I'll start with mine:

1. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Dir. James Whale. This is the pinnacle of horror, and one of the greatest movies ever made, because it has everything: Bathos, pathos, brilliant direction by the great Whale, Karloff's finest performance as the talking monster, excellent support from Valerie Hobson, Colin Clive, E.E. Clive, Una O'Connor and, of course, Ernest Thesiger, who almost steals the movie as the deliriously immoral Dr. Pretorius. A rich vein of dry humor enlightens the film, as do many unforgettable scenes and a terrific score.

2. Frankenstein (1931) Dir. James Whale. The original firmly established Karloff as the ultra-frightening monster and debuted a great Universal supporting cast--Dwight Fry, E.E. Clive, Colin Clive, all giving their best. Superb Expressionist sets, excellent scripts, brilliant filming. Almost as good as "The Bride."

3. Son of Frankenstein (1939) Dir. Rowland V. Lee. Third and last of the Frank films to star Karloff as the monster. Elegant Basil Rathbone stars as the original Frankenstein's son. getting a chilly reception from villagers as he's enticed by Ygor (Bela Lugosi in a stellar turn) to make his big "friend" well. Donnie Dunagan, as Rathbone's son, adds excitement and drama as the monstor stalks him. Bizarre sets, but a bit on the talky side.

4. Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) Dir. Erle C. Kenton. A host of mostly forgettable Franksploitation films popped up after the original trio. This is the best of the bunch because Universal assembled a fine cast, including Cedric Hartwicke as Ludwig F., Lon Chaney in his debut as the monster, Lionel Atwill, Ralph Bellamy and Lugosi, who dominates this movie as Ygor, scheming to substitute his brain into the monster's body and getting treacherous Atwill to go along. Nice subtheme with a little girl befriending the monster. Not bad at all.

The Hammer Franks didn't do anything for me. Nor did the "House of..." movies that combined Frank, Drac and Wolfie.

Yours?