Colin Clive
His feverish performance as Dr. Frankenstein created cinema's most famous monster and an immortal moment of mad science.
1900–1937 (age 37)·English actor·Birthday: January 20·The Lost Generation
Biography
Colin Clive's brief, intense life burned with a theatrical fire that found its perfect outlet in early Hollywood horror. Born in Saint-Malo, France, to English parents, he was expected to join the military but turned to the stage after a riding accident. His commanding presence and ability to project tortured intellect caught the eye of director James Whale, who cast him in the London production of 'Journey's End.' When Whale brought the play to film and later sought an actor for 'Frankenstein,' Clive was his only choice. As Henry Frankenstein, Clive didn't just play a scientist; he embodied the ecstasy and terror of creation itself, his eyes wide with a manic gleam. His career, however, was shadowed by severe alcoholism and injuries from his youth, leading to his death from complications following surgery at just 37. In only a handful of films, he left a permanent mark on the genre, making the mad doctor a figure of tragic ambition rather than simple villainy.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Colin was born in 1900, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Colin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Colin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1937Died at 37
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
Key Achievements
- Originated the role of Captain Stanhope in both the stage and film versions of R.C. Sherriff's 'Journey's End.'
- Played Dr. Henry Frankenstein in James Whale's 1931 classic 'Frankenstein' and its 1935 sequel 'Bride of Frankenstein.'
- Delivered the line 'It's alive!' which was named one of the 100 greatest movie quotes by the American Film Institute.
Did You Know?
He was originally intended for a British Army career but a serious knee injury from a riding accident ended that path.
He was married to actress Jeanne de Casalis from 1929 until his death.
Director James Whale specifically insisted on Clive for the role of Frankenstein over studio objections.
“It's alive, it's alive!”
