Good help is hard to find these days. Poor old Frankenstein might have known “what it feels like to be God” but he had poor HR skills, if these assistants are anything to go by!
Fritz (played by Dwight Frye) in Frankenstein (1931)
I swear to God I would beat Fritz with an inch of his life if he ever worked for me. Which is kind of hypocritical because the reason I hate the sadistic waste-of-space so much is his cruelty to the Monster. Fritz, the original hunchback assistant, is criminally incompetent in a whole mess of ways. From breaking the jar holding the “normal” brain to bring back the “abnormal” aka “evil” brain, Fritz gives equal opportunity employment a bad name.
Karl (played by Dwight Frye) in Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Karl knows how to get the very freshest of ingredients. In this scene from Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein (Colin Clive) requests that his assistant go find him a fresh heart from the Accident Hospital. Karl may look like Fritz, but unlike his idiot predecessor, Karl knows how to cut corners and make it work. If I ever go into the business of building bodies from scratch and advertise for assistants, Karl will at least get a second interview.
Ygor (played by Bela Lugosi) in Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Working for Dr Frankenstein is dangerous work. Just look at Ygor here. He literally stuck his neck out for the crazy doc and got it broken in the process. But have no fear, Ygor aint no snitch. Just check out this scene, where the broken-necked sometime blacksmith refuses to rat on his employer. It’s the kind of loyalty that would bring a tear to Tony Soprano’s eye. However, there’s something not right about Ygor. What did happen to those six jurors?
Igor (played by Marty Feldman) in Young Frankenstein (1974)
Igor – pronounced “Eye-Gor” – is by far the brightest of any of the doctor’s assistants. From overcoming adversity through denial (“What hump?”) to strong negotiation skills (“my grandfather used to work for your grandfather, of course, the rates have gone up), Igor has got management material written all over him. Dr Frunkensteen better watch his back or “Eye-Gor” might just take his job, as quick as you can say “Frau Blucher”!
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