The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)

The brilliant but misunderstood scientist Frankenstein builds a man made up of a collection of spare body parts. The monster becomes alive but he has mental capabilities much below par. The... See full summary »

Director:

Jimmy Sangster

Writers:

Jeremy Burnham, Jimmy Sangster,

Stars:

Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Bates	...	Victor Frankenstein
Kate O'Mara	...	Alys
Veronica Carlson	...	Elizabeth Heiss
Dennis Price	...	The Graverobber
Jon Finch	...	Lt. Henry Becker
Bernard Archard	...	Prof. Heiss
Graham James	...	Wilhelm Kassner
James Hayter	...	Bailiff
Joan Rice	...	Graverobber's wife
Stephen Turner	...	Stephan
Neil Wilson	...	Schoolmaster
James Cossins	...	Dean
Glenys O'Brien	...	Maggie
Geoffrey Lumsden	...	Instructor
Chris Lethbridge-Baker	...	Priest (as C. Lethbridge Baker)

Storyline

The brilliant but misunderstood scientist Frankenstein builds a man made up of a collection of spare body parts. The monster becomes alive but he has mental capabilities much below par. The monster is aggressive and wreaks havoc outside the laboratory.

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Plot Keywords:

patricide | dead woman on ground | hammer horror | pregnant wife | electrocution | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 June 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Horror of Frankenstein

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Films, Hammer Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This Frankenstein film stands alone and is not a part of Hammer's six film Frankenstein series, starring Peter Cushing as Dr. Frankenstein. It was, essentially a remake of The Curse of Frankenstein, and it is rumored that a younger actor, Ralph Bates, was cast to appeal to a younger audience.

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Goofs

When the monster first leaves the castle it pulls the lock right out of the door. Shortly afterward it is in place again without anybody having the time to do the repair.

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Connections

Referenced in The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus (2010)

User Reviews

one person's junk is another person's treasure

To clarify, it's really no treasure, but, neither do I agree with the consensus. As of this writing, other comments are overwhelmingly negative. But I don't think that this flick is all that bad. Sure - it's a temptation to compare it to other Hammer films and Frankenstein movies in general. But, because Peter Cushing and Boris Karloff aren't in it, THAT shouldn't be held against Horror of Frankenstein. (They weren't in Citizen Kane, either, but THAT'S a pretty good pic.) I'm guilty of too much comparing, myself, but, for some reason, I did not do it here. Maybe that's why I rated it "respectable". I'm satisfied with most aspects of this production, although, admittedly, the outset is a bit dialogue-heavy and action-starved. It takes a long, mundane time, but, through it all, we meet (among others), sociopathic med student, Victor Frankenstein; his straight-as-an-arrow classmate, Wilhelm; destitute-destined neighbor, Elizabeth; the buxom housekeeper (but lousy cook), Alys; the one-step-behind police lieutenant, Henry Becker; the good-at-what-he-does body and parts supplier and his widow; and, of course, the towering, impetuous monster. It has an easy-to-follow story, with enough Hammer cleavage... urrr, diversions... to make it interesting. This attempt is okay, in my book.