The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writer:

Anthony Hinds (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 May 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

The monster bred from a dozen corpses.

Plot:

Penniless, Baron Frankenstein, accompanied by his eager assistant Hans, arrives at his family castle near the town of Karlstaad...

Plot Keywords:

Baron | Police | Castle | Frankenstein | Sequel

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Baron Frankenstein
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Prof. Zoltán the Hypnotist
Duncan Lamont	...	Karlstaad Chief of Police
Sandor Elès	...	Hans, Frankenstein's Assistant
Katy Wild	...	Beggar Girl
David Hutcheson	...	Burgomaster of Karlstaad
James Maxwell	...	Priest
Howard Goorney	...	Drunk
Anthony Blackshaw	...	Policeman
David Conville	...	Policeman
Caron Gardner	...	Burgomaster's Wife
Kiwi Kingston	...	The Creature
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Arpino	...	Body Snatcher (uncredited)
Timothy Bateson	...	Hypnotized Man (uncredited)
Robert Flynn	...	Roustabout (uncredited)
Frank Forsyth	...	Manservant (uncredited)
James Garfield	...	Roustabout (uncredited)
Steven Geray	...	Dr. Sergado (additional sequence: US) (uncredited)
Patrick Horgan	...	David Carrell (uncredited)
Kenneth Kove	...	Curé (uncredited)
Derek Martin	...	Roustabout (uncredited)
Maria Palmer	...	Rena's Mother (additional sequence: US) (uncredited)
William Phipps	...	Rena's Father (additional sequence: US) (uncredited)
Anthony Poole	...	Roustabout (uncredited)
Michelle Scott	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Tracy Stratford	...	Rena as a Child (additional sequence: US) (uncredited)
Alister Williamson	...	Landlord (uncredited)

Directed by
Freddie Francis

Writing credits
Anthony Hinds		(screenplay) (as John Elder)

Produced by
Anthony Hinds	....	producer

Original Music by
Don Banks

Cinematography by
John Wilcox

Art Direction by
Don Mingaye

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	makeup artist
Frieda Steiger	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William P. Cartlidge	....	assistant director
Hugh Harlow	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roy Hyde	....	sound editor
Ken Rawkins	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Les Bowie	....	special effects

Stunts
Peter Diamond	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ronnie Maasz	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Philip Martell	....	music supervisor
John Hollingsworth	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Pauline Harlow	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions
• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV)
• Net5 (2002) (2003) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1965) | Sweden:15 | UK:X | USA:Unrated | France:-12 | Australia:M (2008) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

When first shown on television in 1968, some theatrical scenes were replaced by less intense scenes filmed by another director and with extra actors included.

Quotes:

Body Snatcher:[referring to a stolen body] I've got it!
Baron Frankenstein:So I observe... and so will half the county, if you don't hurry up and bring it inside!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monster Mania (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Beer Garden Waltz

Possibly the least out of the series but it's still entertaining, especially for fans of course.

Out of the long running Frankenstein-series from the Hammer Studio's, starring Peter Cushing, this movie might very well be the least one. For the fans of the series and Hammer movies in general it still remains a more than good watch though. It's entertaining, especially if you're into these type of movies and it of course has Peter Cushing in it to spice up some things as well.

What makes this movie not as good as the other ones from the series is its story and approach. It just doesn't pick a very interesting story, that somehow involves hypnoses. Of course it's quite difficult to come up with something original each time for every Frankenstein movie by the Hammer Studio's but that doesn't mean you can just get away with putting in some new original stuff when it just simply doesn't work out too well for the story. Luckily the movie starts to become more 'Hammer-like' toward its ending, when the monsters gets on the loose again and causing death and mayhem, as usual.

The movie of course doesn't feature a lot of horror and mostly has to settle with its atmosphere. The movie has a typical Hammer look and feeling all over it. The movie its look is almost pathetically cheap at times but this is part of what makes Hammer movies such charming ones to watch.

Peter Cushing is good as always as the well known baron but you also feel that he just didn't had the best material to work with. He doesn't always control his character well enough it seems, which can be blamed on the movie its writing. Director Freddie Francis also does his usual stuff, with his first and only Frankenstein movie he directed for the Hammer studio's Frankenstein-series, though he also later did some movies which involved the baron and creature, such as for instance "Son of Dracula".

It's not the best the series has to offer but for the fans this still simply remains a must-see!

7/10

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