ThiefHott Too much of everything

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

John T. Ryan WILLIAM HENRY PRATT had a long and highly prolific career in both the Legitimate Theatre, as well as in Film. His was an immense talent, which was somewhat under-appreciated for his successes in the Horror Film Genre. This is quite unfair, as his on-screen and on-stage characterizations embraced just about every type.IT IS OF course no secret that the English born thespian changed his professional name while touring Canada in theatrical companies. The chosen moniker was (Drum Roll!!) Boris Karloff. This then was a name that would become synonymous with the fright film and even up to this day, some 75 years after its original release, is so closely identified with the Monster in FRANKENSTEIN & sequels.UPON COMPLETION AND release of FRANKENSTEIN 1970 in 1958*, it was the veteran actor himself who commented that we have forgotten how to make Horror Movies. Having witnessed an early showing of the movie on WNBQ TV, Channel 5 in Chicago. It was this NBC wholly owned subsidiary and local outlet that screened the picture circa 1962, being a scant 4 years or so after its release. (This is perhaps a testimonial to the level of the movie's content) IN MUCH THE same manner as the productions of the British company, Hammer Films, the danger and horror of the Monster is given a secondary role to that of a truly evil, very mad scientist. In this case, it's one Victor Frankenstein XXVII, last of the von Frankenstein descendants.THE MOVIE TRULY misses those excellent pseudo-scientific electrical instruments of Kenneth Strickfadden, which added so much to the original Universal FRANKENSTEIN pictures. The were reprised in Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974).AS TO THE supporting cast, we have Don "Red" Barry, Jana Lund, Charlotte Austin, Rudolph Anders and Tom Duggan.** Pro Wrestler, Mike Lane, is seen in a dual-role as both servant/victim Hans Himmler and as the Monster, not that one could tell; as he wore some super-gauze wrap mummy type costume that looks much like a huge tampon.*** THE OVERALL LOOK of the production is that of a 1930's "B" Picture; for which it was perfectly situated. It was an Allied Artists Productoion, which had formerly been poverty row studio, Monogram. Its main tenet about the Dr. Frankenstein wanting to continue his family's image is an element that would be at home in an old, 1930's detective story or an "Old Dark House" type of potboiler.SHOT IN A SORT of retro-futuristic motif, the story is and was disappointing to us, even as kids in the early 1960's. But it did have its moments of even a flirtation with being worthwhile.AT LEAST OUR buddy Schultz and myself saw it that way. "Was you there, Charlie?" NOTE * This makes it one of those movies & TV series where the seemingly long in the future date looses its appeal with the passing of time. Consider if you will: ROLLERBALL, 2001: A SPACE ODYSEY, 1984, SPACE 1999, etc. (No Schultz, not THE JETSONS!)NOTE ** Tom Duggan had been a crusading newsman in Chicago, who had built up a great following in that City (including our Dad, Clem Ryan, 1914-74). He had relocated to the West Coast and took jobs like this as a means of earning extra $$$$.NOTE *** Big Mike Lane, ex Footballer & Pro Grappler was fresh from his great role as Boxer Toro Moreno in THE HARDER THEY FALL (Columbia, 1956); which was Bogart's last picture.

LeonLouisRicci Very Uneven and considered pretty Bad in Some Circles, This one has Its Moments but is Unretrievable because the Bad Parts are just Awful. It has a Cringe Inducing Patronizing of the Teen Audience at times that is ill fitting and Laughable. Listen to the Guy on the Phone trying to Speak "Teen". The Acting from Everyone, Ranges from God-Awful Embarrassing to acceptable Hamming from Boris Karloff. But even He can be Seen Struggling with the Script.There are some Interesting Sets and the Beginning is Famous and sometimes Touted as the Scariest Part of the Movie. A few Scenes of Lurid Horror are Included. A Dismembered Body Parts Grinder Disposal (the grinding sound had to be removed because of objections by the Code Nazis), and Grisly Eyeballs. Also, Karloff Massaging a Removed Heart.There are a couple of Effective Shots and Dissolves and the Music tries Desperately to add to the "Terror", but Ultimately it is the Non-Lab/Crypt Scenes that Routinely bring everything to a Standstill. Still Worth a Watch for a few things and as a Whole it is Better, but not by much, than its Reputation as Awfully Worthless.Note...One wonders why, but Filmed in Cinemascope.

john22900 Atmosphere is important in any horror film and this movie has it in spades. Unfortunately, that's all it has. Really very little to recommend here. Karloff is good in this movie but completely wasted in this effort and far too campy and hammy to really chill the audience. The monster itself is also a huge problem. Not so much when we first see the monster but as it progresses in its various stages of creation, it just gets sillier and sillier. The music tries to scare up a few chills whenever the monster appears but it is all really wasted. The best thing about the movie as I previously stated is the atmosphere. I especially like movies that have isolated creepy castles in them that are filled with secret passageways and hidden laboratories from which all those mad scientists conduct their business. The opening sequence of the film is by far the best part of the movie but the surprise ending tries to come close only that it is really telegraphed all throughout the movie and really isn't much of a surprise when you think about it. Although this is by far not the worst Karloff film it is not the best either. It's really too bad that Karloff, if he wanted to spoof the Frankenstein character he played, that he should have offered to play the part in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

Michael_Elliott Frankenstein 1970 (1958) ** (out of 4) Baron Frankenstein (Boris Karloff), disfigured after being tortured by Nazi's, is running out of money so he lets a TV station shoot a documentary inside his castle about the legendary monster. What the TV crew doesn't know is that the Baron has used the money off the project to bring back another monster. This film tries to be "hip" and "fun" but it's really neither and remains quite dull all the way to the end. Karloff manages to give a fun, if campy, performance, which is the only real reason to watch this. I managed to get my hands on an incredibly rare 2.35:1 print of this and I must say this has some of the laziest scope cinematography ever.