Episode Details

In Part 1 of our two-part episode on Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Morally Offensive takes a look at the Catholic Legion of Decency’s censorship records (courtesy of the Academy Film Archive) and the crew discover that James Whale’s classic Universal monster movie had some very specific problems for Joseph Breen and company. The objections include exposed breasts, a priest getting injured by Frankenstein’s Monster, a baby wetting its diaper, and the Monster attempting to pull Jesus off the cross. Apparently, even a family classic like the Bride of Frankenstein wasn’t safe from a little Catholic pearl clutching.

We also get into the film’s pre-production, the development of its screenplay, and the career of director James Whale, whose success in 1930s Hollywood came alongside a degree of openness about his homosexuality that was unusual for the era. Joining Bill and Kevin for this deep dive into classic horror, Hollywood censorship, and the Catholic Church’s crusade against supposedly offensive movies is Robert R. Kelly of the Record All Monsters podcast and book. Naturally, we also take the opportunity to grill him about his time as an Exorcist's assistant, because that seems like a perfectly normal thing to bring up while discussing Frankenstein.

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