The Curse of Frankenstein

1957
Approved
1h 22m

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

13K

YOUR RATING

Christopher Lee in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

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99+ Photos

Horror Sci-Fi Thriller

While awaiting execution for murder, Baron Victor Frankenstein tells the story of a creature he built and brought to life - only for it to behave not as he intended.While awaiting execution for murder, Baron Victor Frankenstein tells the story of a creature he built and brought to life - only for it to behave not as he intended.While awaiting execution for murder, Baron Victor Frankenstein tells the story of a creature he built and brought to life - only for it to behave not as he intended.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

13K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination

Trivia
Although they had both appeared in Hamlet (1948), Moulin Rouge (1952), and Alexander the Great (1956), Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing met on the set of the film for the first time. They would pass the time between shots by exchanging "Looney Tunes" phrases and quickly developed a fast friendship, which lasted until Cushing's death in 1994.

Goofs
When Justine is creeping up to the Baron's laboratory, she is wearing 20th century high-heeled shoes.

Quotes
Baron Frankenstein: Let's let our friend here rest in peace... while he can.

Crazy credits
Opening credits prologue: More than a hundred years ago, in a mountain village in Switzerland, lived a man whose strange experiments with the dead have since become legend. The legend is still told with horror the world over.... It is the legend of...

The Curse of Frankenstein

Alternate versions
For its original cinema release the BBFC required cuts to the scene where a man's head is severed by the Baron and dissolved in acid. The severing was reduced to a brief shot and no footage at all survives of the acid scene. Video and early DVD releases featured the U.S print which was cut further to remove a shot of a severed eyeball as seen through a magnifying glass, though the UK cinema print, which contains this shot, was often shown on BBC television. The 2012 Lionsgate release features the restored version which includes the eyeball shot from the UK print.

Connections
Featured in Lolita (1962)

User reviews155

Review

Featured review

I've harmed nobody, just robbed a few graves!

A very important film in the history of not just Hammer Horror, but horror itself, as it introduced Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Cushing's performance in this film as Dr. Frankenstein is magnificent.

Based upon Mary Shelly's novel, this adaptation by Writer Jimmy Sangster, the man behind many great Hammer films, focuses not on the monster, but upon the doctor himself. The monster is only a manifestation of the doctor's obsession. This, Lee's role is lessor, but still worthy of praise, and we will later see him shine as Dracula. Sangster, sadly, departed our presence last month, but his legacy of films lives on.

The film is a testament to Jimmy Sangster's role in modern horror.