Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
The Evil of Frankenstein is a 1964 British Hammer Film Productions film directed by Freddie Francis. It stars Peter Cushing and New Zealand wrestler Kiwi Kingston. The film's version of the Monster is noted for resembling the one in Universal Pictures' original Frankenstein series of the 1930s and 1940s, including the distinctive laboratory sets as well as the flat-headed look of Jack Pierce's monster make-up which had been designed for Boris Karloff.[1] Earlier Frankenstein films by Hammer had studiously avoided such similarities for copyright reasons. However, a new film distribution deal had been made between Hammer and Universal. As a result, Hammer had free rein to duplicate make-up and set elements
Cast
- Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein
- Peter Woodthorpe as Zoltan
- Duncan Lamont as Chief of Police
- Sandor Elès as Hans
- Katy Wild as Rena the Beggar Girl
- David Hutcheson as Burgomaster of Karlstaad
- James Maxwell as Priest
- Howard Goorney as Drunk
- Anthony Blackshaw as Policeman
- David Conville as Policeman
- Caron Gardner as Burgomaster's Wife
- Kiwi Kingston as the Creature
- Steven Geray as Dr. Sergado
- Patrick Horganas David Carrell
- Maria Palmer as Rena's mother
- William Phipps as Rena's father
- Tracy Stratford Rena as a child
The film breaks continuity from the preceding film, The Revenge of Frankenstein.[2] Denis Meikle described the break: "Any pretext of a connection to The Revenge of Frankensteinis dispensed with in a brazen display of contempt for continuity. A flashback creates a prior history that is wholly unrelated to the last Sangster script and is instead plundered from Universal's Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman."[3]
Additional Scenes
For the U.S. television release there were additional scenes featuring characters that didn't appear in the original film and have no interaction with the main characters. Patrick Horgan plays a reporter who questions a doctor (Steven Geray) about Baron Frankenstein. There are also scenes of the deaf-mute girl (Tracy Stratford) and her parents (Maria Palmer and William Phipps), none of whom ever appear in the film again.
Critical reception
Allmovie's review of the film was mixed to negative, calling it "dismal" and "the worst of Hammer Films' Frankenstein series".[4] Other reviews have been more merciful in their reception. The film currently holds a three star rating (6/10) on IMDb[5] and an average 50% on Rotten Tomatoes
