A Reel Legend: James Whale

This month’s Reel Legend is James Whale. 

 

Often considered to be a pioneer in Hollywood horror, James Whale was born in Dudley, England in 1889. During WWI he served in the British Army and was captured by German forces, spending time as a prisoner of war. While imprisoned, he developed an interest in theatrical production. After the war, he pursued a career in theater, establishing himself as a successful director in London’s West End, and eventually to Broadway and Hollywood. He would work on Howard Hughes’ epic war film HELL’S ANGELS in 1930, before being hired by Universal Studios. His first film for Universal was another war film, WATERLOO BRIDGE (1931). 

 

In 1931, Universal chief Carl Laemmel, Jr. offered Whale his choice of his next project, and Whale chose the adaptation of FRANKENSTEIN. Whale cast Boris Karloff as the role of the monster, and the film would be a box office hit and is today considered to be one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Next would come more horror: the well-received THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932, also with Karloff), THE KISS BEFORE THE MIRROR (1933), and then the astonishing THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933). He would then direct what would be considered to be one of the best sequels of all time: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN in 1935. 

 

Whale would then direct the musical SHOW BOAT (1936), before seeing a career decline. As an openly gay man working in an area of widespread discrimination, he faced personal and professional challenges. His film THE ROAD BACK (1937), which was a sequel to ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, was the center of a political storm involving Germany and was heavily re-edited and banned in several countries. Whale would make only one more successful feature film, THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1939), before retiring from the movies in 1942. 

 

James Whale would die by suicide in 1957 at the age of 67. His final months were the subject of the novel Father of Frankenstein, which was adapted into the film GODS AND MONSTERS in 1998, with Ian McKellen playing Whale. 

 

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There are many names in the book of famous horror directors; Wes Craven, George Romero, Tobe Hooper…to start with. Today, James Whale’s name is rarely mentioned in that company, and that is a true crime of cinema. As an openly gay man, Whale knew what it was to be treated different, and he injected that into FRANKENSTEIN and its sequel. The monster certainly had its monstrous qualities, but Whale found a way to generate sympathy for him, which put FRANKENSTEIN ahead of its time well before the horror genre even had a time. This would be an approach that many filmmakers after him would overlook for the sake of scares, but would be picked back up again in modern times. Whale’s legacy endures through his innovative films and influence over generations of directors; finding humanity in legendary monsters.