Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Bert Batt (screenplay)
Anthony Nelson Keys (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 February 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The Most Frightening Frankenstein Movie Ever!

Plot:

Baron Frankenstein is once again working with illegal medical experiments. Together with a young doctor...

Plot Keywords:

Frankenstein | Doctor | Experiment | Boarding House | Assistant

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Baron Frankenstein
Veronica Carlson	...	Anna
Freddie Jones	...	Professor Richter
Simon Ward	...	Karl
Thorley Walters	...	Inspector Frisch
Maxine Audley	...	Ella Brandt
George Pravda	...	Doctor Brandt
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Police Doctor
Colette O'Neil	...	Mad Woman
Frank Middlemass	...	Guest - Plumber
George Belbin	...	Guest - Playing chess
Norman Shelley	...	Guest - Smoking pipe
Michael Gover	...	Guest - Reading newspaper
Peter Copley	...	Principal
Jim Collier	...	Dr. Heidecke
Allan Surtees	...	Police Sergeant
Windsor Davies	...	Police Sergeant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Timothy Davies	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Robert Davis	...	Official (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	Villager (uncredited)
Caron Gardner	...	Passer-By (uncredited)
Robert Gillespie	...	Mortuary Attendant (uncredited)
Michael Goldie	...	Warder (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	...	Burglar (uncredited)
Edward Higgins	...	Water Board Workman (uncredited)
Elizabeth Morgan	...	Christina, Ella's Friend (uncredited)
Daphne Oxenford	...	Lady In Garden (uncredited)
Dorothy Smith	...	Anna's Neighbour (uncredited)
Meadows White	...	Nightwatchman (uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Fisher

Writing credits
Bert Batt		(screenplay)
Anthony Nelson Keys		(story) and
Bert Batt		(story)
Mary Shelley		character: Frankenstein (uncredited)

Produced by
Anthony Nelson Keys	....	producer

Original Music by
James Bernard

Cinematography by
Arthur Grant		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gordon Hales

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Art Direction by
Bernard Robinson		(supervising art director)

Makeup Department
Eddie Knight	....	makeup artist
Patricia McDermott	....	hair stylist (as Pat McDermott)

Production Management
Christopher Neame	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bert Batt	....	assistant director
Bill Westley	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Banks	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Tony Lumkin	....	sound supervisor
Don Ranasinghe	....	sound editor
Ken Rawkins	....	sound recordist
Harry Fairbairn	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Peter Diamond	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Neil Binney	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe supervisor
Lotte Slattery	....	wardrobe mistress (as Lottie Slattery)

Music Department
Philip Martell	....	musical director

Other crew
Doreen Dearnaley	....	continuity (as Doreen Dearnalen)

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1969) (UK) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros-Seven Arts)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• WarnerBrothers / Seven Arts (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print Technicolor)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1991) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Studio Locations

Other Companies

• Associated British Studios  production facilities
• Elstree Film & Television Studios  movie studio

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and horror images (re-rating) (2004)

Runtime:

98 min | Argentina:95 min | Spain:97 min | USA:101 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-18 (2005) | Finland:K-18 (heavily cut) (1987) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | West Germany:18 (f) | Australia:M | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:GP (re-rating) (1969) | USA:M (certificate #22109) (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (2004) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Stanmore Hall, Wood Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

The characters of Insp. Frisch (Thorley Walters) and the Police Doctor were added to the script at a late stage.

Goofs:

Continuity: The flowers in Frankenstein's buttonhole change both color and shape between shots when he first invites Mrs Brant into Anna's house. They start as three yellow and purple tulips, change to a purple and orange spray during his conversation with Mrs Brant in the living room, and change back as he guides her down the laboratory stairs.

Quotes:

Professor Richter:I fancy that I am the spider and you are the fly, Frankenstein.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Wicker Man Enigma (2001) (V)

Frankenstein must be worshiped!!

Hooray! Here's another entry in the highly amusing Hammer Frankenstein franchise. Don't ever ask me to pick a 'best' or even favorite in this series because I instantly love every episode I can get my dirty little hands on :) And this fifth chapter is a true highlight as it has our Baron Frankenstein more and more evolving into a ruthless, cold villain. He blackmails a young couple; forcing them to assist him with his diabolical experiments (only he sees it as simple scientific evolution). Along with his new accomplices, Baron F. kidnaps a fellow mad scientist out of the asylum because he knows the skills to perform a flawless brain transplant. Unfortunately, Frankenstein's mad raving colleague has been drugged so much he now is a complete vegetable. Ingenious as he is, evil Victor transplants a few brains and commits a few murders to finally have the things the way he wants.

After 4 prequels, numberless others adaptations and several novels, Hammer Productions (and class-A director Terence Fisher in particular) still manages to present the Frankenstein films as original and innovative horror adventures. It's remarkable how Cushing and Fisher completely shifted the initial horror from Frankenstein's monster to Baron Frankenstein himself! In this film, the creature is a pathetic 'victim' while it's Cushing who's the criminal mastermind. Needless to say that Cushing is absolutely powerful in his loyal role of the Baron. He's actually so good in preaching his medical ambitions that you often sympathize with him, even though you witness with your own eyes he's bad to the bone! Cushing receives excellent feedback from the young actor Simon Ward and the exquisite Veronica Carlson. 'Frankenstein must be Destroyed' is an intriguing horror film for some other reason as well. Fisher inserts a healthy dose of Romanticism in this episode plus it's also one of the first Hammer films that feature the sexual content and undertones they'll use more and more in their 70's films. Hammer's popularity tempered a bit during the late 60's/ early 70's and they tried to make up for this by showing more ravishing meat (Carlson's cleavage) and sexual insinuations. In short, Frankenstein must be destroyed is essential horror viewing! It has loads of tension and exciting sequences, the film is professionally made, well-acted and it features a fair amount of bloodshed.