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Her role as the title character in Bride of Frankenstein (1935) brought her recognition. She played the lead in Passport to Destiny (1944) and supporting roles through the 1940s and 1950s.
- The Parent-Rebels. Elsa Sullivan Lanchester was born to Edith (Biddy) Lanchester and James (Shamus) Sullivan in Lewisham, London in 1902. She was the second of two kids, as her brother—Waldo Sullivan Lanchester—was five years older than her.
- Bride of Frankenstein. Lanchester's most famous role is, of course, her portrayal of the Bride of Frankenstein. But few people realize that she actually played two roles in the movie, one as the narrator and writer of the novel, Mary Shelley, and the other as the monster’s bride.
- Painful Art. It isn’t easy being an actor. Especially back in the day when there weren’t as many beauty products and procedures as there are now, or any camera effects.
- Painful Art II. And the pain didn’t just stop there. Lanchester also had to be fed through a straw. Even worse, her hair was wrapped around a wire mesh cage for her iconic updo and her eyes had to be kept “taped” open for longer scenes.
As with the first film, Bride of Frankenstein was directed by James Whale starring Boris Karloff as the Monster and Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein. The sequel features Elsa Lanchester in the dual role of Mary Shelley and the bride.
Although Elsa Lanchester appears as the Bride for only about 2 minutes at the film's finale, it will be the role for which she is forever associated. The film is regarded as the high point of the Universal horror series and stands as a testament to the genius of James Whale.
- (54K)
- Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
- James Whale
- 1935-05-06
Many have considered Bride of Frankenstein (1935) the best of the golden age horror movies. Lanchester stood out in her next movie with Laughton the next year, Korda's dark Rembrandt (1936), but she only did a few more films for the remainder of the decade. Through the 1940s she was doubly busy - a couple of films per year while regenerating ...
- January 1, 1
- Lewisham, London, England, UK
- January 1, 1
- Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Jan 3, 1999 · Elsa Lanchester plays Mary Shelley and the Bride in James Whale's 1935 sequel to Frankenstein. The film explores themes of creation, friendship, and monstrosity, and features Boris Karloff as the Monster.
The Bride of Frankenstein is a fictional character first introduced in Mary Shelley 's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus and later in the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. In the film, the Bride is played by Elsa Lanchester.
