Hammer Features Week: The Curse of Frankstein

Greetings my fine cadre of readers welcome back to Day 4 of Hammer Features Week.  Again we will investigate the collection of Hammer Films to see they tapped into Mary Shelly’s finest creation.  So prep the kite with a key, prime the electrodes and throw the third switch.  This is The Curse of Frankenstein.

Whatever do you mean NO MORE COFFEE!!!

Baron Frankenstein: I’ve spoiled nobody, just robbed a few graves!

Our cinematic feature opens with Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing of Horror of Dracula, The Blood Beast Terror, Carnage, The Vampire Lovers, Dr. Who and the Daleks, Twins of Evil, Star Wars and Shock Waves) awaits his execution for murder and he chooses to tell the story of his life to a priest (Alex Gallier of Flame and the Flesh, Million Dollar Manhunt, Thunder Over Tangier, The Revenge of Frankenstein and The Man Inside) hearing his final confession.

As a young lad Victor’s father passed on at an early age in his life leaving him the estate and title of Frankenstein.  While overwhelming a friend of the family Paul Krempe(Robert Urquhart of Battle Hell, Dunkirk, Armchair Theatre, Jango, The Plane Makers and The Pathfinders) assists Victor in his experimental endeavors as they bring a dog back from the dead.  So naturally the next step is a human, right?

Christopher Lee when he wakes in the morning.

Victor begins to fasten his own creation from scavenged remains of the dead and even so far as slaying a distinguished professor through what is perceived as an accidental death.  He is most successful in his creation but Krempe leaves disgusted with the manner Victor has acquired his creature (Christopher Lee of Horror of Dracula, The Devil’s Agent, Horror Castle, Castle of the Living Dead, Dracula A.D. 1972 and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring).  Bad form to loot from the dead old boy and the two gents scuffle and damage the brain in its jar the creature is violent and psychotic.  They vow to lock it up for now but it inevitably escapes and crushes an old man in the woods.  Both Victor and Krempe hunt down the creature, shoot it and bury it the woods.  Yeah that won’t come and bite them in their ass.

Now I have just a few highlights of the movie if you will.    The original notion of the movie was to be done in black and white but Universal Studios raised a big stink and said it would ruin the classic Universal version with Boris Karloff so Hammer had to retune the script as well as shoot the film in Eastmancolour (the first European Technicolor 35mm Spherical).  Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing met professionally for the first time on the set of this film and developed a rapport and friendship until Cushing’s demise in 1994.    

Yes yes, I am vile and diabolical...but how is my port?

This of course is the first Frankenstein movie to be filmed in color setting precedence to this day.  Doctor Who alumni Patrick Troughton appeared in a cameo as a gravedigger and while the good fellow was credited to most of the early publicity material; his scenes were cut from the finished production.   I hear he egged the sets and flew off in the TARDIS before getting reprimanded.