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Hammer’s third Frankenstein film (following 1958’s The Revenge of Frankenstein) is more of a one-off than a sequel, having little to do with the films before or after it. It marked the return of Peter Cushing to gothic horror after a four-year break from it. The actor briefly feared he was becoming typecast as a horror actor… can you imagine? With Cushing returning and co-financing in place from Universal Pictures, Hammer was set for a potential hit. Unfortunately, The Evil of Frankenstein is not only the worst of the first three films in the series, but one of the worst in the studio’s entire history.

In the film, Cushing’s exiled baron and his assistant Hans (Sandor Eles) return to the castle where his original monster perished. But when they find the creature encased in a glacier, they are able to re-resurrect it with the help of a side-show hypnotist named Zoltan, played charismatically by Peter Woodthorpe. Things go (further?) awry when Frankenstein realizes only Zoltan can control the monster. When he does so, it’s in the dark of night, sending the beast into the village to steal and plunder riches — killing anyone who gets in his way.

This is the only Hammer Frankenstein film in which the mad baron isn’t portrayed as the true villain of the piece. Instead, he’s more of an ardent scientist simply trying to learn what can be learned. The bad guys are everyone who interferes with his experiments. One of the most disappointing aspects of the film is the portrayal of the monster (played by wrestler Kiwi Kingston) and his unfortunate makeup. Looking like a grade-schooler’s papier-mâché craft project, the creature is devoid of personality or motivation, engendering neither empathy nor fear. The scattershot screenplay forces him into villain mode once Zoltan has exited the picture, but the transformation is too little, too late, and feels far from organic.

While the film takes more mis-steps than the usual Hammer flick, it’s not without its a few strong suits. Director Freddie Francis (Paranoiac, The Skull) brings uncommon color and striking composition to the photography. The sets and wardrobe exceed Hammer’s already high standards, and Katy Wild is memorable as a homeless, deaf and mute girl who allies herself with Hans and the baron. The famous laboratory creation scene is more elaborate than previously depicted by Hammer, and the climax features an impressive, blazing set in which Peter Cushing appears to be doing his own stunts.

With Duncan Lamont, David Hutcheson, and James Maxwell. Written hastily by producer Anthony Hinds (using a pseudonym).