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"Ghost of Frankenstein" is easily the best of the 40's films dealing with the adventures of cinema's most famous monster. It is also the first film to feature someone other than Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein Monster. By this point Universal began churning out horror flicks as programmers with shorter running times and an emphasis on making a quick buck. As a result you hear the same music over and over, view the same sets repeatedly, and witness stock footage from previous films to pad the running time. And I can never get enough of it!

Having grown up on these fright films I enjoy the nostalgia every time I re-watch one. This particular film was sort of a Holy Grail because it was the least seen of the Frankenstein series so I suppose I have a particular fondness for it. It was made immediately after "The Wolf Man" and contains many of the cast members from that film: Bela Lugosi, Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers, and of course Lon Chaney, Jr. The story is nutty and really fools with the continuity of the series. Two town officials who were murdered in the previous film, played by Lionel Belmore and Michael Mark, appear in virtually the same roles. Castle Frankenstein looks completely different and apparently the sulfur pit, which was in a separate building in the previous film, is now in the basement. I could go on but why bother; this is part of the charm these films have.

As directed by Erle Kenton the film has many impressive moments. Particularly solid are the shots of the Monster emphasizing his size: towering over the little girl, ducking through doorways, and casting his shadow everywhere. Also interesting are many instances of characters playing to the camera as if the movie were in 3D. Plus you get two Frankenstein torch-bearing mobs instead of the usual one.

The acting is always the aspect that interests me most. The two top-billed actors, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Bellamy, are very uninteresting to say the least. Bellamy is just plain dull; Patric Knowles would have been a better choice. Hardwicke seems bored throughout. He is monotonous and just plain miserable; never cracks a smile and is completely unconvincing as a driven scientist. Luckily everyone else on hand contributes to the fun.

Lionel Atwill, although given little to do, is the real mad scientist here. He underplays and doesn't go off the deep end like in "Man Made Monster." As always he commands attention and gives a top performance. Miss Ankers is a joy as she is in any of these genre films. Beautiful and with an ear-piercing scream she adds a touch of class to the proceedings. Lugosi gives one of his best performances as Ygor, somehow surviving being shot in the previous film. He also seems to be missing his gnarled teeth and has a new outfit. Lugosi underplays for the most part and is a brilliant manipulator. And the scene where he blackmails Hardwicke is masterful; he completely wipes the floor with that accomplished actor and owns that sequence.

Of course the performance everyone wants to analyze is Chaney as the Monster. He is a mixed bag for sure. His monster doesn't make a sound and doesn't possess any of the pathos Karloff brought to the role. Instead he is just a frighteningly large creature with minimal humanity. The scene with him bursting into Frankenstein's home, stalking, and then murdering Dr. Kettering is truly frightening. But we never feel sorry for him as a misunderstood "person." However it is fun to watch Chaney the actor come to life in all the physical scenes; he clearly enjoys mixing it up with the stunt men.

Unfortunately for the Frankenstein series this would be the high point in the forties; the subsequent films would go steadily downhill as the Monster gets pushed further into the background. Chaney is easily the best of the post-Karloff monsters. If anyone wishes to pass an entertaining 67 minutes then "Ghost of Frankenstein" is your ticket.