Why Bride Of Frankenstein Is Considered An LGBTQ+ Icon

In an ever-expanding collection of iconic LGBTQ+ horror movies, The Bride of Frankenstein is considered a classic. Having appeared in everything from Hotel Transylvania to 1994’s Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s bride is perhaps one of the most represented but misunderstood members of the Universal Monsters pantheon. Few understand the Bride is more than a monster; she’s also an LGBTQ+ cinematic legend.

In Mary Shelley’s original novel, Frankenstein, the creature demanded his creator forge a companion after being rejected. Although in Shelley’s original story, the monster’s companion never saw completion, for the sequel to 1931’s Frankenstein movie, Universal decided to bring his “mate” to life and see this idea to full fruition. Co-star of actor Boris Karloff (who returned as Frankenstein’s monster) was actress Elsa Lanchester, who portrayed his crafted companion. Designed by makeup artist Jack Pierce, although she has only minutes of screen time the Bride became a beloved horror character, adapted into countless different works in the decades to follow.

Although often portrayed as the wife of Frankenstein’s creation in movies such as Hotel Transylvania and Mad Monster Party?, ironically, The Bride of Frankenstein was a film made with LGBTQ+ subtext. The Bride accepting her “mate” was not part of the character originally. Even Universal has seemingly forgotten who the Bride was and what her movie represented to the LGBTQ+ community. As a remake looms, the Bride is reborn, and her legacy continues; perhaps it’s time to reflect on how she gave the LGBTQ+ community a voice in horror movies and officially embrace her as a gay Pride icon.

Movies like The Bride of Frankenstein were early examples of LGBTQ+ cinema. Directed by the openly gay James Whale and starring bisexual actor Ernest Thesiger, it shouldn’t be surprising that the film reflected them. In the role of Dr. Frankenstein’s mentor Dr. Pretorius, who the film described as a “queer fellow,” Thesiger was told by Whale to act as an aging and over-the-top homosexual. Pretorious being gay became something reflected in Thesiger’s performance as Frankenstein’s wedding-night scientific seducer and the character’s admitted inability to create life through normal procreation. As for the Bride herself, when the two men animated her and she finally meets her “mate,” she’s disgusted by Karloff’s character. By rejecting the man Frankenstein created, many saw her as queer-coded, reflecting the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community and the expectations put upon them. The Bride of Frankenstein still is accepted as one of the defining LGBTQ+ horror films and a step toward representation in the medium.

Since The Bride of Frankenstein there have been several remakes, spinoffs, and appearances of the eponymous character. Despite the shortcomings of Universal’s Dark Universe, the studio still seems adamant about reviving Frankenstein’s bride but forgets her LGBTQ+ origins in productions like Universal Studios Hollywood's attraction “The Bride of Frankenstein Lives,” where she was actively trying to reunite with her “mate.” Additionally, the Amy Pascal reboot in production seemingly wants to retell the story to fit a different narrative rather than focus on the Bride’s LGBTQ+ roots. With Universal Monsters such as Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein embraced as anti-heroes today, it’s about time Universal officially acknowledged her origins and made her a symbol of gothic LGBTQ+ Pride.

The Bride of Frankenstein is more than a horror classic; it’s a movie that made the LGBTQ+ community feel seen as far back as 1935. The Bride herself is an icon who has been embraced, loved, and very much misunderstood by various audiences. Even in horror cinema, LGBTQ+ representation is important, and maybe someday the Bride will get the lively coming out she deserves.

More: How Hotel Transylvania's Monsters Compare To Universal's

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