The movie was directed by Rowland V. Lee, and starred (along with Rathbone and Karloff) Bela Lugosi (as Igor, in the first appearance of that character), Lionel Atwill (as the one-armed Inspector Krogh), Josephine Hutchinson, and Donnie Dunagan. It was originally scheduled to be Universal's first Technicolor production, but objections to the appearance of Karloff's makeup in color caused the film to be shot in black and white.
Universal announced a sequel, After Frankenstein, but it was never made.