The film opens to a guillotine and the beheading of a father while his young son, Hans looks on.
Fast forward several years and Hans (Robert Morris) is now a young man working for Dr. Hertz (Thorley Walters) and assistant to Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing).
Frankenstein has developed his work of 'giving life' much further than his previous patchwork creations and is now dabbling with the more spiritual theories of the soul. He has found that the soul remains intact after death and can be restored after life. Yep, ol' Frankie's outdone himself with his new bolt-free creations!
After a series of unfortunate events and general mishandling of situations, feisty young Hans is sentenced to the guillotine for a murder he did not commit. Facing the same fate as his father, Hans cannot explain that he has an alibi because he was making love to the local barmaid, the disfigured but kind Christina (Susan Denberg), a love interest he has been barred from pursuing by Christina's father. Plus who would believe a murderer's son over the word of three snobby young toffs with lots of cash?
Christina is too late to save Hans from his fate and, in despair, she commits suicide inadvertently providing Frankenstein with two fresh bodies to experiment on! But, perhaps the Baron's scientific theory is not fully correct...! Could his beautiful new scar-free creation be just as much a monster as his last attempts?!
Cushing delivers a cold and calculating Dr. Frankenstein who is witty, clever and driven. His Dr. Frankenstein character is always the best in my opinion!
Susan Denberg also excels in her role switching from sweet and innocent bar wench to sultry vixen to crazed lady.
A fun little Hammer Horror with a nice alteration to the usual Frankenstein story and some really lovely decapitation scenes filmed in characteristic Hammer fashion; showing little while letting your imagination fill in the gaps with some dripping blood here and there.
If you haven't seen this film yet, I recommend giving it a try from some old school Hammer viewing.
[Image: Hammer Film Productions]
Hani
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