"FrankenFest" is Alive- and so is the Monster- Thanks to the "Son of Frankenstein"- Tonight

Tonight on MeTV- it’s an important film in our month long “FrankenFest” –in which Boris Karloff makes his final appearance as the Monster on film- Bela Lugosi makes his first appearance in one of his best character roles, as the wily and dangerous Ygor- and Basil Rathbone stars as Wolf Frankenstein, who makes his return to the family home and is forced to deal with the various results of his father's legacy- as the "Son of Frankenstein"!

In this 1939 classic, Dr. Frankenstein’s son returns to his father's estate, located in the town named after the family- bringing his young wife along. Their precocious son is already waiting there for them, as they arrive on a damp and dreary night, meeting a crowd of local authorities and villagers- who seem none too happy to see him! Their blunt and cold reception is understandable, as it stems from  memories of the painful horrors created by his father's experiments- and his murderous creation. Even the old Frankenstein homestead seems to echo this bleak greeting, but Wolf tries to put a happy face on it all for his family. When he checks out the crumbling remains of his father's old laboratory, he finds a sinister squatter - the hunchbacked Ygor- a sadistic blacksmith who claims he used to "do things" for Wolf's father. This misshapen misfit was, in fact, hanged for his crimes- but somehow – he has survived! When Ygor finds out that Wolf, like his father, is also a doctor, he wants to enlist him to help heal his “friend”- and Wolf is shocked to see that Ygor's friend is none other than his father’s greatest creation- the Monster! The creature now barely clings to life ( as, alas, he can’t die) and is kept hidden by Ygor in the family catacombs! Wolf is awestruck by this discovery, which finally drives home what an amazing accomplishment his father had attained- and is determined to revive the Monster, and display this marvel of science, thereby restoring his family name- and his father’s reputation in the village, as well as in the annals of history. Meanwhile, Ygor has his own reasons for wanting to see the Monster restored to his full strength and life force; a master plan for revenge against his original accusers, to be carried out by the creature, no matter what the expense- even if the collateral damage includes Wolf and his family!

Wolf begins the process of rejuvenating his father’s creation- while the townspeople take notice, and become more and more suspicious about what he’s up to. The stern but fair local constable, who has had previous experience with the Monster, and bears a horrible reminder of his clash with it, strives to protect the family and stands ready to help them- but questions Wolf’s actions more and more. Meanwhile, Ygor continues working on his own agenda- and the villagers get those torches and pitchforks ready for a final confrontation!

This film is a strong continuation of the Frankenstein series, and a moving finale to Karloff’s portrayal of the Monster on film. Basil Rathbone, who felt appearing in this horror film required him to play the role “over the top”, seems at the point of hysteria at times - and his young son Donnie Dunagan seems to grate on some viewers’ nerves a bit. Most impressive is Bela's incredible portrayal of Ygor- creating such a unique and singular character unlike most of what we’ve seen him play before, and showing he was a more versatile actor than many give him credit for. We've got plenty of info about the cast, including the one character that Mel Brooks appropriated so well- along with some fun Sven stuff. Please note, as we'll mention- this is a VERY long film, and has necessitated curtailing some of our Sven segments and doing some judiciously careful  minor editing- making sure the integrity of film is maintained.

“Son of Frankenstein” keeps “FrankenFest” alive on MeTV tonight at 8pm eastern/pacific, 7 pm central time. You are encouraged to join in the live-Tweeting going on during the program on Twitter- be sure to use the hashtag #svengoolie. Our  Chicago area viewers get to enjoy, one more time, the original “Frankenstein” at 11 am on our main local station, CW26.

In answer to many questions- yes, the Sven holiday sweaters sold out in record time! They will not be restocked for this holiday season, but hopefully will be offered again next year. Watch for some new Sven merchandise coming soon!

It does seem strange to not be doing any Halloween appearances again this year, but we are hoping things improve enough to allow us to get out and visit with you before the end of the year.

Make sure you join us tonight as “FrankenFest” puts it all in the family- and the wrath of Rathbone rises ( along with the Monster)!