Dr. Henry Frankenstein

The Man Who Made A Monster...

Dr. Henry Frankenstein as portrayed by Colin Clive in James Whale's 1931 classic "Frankenstein."

Colin Clive was born January 20th 1900 in France to a British colonel, and was in the military before he became a stage actor. He first worked with Whale in the Savoy Theatre production of "Journey's End" and subsequently joined the British community in Hollywood in the 1930s.

In 1931 Whale cast him in "Frankenstein." Over the next four years Clive played mainly in dramas and In 1935 he reprised the role of Dr. Frankenstein in Whale's "Bride of Frankenstein." During most of filming he suffered from a broken leg -- the result of a bad fall from a horse -- and most of his scenes were shot sitting or laying down. He followed "Bride" with Karl Freund's "Mad Love" opposite Peter Lorre.

Sadly he died June 25th 1937 at age 37, just six short years after his appearence in the original "Frankenstein." He died of tuberculosis, aggravated by his longtime alcoholism.