THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1964) Reviews and overview

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The Evil of Frankenstein has been released as a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray by Scream Factory on May 19th 2020 utilising a new 4K scan of the interpositive. The new sleeve artwork was created by Mark Maddox with the original poster on the reverse. Order from Amazon.com

Special features:

The Evil of Frankenstein TV version with 13 extra minutes (from 16mm print)
Audio commentary with film historian Constantine Nasr (new)
Interview with actress Katy Wild (new)
Interview with assistant director William P. Cartlidge (new)
The Men Who Made Hammer: Freddie Francis (new)
The Making of The Evil of Frankenstein – Featuring interviews with Wayne Kinsey, Caron Gardner, Hugh Harlow, Pauline Harlow, Peter Cushing, and Don Mingay
A moment with actress Caron Gardner
Tales of Frankenstein TV pilot
Theatrical trailer
Still gallery

Here is our previous coverage of the film:

‘Like you’ve never been shocked, shocked, shocked before!’

The Evil of Frankenstein is a 1964 British science fiction horror film directed by Freddie Francis (Craze; Torture Garden; The Skull; et al) from a screenplay by producer Anthony Hinds [as John Elder]. The Hammer Films production stars Peter Cushing, Peter Woodthorpe, Duncan Lamont and Sandor Elès.

Plot:

Doctor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) returns destitute to his home town to recommence his experimental research into the reanimation of dead tissue and stumbles upon his old monster suspended in ice.

Though he revives the creature, Frankenstein has to seek the assistance of hypnotist Zoltan (Peter Woodthorpe) to repair its mind. Zoltan then assumes control of the monster, using him to wreak havoc. When Frankenstein tries to regain power over his creation, he becomes Zoltan’s next target…

Reviews:

” …the Monster’s make-up verges on the ludicrous.” Howard Maxford, The A-Z of Horror Films

“It will certainly keep most casual classic horror fans entertained, and will probably please most Hammer fans. Give it a shot. It doesn’t break many barriers and is nothing you haven’t already seen before, but it’s certainly more solid than most second sequels and proves to be a very enjoyable ride.” Classic-Horror

“The make-up just doesn’t look right on a Hammer creation for a start – its forehead looks like glue and oatmeal and its big, bulky shoes make it somewhat of a comedic sight to behold. The other monsters in the series were a lot more believable because they didn’t use Pierce’s make-up and the designers…” Daily Dead

“From a style and design point of view, The Evil of Frankenstein is beautiful to behold […] The lighting is exquisite, and the performances are hammy and melodramatic to some extent (actually completely overdone in scene chomper Peter Woodthorpe), but it suits the film to a ‘T’.” Digital Retribution

“Production designer Don Mingaye and special effects man Les Bowie collaborate to come up with not one but two of the series very best creation sequences, with lightning bolts and generator coils crashing in the best Kenneth Strickfaden tradition. On the whole, The Evil of Frankenstein is a Hammer Frankenstein entry that is well worth re-evaluation.” Moria

“Not as memorable as either of its predecessors, or as creative as the following entry in the series (1965’s Frankenstein Created Woman), but fun nonetheless. We can take or leave the Karloff-style makeup for this outing, but by now Cushing had settled most comfortably into the role of the hubristic Frankenstein and proves he still delivers the goods.” The Terror Trap

” …it’s certainly worthwhile because at this point Hammer’s template still demanded sober telling and decent acting. Evil manages to be quite entertaining even whilst being one of the least worthy early Hammer productions, because it is well-produced by Hammer standards, whilst retaining the studio’s crisp, no-nonsense solidity in settings and lustrous colour.” This Island Rod

Cast and characters:
Peter Cushing … Baron Frankenstein
Peter Woodthorpe … Zoltan
Duncan Lamont … Chief of Police
Sandor Elès … Hans
Katy Wild … Beggar Girl
David Hutcheson … Burgomaster
James Maxwell … Priest
Howard Goorney … Drunk
Anthony Blackshaw … Policeman
David Conville … Policeman
Caron Gardner … Burgomaster’s Wife
Kiwi Kingston … The Creature
Tony Arpino … Body Snatcher
Timothy Bateson … Hypnotised Man
Robert Flynn … Roustabout
Frank Forsyth … Manservant
James Garfield … Roustabout
Steven Geray … Doctor Sergado
Patrick Horgan … David Carrell
Kenneth Kove … Curé
Derek Martin … Roustabout
Maria Palmer … Rena’s Mother
William Phipps … Rena’s Father
Anthony Poole … Roustabout
Michelle Scott … Little Girl
Tracy Stratford … Rena as a Child
Alister Williamson … Landlord
Fred Wood … Karlstaad Pedestrian

Filming locations and duration:
Black Park, Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England

Oakley Court, Windsor Road, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berkshire, England
14th October 1963 to 16th November 1963

Technical credits:
84 minutes
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Eastmancolor

Film Facts:
The Evil of Frankenstein‘s running time was too short for a two-hour network TV slot, so Universal added thirteen minutes of additional footage.

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