Who played Henry Frankenstein in the 1931 film?

Colin Clive played Henry Frankenstein in the 1931 film Frankenstein. His character is the obsessive scientist who assembles a body from human remains and uses electricity to bring it to life. The film's Henry is an adaptation of Victor Frankenstein, the central scientist in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel.

Clive's intense performance helped define the screen image of the driven, unstable Frankenstein creator. His famous declaration, “It's alive!”, became one of the most recognizable moments in horror cinema. He returned as Henry Frankenstein in Universal's 1935 sequel, Bride of Frankenstein.

The other options belong to different roles. Boris Karloff played the Monster, Dwight Frye played Fritz, and Edward Van Sloan played Dr. Waldman, Henry's former teacher. A further source of confusion is the character's name: Shelley's novel uses Victor Frankenstein, while the 1931 film renames him Henry Frankenstein. The movie was directed by James Whale and produced by Universal Pictures.