Kaiju Contest

 

 (imdb)

WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS-1966-A giant green monster fights a sea serpent and sinks a fishing boat. It then invades Japan and wrecks an airport and eats a woman. At first scientists think it is related to the Frankenstein monster but American Dr. Stewart (Russ Tamblyn) and Japanese partners Akemi (Kumi Mizumi; in several of the director's films) and Dr. Majida (Kenji Sahara; RODAN (1956)) prove this false. The monster attacks a nightclub where a singer (Kipp Hamilton) does a terrible song and is killed. The monster doesn't like light. After a long battle, the army seems to defeat the green giant but it's rescued when a gold furry giant appears. They name green giant Gaira (Haruo Nakajima) and the lighter one Sanda (Yu Sekita). They come to believe that Sanda is the offspring of their Frankenstein and Gaira is it's offspring. Sanda shows its good side when it saves Akemi when she falls off a cliff. The two eventually have a knocked down drag out that ends with an erupting volcano! 

The great Ishiro Honda co-wrote and directed this fun destruction outing, a sort of semi-sequel to FRANKENSTEIN VS. BARAGON (1965) that has since gained a cult following. It's always noted that Tamblyn behaved like an asshole on the set, doing the opposite of Honda's instruc-tions. The actor later stated that the only reason he did the picture was to get a free trip to Japan. Tab Hunter had originally been Toho studios first choice.

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It's Alive?

 

 (imdb)

THE STRANGE LIFE OF DR. FRANKENSTEIN-2018-Bizarre little documentary is not so much about the character of Dr. Frankenstein as it us about Mary Shelley's reasons and influences on writing her famous novel. Several writer-historians (and a plastic surgeon) give their opinions. Although they all don't really seem happy with it, Karloff as the monster is used a lot. Some modern-day mad scientists are also touched on like Vladimir Demikhov and his two headed dog experiments, Robert White and his monkey head transplants, Luigi Galvani's experiments with electricity and Eugenics freak Alex Carrel. This French production was directed by Jean Froment.

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Two Out of the Way At Once

 

 (imdb)

REMNANTS-2013-Nothing new here. A couple (writer/director Brian Coppola & co-writer Stephanie Gershowitz) with a dog and a video camera believe their house is haunted. The next hour is them talking and walking around in the dark. The doggie was cute though......

FRANKENSTEIN-2011-Mary Shelly, James Whale and Boris Karloff must be spinning in their graves. This is a trashy modern low budget version of the horror classic with lots of characters yelling "No!" at the top of their lungs. Bad acting, direction, tons of talk. Really terrible. I hope director Jordan Salkil never heard of the novel “Dracula”....

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Hammer!

 

 (wikipedia)

CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN-1957-From his death row jail cell Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) tells his tale to a priest and the events leading up to creating his infamous monster. At first he has his friend Paul (Robert Urquhart) helping him bring a dog back to life, but soon Victor becomes obsessed with creating life. Paul gets very concerned when Victor's cousin Elizabeth (Hazel Court) arrives to marry him. Also concerned is the maid (Valerie Gaunt) Victor's having an affair with. Victor succeeds and creates a monster (Christopher Lee) out of dead body parts. It escapes and kills a blind man but Paul shoots it. He thinks it's dead but Victor brings it back to life. The Baron is quite a bastard, killing Prof. Burnstein (Paul Hardtmuth), a brilliant old intellect for his brain and using his creation to dispatch the pregnant maid. He spends lots of time in his lab, neglecting the faithful Elizabeth. He treats the monster terribly and doesn't care about much else. Eventually the monster terrorizes Elizabeth and Victor accidentally shoots her (not fatally). Paul could clear him but refuses. Victor, now considered insane is ushered to the gallows..... 

Shot in color by Terence Fisher with a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster, this film kind of ushered in the new phase of updated classics putting Hammer Pictures on the map. It was followed the next year by REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (also by Fisher and Sangster and starring Cushing).

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Santostein

 

 (IMDB)

SANTO VS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER-1971-The infamous doctor's daughter Freda (Gina Romand) needs Santo's blood to stay young and alive. Meanwhile she's trying to turn a man into a gorilla and building her own monster named Ursus (pro wrestler Gerardo Zepeda). She has her henchmen kidnap Norma (Anel), Santo's excitable girlfriend. Santo and Norma's sister Elsa (Sonia Fuentes) go to the rescue. They get in and out of trouble fighting Freda's inept henchmen, her beast man and the familiar looking monster with the stitches round his head. 

At one point Freda hypnotizes Norma to cut Santo's eyes out! Just when the girls seem safe they are recaptured. A showdown has the poor monster killing his creator and blowing up the whole place after getting acid thrown in his face....

Santo fights the Japanese middleweight champion in the finale and wins the title! Director Miguel Delgado made SANTO AND THE BLUE DEMON MEET DRACULA AND THE WOLFMAN the next year.

 (Wikiand)

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Francostein Monster

 

THE (EROTIC) RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN-1973-Just as Dr. Frankenstein (Dennis Price) and assistant Morpho (your director Jess Franco) have resurrected the monster, Cagliostro (Howard Vernon) and Melisa (Anna Libert), his vampire bird-girl kill them and take the monster. Before he dies Frankenstein asks Dr. Seward (Alberto Dalbes) to save the monster ("my legacy"). 

At the doc's funeral Seward meets Vera Frankenstein (Beatriz Savon) who at night steals her dad's corpse with the help of her nurse. She brings dad back to life for a few minutes and he tells her to get his monster back. She vows revenge against Cagliostro. Later Melisa has the monster kidnap a woman and in a bizarre ceremony the woman's head is severed from her body while Cagliostro and un-dead ghouls look on. When the monster kidnaps an artist's model, it meets Vera who convinces him to take her instead of the model. Held prisoner, Vera beats a henchman in a cruel game where the henchman winds up impaled. Cagliostro hypnotizes Vera so she will obey him. He wants to build a mate for the monster and start a new race. Meanwhile Steward and a police inspector investigate. 

Poor dead Dr. Frankenstein is found and brought to life once more by Steward but the doc attacks Steward until the inspector throws acid on him. Then using "magnetic rays and an incisor machine", Vera helps make the perfect mate. Melisa goes into a blood frenzy on a hapless victim. Before the monster can consummate with "his bride" Steward convinces him/it to turn against Cagliostro and his minions. He kills Melisa and tries to do in Vera but the inspector shoots him. Laughing madly Cagliostro escapes and Vera warns he'll return….

Mindless but entertaining Spanish-France horror mess from Franco who also made a "hotter" version  with more nudity (not an uncommon move for for the director). Franco (1920-2013)  made upwards of 10 movies in 1973!

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Spain

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE-1973-In a small village in Spain in 1940, the residents there watch James Whale's 1931 version of Frankenstein. A little girl named Ana (Ana Torrent) becomes intrigued with the monster after her sister tells her the monster didn't die at the end of the movie and now lives in an abandoned house near them. Later Ann helps a wounded soldier who dies out there. After his she runs away. The whole village searches for her. Eventually at the riverside she meets the monster. This was the feature film debut for the director Victor Erice and is held in high regard in his home country of Spain where it was filmed.

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Lon Frank

THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN-1942-In the wake of events that transpired in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, the angry villagers blow up Castle Frankenstein despite the best efforts of Ygor (Bela Lugosi; also in BOWERY AT MIDNIGHT the same year) to dissuade them (the broken neck ex-assistant to Wolf Frankenstein seems to have recovered from being shot to death in the last installment). Their explosive blasts unleash the monster from his sulfur pit doom of the previous picture much to the delight of Ygor (“My friend!”). After being struck by lightening the monster becomes stronger. The duo decided to visit Vasaria where the baron's second song Ludwig Frankenstein (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) lives. Ludwig is a brain surgeon who studies “diseases of the mind” and is assisted by the cheerful Dr. Kettering (Barton Yarborough; later in the I LOVE A MYSTERY series of films) and the unhappy Dr. Bohmer (Lionel Atwill; also in PARDON MY SARONG with Abbott & Costello the same year) and his daughter Elsa (Evelyn Ankers; in the previous year's THE WOLFMAN). 

Igor and his friend walk right into the village square and scare children. The monster befriends a little girl (“Are you a giant?”) and takes her to the rooftops to retrieve her ball. After returning the girl to her daddy he's overpowered by the cops and townspeople. Cut to Ludwig's residence where town prosecutor Erik (Ralph Bellamy; also in THE WOLFMAN) tells the doctor about an imprisoned madman who killed 2 villagers. But unbeknownst to Erik, Ygor has already met with Ludwig to discuss helping fix his friend's “sick brain”. When he's put on trial the monster escapes and almost kills Ludwig but Ygor's horn playing pacifies him. Bringing him back to Ludwig's laboratory the monster kills Kettering and gas is used to subdue him. Ludwig plans to take the monster apart “piece by piece” but his father's ghost (also Hardwicke) intervenes and Ludwig decides to put Kettering's brain into the monster's head! Ygor convinces Bohmer (who feels his part in Frankenstein's experiments have been overlooked because of a mistake he made years before) to put his demented brain in the monster's skull. Erik accuses Ludwig of deception and the doc nearly 'fesses up but the monster kidnaps his little girlfriend and all that's put to the side. The operation is a success but of course the monster's evil brain has been replaced by one that is even eviler. It doesn't go as planned though. The monster, now talking with Ygor's voice plans on ruling the world but it turns out Ygor's blood doesn't match the monster's and he (they?) go blind. The monster kills Bohmer and starts a fire that burns down the house, killing him (for now) and Ludwig while Erik saves Elsa. 

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN director Earle C. Kenton made this fine if a little convoluted follow-up which although cheats on story continuity provides some good scenes and great performances. Cedric Hardwicke is excellent as the noble scientist who wants to do the right thing but once again falls victim to the “Frankenstein curse”. And having Lugosi back as the scheming Ygor (especially since he was killed at the end of SON) is a major plus. Though criticized a lot for his portrayal Lon Chaney (in the first post-Karloff role of the monster) does an acceptable job considering he's not given much to do! Atwill of course is at his best here, the seemingly co-operative assistant hiding a bitter vengeance driven other self. The screenplay is by W. Scott Darling, a prolific film writer before his death by drowning in 1953. GHOST of course features several actors in un-billed roles: Holmes Herbert, Richard Alexander, Harry Cording and Dwight Frye.

Director Kenton later worked with Abbott and Costello and also made two "sequels"  HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HOUSE OF DRACULA.

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The Rest Is History

FRANKENSTEIN-1931-Of course all serious horror fans know about Universal's follow up to DRACULA and how they wanted Lugosi to play the lead. Here's some quotes:

“He's resting. Just waiting for new life to come”.

“We must find another brain”

“One man crazy. 3 very sane spectators”.

“In the name of God, now I know what it's like to be God”.  

Watch it tonight!!!

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Universal Horror Classic

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN-1939-At Castle Frankenstein, several years after the events in BRIDE, broken necked Ygor (Bela Lugosi) hangs around scaring children. Frankenstein's son Wolf (Basil Rathbone) comes to town to collect his inheritance. He brings along his wife Elsa (Josephine Hutchinson) and young son Peter (Donnie Dunagan). They have no idea what they are getting into! 

It's great to see Karloff back as the monster (in Jack Pierce's legendary make-up) for the last time even if he really doesn't do much until the finale. Another highlight is the clipped banter between Wolf and the memorable Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill) whose wooden arm replaces the one the monster “tore out by the roots” when he was a child. And of course there's Lugosi's Ygor, the broken necked body snatcher who was once pronounced dead (“They die dead. Ygor died live!”) who now uses the revived monster to carry out his revenge on those who condemned him (including Lionel Belmore). Ward Bond has a small unbilled role and some viewers claim Dwight Frye is also in it! 

Producer-director Roland V. Lee keeps things interesting with cavernous sets and shadowy lighting plus a gigantic sulfur pit. The screenplay was written by Willis Cooper, creator the the radio show “Lights Out”. SON, two Mr. Moto entries and providing the story for the serial THE PHANTOM CREEPS with Lugosi) were about all his film credits. SON kind of “ushered out” the first wave of horror films in the sound era and they would never be the same there after...

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Why 1970?

 

 

FRANKENSTEIN-1970-1958-A TV crew comes the Castle Frankenstein to film a live spook show special to commemorate the 240^th anniversary of Frankenstein. Boris Karloff plays the last descendant of the infamous doctor, a scarred, limping, bitter, slightly insane (and possibly castrated) old man who was forced by the Nazis to do experiments on humans. Deep in his castle he's creating a new monster but since this was made in the 1950's atomic energy plays an important part as the Baron has a reactor in his lab (it was provided by the production company so the Baron would allow them to film in his castle). The manic director (Don “Red” Barry) and the producer (Tom Duggan) seem oblivious to the evil goings on but the Baron's lawyer (Rudolph Anders, the Nazi leader in SHE DEMONS the same year) suspects his client is dabbling in the old family pastime. In fact when Anders hints at this the Baron threatens to cut out his tongue! (He later uses his eyes instead) He also uses his loyal butler. He is polite but creepy toward the lead actress (Jana Lund) who when complaining about past role mentions The Donner Party! The monster is a big bandaged giant (played by pro wrestler Mike Lane) who gets to carry the girl around in the finale and when his bandages are removed has an interesting face.

This low budget Allied Artist production was directed by Howard Koch who'd already made movies like UNTAMED YOUTH and BOP GIRL GOES CALYPSO. He would also serve as producer of Karloff's other AA horror film for that year the much worse VOODOO ISLAND. Soon after this he ventured into television and much later produce AIRPLANE and its sequel. Screenwriter Richard Landau was a prolific TV writer and also penned the aforementioned VOODOO ISLAND.

Despite being villainous and sleazy Karloff still manages (as usual) to instill his character with a few sympathetic tones. I've read many bad reviews for this film but despite the low budget I think it's great! Hey it was Karloff's first film effort in a couple of years! Glad ya came back Boris!

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Frankenstupid

I, FRANKENSTEIN-2004-The Frankenstein monster (Aaron Eckhardt;THE BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES) finds his creator at the North Pole frozen to death. While burying Victor he's attacked by some demons but saved by some gargoyles when they come to life. He's later take prisoner by other demons led by Lenore, queen of the gargoyles (Miranda Otto). The Monster renamed Adam gets caught in between an ages long demon war. In modern times Adam comes up against Naberious (Bill Nighy), a mad scientist-demon who wants to create an army of monsters using Victor's journal. Yvonne Strahovski is a scientist who wants to examine Adam.

This box office bomb written and directed by Stuart Beattie (screenwriter of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT) seems like it wanted to start a series of movies but it's mostly talk wrapped around the usual CGI SFX that dominate most horror and fantasy films.

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ABBOTT and COSTELLO

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN-1948-This Universal production is one of the best horror comedies ever made. It's arguably Abbott and Costello's best film but unfortunately it also ushered out the era of the studios classic horror monster movies. Bud and Lou play baggage handlers Chick (Abbott) and Wilbur (Costello) who get into trouble almost immediately when they deliver two crates to "MacDougal's House of Horrors", a wax museum. The crates contain "the remains" of Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange). Meanwhile, Larry Talbott (Lon Chaney) tries to convince "the boys"  he's the wolf-man. It turns out Wilbur's girlfriend Sandra (Lenore Aubert who's also in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER BORIS KARLOFF) is in league with the count to put Wilbur's brain inside the head of the monster! Jane Randolph (CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE) plays an insurance investigator who pretends to be sweet on Wilbur. There's lots of great bits and one liners and director Charles Barton does a great job of combining the comedy and horror. Frank Ferguson plays the owner of the museum and there are appearances by A & C "regulars" Joe Kirk and Bobby Barber. Vincent Price is the voice of the invisible man.

This is one of eight Abbott & Costello comedies directed by Charles Barton who had been assistant director on the Marx Bros. movies MONKEY BUSINESS and HORSE FEATHERS.

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TV Frankenstein

TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN-1958-This is the pilot for a series co-produced by Hammer Films and Columbia Pictures. German born actor Anton Diffring is Baron Frankenstein trying to create life in his laboratory. A dying artist (familiar TV actor Richard Bull) and his wife (Helen Wescott) want the Baron to help save his life but he refuses. When the artist dies Frankenstein steals his brain and uses it in his monster (stuntman-actor Don Megowan, in make-up resembling Universal's except he has no neck bolts).

When the monster awakes after his latest transplant he turns on the his creator and goes after his former wife. He dies by falling into an open grave after seeing his reflection. It's only 28 mins. long so it moves pretty fast but it's well done and an interesting look at an early TV horror tale. Ludwig Stossel and Peter Brocco are also in it. 

Hammer head honcho Michael Carrerras is listed as producer (TOF was made in between the first two Hammer Frankenstein movies). Director Curt Siodmak (who worked on several films in Universal's original Frankenstein series) does manage to give it a certain "classic" feel despite time and budget drawbacks. Siodmak also directed several episodes of the mysterious 13 DEMON STREET see:http://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2009/07/lon-is-messing-with-devil.html . It was written by Henry Kutter and his wife CL Moore, who later became successful Sci-Fi/fantasy authors. 

One story goes that the pilot never went anywhere because the two studios (I've also read Screen Gems not Columbia was the other studio) disagreed on the future of the series.

Thanks for reading (and Thanks again to my pal Tony for getting me this !)

It's Really His Granddaughter

JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER-1966-A Mexican village lives in fear of the notorious experiments being carried out in a mysterious mansion. It seems Maria (Narda Onyx), the stuck up, power mad, grand-daughter of Dr. Frankenstein is continuing his legacy of monster making, assisted by her cowardly brother (familiar TV actor Steven Geray). 

Meanwhile a bare knuckles fighter named Hank (Cal Boulder) and his partner the famous outlaw Jesse James (James Lupton) team up with “The Wild Bunch” to steal $500,000 from a bank. For some reason the gang leader's drunken brother betrays them to the Marshall (Jim Davis) forcing Hank and Jesse to seek refuge in the Castle of Frankenstein's offspring. Maria decides Hank would be a great subject for her experiments. They want to give him some kind of brain transplant and the tri-color army helmets Maria and Hank wear during part of the process are hysterical! While this goes on Jesse takes time to romance Juanita (Estelita Rodriguez), a local who helps at the lab. 

Hank becomes a hulking zombie with stitch marks around his forehead who is re-named Igor! For a short time he does Maria's bidding but he turns against her in the end. The acting in this one (especially by Onyx as Maria) is far more campy than in BTKVD.

This was the last film made by veteran director William Beaudine who's career started in silent films! He's no stranger to this blog. I figure he deserves his own entry so I'll do that next time! 

Some interesting bits about some of the players: 

Estelita Rodriguez began her career at age 14 in Republic Pictures westerns including several with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. She also had a role in Howard Hawks' RIO BRAVO and was married and divorced from actor Grant Withers. JJMF'sD was her last film. She died at 37 in 1966 of undisclosed causes. (Some say it was influenza..)

Narda Onyx was born in Estonia and was appearing on many TV shows (including a re-occurring role on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES)  prior to JJM'sFD which is one of her few movies roles. She's also in 1962's HITLER with Richard Basehart in the lead, playing Eva Braun's sister. She died in 1991 at 59.

Cal Bolder was an ex-patrolman who was in some other TV shows and later retired and wrote books. He died at 75 in 2005.

John Lupton was a successful stage actor and star of the TV western BROKEN ARROW. He died at 65 in 1993 of an undisclosed disease...

As for the title..well..Abbott & Costello didn't go to Mars either...

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Early Franky

FRANKENSTEIN-1910-This ancient artifact from Thomas Edison was once thought lost and usually considered the first version of Mary Shelley’s famous novel. However it’s now believed there was an earlier version. It’s quite crude and the film is damaged but it’s great to see such an early production. The acting is much like most silent films, very theatrical. In this story Dr. Frankenstein creates life in the form of a very strange skinny creature (Charles Ogle) with a big nose and wild hair. His creation scene is the best special effect. The creature rants at the doctor and terrorizes his fiancée Elizabeth (Mary Fuller). Eventually (the running time is only 16 mins.) the creature sees itself in a mirror and disappears!

The only existing copy of Edison’s production was found in the 1950’s by a film historian who sat on for decades before allowing it to be released to the general public. The DVD version I have also features a restored copy of NOSFERATU.

Screenwriter-director J. Searle Dawley was famous in his time and made versions of TREASURE ISLAND, THE PRINCE & THE PAUPER and THE FOUR FEATHERS. He made his last film in 1917 and died in 1949. Monster portrayer Ogle was a prolific actor from 1908 through 1923. It’s said he did his own make-up for the role. Mary Fuller made over 200 acting appearances (and wrote a few movies too). Her last film was in 1923 and her post-acting life was a mystery until it was discovered she died in a mental hospital in 1973. No one really knows what she did or what happened to her in those ensuing 56 years!



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