Line #14 Film/SonOfFrankenstein


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/folder2_9300.jpg]]
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3	->''"By Heaven, I think you're a worse fiend than your father!"''
4	-->--'''Inspector Krogh'''
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6	''Son of Frankenstein'' is a 1939 horror film, the third film in Creator/{{Universal}}'s ''Franchise/{{Frankenstein}}'' series. It stars Creator/BasilRathbone as the eponymous son, Creator/BelaLugosi as Ygor and Creator/BorisKarloff as FrankensteinsMonster for the final time in his career. Notably absent is Dr. Henry Frankenstein, the Monster's creator - Colin Clive passed away in 1937, before production began on this film.
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8	A couple decades after the events of ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein'', Dr. Wolf von Frankenstein with his wife and son arrive in the town of Frankenstein ([[RetCon previously known]] as Goldstadt) to claim his inheritance from his late father, namely the Castle Frankenstein. Terror of the Monster still fresh on their minds, the townsfolk shun Wolf but he keeps his mind open. He meets his father's previous assistant Ygor, who survived a hanging attempt following his conviction for GraveRobbing. Ygor reveals that the Monster is still alive, but is in bad shape due to being struck by lightning one night, and begs Wolf to help it. Wolf decides to restore the Monster [[ForScience in the name of science]], but Ygor has other plans in mind...
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10	''Son'' is considered to be Universal's last great ''Frankenstein'' movie and Lugosi's portrayal of Ygor is often hailed as a high-point in his career. The film's basic concept and a number of ideas unique to it (such as Krogh's artificial arm) were specifically parodied by ''Film/YoungFrankenstein''.
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12	The film was followed by ''Film/TheGhostOfFrankenstein''.
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14	----
15	!!''Son of Frankenstein'' contains examples of:
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17	* BookcasePassage: There is one in Peter's room used by Ygor.
18	* BrainsAndBrawn: The Monster is back to being a lumbering brute, who takes orders from Ygor.
19	* BroadStrokes:
20	** This film appears to be based on a scenario where Henry dies at the end of ''Bride'', but Elizabeth survives (either while pregnant or already having sons); the original ending of Bride where Henry dies would mean Elizabeth does, too. There are other things that don't quite gel with the previous film as well.
21	** The previous movies seemed to depict the Monster's entire career, but now we're told that he ripped off young Krogh's arm at some point.
22	* CallBack: As Wolf surveys the Monster's comatose body, he sees its hand moving. Startled, he yells "He's alive!"
23	* ChildrenAreInnocent: Peter, Wolf's son is an extremely sweet and innocent little child. So innocent in fact that he's otherwise oblivious to the more serious matters at hand.
24	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: [[Film/BrideOfFrankenstein The Monster's Bride]] doesn't get so much as a mention in this film, even though she theoretically should have survived the destruction of the lab, considering the Monster himself did (and they should be roughly the same level of unkillable, both being creations of Henry and all).
25	* ConspicuousGloves: Inspector Krogh has [[ArtificialLimbs a prosthetic arm]], having lost his right arm as a child, when the Monster tore it off of the boy, and he wears a glove on it indoors and out. He does remove the left glove in some indoors scenes. There's a bit of black comedy when the actor (Lionel Atwill) sets the position of his right arm with his left hand to "demonstrate" the right arm is a prosthetic.
26	* DisneyVillainDeath: The Monster gets kicked off a ledge by Baron and plummets down into a sulfur pit.
27	* DoubleMeaningTitle: The title "Son of Frankenstein" refers to both Frankenstein's biological son and the constructed one.
28	* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Monster [[spoiler:tries to drop Wolf's son into a sulfur pit as revenge for [[NotQuiteDead "killing"]] Ygor]], but can't bring himself to go through with it.
29	* FailedASpotCheck: As Wolf is lead into his father's and grandfather's crypt by Ygor, he fails to notice the Monster's comatose body lying few feet away from him as he enters there. Only once his attention from caskets is drawn away he notices it.
30	* {{Fainting}}: Amelia faints at the sight of the Monster when he comes to kidnap Wolf's son.
31	* ForScience: Wolf's reason to heal the Monster. He also hopes to clear his family name by fixing the monster's brain, proving that his father had the right idea and just made a mistake.
32	* HandicappedBadass: Inspector Krogh as he confronts the Monster in order to save young Peter.
33	* HamToHamCombat: The darts scene. You might as well replace Creator/BasilRathbone and Creator/LionelAtwill's dialogue with "See here, I'm about to out-act you!" "Oh really? Well, I say I'M about to out-act YOU!"
34	* HaveAGayOldTime: A reference is made to being "gay as larks".
35	* HighClassGlass: Inspector Krogh wears one as a part of his attire.
36	* TheIgor: Ygor is the TropeNamer, but he just helped the Frankenstein senior in GraveRobbing, not in science experiments. The TropeMaker is Fritz from [[Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}} the first film]].
37	* ImmuneToBullets: Inspector Krogh empts a revolver in the Monster's chest, without ''any'' results.
38	* InnocentlyInsensitive: When Peter meets Inspector Krogh, the young boy innocently doesn't grasp the fact that Krogh's prosthetic arm is a rather sensitive subject.
39	* TheManTheyCouldntHang: Ygor was hanged in the past for his compliance in robbing graves for Frankenstein senior. His neck broke and he was pronounced dead, but came back.
40	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, especially considering his eagerness to follow in his father's footsteps.
41	%%* MyNaymeIs
42	* NoodleIncident: Krogh describes a childhood encounter with the Monster that cost him an arm. No such event is depicted in the first two films.
43	* OrganDodge: When the Monster tries to take hold on Krogh's arm, he grabs his wooden one and Krogh manages to get free.
44	* PapaWolf: Wolf won't let anyone hurt his son as he displays when he swings and kicks the Monster into the sulfur pits.
45	* PoliceAreUseless: Averted. The police led by Krogh are the only ones who keep the unruly and superstitious townsfolk from lynching the Frankensteins when bodies start popping up.
46	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While Krogh has more than enough reason to get at the Frankensteins like the rest of the superstitious townsfolk for what happened to him as a child, he instead gives the family the benefit of the doubt. He even protects them from the unruly mob when bodies start showing up whilst also professionally investigating whether Wolf is indeed behind said murders.
47	* RememberTheNewGuy: The film introduces Ygor as a grave robber hired by Wolf's father to supply a body for his experiments, but this is the first time he's ever seen or mentioned. In fact, the original film shows Henry Frankenstein robbing graves on his own with Fritz's help.
48	* {{Revenge}}: Ygor has been using the Monster to get revenge on his accusers. Later on, after the Monster finds [[spoiler:Ygor]] dead, he goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge that culminates in his trying to kill [[spoiler:the Baron's son]] by [[CruelAndUnusualDeath hurling him into a sulfur pit.]]
49	%%* ScreamingWoman
50	* SecretPath: Castle Frankenstein has several hidden doors and paths, which Ygor and the Monster use to move about unseen.
51	* SpitefulSpit: As he is leaving being questioned by the townsmen, Ygor fakes a coughing fit to spit in the eye of Neumüller, one of the men whom sentenced him to be hanged. He returns the favour the next time they meet.
52	* StylisticSuck: Many comment on how the sets look really cheap, including Frankenstein Manor which looks more like a bad stageplay than a big Hollywood movie. Watching the documentaries though reveal this was on purpose, as the director wanted to give the film a dream-like quality, with things half finished and empty to show Wolf stepping out of the normal world and into this bizarre world [[Film/BrideOfFrankenstein gods and monsters]].
53	* TorchesAndPitchforks: After the death of Lang, the town apothecary, the citizens try storm the gates of Frankenstein castle, but are stopped by Krogh's gendarmes.
54	* {{Uberwald}}: The town of Frankenstein is this.
55	* VillainousFriendship: Between the Monster and Ygor, both outcasts in some form or another.
56	* TheVonTropeFamily: The name of Frankenstein is {{Retcon}}ned into von Frankenstein.
57	* WouldHurtAChild: The Monster did this to [[HandicappedBadass Inspector Krogh]] in the backstory, ripping his arm out of its socket, and he tries to do it to the Baron's son in [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge for Ygor's death]]. While he hesitates a bit when he picks Peter up above the sulfur pits, it however is made clear that he really wants to harm Peter as evident in his confrontation with Krogh. In order to stop Peter from getting away, the Monster basically pins down the frightened young lad's whole body with his massive foot.
58	* TheXOfY: The film's title.
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Context Film / SonOfFrankenstein