THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN : MINUS CUSHING AND D.O.A.

While not a Peter Cushing  film, the Horror of Frankenstein is included here because it is part of the Hammer films Frankenstein series and while Cushing didn't appear in the film, it's of interest as an example of how Hammer tried to experiment with a winning formula . . .  and failed.

CAST:

Ralph Bates (Victor Frankenstein), Dave Prowse (The Monster), Kate O’Mara (Alys), Veronica Carlson (Elizabeth Heiss), Graham James (Wilhelm Kastner), Dennis Price (Grave Robber), Bernard Archer (Professor Heiss), Jon Finch (Lieutenant Henry Becker)

PRODUCTION: 

Director/Producer – Jimmy Sangster, Screenplay – Jimmy Sangster & Jeremy Burnham, Photography – Moray Grant, Music – Malcolm Williamson, Make up – Tom Smith, Art Direction – Scott MacGregor. Production Company – Hammer/EMI.

SYNOPSIS:

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, a cold, arrogant and womanising genius, is angry when his father forbids him to continue his anatomical experiments. He sabotages his father’s shotgun, causing him to be killed. Inheriting the family fortune, Victor uses this to enter med school in Vienna but is forced to return home when he gets the dean’s daughter pregnant. There he sets up laboratory, starting a series of experiments into the revivification of the dead. Eventually, he builds up a composite body from human parts, which he brings to life.

COMMENTARY:

THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN was the fifth film in Hammer’s Frankenstein series. By 1970, Hammer had regurgitated most of their monster themes several times over. The Horror of Frankenstein came at the point Hammer were starting to inject new blood into their product. The influence of the younger generation was making itself felt and Hammer were casting younger stars, recruiting young directors, not to mention placing an open emphasis on sexuality in films.

WITH THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster was brought back to rewrite his script for The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), which started the series and Hammer’s reputation as a horror industry leader off thirteen years before, while he was also allowed to make his début as director. The role of Frankenstein was given a facelift and Peter Cushing was unceremoniously dumped from the role in favour of Ralph Bates whom Hammer were grooming as a new horror star at the time.

PUBLICITY STILLS were shot on the set with Ralph Bates and Peter Cushing shaking hands to announce the change. The future of the Frankenstein series seemed to be heading in a new direction ... only The Horror of Frankenstein was a disaster and the Hammer Frankenstein series failed to go in any new directions.

THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN starts in with a promising sense of black humour. However, the opening tapers off and Jimmy Sangster thereafter seems uncertain whether he is delivering parody or straight melodrama. The effort turns out dismally where all that Sangster ends up doing is weakly echoing The Curse of Frankenstein in a plot that seems more interested in Frankenstein’s sexual dalliances than his medical obsessions. The sets seem flatly lit. Dave Prowse, the bodybuilder who later played Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977) and sequels, turns the monster into a mindless brute. The best thing about the film is Ralph Bates’s cold and arrogant Frankenstein but the rest of the show is dreary and dull.

THE SADDEST THING about The Horror of Frankenstein is that it comes from Jimmy Sangster who did such a fine job in tuning the script for Hammer’s The Curse of Frankenstein. There is such a gulf between The Curse of Frankenstein and the loose remake here in terms of quality with Sangster seeming to understand so little about what made the original work that the success of Curse can only be placed down to director Terence Fisher.

The other Hammer Frankenstein films are:– The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973).
REVIEW: Richard Scheib
IMAGES: Marcus Brooks

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RALPH BATES AND CUSHING: PASSING ON THE BATTON?

 

PETER CUSHING and Ralph Bates on the set during the making of Hammer's REBOOTING of their Frankenstein franchise. 'THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN' seemed to be the answer the thought, to putting a little 'new blood' in the profitable series. They were wrong. The message came through loud and clear. They had TWICE tried to shoe horn another actor to play their most profitable characters. The 'hoodwinked' the cinema public with 'The Brides of Dracula', with David Peel playing Baron Meinster. The name was on the billboard and the screen...but there was no Dracula, and more to the point, no Christopher Lee. With 'The Horror of Frankenstein' there was no double cross. Hammer even allowed BBC television cameras onto the set of the film,they even went to the trouble of staging a photo-op of Bates shaking hands with Cushing, and had them chatting together on set! But, with 'Horror of..' director, Jimmy Sangster appearing to change track during production and presenting the revamped story of as a kind-of 'Curse of Frankenstein' black comedy... it spectacularly flopped. It was neither a true Frankenstein film nor a comedy.. sadly, it wasn't even a very well produced film.

 FEATURE COMING UP LATER TODAY

 

DURING ONE OF TIMES we met and interviewed Ralph Bates, the subject of 'Horror of Frankenstein came up. Bates had no doubt in his mind about his casting as the Baron. 'I don't think that was ever the real intention. I certainly didn't see it that way. It was a job, one I was happy to take, but to me it was another Hammer film, I didn't honestly think I was stepping into Peter's shoes. I mean, how could you? How could anyone? Peter has been very, very kind and helpful to me . He was extremely kind and went out of his way to help, at I time when I really needed it'. Ralph also had his own opinions about Hammer films, and two production in particular, 'The Horror of Frankenstein' and 'Lust For a Vampire'...but more that, in our next feature . . . 

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GENTLE GIANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE PROWSE

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the One and Only, DAVE PROWSE aka DARTH VADER, born today July 1st 1935. For many years, Dave has been a very familiar face on the convention circuits all over the world and friend to millions. Many of us first became aware of Prowse when he played the 'monster' of the title of Hammer films last Frankenstein film with Peter Cushing, 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' in 1974 with Shane Briant and Madeline Smith.

IN 1977 he would be chosen by director, George Lucus to play, a heroic Jedi Knight, Darth Vader in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' but ultimately seduced by the dark side of the Force and became a Sith Lord..... who along with Peter Cushing's, Grand Moff Tarkin would become the films' most fearsome characters.

PROWSE HAS held a whole career of playing roles where his stature has given him the edge, not all baddies, thugs, monsters and heavies... for many thousands of children, he was the face of the UK Children's road Safety campaign.

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#TBT DO YOU RECOGNISE THIS HOUSE?? ANSWER LATER . . .

#TBT #THROWBACKTHURSDAY: Here's a house you MAY recognise? I'll be posting the answer on THIS THREAD in a few hours. Message me if you KNOW the answer!

#FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY TOMORROW!

#TBT '?UOY PLEH I YAM' CUSHING TOP SECRET!

#‎tbt‬ RELEASED JUNE 1984, Peter Cushing in 'TOP SECRET'. When Peter Cushing first appears in his scene, he is looking through a magnifying glass, pretty much the same way he had done in countless other films. The trick in this case is, when he lowers the glass...his eye REMAINS HUGE!

'FORWARDS,BACKWARDS, it's all the same to me,' said Peter Cushing in the film's pressbook, 'I've done so many pictures by now that I try to do what's asked of me to the best of my abilities and trust that all is well. My scene in 'Top Secret' was a very interesting exercise in technique and I enjoyed it very much...' Even though his scene is brief, the amount of prep and time spent on his make up appliance and the rehearsing and blocking of shooting his dialogue and action ..BACKWARDS... must have taken considerable time and effort. How do you think it LOOKED??

... THE GUY on the bottom left is STUART FREEBORN make up artist who made the Cushing prosthetic... he is also quite famous for something else... do you know what that is??

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THE STORY OF THE CUSHING NOTES AND BUREAU

#‎cushingcollectable‬ : WEDNESDAY: You may remember these posts from two Wednesday's ago? And after posting them, I promised to share the story of how I came to own those handwritten autobiography notes of Peter Cushing's...Well....the top post is Peter Cushing's Bureau, purchased just a few years ago. I was lucky to purchase it from a lady, who lived a short distance from Peter Cushing's home at Sea View in Whitstable.

HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN a great fan of Peter's work and he purchased the bureau at the Cushing Collection Auction in Canterbury after Peter Cushing died. Sadly, he too passed a year or so before I purchased the bureau, and his wife was slowly down scaling down her home and relocating.

WHEN THE TIME CAME to go along to her home to collect the bureau, it was quite an emotional parting for her, it was her husband's pride and joy. But when she found out 'where' the bureau's new home was going to be and about PCAS, she was over-joyed! During our meeting at her home, we had some tea and cake and chatted, and found out geographically, we had much in common too!

AFTER AN HOUR OR SO, the time came to carry the bureau out and carefully pack it up for it's journey to my home. I thanked her and told her how extremely pleased I was to be it's new owner, that it would be very well looked after and also pressed into use too!

IT WAS AT THIS POINT, she asked ' Oh, would you also like to take away these too?' She held out a plastic slip folder. Through the ageing and yellowing plastic, I could see inside, a wad of paper, and on the one corner, held by two large paper clips I could just make out lines of handwriting, in blue fountain pen ink! At the same time, I immediately recognised that distinctive style.. it was Peter Cushing's handwriting.

WHILE CAREFULLY SLIDING the paper out from the folder, I looked at her..she was smiling! I said, 'It's Peter's handwriting!!' She beamed back at me, 'Yes!', she said, she was as excited as I was! 'My husband said it was, but I have no idea what it all means. Is it an unfinished letter, he seems to be writing...is it his story and are all those titles his films too?' I barely heard what she had said, I was quickly scanning the pages. It was pretty obvious, these were notes about the contents of Peter's autobiography, in his own hand. 'It's Peter's notes.!', I said 'It's his autobiography. How wonderful! They are very rare indeed, you must be sure to take great care of them.' I said, 'Oh no..' she smiled, 'I want YOU to have them!'

QUICKLY, I DID THE SUMS in my head of their value and blurted, ' Well, that's extremely kind of you, but, I could not buy these today, I have...' but before I could finish, she laughed saying, 'Oh nooo. I WANT you to HAVE them. They should be with you!' I started to explain their value, a nice little break away with the proceeds maybe? But, she wouldn't listen, 'No. I am quite happy with the sale of the bureau...'

IT WAS THEN SHE said something that made my jaw drop so hard, the bump of it hitting the hall carpet could probably be heard down at Sea View.... ' My husband, didn't pay for them anyway..' I was puzzled, 'So, how did you come by them?' I asked. 'Oh, they were just inside THE BUREAU......!' 'What?' I said. 'They were in the pull down desk, in that folder!' she explained. 

I THEN REMEMEBERED what many collectors had told me about the Canterbury auction. There had been so many lots, Peter had so much packed into his home and studio, when it came to dividing things into lots, often someone winning a bid on a book that belonged to Peter, got home and opened it to find an autographed note paper inside. People who purchase items of his clothing found scarves, silk handkerchiefs, cuff-links and pens tucked into them! It was something special, some extra item, however small, a thank you for your purchase..as there was mountains of items to sell. The bureau had been in the auction catalogue, as one of the very few pieces of Peter Cushing's furniture for sale... an expensive antique and a good price was expected, and archived!

AND SO, that is the astonishing story, of how I came by those notes...and the generosity of two women, the lovely lady who owned the bureau and Peter's long time friend, Joyce Brougton, who put the lots together for that auction! Bless you, ladies!

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#TOOCOOLTUESDAY : TWO FROM TARKIN AND GIFS : ROGUE ONE

A DOUBLE ‪#‎toocooltuesday‬ TARKIN POST! First a great panoramic behind the scenes shot from STAR WARS (1977) featuring Cushing as Tarkin and Darth Vader...an interesting point here... IF there is any truth in the rumour that the makers of the ‪#‎starwars‬ film, ‪#‎rogueone‬ released this Christmas, are looking for UNUSED footage of Peter to use in the film...WELL...here is a WHOLE UNUSED SCENE! This scene, which I am sure all you #starwars fans recognise...was dropped from the edited release that made it to cinema's worldwide in 1977, lots of shots of Peter there I am sure AND he has his BOOTS on!

PLUS BELOW...the genuine hem of the trousers (USA PANTS) that Peter wore as Grand Moff Tarkin, in the same film, #STARWARS in 1977... made by BERMANS and Nathans Costumiers..take note Angels... that's BERMANS and Nathans!

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#MONSTERMONDAY GIFS AND FOLLOWERS COMMENTS FROM FACEBOOK

#‎monstermonday‬ DON HENDERSON AS THE GHOUL, from the 1975 film of the same name, is today's 'monster'... made in the good ol tradition of the thing in the attic, and a style from another time, that didn't sit too easy with audiences back in 75, but now...if you can find it, it rewards you with excellent direction and performances, Cushing and Veronica Carlson having the stand out scenes.

SOMETHING THAT I personally can't understand is, why 'the ghoul', in his reveal, was a bit of a disappointment for some.... how about you? . . .
OUR FEATURE AND GALLERIES ON THE GHOUL ARE HERE and  HERE

ON POSTING THIS FEATURE at our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE  below are some of the comments shared from our friends and followers . . .

S. GREEN commented:" I haven't seen the film but it is on you tube so i will. I think the reason people are often disappointed is the fault of the poster, it often promises things that the film just cannot match'.

WE REPLIED: I have never thought of it that way, Stewart! I always thought that viewers because of the build up, in the film itself, felt cheated. If I would have any criticism of the reveal scene, it would be, it was over lit...and probably would have been better set in a dark attic..where he lived! Same problem with 'Blood Beast Terror' and 'The Gorgon' just too much light, you can see too much! Think of the film 'Alien' for most of the film, you only see parts of the creature...here in the Ghoul, there are suggested shots, feet, hand, but far too much eventually... see what you think!

NICK DIGILIO: LOVE that movie!

F.PASSMORE : "I found this film on a public domain collection, ( a pleasant surprise), and enjoyed it. I understand that perhaps some wanted the ghoul to be more of an undead monster or something, but it was just the woman's mentally-deficient son, so his appearance was not as scary. But the idea of feeding him the flesh of guests was pretty scary on its own".

D.YOUNG:"Love The Ghoul! One of the films responsible for getting me interested in horror in general and Cushing in particular. I remember being scared silly by it though I was perhaps a little young to watch it."

A. KEIL: "The very first time I watched it I thought the Ghoul was a little disappointing only because he uttered the word "Father" at the end and it made me laugh. Since then I watch it on a regular basis.It is a very good film and made a change to find Veronica Carlson playing someone against character with her spoilt demanding ways in the film. I also found Peter Cushing's character rather sad, part real part acting.I always catch it on Youtube".

D.WHITEHEAD: "It's a very dark and bleak film. I do wonder how Peter Cushing coped with such a morbid production so soon after the death of his wife. It's also worth noting the similarities between this and Texas Chain Saw Massacre - very similar plots, albeit realised in very different ways. I've always seen this film as a breaking point between the quainter fantasy-tinged British horror of the 50s and 60s, typified by Hammer, and the darker, crueller American horror movies of the 1970s (such as TCM)". 

B.SABRE: "I liked this film. I needs a proper dvd or bluray release.Its seems to be in the public domain. Known as Night of the Ghoul in the Horror Rises From the Grave collection on dvd.It's seems to be it's only release in the world that I can find!"

WE REPLIED: "Hi Bob, I am not sure about The Ghoul being public domain, or how Brentwood Home Video, managed to get a licence to distribute the film... but the transfer from a VHS copy of all the films in this package makes me suspect that they didn't!"

D.YOUNG: "Love The Ghoul! One of the films responsible for getting me interested in horror in general and Cushing in particular. I remember being scared silly by it though I was perhaps a little young to watch it?" 

J.CLARK: "Peter Cushing gives, in my view, his greatest performance. A nice touch to have his dear wife in a photograph in the film! I have this on VHS PAL Video when it was realeased with the likes of 'Persecution', 'Legend of the Werewolf', 'Island of Terror, 'Masks of Death' et el under The Taste of Fear banner from Lumiere".

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