Rescued from the guillotine by his devoted dwarf Fritz, the Baron relocates to Carlsbruck, where he continues his gruesome experiments.
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Wuchak
6
By Wuchak
_**Thinking man’s Hammer horror**_
Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is able to escape execution and set up shop in a new city under the pseudonym of Dr. Victor Stein. The Medical Council is jealous of his success and seeks to shut him down as Victor continues his macabre experiments with fresh new associate Dr. Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews). The Baron’s dwarf helper is given a new body, but things go awry, as usual.
“The Revenge of Frankenstein” (1958) is the sequel to the original hit from the prior year, “The Curse of Frankenstein,” but without Christopher Lee as the monster (since he was annihilated in a vat of acid). Head-turning Eunice Gayson is a highlight on the feminine front (she went on the play the sorta-iconic Sylvia Trench in the first two Bond flicks from 1962-1963).
This is a unique entry in the series as it surprisingly eschews formula in preference to focusing on Dr. Frankenstein’s genius and fascination in creating life from assembled body parts with concentration on brain transplanting. His positive and negative traits are emphasized: He’s brilliant and attracts success and envy, yes, but his obsession drives him to unethical practices.
It’s similar to “The Curse of the Werewolf” (1961) in that there’s a broodingly flat hour-long set up before amping up the thrills in the last act. Moreover, the film’s hindered by ambiguity concerning the fragile results of the surgery and retrogression of the patient. The series would get increasingly better with the next three entries: “The Evil of Frankenstein” (1964), “Frankenstein Created Woman” (1967) and “Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed “(1969).
The movie runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot at Bray Studios and nearby Down Place & Oakley Green, just west of London.
GRADE: B-
