8 Classic Monster Movies You Never Knew Were Reboots

The 1931 version of Frankenstein is an undisputed classic, and the image of Boris Karloff, his sunken features buried beneath Jack Pierce's cadaverish makeup, is one of the most iconic in all of horror. This version of the Frankenstein Monster has been featured on toys and posters, postage stamps and t-shirts. It's what you think of when you think of "Frankenstein", and it's so ubiquitous that all subsequent interpretations have been either tributes to it or conscious attempts to subvert it. After all, third time's the charm. 

Yes, by the time that Boris Karloff strapped on his platform boots, the Frankenstein Monster had already been portrayed twice onscreen. The first version dates all the way back to 1910, and was produced by none other than Thomas Edison (!). In this bizarre film, which runs only 12 minutes, the Monster is a kind of personified depression that keeps Frankenstein from having a healthy relationship with his wife. 

The second version -- Life Without Soul -- was made in 1915, and five years later, filmmakers were no more willing to tell a straightforward horror tale. Life Without Soul is a Wizard of Oz-style framed tale, where a modern American doctor falls asleep and dreams the plot of Frankenstein.

Even if the 1931 version didn't contain a masterful performance and iconic visual effects, it would still have told its story without a cop-out ending.