Penny Dreadful – Rory Kinnear
The first creation of Victor Frankenstein, the Creature was abandoned straightaway, leaving him to figure out his strange existence on his own. This means he has a lot of lingering resentment toward his maker, but endless compassion for others. Even the cruel ones… and boy can the world be cruel. This take on the creature fits closer to the description in Mary Shelley’s novel, but Rory Kinnear- and the series- allows for a much deeper exploration of the character’s pathos. And the result is extremely riveting and poignant.
The Monster Squad – Tom Noonan
This childhood favorite gave Frankenstein’s monster another chance to redo that infamous scene from the 1931 film, in which the monster accidentally drowns the little girl who tries to befriend him. In this outing, he forges a beautiful friendship with young Phoebe, and it provides the emotional heartbeat of a movie that pits preteens against Universal’s classic monsters. This time, Frankenstein’s monster gets to be a hero. Tom Noonan’s performance is so enchanting and heartbreaking. His parting shot in the film gets me every time. Bogus.
Young Frankenstein – Peter Boyle
It wasn’t just Frankenstein that Mel Brooks was parodying here, though it was the main focus. Gene Wilder played a descendant of Victor Frankenstein, with Peter Boyle as his Monster. Being that this is a Brooks comedy, Young Frankenstein is full of over the top gags, slapstick, and plenty of dirty jokes. Including that Frankenstein may have been very generous with the parts he used to assemble the Monster. Boyle, for his part, keeps the trademark movement, shuffling walk and all, but he gets much more to do – like sing and dance!
The Munsters – Fred Gwynne
In all the versions of this character, Herman Munster received the happy ending not usually afforded. It is a sitcom, after all. Created in 1815 by Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Herman eventually found his way to Transylvania where he met and fell in love with Lily Dracula. From there, the pair moved to America, and he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In other words, nothing at all like the source novel. Gwynne was effortlessly affable, which translated well to Herman Munster, a lovable oaf with childlike behavior. And a doting family man, no less. This Munster will charm the pants off of you.
Frankenstein – Boris Karloff
Arguably the most iconic take on the character, Karloff’s performance in Frankenstein launched him into stardom at the age of 43. Understandably so. Karloff only played the monster in three films, yet it’s his portrayal that’s often considered the definitive version. His large, lumbering movements perfectly capture an assembled undead monster trying to work his way through limited motor skills, complete with his trademark grunts and groans. Karloff plays the monster as both naïve and intimidating, and it works like a charm.