The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (1973)

Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant Morpho are killed just as they bring their creation to life. The monster is taken by Cagliostro and he now controls the monster and plans to have it mate and create the perfect master race.

Director:

Jesús Franco (as Jess Franco)

Writers:

Jesús Franco (screenplay) (as Jess Franco), Jesús Franco (story)

Stars:

Alberto Dalbés, Dennis Price, Howard Vernon

Cast

Cast overview:
Alberto Dalbés	...	Doctor Seward (as Alberto Dalbes)
Dennis Price	...	Doctor Frankenstein (as Denis Price)
Howard Vernon	...	Cagliostro
Beatriz Savón	...	Vera Frankenstein
Anne Libert	...	Melisa
Fernando Bilbao	...	Monstruo
Carmen Yazalde	...	Madame Orloff (as Britt Nichols)
Luis Barboo	...	Caronte
Daniel White	...	Tanner (as Daniel Gerome)
Doris Thomas	...	Abigail (as Doris Tom)
Lina Romay	...	Esmeralda (in version "La maldición de Frankenstein")
Jesús Franco	...	Morpho (as J. Franco)

Storyline

Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant Morpho are killed just as they bring their creation to life. The monster is taken by Cagliostro and he now controls the monster and plans to have it mate and create the perfect master race.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | video nasty | doctor victor frankenstein character | sex horror | female frontal nudity | 

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Lina Romay.

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Goofs

Vera asks Dr. Seward if her father could have been killed by mountain lions. An odd question to ask, given there are no mountain lions in Europe.

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Quotes

Melisa: Melisa speaks to you on behalf of her great master Cagliostro. Cagliostro created me and half of me is a bird. He meant for me to be his own daughter, but I am blind and therefore unworthy. Cagliostro now transmits the words he wishes you to hear through the fabulous creature that I am. Listen to the master speak these words to you: "I have accorded you the privilege of rising from your graves. But I cannot prevent your flesh from rotting. Originally, I started creating with nature's materials,...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

Two (if not more) versions of this film exist La Maldicion de Frankenstein and The Curse of Frankenstein. The main difference between the two is that Curse is the 'hot' version containing male and female full frontal nudity, Maldicion is the 'cool' version with the same scenes but with the actors clothed. Maldicion is the version released in Spain in the General Franco era hence the lack of nudity although several topless scenes briefly remain. There are however many other differences between Maldicion and Curse, neither can be called definite since both contain footage the other doesn't. Both contain different beginning and end credits, Maldicion has nominal black and white titles, Curse opens it's credits to footage in Frankenstein's lab not found in Maldicion and ends with the credits set against a blue painting of the sea with more lyrical credits 'Robert De Nesle has presented'. Maldicion adds another character Esmeralda the Gypsy (played by Lina Romay) completely alien to Curse who appears throughout the film in a trance under the influence of Cagliostro, while impressive scenes of Cagliostro's zombies dressed in white robes walking though a misty forest can't be found in Curse. However Maldicion is lacking several scenes important to the narrative that curse can boast, noticeably Cagliostro and Melissa the bird women's first meeting in the film.

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Connections

Follows Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein (1972)

User Reviews

Frankenstein as told by the Marquis de Sade

Once upon a time, I viewed a copy of Jess Franco's Virgin among the Living Dead. I thought the movie was slow, boring and utterly pointless. Henceforth, I made it my firm resolution to avoid any movie directed by Jess Franco again. However after catching "the Awful Dr Orloff" on tv I have over the years become an admirer of his unique filmic style and now suprisingly claim that Jess Franco can be considered an Auteur of Euro-trash cinema.

The Erotic rites of Frankenstein is a very hard movie to track down. As far as I know it has never been released in the UK or America. Therefore, I was lucky enough to obtain a good widescreen copy on VHS from a car-boot sale. (These thing's always turn up in carboot sales!) The movie is a very imaginative and bizarre reinterpretation of Shelley's classic horror tale with and overtly sexual subtext.

Dr Frankenstein finally bestows the gift of speech upon his creation. Unfortunately his triumph is short lived when he is attacked by a weird naked vulture woman who tears him to shreds in his laboratory. Vera Frankenstein investigating his death reanimates her fathers corpse and discovers that his murderer is none other than Cagliostro the Wizard who has stolen the monster to aid his plans for world domination. Vera sets out to revenge her father but alas falls into the clutches of the wicked and very perverse Cagliostro....

This film contains many odd scenes and speeches from the characters. The oft mentioned scene of a bare chested and silver skinned Monster mercilessly whipping a naked couple over a spiked floor is suprising to say the least. The naked vulture woman's attack and slaughter of several naked men too is unexpected. As is the appearance of zombies at Cagliostro's castle. For once in a Frankenstein film it is the Doctor himself who is reanimated not less than three times and eventually becomes his own monster.

I enjoyed this movie - Franco's obsessions with S&M and naked women provide a spice to a very tired tale.

Details

Country:

Spain France

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

31 May 1973 (France)

Also Known As:

The Rites of Frankenstein

Filming Locations:

Av. Rei Humberto II de Itália Parque Marechal Camona, 2750-319 Cascais, Portugal

Company Credits

Production Co:

Comptoir Français du Film Production (CFFP), Fénix Cooperativa Cinematográfica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 71 min (as "The Curse of Frankenstein") 82 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1