Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)

Baron Frankenstein, with the aid of a young doctor and his fiancée, kidnaps the mentally sick Dr. Brandt in order to perform the first brain transplant operation.

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Bert Batt (screenplay), Anthony Nelson Keys (from an original story by)

Stars:

Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson, Freddie Jones

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Cushing	...	Baron Frankenstein
Veronica Carlson	...	Anna Spengler
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

Storyline

Baron Frankenstein travels to a new town to meet Dr. Brandt with whom his has been corresponding and with whom he had hoped to collaborate. He arrives however to learn that Brandt is in a mental institution, having lost his mind completely. He takes a room in a boarding house run by the pretty young Anna who just happens to be engaged to Karl, a doctor who works at the asylum where Dr. Brandt is being kept. When Frankenstein learns that Karl has been stealing drugs, he blackmails him and Anna to work as his assistants. He is desperate to learn a secret that Brandt was going to share with him and kidnaps him with the intent of extracting that secret by transplanting his brain into another body.

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Plot Keywords:

corpse | fire | rape | sequel | fifth part | 

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Taglines:

More monsterous than the monsters he created!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence and horror images

Did You Know?

Trivia

During filming, Peter Cushing and Veronica Carlson gave an on set interview. When the interviewer referred to Cushing making yet another "Hammer" horror film, the actor pretended to burst into tears and this created some laughter.

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Goofs

Between Anna being stabbed and her fiancé finding her, the position of the scalpel changes.

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Quotes

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

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Alternate Versions

A scene was filmed of Baron Frankenstein raping Anna. Both Terence Fisher and Peter Cushing were very uncomfortable with the scene. This scene was included in the U.S. release version which increased its running time to 101 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973)

User Reviews

because in the temporary absence of his fiancée he could

This is one of the most vigorous of the Hammer productions and features Peter Cushing being uncharacteristically nasty. Even though some of his transplant theories have a certain logic he remains mean and unpleasant throughout with the (again uncharacteristic) rape scene adding icing to the already surprisingly (and ironically) nihilist cake. All the rest of Cushing's violence is aimed at 'getting the job done' but the rape, preceded by it's sexy build is a seeming sideswipe justified simply because in the temporary absence of his fiancée he could. Well dressed, surprisingly well paced and eventful. Not your ponderous Hammer production at all, rather as if its some impostor. Well worth catching.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 February 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed

Filming Locations:

Tykes Water Lake, Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$100,437

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1