How They Became Famous Whale made his name as a director on the London stage. His first major success came with the unknown RC Sheriff play Journey's End. Under the direction of Whale, the play became an instant classic and an important reflection on the futility of war and the needless loss of innocent lives. The director also introduced the world to a certain Laurence Olivier, as leading man Stanhope. Following the success of the play, it was expected Whale would continue in the vein of a well-respected theatrical director. What They Did Next His next move was one of the most unusual in the history of cinema. In the 1930s cinema was not a respected art form, certainly not in comparison to dramatic theatre. Surprisingly Whale left behind the West End for the cheap glamour of Hollywood. Even more unusual was his choice of first feature film. Frankenstein may have been taken from Mary Shelley's classic novel, but it was essentially a monster flick. An extremely successful one, but a monster flick all the same. A movie based on scaring its audience was the last thing expected of a respected man of the theatre, but it wasn't a one-off done for a quick buck. It turned out Whale had a talent for horror films, and it was a genre he would stick with for much of his career. He directed a number of Frankenstein sequels, including the acclaimed The Bride of Frankenstein, as well as The Invisible Man, before his career took a nose-dive in the 1940s.
