Son Of Frankenstein (1939)

The son (Basil Rathbone) of the notorious Dr. Henry Frankenstein moves into the family castle with his wife (Josephine Hutchinson) and son (Donnie Dunagan) where he hopes to rehabilitate his late father's reputation by continuing his work. Directed by Rowland V. Lee, this was the third entry in the eight movie Frankenstein franchise by Universal pictures. Although a tad on the longish side, the film is actually one of the better Frankenstein movies and received good reviews when first released. The script is solid and the performances, for the most part, are strong. Bela Lugosi is especially notable as the malevolent and vengeful Ygor putting Boris Karloff's monster very much in the shade and Lionel Atwill makes for a sympathetic police inspector. Jack Otterson's art direction is impressive with its massive expressionistic sets that dwarf the actors. The effective score is by Frank Skinner (WRITTEN ON THE WIND). With Emma Dunn, Edgar Norton and Gustav Von Seyffertitz.