Boris Karloff's Daughter and Composer Discuss Reviving 1931 Frankenstein in London

Boris Karloff’s daughter Sara Karloff and composer Michael Shapiro are discussing the 1931 film Frankenstein, which remains a recognizable classic horror ninety-five years after its release. The movie is celebrated for iconic imagery, such as Karloff’s portrayal of the monster with a squared-off head and neck bolts, and the scene where Colin Clive exclaims “It’s alive!” during a stormy laboratory sequence. Despite its enduring popularity, the original film featured dialogue but lacked a continuous musical soundtrack.

Shapiro, who composed a full-length score for the film in 2001, will conduct this music alongside the movie for the first time in London at Cadogan Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra next month. He describes the combination of film and music as a unified artistic experience that allows the audience to forget the conductor’s presence. According to Shapiro, his score emphasizes the on-screen action, causing the film to “jump out” in a manner it previously did not.