James Whale

            The director of tonight’s film is James Whale. James was born on July 22, 1889 in England; he was sixth of seven children. Although not physically strong enough to help his brothers in the heavy industries, he did find work as a cobbler. He started attending the Dudley School of Arts and Crafts in Dudley, England, where he found a love for art. This love would have to wait, because England needed him to enlist in the Army for World War I. He achieved Second Lieutenant before being captured and placed into a prisoner of war camp. It was in this prisoner of war camp that he realized his passion for theater.

After WWI, Whale began working in London as a stage designer. Working closely with Nigel Playfair, Whale held roles in acting, directing, and stage directing. He caught his break when asked to direct an unknown play entitled Journey’s End. The play became extremely popular in England, and was even noticed by people on Broadway. This led Whale to move to America, where he briefly lived in New York before moving to Hollywood.

After a brief stint with Paramount Pictures (15 days), Whale signed a five year contract with Universal Studios. He began directing movies for them and in 1931 Carl Laemmle Jr. gave him access to every script that Universal owned. He picked Frankenstein because it was the only one he actually liked. This went on to be one of his most famous works; along with The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, and Show Boat.  

After having his health decline due to a stroke, Whale committed suicide in a pool. This was ironic because he had a morbid fear of water his entire life. His suicide note was very depressing; stating that all he had to look forward to was illness and death.