviegoers feel real sympathy. With the exception of a Lon Chaney, Sr., few actors in the genre have had this ability to reach that deep into an audience. Karloff left a legacy in film, as well as in radio and television, that few will ever achieve.

This event will be our final Frankenstein film for awhile– four in six seasons is a lot– but this is certainly not the last time you will see Boris Karloff on our screen. He is one of our favorites, and The Bride of Frankenstein is one of the truly great works of American cinema. Whereas the original Frankenstein became a classic in part because of Karloff’s tour de force performance, Bride has even more elements at play that make it a success: bizarre characters, an offbeat script, Franz Waxman’s musical score, and the visual flourishes of James Whale. (For those less familiar with this classic, I’ve included a superb documentary below that goes into its production history.) We are honored to be presenting Bride as our Season 6 opener and to have Sara Karloff with us. We hope our Park Ridge community will give her a warm welcome!

~MCH

Boris Karloff, more than a monster…

Karloff the Uncanny…

The Bride of Frankenstein is loosely based on a subplot found in the original Mary Shelley novel. After a prologue featuring Shelley (Elsa Lanchester), the film picks up where the original film left off. The Monster (Boris Karloff) has survived the burning windmill and is again set loose on the villagers. Meanwhile, Baron Frankenstein (Colin Clive), having recovered from injuries suffered on his wedding night, is tempted by an old mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who wants to collaborate on a new creation. Pretorious intends to create a mate for the Monster, who is now terrorizing the countryside. After an interlude with a blind hermit (O.P. Heggie), the Monster learns to speak. He will later be used in a plot by Pretorious to blackmail the baron. When Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson) is abducted, Frankenstein is forced to go through with Pretorious’ plan.

A documentary on the making of The Bride of Frankenstein.