Contributions to Horror: Dwight Frye

December 16, 2020

Dwight Frye Dracula 1931 0 — Dwight Frye in 'Dracula' (1931) | Universal Pictures

When it comes to media, especially film, things happen fast. There is always something new and flashy, and we quickly move on from release to release. The trailblazers are often forgotten, and as time goes on, we no longer appreciate where things came from. Every time I go back and watch the old Universal Classic Monsters films, I’m reminded and astonished by how many current films are inspired by and reference them. In a time in history when horror films were just getting their start, it’s hard to imagine a time when so many films regarded as heavy hitters now, were released so closely with one another. Today I’m celebrating a face that appeared in many of these classic horror films, in just the short span of 12 years. Let’s take a look at Dwight Frye, and his contributions to the horror genre.

Although starting his acting career in feature films in 1926, Dwight Frye burst into the horror genre with his two most unforgettable roles, both in massive horror films in 1931. The first being his role as Renfield in the 1930 Bela Lugosi-led Dracula. Renfield was known as the psychotic sidekick of Dracula, after being hypnotized by the king of vampires. Frye’s portrayal was hauntingly creepy, and inspirational to further vampire films throughout history that served different visions on Dracula’s “ghouls.” The role would carry Frye right over into Frankenstein, where he portrayed Fritz (Igor), the hunchbacked lab assistant to Dr. Frankenstein during the creation of his classic monster. This was Frye’s most memorable role for me, and his on-screen chemistry with Colin Clive was amazing. Seeing Frankenstein at a young age, the first time I saw Fritz creepily lurking around the dungeon is forever burned into my memory. This was the first of many Frankenstein-focused films that Frye would have a role in.

In 1933, Frye starred in The Vampire Bat, which was sort of a mix of both the Dracula and Frankenstein stories. Frye portrayed Herman Gleib, a bat-obsessed townie with special needs. Because of the way locals were dying in the area, Gleib was accused of vampirism, and fell to his death after some old-fashioned small-town mob justice. This film doesn’t get enough love, so if you’re interested in some classic vampire horror, I suggest checking it out. In one of his rare non-crazy roles in the same year, an uncredited Frye portrays a reporter in The Invisible Man, another film widely regarded as one of big-time OG monster films. Although a small role, Frye was fun and his role was significantly important, as he was coming up with all sorts of insane ways for the police to capture Claude Rains’ Dr. Jack Griffin.

Two years later in 1935, Frye returned to the world of horror in Bride of Frankenstein. His role is small, only appearing in a few scenes with minimal lines, but his weasel-like performance of Karl the body-snatcher didn’t go unnoticed. Later that year, in a strange parting from his typecasting (sort of), he portrays Dr. Thomas in The Crime of Doctor Crespi. In this film, he’s actually suspicious of the antagonist (who poisons people and buries them alive) but reverts to his ghoulish ways when exhuming dead bodies to prove his suspicions right. Surprisingly, he still comes out as the protagonist, and gets the girl in the end, providing an unsettling smile to the audience.

Although not truly confirmed, it’s said that Frye came back to horror in 1939, returning to the world of Frankenstein as a villager in Son of Frankenstein. The myth is Frye was in the Technicolor testing reel for the film but was dropped from the cast. He did return as a credited villager in The Ghost of Frankenstein in 1943, as more of a friendly nod to his contribution to the franchise. Frye embraced his hunchback sidekick self again in Dead Men Walk (1943) as the suspicious assistant to the satanic Dr. Elwyn, a devious man that murders his twin brother.

Frye’s last hurrah in horror was in 1943’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, as Rudi, a disgruntled local hellbent on getting the town mob up in arms about Frankenstein’s monster. This role cemented his appearances in all the major Universal Monster franchises aside from The Mummy. Unfortunately, we never really knew how much horror Frye could have contributed to, as he tragically died from a heart attack on a city bus in Hollywood, at the young age of 44.

Some of these films aren’t the flashiest in horror history but going back and appreciating what they did for the genre is important. The talent that Dwight Frye brought to so many horror films in the short span of 12 years should be recognized, especially in a time in history when horror films were so new, and the genre was not only unpopular, but frowned upon in Hollywood. So, the next time you think of Frankenstein, don’t forget who did the dirty work and went to get the brain.