Ludwig Frankenstein
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Frankenstein is a fictional character
who appears in the Universal
horror film
The Ghost of Frankenstein
. He is played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke
.
: specifically, in treating the mentally ill
with the help of his colleagues, Dr. Bohmer and Dr. Kettering, the former being his mentor
.
Following the apparent deaths of Ygor
and Frankenstein's monster
at the hands of Wolf Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein
, Wolf gave to Ludwig both his own scientific
notes as well as those of their father. Not wanting the people of Visaria, much less his daughter, to know about the unsavory history of his family, Ludwig kept the medical records of his father and brother Wolf locked away, determined not to let the sin
s of his father and brother haunt him. But Ludwig did not know that Ygor and the Monster were still alive. By some unrevealed act, Ygor becomes aware of Ludwig Frankenstein and his apparent success as a medical doctor which he reasons could help heal the Monster. The two arrive Visaria, Ygor demanded that Ludwig use his special talents to heal the Monster's sick brain, or else he informs the townspeople of the doctor's secret of being the actual son of the infamous monster-making Frankenstein.
Initially, Ludwig agreed, but after the Monster killed Dr. Kettering in an unprovoked fit of violence and tried to abduct
Elsa, he angrily changed his mind and planned to destroy the creature by dissecting the creature. However, the spirit
of Henry Frankenstein (also played by Hardwicke sans moustache, as original actor Colin Clive
had died in 1937) appeared before his son and implored him to reconsider, persuading Ludwig to use his talent at brain surgery to simply give the Monster another brain to replace the abnormal
, criminal
one. Perhaps Ludwig was merely hallucinating
, but in any case he was properly inspired to do what his father wished. He made plans to remove the Monster's brain and replace it with that of Dr. Kettering, whom both he and Dr. Bohmer viewed as a model citizen. In so doing, Ludwig hoped, he would end the threat of the Monster forever and clear the Frankenstein family's name.
Unfortunately, Ygor persuaded Bohmer (who was secretly jealous of his former student's success) to put his brain into the Monster's head and not Kettering's. When Ludwig tried to stop the Monster, Ludwig ends up mortally wounded. But when the different blood type
s ensured that Ygor's brain was blind within the Monster's body, The wounded Ludwig states to Bohmer that Ygor’s blood is incompatible with the Monster’s blood and won’t feed his sensory nerves as the Monster's blood is actually the same as Kettering's blood. The creature went berserk, killed Bohmer upon claiming that he was tricked, and destroyed Ludwig's laboratory
. Ludwig was killed in the resulting fire as recounted by his daughter in the succeeding film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who appears in the Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
The Ghost of Frankenstein
The Ghost of Frankenstein
The Ghost of Frankenstein, is an American monster horror film released in 1942. The movie is the fourth in a series of films produced by Universal Studios based upon characters in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and features Lon Chaney, Jr...
. He is played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke
Cedric Hardwicke
Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke was a noted English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly fifty years...
.
History
Ludwig is the son of Henry Frankenstein and younger brother of Wolf Frankenstein. Living in the town of Visaria with his daughter, Elsa, he is a medical doctor who specialized in brain surgeryNeurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
: specifically, in treating the mentally ill
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
with the help of his colleagues, Dr. Bohmer and Dr. Kettering, the former being his mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
.
Following the apparent deaths of Ygor
Igor (fictional character)
Igor is the traditional stock character or cliché hunch-backed assistant or butler to many types of villain, such as Count Dracula or a mad scientist, familiar from many horror movies and horror movie parodies, the Frankenstein series and Van Helsing films in particular.-Origins:Dwight Frye's...
and Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
at the hands of Wolf Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein is the third film in Universal Studios' Frankenstein series and the last to feature Boris Karloff as the Monster as well as the first to feature Béla Lugosi as Ygor. It is a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein....
, Wolf gave to Ludwig both his own scientific
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
notes as well as those of their father. Not wanting the people of Visaria, much less his daughter, to know about the unsavory history of his family, Ludwig kept the medical records of his father and brother Wolf locked away, determined not to let the sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s of his father and brother haunt him. But Ludwig did not know that Ygor and the Monster were still alive. By some unrevealed act, Ygor becomes aware of Ludwig Frankenstein and his apparent success as a medical doctor which he reasons could help heal the Monster. The two arrive Visaria, Ygor demanded that Ludwig use his special talents to heal the Monster's sick brain, or else he informs the townspeople of the doctor's secret of being the actual son of the infamous monster-making Frankenstein.
Initially, Ludwig agreed, but after the Monster killed Dr. Kettering in an unprovoked fit of violence and tried to abduct
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
Elsa, he angrily changed his mind and planned to destroy the creature by dissecting the creature. However, the spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
of Henry Frankenstein (also played by Hardwicke sans moustache, as original actor Colin Clive
Colin Clive
Colin Clive was an English stage and screen actor best remembered for his portrayal of Dr...
had died in 1937) appeared before his son and implored him to reconsider, persuading Ludwig to use his talent at brain surgery to simply give the Monster another brain to replace the abnormal
Abnormality (behavior)
Abnormality, in the vivid sense of something deviating from the normal or differing from the typical , is a subjectively defined behavioral characteristic, assigned to those with rare or dysfunctional conditions...
, criminal
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
one. Perhaps Ludwig was merely hallucinating
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
, but in any case he was properly inspired to do what his father wished. He made plans to remove the Monster's brain and replace it with that of Dr. Kettering, whom both he and Dr. Bohmer viewed as a model citizen. In so doing, Ludwig hoped, he would end the threat of the Monster forever and clear the Frankenstein family's name.
Unfortunately, Ygor persuaded Bohmer (who was secretly jealous of his former student's success) to put his brain into the Monster's head and not Kettering's. When Ludwig tried to stop the Monster, Ludwig ends up mortally wounded. But when the different blood type
Blood type
A blood type is a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells . These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the blood group system...
s ensured that Ygor's brain was blind within the Monster's body, The wounded Ludwig states to Bohmer that Ygor’s blood is incompatible with the Monster’s blood and won’t feed his sensory nerves as the Monster's blood is actually the same as Kettering's blood. The creature went berserk, killed Bohmer upon claiming that he was tricked, and destroyed Ludwig's laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
. Ludwig was killed in the resulting fire as recounted by his daughter in the succeeding film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, released in 1943, is an American monster horror film produced by Universal Studios starring Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of "ensemble" monster films combining characters from several film...
.