The Dryden will screen Frankenstein (James Whale, U.S. 1931, 64 min., 16mm).

This cavalier adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic novel ranks as one of the great films from the golden age of Universal horror. The film's stark black-and-white cinematography also creates a disturbing atmosphere which would serve as a reference point for cinematic nightmares to come. With iconographic performances from Boris Karloff, Colin Clive in the title role, and Dwight Frye as his hunchbacked assistant, Frankenstein also represents Hollywood's early fascination with expressionistic acting styles. Karloff's vivid performance as "the Monster" is greater than the sum of his parts.

[source: George Eastman Museum website, 2016-Jul-18]