Franz Waxman and “The Bride of Frankenstein”

Franz Waxman (1906-1967)

To modern audiences, one of the most jarring aspects of Frankenstein (1932) is the silence - there is no musical soundtrack underlying the film. That was common during the movie industry’s transition to talkies.

But by the time of the sequel, 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein, music was an integral part of the production, in no small part because of the success of Max Steiner’s majestic score for King Kong in 1933.

“By the time of 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein, music was an integral part of movie production”

Director James Whale was wise enough to realize that his follow-up to Frankenstein needed a great score. Impressed by his earlier work, Whales approached Franz Waxman to score his film.

Waxman made the most of the opportunity, creating a musical soundscape that was in turns ominous, whimsical, tense, and lush. Because of the conventions of the time, the music was often reused by the studio, complementing the action in such fare as the Flash Gordon serials, among others.

Waxman certainly didn’t rest on his laurels, scoring over 150 more films in his career, and serving as head of Universal’s music department. And he founded the Los Angeles International Music Festival in 1947, dedicated to showcasing new music for the concert stage.

Join us this week on The Silver Screen Soundtrack Hour, where we’ll hear music from Bride of Frankenstein and more from the Universal Studios monster movie vault on “It’s Alive! The Universal Monster Movies of the 1930s and 40s.”

Produced and hosted by Ken Nail, The Silver Screen Soundtrack Hour airs on Charlottesvilleclassical.org every Thursday at 9 AM and 6 PM, plus Saturdays at Noon. Visit our Facebook page, or contact Ken on Twitter at @ken_classical.