Review of The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) by Dylan W — 01 Feb 2011

The second Frankenstein film to have been produced by Hammer. This had Peter Cushing reprising his role as the mad Baron Victor Frankenstein. It's not as gory as what later Hammer Horror later were, quite tame for the time actually, but like so many Hammer films, it succeeds.

It has Victor Frankenstein (Cushing), having escaped the guillotine, and now working under the name of Doctor Stein and working as a successful physician in another town. However, he is blackmailed by Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews), a young doctor on a local medical council who will keep Frankenstein's secret if Kleve can be his apprentice.

Frankenstein is up to his usual tricks again, trying to create an artificial brain, but is unsuccessful. So, he promises deformed dwarf Karl (Oscar Quitak) a new body, which he agrees to. So, Karl's brain is put into the body of Frankenstein's new creation (Michael Gwynn).

All seems well, but then Karl in his new body escapes, and after a fight, is left severly brain damaged, and goes off on a rampage, and word gets out around the town of who caused this. It's a good film, though alot of Hammer sequels were mostly the same, but this has it's moments, although the technology for the mid-1860's in the film are a bit advanced.