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The Revenge Of Frankenstein
1958
The Revenge Of Frankenstein was made by Hammer immediately after
they discovered they had hit a winning formula with Curse
Of Frankenstein, yet shows what a bunch of smart arses they were at
Hammer by being a brilliant film in it's own right, and not some kind
of poor-relation sequel. Plus, once again, it takes the basic Frankenstein
ingredients and (due to copyright problems with Universal) makes up something
completely new.
Old Victor, who was sentenced to death at the end of the first film, manages
to avoid the chop (the poor vicar getting it instead) and makes his way
to another German town where everyone speaks with a Cockney accent, there
to continue his nefarious activities.
Calling himself Doctor Stein (crafty, eh?) the Baron is a hit with the
ladies, but not with every other Doctor in the town, mainly due to his
insistence on curing sick people and working long hours (the bastard).
So far, so not very evil. Has he turned over a new leaf? What do you think?
Yup, whilst curing the poor, he's also lopping off their limbs and stitching
them together to produce a perfect body. Why he can't just use a whole
body is anyone's guess. Still, I suppose it just goes to prove some old
adage or other...
Another Doctor, fresh from Victor's old town, sees through his cunning
disguise and asks to join him in his experiments. The pair create a body,
and then bung in the brain of the Baron's disfigured manservant. Of course,
things don't go quite to plan and the "monster", initially a
reasonably good looking bloke, degenerates into a hideous cannibal fiend.
Like I said, this is a really good reworking of the old story, and a cracking
follow up to Curse. Of particular note is Cushing's performance
as Frankenstein (when has he ever failed?) and the ultimate degeneration
of the monster from society plaything to hideous animal, done with very
little make-up and a lot of anguish from actor Michael Gwynn.
But one note of caution. If you've already had to make a hasty escape
from flaming torch-wielding yokels as Doctor Frankenstein and Doctor Stein,
don't you think it's taking the piss a little to set up another practice
under the pseudonym "Doctor Frank"?
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
Director: Terence Fisher Writer(s): George Baxt, Hurford Janes
(additional dialogue), Jimmy Sangster
Cast: Peter Cushing - Dr. Victor Frankenstein aka Dr. Victor Stein and
Dr. Franck, Francis Matthews - Dr. Hans Kleve, Eunice Gayson - Margaret Conrad,
Michael Gwynn - Karl (after) the Synthetic Man, John Welsh - Bergman, Lionel
Jeffries - Fritz the grave robber, Oscar Quitak - The Dwarf, Karl Immelmann
(before), Richard Wordsworth - Slensky (Up Patient), Charles Lloyd Pack - President
of the Medical Council, John Stuart - Inspector, Arnold Diamond - Dr. Moelke,
Margery Cresley - Countess Barscynska, Anna Walmsley - Vera Barscynska, George
Woodbridge - Janitor at Lab, Michael Ripper - Kurt, Ian Whittaker - Boy with
Gerda, Avril Leslie - Gerda, Alex Gallier - Priest at Execution, John Gayford
- Footman, George Hirste - Smoking Patient, Raymond Hodge - Official At Exhumation,
Gerald Lawson - Legless Patient, Eugene Leahy - Klein, Michael Mulcaster - Harry
The Tatooed Patient, Gordon Needham - Male Nurse, Julia Nelson - Inga, Robert
Brooks Turner - Joseph The Groom, Freddie Watts - Patient, Middleton Woods -
Patient
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