Forever to be remembered as the director of such superlative horror movies as Frankenstein (1931) and The Invisible Man (1933), James Whale (1889-1957) brought the same taste and imagination to other genres including the romantic melodrama and the musical. Born in Dudley, England, Whale was a cartoonist who began acting while confined in a German prisoner-of-war camp during World War I. After the armistice he became a professional stage actor, then set designer and, finally, director. His first Hollywood assignments were serving as dialogue director for Hell's Angels (1930) and directing the screen version of his stage hit Journey's End (1930).

Frankenstein (1931), with its expressionistic style and sly, dark humor, made Whale's name as an outstanding horror director, a reputation reinforced by The Invisible Man (1933); and Bride of Frankenstein (1935), a sequel that was, for once, equal or superior to the original. Whale directed the second (and many say best) film version of Show Boat (1936) with a vivid theatricality and drew splendid performances from Irene Dunne, Helen Morgan and Paul Robeson. Whale's Wives Under Suspicion (1938) is remake of his own film A Kiss Before the Mirror (1933), toned down for the more rigid censorship rules of the late 1930s. It's the story of a district attorney (Warren William) who sees capital punishment in a new light after being tempted to commit murder.

Other well-regarded films of the director include One More More (1934), based on the novel by John Galsworthy and starring Colin Clive and Diana Wynyard, and The Great Garrick (1937), a comedy set in the theater world with Brian Aherne and Olivia de Havilland.

Whale, who led an openly gay lifestyle, turned to painting for self-expression after his film career declined in the 1940s. His death from drowning in his swimming pool was shrouded in mystery until it was finally revealed that he had left a suicide note. The final days of the director's life are imaginatively recreated in the film Gods and Monsters (1998), with Ian McKellan in a splendid performance as Whale.

by Roger Fristoe

* Titles in bold will air on TCM in January