Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) d. Terence Fisher (UK) (92 min)
Neatly rebounding from 1964’s quasi-Universal clunker, The Evil of Frankenstein, the fourth chapter in Hammer’s Frankenstein saga has the confidence to relegate Peter Cushing to a supporting role in this rich ensemble drama filled with engaging thesping. Producer Anthony Hinds’ (writing under his ordained nom de plume “John Elder”) script tackles the notion of “soul transfers,” an intriguing and original concept in a series that had heretofore concerned itself only with the physical elements of humanity and/or reanimation of dead flesh.
When Frankenstein’s young assistant Hans (Robert Morris) is wrongfully accused of a murder perpetrated by three young society swells (Peter Blyth, Barry Warren, Derek Fowlds) and subsequently executed, his lover Christina (Susan Denberg), a kind but crippled village girl, commits suicide. The good doctor (though still imperious and intolerant of fools, Cushing’s characterization here is the most benevolent we have or will ever see of him) seizes this opportunity to attempt a transfer of the guillotined young man’s soul into his drowned paramour’s body, with success.
However, in addition to being given a grand makeover into a stunning blonde, Frankenstein’s creation now burns for vengeance upon the trio responsible for his/her deaths. Despite her voice being dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl, who also dubbed Ursula Andress for 1962’s James Bond outing Dr. No (and numerous other female characters throughout the 007 series), former Playboy playmate Denberg turns in a subtle, nuanced performance, marking the journey from timid victim to befuddled patient to seductive murderess.
Also lending strong support is grand character actor Thorley Walters as the Baron’s fumbling, awestruck apprentice Dr. Hertz, so taken with Frankenstein’s powerful intellect and groundbreaking notions that he often takes on the aspect of a world traveler, simultaneously exalted and exhausted by every new discovery.
As per usual, Cushing anchors the proceedings with a lived-in assuredness while displaying fascinating new aspects of this complicated character, all under the guiding hand of director Fisher, returning to the series after nearly a decade’s absence. Cinematographer Arthur Grant (The Plague of the Zombies) breaks out all sort of camera tricks and colored filters to support the most “sci-fi” of the Frankenstein outings, aided by Bernard Robinson’s handsome production design, James Bernard’s thundering musical score, and makeup man Roy Ashton’s skills, turning the delectable Denberg into an ugly duckling for her introductory scenes.
Trivia: Scottish character actor Alan McNaughtan, playing Christina’s father Kleve, performed his role in a German accent to match Denberg’s; when the decision was made to redub her performance sans dialect, McNaughton had to go back and redub his own vocal track as well!
More Trivia: The title is a playful riff on Roger Vadim’s …And God Created Woman, starring Brigitte Bardot, released the previous year.
BONUS FEATURES:
NEW 2K scan from the original film elements
NEW audio commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman and filmmaker/film historian Constantine Nasr
2014 audio commentary with actors Derek Fowlds and Robert Morris, and film historian Jonathan Rigby
NEW interview with actor Robert Morris (11 min)
NEW “Creating Frankenstein Created Woman” with camera assistant/clapper loader Eddie Collins and 2nd assistant director Joe Marks (12 min)
World of Hammer TV episode “The Curse Of Frankenstein” (25 min)
World of Hammer TV episode “Hammer Stars: Peter Cushing” (25 min)
"Hammer Glamour" Featurette (also included on The Witches Blu-ray) (44 min)
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spots
Radio Spots
Still Galleries – Movie Stills, Posters, and Lobby Cards
NOTE: The sound mix on the two World of Hammer episodes is exceedingly poor, so much so that Oliver Reed’s narration can barely be made out much of the time. I have not noticed this in previous WoH installments, so I’m not sure if this is a fluke in the series itself or in this particular presentation.
Frankenstein Created Woman is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/frankenstein-created-woman-collector-s-edition?product_id=7081
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An excellent Hammer film. Thanks for the rundown on the Blu-ray.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is probably FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, but I like this one quite a bit. I also don't think REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN gets nearly enough love!
DeleteI've only listened to the Jonathan Rigby track with the actors thus far, but it is plenty entertaining and informative. Looking forward to the Nasr/Haberman take on things.