Why was his head flat in the movie? Because it looked cool? Some reference in the original story?
Because it looked cool. Absolutly no reference to the original story.
Here’s the story as I know it: Jack Pierce, the man who designed the Frankenstein make-up, tried to come up with “low-tech” ways a mad scientist could possibly think of to remove a brain from a human skull and replace it with another. The idea he finally settled on was that the good doctor made an incision (front to back) in the skull, cracked it open, replaced the brain, and crudely sewed the skull (which, of course, was for the most part irreparably broken) back together. The ‘flat head’ of the monster is supposed to convey this effect.
Interesting trivia: Karloffs long time colleague Bela Lugosi was originally cast as the monster, but insisted on doing his own make-up. His (apparently hideous) design was rejected, and Lugosi walked out. Lugosi’s design would have featured a much larger head and nasty looking sores all over the body, and was, needless to say, very different from the design we all know and love.
Why would the Doctor need more than one body? Why couldn’t he take one and just reanimate the whole thing?
I believe the idea was to create a ‘perfect’ being: a strong body and a brilliant mind, or something to that effect. At any rate, the original book (it’s been a long time since I’ve read it) focuses more on the creation of life out of… well, nothing, than the reanimation of dead bodies. Incidentally, for a good horror story about reanimation, I heartily recommend “Herbert West, Re-Animator” by HP Lovecraft.
The monster was supposed to have a large, looming presence (in the book, I think he was “really tall”). Karloff, however, was just “average-sized.” I think part of the reason for the klunky thick-soled boots and extra “head” was to make him a more imposing figure.
Side note: I’ve wondered if the movements of the Whale’s monster was inspired by “The Golem” from a decade earlier. But, could just be coincidence. Maybe that’s how all newly-animated life-forms walk.
I think the goal was to make a new person, not to reanimate an old one. Obviously, it’s a judgement call whether you can call the end result a “new” person.
If I make a car from 100 percent used parts, I wouldn’t exactly consider it a new car, myself.
The boots were weighted and Karloff had a metal rod strapped to his back under the costume.
Plus, he “must have had an enormous schwanstucker!”
Frau Blucher!
That goes without saying…
WHINNYNEIGHFRIGHTENEDHORSEYSCREAM!!!
WHINNYNEIGHFRIGHTENEDHORSEYSCREAM!!!
I swear I only hit “Submit” once!
Where wolf?
is this the Transylvania station?
Ja, Ja!
There, wolf!
I always thought it was funny that Dr. Frankenstein apparently had learned how to perform the microsurgery necessary to connect the nervous systems of different body parts together so that they actually worked, and yet when it came to closing the outside of the body, he used some big ugly stitches.