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Newsom! if you keep this up...I no fix yer face!!!! Check page #22 of The Films Of Bela Lugosi by Richard Bojarski. Here is picture proof that Bela met James Whale. He is seated right next to Whale! Also in the picture are James Flavin, Carl Laemmle and Tom Mix. Lugosi is 48 years old at the time. According to Bojarski : Lugosi worked ENTHUSIASTICALLY with make up man Jack Pierce, to create Mary Shelley's fearsome monster. ...Bela Lugosi, in the starring role, will be built up with makeup and padding, to resemble the eight foot superman Mary Shelley wrote about in 1816. Further... When Lugosi was made up only his chin and eyes will be visible, greasepaint and putty completely hiding the rest of his face. Edward Van Sloan described Lugosi's facial makeup thus "His head was about 4 times normal size, with a broad wig on it. He had polished, clay like skin." Shoes to which nearly 12 INCHES have been added will complete the illusion. I was in error about the sets and Dracula sets were indeed used. However from the description in Bojarski's book it would seem the advance publicity ad with the "giant" monster could have been the way the studio wanted the monster to appear...LARGE. This doesn't mean a King Kong sized monster but one that loomed large and menacing.The padding and boots adding to Lugosi's 6'1 frame would have made a large looming figure. Also I highly doubt the only scene shot was the one mentioned above because Lugosi is described with all the padding and boots on, so if he was just on the Lab table, then why any padding and boots? Pierce claims also in the book that Lugosi had TOO many ideas that didn't coincide with those of the PRODUCER. Well obviously Lugosi was very much into being in the film and most likely wanted the monster to do more than grunt and gesture. When Lugosi later stated he rejected the role of the Monster because of lack of dialogue...he says "I convinced the studio that the part did not have meat enough." I also hold that Lugosi and Whale did get along well and that there is not written evidence contradicting this. I read somewhere Whale had originally wanted Lugosi for the role of Pretoreus in Bride of Frankenstein. Universal had also wanted Whale to do the sequel to Dracula but Whale's script for Dracula's Daughter didn't get past the censor. I'll go out on a limb here and say Lugosi most likely left the film for two reasons his tall frame could not tolerate all the heavy padding and boots, remember he is 48 years old and most likely already suffering from back spasms and leg pains, which he kept hidden most of his career until addicted to the medication for said leg pains, he ended up in a clinic. Lugosi felt the monster should do more in the film. I don't think Whale had a problem with Lugosi's performance and as already stated Lugosi was known to give every acting job his best, even in the poverty row cheapies he would later have the misfortune of starring in. Back in 1931 it was better to say nothing about his physical problem and when asked about his departure from Frankenstein to say he didn't like playing a mute non speaking type role with his features all but covered up. I still hold that the makeup was very much like Mirakle with a hairy wig and wild starring eyes covered over with the brushy brow. I think the artwork is enough like Lugosi (as made up in Monster makeup) to someone looking at it to see Bela's features..it also says BELA LUGOSI in the ad. Remember Bela wasn't the household bogeyman at that time being only in one Horror film, DRACULA.