Frankenstein 1970 (1958)

Needing money, the last of the Frankensteins leases his castle out to a film company as he tries to complete his ancestor's gruesome experiments at creating life.

Director:

Howard W. Koch

Writers:

Richard H. Landau (screenplay) (as Richard Landau), Charles A. Moses (story)

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Tom Duggan, Jana Lund

Cast

Cast overview:
Boris Karloff	...	Baron Victor von Frankenstein
Tom Duggan	...	Mike Shaw
Jana Lund	...	Carolyn Hayes
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Douglas Row (as Donald Barry)
Charlotte Austin	...	Judy Stevens
Irwin Berke	...	Inspector Raab
Rudolph Anders	...	Wilhelm Gottfried
Norbert Schiller	...	Shuter
John Dennis	...	Morgan Haley
Mike Lane	...	Hans Himmler / The Monster

Storyline

Baron Victor Von Frankenstein has fallen on hard times; he was tortured at the hands of the Nazis for not cooperating with them during World War II and he is now badly disfigured. As his family's wealth begins to run out, the Baron is forced to allow a TV crew shooting a documentary on his monster-making ancestors to film at his castle in Germany. However, the Baron has some ideas of his own: using the money from the crew's rent he buys an atomic reactor and uses it to create a hulking monster, transplanting his butler's brain into the thing and using it to kill off the crew for more spare parts.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | doctor victor frankenstein character | frankenstein's monster | castle | ancestor | 

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Taglines:

The One...The Only KING OF MONSTERS as the new demon of the atomic age!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Breen Office ordered a number of changes in the script and the original cut of the film. One change ordered was the sound of the device Dr. Frankenstein uses to dispose of body parts. The original grinding sound was considered too horrific. It was replaced with the sound of a toilet flush which resulted in unintended laughter in audiences. This was believed to be the first time a toilet flush was heard in a motion picture.

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Goofs

The degree of damage to Karloff's disfigured eye changes from scene to scene.

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Quotes

Carolyn Hayes: Organ music always makes me think of death!

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Connections

Featured in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Frankenstein 1970 (2010)

User Reviews

Karloff Made This Film

This is not a down right awful film... it's actually quite fun to watch. This might not be the best film Karloff has starred in but it's entertaining! It's nice to see Karloff in a role reversal of Frankenstein. He is the scientist who created The Monster in this film.

I have to agree with other reviewers that it is Karloff's presence in the movie that makes this one worth watching over again. Some of the film is laughable - which really creates the "fun" in watching the film.

Love the semi-Gothic atmosphere - and the surprise at the end of it.

All in all this is a good weekend popcorn flick! Worth watching if you like anything Frankenstein and/or Boris Karloff! 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 July 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frankenstein 1960

Filming Locations:

Stage 3, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$110,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aubrey Schenck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1