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Hammer Films tries to make a Frankenstein movie without Peter Cushing and fails miserably. The Horror of Frankenstein is essentially a reboot of the studio’s original Curse of Frankenstein, but with several unfortunate distinctions. Writer/director Jimmy Sangster, despite having written many of Hammer’s most well-known gothic horror movies, decides to take a parodic approach to the material that doesn’t sit well in the Hammer canon. The film also lacks the compelling setting and atmosphere Hammer usually delivers. But the worst crime is that Sangster makes Victor Frankenstein so annoying, the film becomes almost unwatchable.
When Cushing played Frankenstein, he commanded the screen and kept us engaged no matter how nefarious his motives were. But leading actor Ralph Bates is no Peter Cushing, and the writing does him no favors. There’s no panache, no style, no pursuit of knowledge at any cost. He’s just an intensely unlikable, fully sociopathic asshole. The passionless character and Bates’ super-smug performance are painful to endure, making the film a real chore to finish. Adding insult to injury, Sangster even denies us the reward of seeing the baron get what he deserves.
Supporting cast members offer a small silver lining. Kate O’Mara is fun as Frankenstein’s sultry (and busty) housekeeper, and Dennis Price steals the show as a erudite grave robber who makes his pregnant wife do all the digging. David Prowse, who would don Darth Vader’s helmet in Star Wars seven years later, lumbers around somewhat effectively as Bates’ mute monster.
With Veronica Carlson and Jon Finch.