The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

While most of the novel is tossed aside, this, the first of the Hammers is the best. The Baron is clearly the true monster here, doing anything to see to the creation of his being. Murder, grave robbing. Offending his friends, anything. Peter Cushing is brilliant as the cold hearted man of science. The first teaming of he and Christopher Lee, who is mute is the best one.

Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is moping inside a jail cell, awaiting execution by guillotine for his crimes. Desperate for somebody to believe his story, he calls in a priest (Alex Gallier) and relates his sad tale. He'd been determined to realize his dream of contriving a man made being, and succeeded to some degree, bringing a scar faced brute (Sir Christopher Lee) to deadly life. But his associate / tutor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) had developed a severe case of scruples, deciding that absolutely nothing good could come of their activities.This was the film that really made the fortunes for Britains' famed Hammer Studios. They truly gave the Gothic horror a fresh coat of colorful paint in the 1950s, and set a standard in period detail and set decoration that they would maintain for over the next decade and a half. Even after period horror was no longer in vogue, they gamely continued in their pursuits. They played up the sex appeal of the material with their attractively costumed, lovely female cast members, and also upped the level of on screen violence.Hammer makeup expert Phil Leakey gave the towering Lee an appropriately gruesome face to behold, no matter if it's not iconic as Jack Pierces' work was in the Universal horrors of the 30s and 40s. Director Terence Fisher does a commendable job that would help see him become a favorite in house filmmaker for Hammer. And that laboratory equipment is quite fun to look at; there are some potent images here for fans to enjoy.Cushing is, as always, wonderful, and he makes a character that otherwise would come off as a coldly stubborn, dangerous fool a definite degree of likability. Lee does a fine job, equally menacing and somewhat sympathetic. Beautiful Hazel Court is our appealing leading lady, and Urquhart is excellent as the moral centre to Mary W. Shelley's classic tale. Valerie Gaunt, Paul Hardtmuth, and Melvyn Hayes are among those in an engaging supporting cast.Although not as thickly atmospheric as it might have been in black & white, "The Curse of Frankenstein" does entertain in a straightforward, quickly paced manner.Seven out of 10.

26 years after Universal Studios and James Whale hit gold with both critics and audiences alike with their interpretation of Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein, another production studio was about to reinvigorate the horror genre with a vastly different take on the same book. Hammer Studios seemed to know something no-one else did - that audiences had a thirst for blood. The critics may not have appreciated it at the time (though they certainly do now), but the paying audiences lapped up The Curse of Frankenstein's amped-up levels of gore and Gothic atmosphere.The film begins with Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) in a jail cell awaiting his execution for an unknown crime. He calls for a priest who he tells his story to. Victor was only a child where he became a baron and inherited his family's estate, and employed his teacher, Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart), to teach him everything there is to know about the science of anatomy. Years later, Victor and Paul manage to bring a puppy back to life, much to their delight. While Paul is thrilled with their achievement, Victor is unsatisfied and longs to create a human life of his own.Anyone hoping for a faithful re-telling of Mary Shelley's novel will be sorely disappointed. Director Terence Fisher and writer Jimmy Sangster (director of Hammer's Fear in the Night (1972)) makes the film more about Frankenstein than his creation. While the novel focused more on the tragic nature of the Creature's creation and treatment, the film portrays Victor not only as a flawed and arguably misguided visionary, but a stone-cold murderer, pushing a scientific genius to his death in order to have his superior brain for his creation. The brain is damaged in an alteration between Victor and Paul, so the creature is of low intelligence anyway.For all the 're-imaginings' of Frankenstein, this is certainly the best I've seen. The diversions from the source material make it a different experience entirely, and one simply to be enjoyed rather than to ponder it's deeper meanings. Cushing's performance is incredible, adding a gravitas to his character even when the movie dips into camp. Christopher Lee, playing the Creature and in his first of many appearances for Hammer, puts in an impressive physical performance and manages to invite sympathy with no dialogue at all. Hazel Court also appears as Victor's cousin Elizabeth, in what is little more than the obligatory female role. A fantastic kick-start to what would be one of the greatest movements in horror.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

This was an enjoyable and engrossing film version of the tale, luridly updated for the 1950's audience – generally every generation goes one excess further in everything. That observation is partially based on extrapolation as I gave up watching modern horror films for pleasure back in the 1980's, as my pleasure gave way to horror.Baron Frankenstein played by Peter Cushing and his former tutor turned tiresomely unwilling assistant Robert Urquhart bring back to life a composite human being Christopher Lee. Naturally, or maybe not, Lee cuts up rusty and shows ingratitude at such high-handed treatment. With this tale comparisons are inevitable: for instance the two versions of the tale written by Mary Shelley are preferable of course, eminently readable if a little dry - the 1818 text for choice; the 1910 film was fascinating and garish; the 1931 and 1935 films were short and entertaining; the 1973 badly dated even on release; while Cushing's Hammer series was excellent, especially if you can leave your brain in a jar by the door. Karloff was the ultimate unforgettable monster - over the decades I've seen too many knuckle dragging yobs looking like Lee haunting (or going by his part in this, simply hanging about outside) my local chipshop to be unsettled by his workmanlike appearance. Colin "It's Alive" Clive was OK, but not a patch on Cushing who with his performance in this created a bit of a monster for himself too. And who can forget Hazel Court playing Mae Clarke's former role of Elizabeth in a splendid selection of gravity-defying dresses? For saying Hammer ran a tight ship the attention to period detail was very good, as far as I can tell after years of seeing Antiques Roadshow. At the climax with Cushing's histrionics I was bizarrely reminded of such disparate films as A Tale Of Two Cities, Dead Of Night and All Quiet On The Western Front. I've always enjoyed this middlebrow soapy corn and recommend it wholeheartedly to those who already know they like this genre; if you like modern horror you'll probably find you've thrown away your eighty minutes and that you perhaps should've got a life instead.