Frankenstein (Hammer film series)

Frankenstein is the title of several horror-adventure film series loosely based on the 1818 novel of the same name by Mary Shelley, centered on Baron Victor Frankenstein, who experiments in creating a creature beyond human.

This article is about the franchise. For the various works with the same name, see Frankenstein (disambiguation).

Hammer Horror film series (1957–1974)

The original series of films consisted of seven installments, which starred iconic horror actors such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as Baron Victor Frankenstein and his creature respectively. The series of films is part of the larger Hammer Horror series.

Year Film Baron Victor Frankenstein actor The Creature actor
1957 The Curse of Frankenstein Peter Cushing Christopher Lee
1958 The Revenge of Frankenstein Michael Gwynn Peter Cushing
1964 The Evil of Frankenstein Kiwi Kingston
1967 Frankenstein Created Woman Susan Denberg
1969 Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed Freddie Jones
1970 The Horror of Frankenstein Ralph Bates David Prowse
1974 Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell Peter Cushing
Frankenstein
Directed by
Produced by
Screenplay by
  • Jimmy Sangster (1–2 and 6)
  • Anthony Hinds (3–4 and 7)
  • Bert Batt (5)
  • Jeremy Burnham (6)
Starring
Music by
Edited by
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
1957–1974
Running time
634–643 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Producer Max Rosenberg originally approached Michael Carreras at Hammer Films with a deal to produce Frankenstein and the Monster (Rosenberg claims that he came up with the title) from a script by Milton Subotsky. Later, both men were cut out of their profit participation making only a $5000 fee for bringing the production to Hammer.[1] Rosenberg and Subotsky later established Amicus Films, Hammer's main rival in the production of horror films during the 1960s. Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, who adapted Mary Shelley's novel for Hammer, never mentioned seeing Subotsky's script or being aware of Rosenberg's involvement. Sangster had worked as a production manager and said that he was keenly aware of production costs and kept the budget in mind when writing the script. Sangster said that his awareness of cost influenced him to not write scenes involving the villagers storming the castle that was typically seen in the Universal horror films "because we couldn't afford it". Sangster in an interview with film historian Jonathan Rigby indicated that he hadn't seen any of the Frankenstein films that Universal made. He just adapted the book "the way I saw it".[2]

Peter Cushing, who was then best known for his many high-profile roles in British television, had his first lead part in a film with The Curse of Frankenstein. Meanwhile, Christopher Lee's casting resulted largely from his height (6'5"), though Hammer had earlier considered the even taller (6'7") Bernard Bresslaw for the role. Universal fought hard to prevent Hammer from duplicating aspects of their 1931 film, and so it was down to make-up artist Phil Leakey to design a new look for the creature bearing no resemblance to the Boris Karloff original created by Jack Pierce. Production of The Curse of Frankenstein began, with an investment of £65,000, on 19 November 1956 at Bray Studios with a scene showing Baron Frankenstein cutting down a highwayman from a wayside gibbet.[3] The film opened at the London Pavilion on 2 May 1957 with an X certificate from the censors.

Hammer's first colour horror film, its worldwide success led to several sequels, the studio's new versions of Dracula (1958) and The Mummy (1959), and established "Hammer Horror" as a new distinctive brand of Gothic cinema.[4] [5]

Film Rotten Tomatoes
The Curse of Frankenstein 78% (18 reviews)[6]
The Revenge of Frankenstein 87% (15 reviews)[7]
The Evil of Frankenstein 57% (7 reviews)[8]
Frankenstein Created Woman 67% (12 reviews)[9]
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed 70% (10 reviews)[10]
The Horror of Frankenstein 55% (11 reviews)[11]
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell 50% (6 reviews)[12]
  • The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
    Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is a brilliant scientist willing to stop at nothing in his quest to reanimate a deceased body. After alienating his longtime friend and partner, Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart), with his extreme methods, Frankenstein assembles a hideous creature (Christopher Lee) out of dead body parts and succeeds in bringing it to life. But the monster is not as obedient or docile as Frankenstein expected, and it runs amok, resulting in murder and mayhem.
  • The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
    With the help of Karl (Oscar Quitak), the crippled dwarf hangman, whom he promises a new body, Baron Frankenstein escapes from the guillotine and goes to Germany, where under the name Stein, alongside his eager young assistant Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews), they transplant Karl's brain into the new patchwork body (Michael Gwynn). The operation is successful but as the body's limbs begin to return to the old crippled positions of Karl, Karl escapes and goes on a cannibalistic rampage, calling out the name of "Frankenstein".
  • The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
    Dr. Frankenstein returns destitute to his home village to recommence his experimental research into the reanimation of dead tissue, and stumbles upon his old monster (Kiwi Kingston) suspended in ice. Though he revives the creature, Frankenstein must seek the help of hypnotist Zoltan (Peter Woodthorpe) to repair its mind. Zoltan then assumes control of the monster, using him to wreak havoc. But when Frankenstein tries to regain power over his creation, he becomes Zoltan's next target.
  • Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
    After being reanimated, Baron Frankenstein transfers the soul of his unjustly framed and guillotined assistant Hans (Robert Morris) into the body of his lover Christina (Susan Denberg) after she had subsequently committed suicide, prompting her, with his memory, to kill the men who wronged them and avenge their deaths.
  • Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
    When Frankenstein, who looks forward to meet and work with former associate Dr. Frederick Brandt (George Pravda), learns about his unstable mind and subsequent confinement to a lunatic asylum, he decides to transplant Brandt's brain into another body (Freddie Jones) in an attempt to cure him, and to acquire the information behind a secret formula known only to him.
  • The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
    A tongue-in-cheek black comedy chiller and remake of The Curse of Frankenstein about a ruthlessly sadistic student who will stop at nothing in pursuit of advancing his shocking scientific experiments, Young Victor Frankenstein (Ralph Bates) murders his own father (George Belbin) in order to inherit his title and fortune, and drops out of school to concentrate on his unholy attempts to resurrect the dead (David Prowse).
  • Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)
    Convicted of body-snatching, Dr. Simon Helder (Shane Briant) is sentenced to an insane asylum. On arrival, he recognizes the resident surgeon as the infamous Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), who has been hiding out there under the guise of Dr Carl Victor, discovering that Frankenstein has been assembling a new creature using the body of an insane murderer (David Prowse), the brain of a musical and mathematical genius (Charles Lloyd-Pack) and the hands of a sculptor (Bernard Lee). Unable to operate himself due to his hands having been burnt, Frankenstein has been relying on his mute assistant Sarah (Madeline Smith) to stitch the body parts together, now turning to Helder for help. After the operation is a success, the creature is torn between the conflicting aspects of itself – an intelligent, artistic person imprisoned in the body of a murderous hulk. Escaping from its cell, the creature then sets out to hunt down those who abused him – starting with the asylum’s corrupt director (John Stratton)…

Tales of Frankenstein television pilot
Main article: Tales of Frankenstein

In 1959, Hammer shot a half-hour pilot episode for a television series to be called Tales of Frankenstein, in association with Columbia Pictures, directed by Curt Siodmak. Anton Diffring played the Baron, and Don Megowan his creation. The series was scrapped, largely because of the two companies' disagreement over what the basic thrust of the series would be: Hammer wanted to do a series about Baron Frankenstein involved in various misadventures, while Columbia wanted a series of loosely-connected science fiction loosely based around the idea of science gone wrong. Though unreleased at the time of its production, the episode is available on DVD from several public domain sources. Though the series was never produced, Anthony Hinds commissioned several scripts that provided Hammer with material for their later Frankenstein films, specifically Frankenstein Created Woman and The Evil of Frankenstein.[13][14]

Feature films
Number Title Director Release date Continuity
1 The Curse of Frankenstein Terence Fisher May 2, 1957 Main series
2 The Revenge of Frankenstein June 1, 1958
3 The Evil of Frankenstein Freddie Francis April 19, 1964
4 Frankenstein Created Woman Terence Fisher March 15, 1967
5 Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed May 22, 1969
7 Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell May 2, 1974
6 The Horror of Frankenstein Jimmy Sangster November 8, 1970 Remake

Cast and characters
List indicator(s)
  • A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
  • A U indicates a uncredited role.
  • A V indicates a voice-only role.
  • A C indicates a cameo appearance.
  • A P indicates the actor or actress portrayed their film character as possessed by another.
  • A L indicates an appearance wherein an actor's facial features were digitally imprinted upon another actor's face.
  • A Y indicates an appearance as a younger version of a pre-existing character.
  • An A indicates an appearance through archival footage, audio or stills.
Character Hammer Horror series
Main series Remake
The Curse of Frankenstein The Revenge of Frankenstein The Evil of Frankenstein Frankenstein Created Woman Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell The Horror of Frankenstein
1957 1958 1964 1967 1969 1974 1970
Baron Victor Frankenstein
Doctor Victor Stein / Franck / Carl Victor		 Peter Cushing
Melvyn HayesY		 Peter Cushing Ralph Bates
The Creature
Herr Schneider / The Monster from Hell		 Christopher Lee
Jock Easton		 Michael Gwynn
Peter Cushing		 Kiwi Kingston Susan Denberg Freddie Jones David Prowse
Priest Alex Gallier Alex GallierU James Maxwell Colin Jeavons   Chris Lethbridge-Baker
Elizabeth Heiss Hazel Court
Sally WalshY		 Mentioned   Veronica Carlson
Schoolmaster Henry Caine   Neil Wilson
Burgomaster of Karlstaad Andrew Leigh   David Hutcheson  
Burgomaster's Wife Ann Blake   Caron Gardner  
Fritz Josef Behrmann Lionel Jeffries  
Doctor Hans Kleve   Francis Matthews Sandor Elès Robert Morris
Stuart MiddletonUY
Susan DenbergP		   Chris Cunningham  
Doctor Karl Holst   Oscar Quitak
Michael Gwynn		   Barry Warren Simon Ward  
Professor Durendel
President of the Medical Council		   Charles Lloyd-Pack   Charles Lloyd-Pack  
Landlord   Alister Williamson Ivan Beavis   Jerold Wells  
Chief of Police   Duncan Lamont Peter Madden Timothy Davies  
Police Sergeant #1   Anthony Blackshaw   Allan Surtees  
Police Sergeant #2   David Conville   Windsor Davies  
Christina Kleve   Susan Denberg Elizabeth Morgan  
Dr. Paul Krempe Robert Urquhart  
Justine Valerie Gaunt  
Aunt Sophia Noel Hood  
Professor Bernstein Paul Hardtmuth  
Grandpa Fred Johnson  
Little Boy Claude Kingston  
Warder Michael Mulcaster  
Lecturer Middleton Woods  
Uncle Raymond Ray  
Margaret   Eunice Gayson  
Bergman   John Welsh  
Up Patient   Richard Wordsworth  
Janitor   George Woodbridge  
Kurt   Michael Ripper  
Zoltan   Peter Woodthorpe  
Rena   Katy Wild  
Drunk   Howard Goorney  
Doctor Hertz   Thorley Walters  
Anton   Peter Blythe  
Johann   Derek Fowlds  
The Prisoner
Hans' Father		   Duncan Lamont  
Kleve   Alan MacNaughtan  
Mayor   Philip Ray  
Bystander   Bartlett Mullins  
Spokesman   Alec Mango  
Anna Spengler   Veronica Carlson  
Dr. Frederick Brandt   George Pravda
Freddie Jones		  
Professor Richter   Freddie Jones  
Inspector Frisch   Thorley Walters  
Ella Brandt   Maxine Audley  
Police Doctor   Geoffrey Bayldon  
Madwoman   Colette O'Neil  
Guest - Plumber   Frank Middlemass  
Guest - Smoking pipe   Norman Shelley  
Guest - Reading newspaper   Michael Gover  
Guest - Playing chess   George Belbin  
Principal   Peter Copley  
Dr. Heidecke   Jim Collier  
Dr. Simon Helder   Shane Briant  
Sarah "Angel" Klauss   Madeline Smith  
Asylum Director Adolf Klauss   John Stratton  
Transvest   Michael Ward  
Wild One   Elsie Wagstaff  
Police Sergeant   Norman Mitchell  
Judge   Clifford Mollison  
Bodysnatcher   Patrick Troughton  
Ernst   Philip Voss  
Brassy Girl   Andria Lawrence  
Old Hag   Lucy Griffiths  
Tarmut   Bernard Lee  
Muller   Sydney Bromley  
Gerda   Sheila Dunion  
Twitch   Mischa de la Motte  
Smiler   Norman Atkyns  
Letch   Victor Woolf  
Mouse   Winifred Sabine  
Chatter   Janet Hargreaves  
Coach Driver   Peter Madden  
Alys   Kate O'Mara
The Graverobber   Dennis Price
Lieutenant Henry Becker   Jon Finch
Professor Heiss   Bernard Archard
Wilhelm Kassner   Graham James
Bailiff   James Hayter
Graverobber's Wife   Joan Rice
Stephan   Stephen Turner
Dean   James Cossins
Maggie   Glenys O'Brien
Instructor   Geoffrey Lumsden
First Bandit   Terry Duggan
Baron Frankenstein I   George Belbin
Woodsman   Hal Jeayes
Woodsman's Daughter   Carol Jeayes
Workman   Michael Goldie

Crew
Crew/detail Film
Main series Remake
The Curse of Frankenstein The Revenge of Frankenstein The Evil of Frankenstein Frankenstein Created Woman Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell The Horror of Frankenstein
1957 1958 1964 1967 1969 1974 1970
Director(s) Terence Fisher Freddie Francis Terence Fisher Jimmy Sangster
Producer(s) Anthony Hinds Anthony Nelson Keys Roy Skeggs
Writer(s) Jimmy Sangster Anthony Hinds Anthony Hinds
(as John Elder)		 Bert Batt Anthony Hinds
(as John Elder)		 Jimmy Sangster
Jeremy Burnham
Composer(s) James Bernard Leonard Salzedo Don Banks James Bernard Malcolm Williamson
Editor(s) James Needs Alfred Cox James Needs Spencer Reeve Gordon Hales James Needs Chris Barnes
Cinematographer Jack Asher John Wilcox Arthur Grant Brian Probyn Moray Grant
Production companies Hammer Film Productions
Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Columbia Pictures Rank Film Distributors Warner-Pathé Distributors (UK) Warner Bros.-Seven Arts AVCO Embassy Pictures (UK) MGM-EMI Distributors (UK)
20th Century Fox (US & Worldwide) Paramount Pictures (US) Continental Films (US & Worldwide)
Runtime 83 minutes 89 minutes 84 minutes 92 minutes (uncut, US)
86 minutes (cut, UK)		 101 minutes (uncut, US)
98 minutes (cut, UK)		 99 minutes 95 minutes
Release date May 2, 1957 June 1, 1958 April 19, 1964 March 15, 1967 May 22, 1969 May 2, 1974 November 8, 1970
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References
  1. Interview with Max Rosenberg for the Blu-ray of "Asylum", December 2017
  2. "The British Entertainment History Project - Jimmy Sangster -". historyproject.org.uk.
  3. Rigby, Jonathan (2000). English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. ISBN 1-903111-01-3.
  4. Sinclair McKay (2007) A Thing of Unspeakable Horror: The History of Hammer Films
  5. "BFI Screenonline: Hammer Film Productions Biography". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  6. "The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  7. "The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  8. "The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  9. "Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  10. "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  11. "The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  12. "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  13. Meikle 2008, p. 58-60.
  14. Meikle 2008, p. 139.

Sources
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