{"id":35252,"date":"2015-11-09T10:46:52","date_gmt":"2015-11-09T17:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35252"},"modified":"2021-01-16T01:43:54","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T08:43:54","slug":"curse-of-frankenstein-the-1957","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35252","title":{"rendered":"Curse of Frankenstein, The (1957)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you see? You&#8217;ve created a monster!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Poster-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-35253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Poster-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Poster-678x1024.jpg 678w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Poster.jpg 755w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn arrogant baron (Peter Cushing) enlists the help of his mentor (Robert Urquhart) in carrying out a series of increasingly questionable scientific experiments. When he decides to bring a creature (Christopher Lee) composed of various body parts to life &#8212; resorting to murdering a professor (Paul Hardtmuth) for his brain &#8212; Urquhart becomes alarmed, and tries to warn Cushing&#8217;s naive fiancee (Hazel Court).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Christopher Lee Films<\/li>\n<li>Flashback Films<\/li>\n<li>Frankenstein<\/li>\n<li>Horror<\/li>\n<li>Mad Doctors and Scientists<\/li>\n<li>Peter Cushing Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;first of Hammer Studios&#8217; horror films&#8221; has &#8220;few of the fascinating themes or the philosophizing found in the [original] novel or the <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=18354\">1931 film by James Whale<\/a>.&#8221; He further complains that the picture &#8220;lacks the wit and melodrama of the Whale film&#8221;, noting that &#8220;Lee is neither as imposing a monster as Boris Karloff nor as sympathetic&#8221;, and pointing out the &#8220;jolting&#8230; depiction of Victor Frankenstein as a diabolical villain&#8221; who is not only a grandiose sociopath but an extreme cad. I&#8217;m essentially in agreement with Peary&#8217;s assessment. While the &#8220;production values are quite good&#8221;, and Cushing&#8217;s performance is excellent (it&#8217;s fun to see him playing &#8220;against type&#8221;, given his iconic connection to the heroic Van Helsing), this remake simply pales in comparison in every way but for the &#8220;distinct, superbright color&#8221;. It&#8217;s primarily of note for its historical relevance as the beginning of a new era of horror: according to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/horror\/curse-of-frankenstein-1957.htm\">Richard Scheib of Moria Reviews<\/a>, &#8220;Aside from the flurry of atomic monster movies in the 1950s, there were almost no horror films made anywhere in the world between 1947 and the genre\u2019s revival in 1957&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cushing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cushing-1024x612.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"383\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-35256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cushing-1024x612.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cushing-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cushing-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cushing.png 1808w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography and period sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography2-1024x612.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"383\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-35255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography2-1024x612.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography2-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography2-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography2.png 1808w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography1-1024x612.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"383\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-35254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography1-1024x612.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography1-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography1-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Curse-of-Frankenstein-Cinematography1.png 1808w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s worth viewing for its historical relevance. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0050280\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1957\/08\/08\/archives\/screen-routine-horror-curse-of-frankenstein-bows-at-paramount.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/72012\/the-curse-of-frankenstein#articles-reviews?articleId=35364\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s618frank.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aycyas.com\/curseoffrankenstein.htm\">And You Call Yourself a Scientist Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=2850&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/horror\/curse-of-frankenstein-1957.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/the-curse-of-frankenstein\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you see? You&#8217;ve created a monster!&#8221; Synopsis: An arrogant baron (Peter Cushing) enlists the help of his mentor (Robert Urquhart) in carrying out a series of increasingly questionable scientific experiments. When he decides to bring a creature (Christopher Lee) composed of various body parts to life &#8212; resorting to murdering a professor (Paul Hardtmuth) for his brain &#8212; Urquhart becomes alarmed, and tries to warn Cushing&#8217;s naive fiancee (Hazel Court). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Christopher Lee Films Flashback&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35252\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35252"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63685,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35252\/revisions\/63685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}