The Horror of Frankenstein Reviews

This film was a feeble attempt by Hammer to bring some freshness to its series of Frankenstein films by introducing black humor. The jokes are told in such a straightforward, dry manner, however, that you're never sure whether they're supposed to be taken seriously. Ralph Bates stars as Count Frankenstein's son, who kills his father so he can take over the castle and win the charms of the comely, buxom housekeeper (Kate O'Mara). Soon he decides to build a monster (David Prowse, who would go on to play Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" movies), requiring the gory murders of various townsfolk. Frankenstein uses a numbers system to assemble the various pieces of the monster--after first practicing by putting together a dead turtle and bringing it back to life. Terence Fisher would return to direct the last film in the series, the fascinating FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1973). Sadly, Fisher died not long after shooting was completed.