Frankenstein (Hammer film series)


Frankenstein is the title of several horror-adventure film series loosely based on the 1818 novel of the same name by Mary Shelley, centered on Baron Victor Frankenstein, who experiments in creating a creature beyond human.

Hammer Horror film series (1957–1974)

The original series of films consisted of seven installments, which starred iconic horror actors such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as Baron Victor Frankenstein and his creature respectively. The series of films is part of the larger Hammer Horror series.
Producer Max Rosenberg originally approached Michael Carreras at Hammer Films with a deal to produce Frankenstein and the Monster from a script by Milton Subotsky. Later, both men were cut out of their profit participation making only a $5000 fee for bringing the production to Hammer. Rosenberg and Subotsky later established Amicus Films, Hammer's main rival in the production of horror films during the 1960s. Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, who adapted Mary Shelley's novel for Hammer, never mentioned seeing Subotsky's script or being aware of Rosenberg's involvement. Sangster had worked as a production manager and said that he was keenly aware of production costs and kept the budget in mind when writing the script. Sangster said that his awareness of cost influenced him to not write scenes involving the villagers storming the castle that was typically seen in the Universal horror films "because we couldn't afford it". Sangster in an interview with film historian Jonathan Rigby indicated that he hadn't seen any of the Frankenstein films that Universal made. He just adapted the book "the way I saw it".
Peter Cushing, who was then best known for his many high-profile roles in British television, had his first lead part in a film with The Curse of Frankenstein. Meanwhile, Christopher Lee's casting resulted largely from his height, though Hammer had earlier considered the even taller Bernard Bresslaw for the role. Universal fought hard to prevent Hammer from duplicating aspects of their 1931 film, and so it was down to make-up artist Phil Leakey to design a new look for the creature bearing no resemblance to the Boris Karloff original created by Jack Pierce. Production of The Curse of Frankenstein began, with an investment of £65,000, on 19 November 1956 at Bray Studios with a scene showing Baron Frankenstein cutting down a highwayman from a wayside gibbet. The film opened at the London Pavilion on 2 May 1957 with an X certificate from the censors.
Hammer's first colour horror film, its worldwide success led to several sequels, the studio's new versions of Dracula and The Mummy, and established "Hammer Horror" as a new distinctive brand of Gothic cinema.
FilmRotten Tomatoes
The Curse of Frankenstein78%
The Revenge of Frankenstein87%
The Evil of Frankenstein57%
Frankenstein Created Woman67%
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed70%
The Horror of Frankenstein55%
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell50%

Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant scientist willing to stop at nothing in his quest to reanimate a deceased body. After alienating his longtime friend and partner, Paul Krempe, with his extreme methods, Frankenstein assembles a hideous creature out of dead body parts and succeeds in bringing it to life. But the monster is not as obedient or docile as Frankenstein expected, and it runs amok, resulting in murder and mayhem.
With the help of Karl, the crippled dwarf hangman, whom he promises a new body, Baron Frankenstein escapes from the guillotine and goes to Germany, where under the name Stein, alongside his eager young assistant Hans Kleve, they transplant Karl's brain into the new patchwork body. The operation is successful but as the body's limbs begin to return to the old crippled positions of Karl, Karl escapes and goes on a cannibalistic rampage, calling out the name of "Frankenstein".
Dr. Frankenstein returns destitute to his home village to recommence his experimental research into the reanimation of dead tissue, and stumbles upon his old monster suspended in ice. Though he revives the creature, Frankenstein must seek the help of hypnotist Zoltan to repair its mind. Zoltan then assumes control of the monster, using him to wreak havoc. But when Frankenstein tries to regain power over his creation, he becomes Zoltan's next target.
After being reanimated, Baron Frankenstein transfers the soul of his unjustly framed and guillotined assistant Hans into the body of his lover Christina after she had subsequently committed suicide, prompting her, with his memory, to kill the men who wronged them and avenge their deaths.
When Frankenstein, who looks forward to meet and work with former associate Dr. Frederick Brandt, learns about his unstable mind and subsequent confinement to a lunatic asylum, he decides to transplant Brandt's brain into another body in an attempt to cure him, and to acquire the information behind a secret formula known only to him.
A tongue-in-cheek black comedy chiller and remake of The Curse of Frankenstein about a ruthlessly sadistic student who will stop at nothing in pursuit of advancing his shocking scientific experiments, Young Victor Frankenstein murders his own father in order to inherit his title and fortune, and drops out of school to concentrate on his unholy attempts to resurrect the dead.
Convicted of body-snatching, Dr. Simon Helder is sentenced to an insane asylum. On arrival, he recognizes the resident surgeon as the infamous Baron Victor Frankenstein, who has been hiding out there under the guise of Dr Carl Victor, discovering that Frankenstein has been assembling a new creature using the body of an insane murderer, the brain of a musical and mathematical genius and the hands of a sculptor. Unable to operate himself due to his hands having been burnt, Frankenstein has been relying on his mute assistant Sarah to stitch the body parts together, now turning to Helder for help. After the operation is a success, the creature is torn between the conflicting aspects of itself – an intelligent, artistic person imprisoned in the body of a murderous hulk. Escaping from its cell, the creature then sets out to hunt down those who abused him – starting with the asylum’s corrupt director …

''Tales of Frankenstein'' television pilot

In 1959, Hammer shot a half-hour pilot episode for a television series to be called Tales of Frankenstein, in association with Columbia Pictures, directed by Curt Siodmak. Anton Diffring played the Baron, and Don Megowan his creation. The series was scrapped, largely because of the two companies' disagreement over what the basic thrust of the series would be: Hammer wanted to do a series about Baron Frankenstein involved in various misadventures, while Columbia wanted a series of loosely-connected science fiction loosely based around the idea of science gone wrong. Though unreleased at the time of its production, the episode is available on DVD from several public domain sources. Though the series was never produced, Anthony Hinds commissioned several scripts that provided Hammer with material for their later Frankenstein films, specifically Frankenstein Created Woman and The Evil of Frankenstein.

Feature films

Cast and characters


List indicator

  • A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
  • A indicates a uncredited role.
  • A indicates a voice-only role.
  • A indicates a cameo appearance.
  • A indicates the actor or actress portrayed their film character as possessed by another.
  • A indicates an appearance wherein an actor's facial features were digitally imprinted upon another actor's face.
  • A indicates an appearance as a younger version of a pre-existing character.
  • An indicates an appearance through archival footage, audio or stills.

Crew