Shuter, yours is not the brain that I would have chosen, but at least you are obedient.
Hello to all of the classic people that are returning. I am glad you are back. I want to welcome any new visitors. As a technical note, references and citations are listed for each show on the site at classicmovierev.com. Today on the Classic Movie Reviews Podcast, we are taking on Frankenstein 1970 (1958).
This movie is not the worst monster movie that I have seen. It has a meager 4.9 rating on iMDB.com.[1] It fares no better on rottentomatoes.com. It does not have a Tomatometer score and only 21 percent audience approval[2].
So, clearly, not the best of the Frankenstein movies. But it does have Boris Karloff and a very different story arch. It is worth watching once. Let’s just jump into the actors, a few of which are quite impressive.
Actors – Frankenstein 1970 (1958)
Returning
Naturally, the great horror actor Boris Karloff plays the last of his family line Baron Victor von Frankenstein. Karloff does a good job and comes off pretty sinister. Karloff was first introduced as the Monster in Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
The big man Mike Lane played Hans Himmler and the Monster in the television production. I’m pretty sure he was the bandaged Monster as well. He also played Frankenstein in an ep. of “The Monkees” 1968. Lane was first covered as Toro Moreno in the excellent boxing tale The Harder They Fall (1956).
New
Tom Duggan played television publicity man Mike Shaw. Duggan was born in England in 1909. This actor had a few interesting roles. These roles include a bit in the Marilyn Monroe/ Richard Widmark Film Noir Why Bother to Knock (1961), a priest in The Omen (1976), and a bit in Superman II (1980). His television roles include playing a couple of appearances on “Dr. Who” 1971 and playing Judge Roy Bean in a television mini-series called “Lillie” in 1978. Duggan died in 1998.
Jana Lund played actress Carolyn Hayes. Lund had on 17 films and television credit, but her first scene in today’s movie is pretty darn good. Lund was born in Los Angeles in 1933. Her first film was Don’t Knock the Rock (1956). This movie was kind of a Footloose (1984) for rock and roll music specifically. It featured DJ Alan Freed, who coined the term “Rock and Roll,” Bill Haley and the Comets, and Little Richard.
Lund was in Loving You (1957) with Elvis Presley, and she gave him his first on-screen kiss. Her other films include Frankenstein 1970 (1958) and Married Too Young (1962). Lund died in 1991.
Don ‘Red’ Barry played the television director Douglas Row. Barry was born in 1912 in Texas. He began in films in 1933. Barry was a regular western actor until receiving the role of Red Ryder in The Adventures of Red Ryder (1940). This role is where he picked up the handle Red.
RKO tried to turn him into a Cagney type actor. It would have worked, except Barry was said to be hard to work with. He turned in a solid performance in The Purple Heart (1944) but continued in oaters and other tough-guy roles. His films included Square Dance Jubilee (1949), Train to Tombstone (1950), and Jesse James’ Women (1954).
The mid-1950s saw Barry working more on television but continuing in film. During this time, he was in Frankenstein 1970 (1958), Warlock (1959), Alvarez Kelly (1966), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), Rio Lobo (1970), and The Swarm (1978), where Michael Caine tries to stop a swarm of bees. Barry committed suicide in 1980.
Charlotte Austin played script associate Judy Stevens and ex-wife of Douglas Row. Austin was born in North Carolina in 1933. Her father was a successful singer and composer in the 1920s—1930s.
Austin was trained in dance and drama. This training eventually led to a contract with 20th Century Fox. She ended her career with only 20 film and television credits. Some of her films were pretty good, including Les Miserables (1952), Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder (1952), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Désirée (1954), Daddy Long Legs (1955), The Bride and the Beast (1958) written by Edward D. Wood Jr., and of course Frankenstein 1970 (1958). Austin eventually went into the antique business and is still alive.
Norbert Schiller played the servant of Victor, Shuter. Schiller was born in 1899 in the Astro-Hungarian Empire. He had small parts in films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), The Return of Dracula (1958), and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). He had a larger role as the apple seller in the Film Noir Thieves’ Highway (1949).
Schiller had a large number of television credits. The other films that I am interested in are Frankenstein 1970 (1958) and Young Frankenstein (1974). Schiller died in 1988.
Story – Frankenstein 1970 (1958)
The credits roll over a foggy swamp at night. A woman, Carolyn Hayes (Jana Lund), runs towards the camera. She stops to look behind herself in horror. The legs and heavy boots of Frankenstein’s Monster/ Hans Himmler (Mike Lane) drag towards her. She could easily getaway at a brisk walking pace.
After screaming, Carolyn continues to run away. The hands of the Monster are shown, and it looks werewolfy. The Monster gains ground as Carolyn tires out. She arrives at the edge of the swamp from the credits. The Monster follows her into the water. She stands in waist-deep water, screaming while the Monster walks towards her. The Monster grabs her and forces her head underwater.
An office camera voice says, “cut.” An entire filming crew is shown, and the man that yelled cut is the Director, Douglas Row (Don “Red” Barry). Shuter (Norbert Schiller) must translate for Hans before he actually drowns Carolyn.
The cameraman Morgan Haley (John Dennis) confirms that the shot was ok. Douglas begins to spit venom with Judy Stevens (Charlotte Austin). Although they still work together, they were once married and are now divorced. Judy is jealous of the female lead Carolyn.
Carolyn tells Mike Shaw (Tom Duggan) that the scene is celebrating the 230th anniversary of the Monster’s creation. She also drops that they have traveled to the location of Frankenstein’s castle for the film. Wikipedia.org says, “Frankenstein Castle is a hilltop castle in the Odenwald overlooking the city of Darmstadt in Germany.”[3] The dates in the title and 230 years would place the beginning of the Monster’s creation in 1740.
In the castle, Baron Victor von Frankenstein (Boris Karloff) is raging on his friend and financial advisor, Wilhelm Gottfried (Rudolph Anders), about letting the film crew shot and stay at the castle. Wilhelm reminds Victor that he authorized the movie crew to purchase a shiny new atomic reactor Victor had his eye on. Wilhelm warns Victor that he has been spending too much money, and there is nothing left.
Wilhelm and Victor talk about the past when he was taken and tortured by the government. Victor says he was forced to perform ghastly experiments, so I can only assume we are talking about Nazis. Except for his hands, Victor is broken and scared from this period. Victor is the last of his house. Wilhelm questions Victor about his experiments.
As they argue, the crew comes in, and Victor’s mood remains foul. Douglas says that he wants to shoot some scenes in the basement. Doug calls Victor’s servant Shuter, horrible Herman. He touches the sleeve of Victor’s coat, and the Baron recoils. Douglas tells the Baron that his reactor will arrive in 2—3 days. Douglas orders Morgan to check the basement before the shoot.
They talk about Victor getting his own show. Carolyn says that wouldn’t be so bad. Victor replies that it would be good if she were his leading lady and then kisses her hand. She reacts badly to the flirt. Victor agrees to work with Douglas and walks away, laughing manically. He seats himself at this pipe organ and begins to play creepy music.
For rehearsal, Victor reads the tomb plaque of his ancestor Richard, Freiherr von Frankenstein I 1702—1761. The plaque reads as follows:
“I, Frankenstein, began my work in the year 1740 and with all good intentions and humane thoughts to the high purpose of probing the secrets of life itself – with but one end – the betterment of mankind.”
Victor begins telling about the beginning of Richard’s work and learning to stitch bodies together. It took 17 years to create life but Richard was shocked that his creation became a killing monster. Richard wanted to destroy his creation, but he could not. Victor says the Monster was buried deep in the crypts of the Frankenstein family. Victor raises a knife over Han’s, who is covered by a sheet and lying on top of a crypt. Carolyn screams, and Hans runs away.
Judy and Douglas are still sniping at each other about Carolyn. Hans doesn’t want to work anymore. Douglas gives him more money and calls him Hitler. Douglas compliments Victor on a good performance. Judy confirms with Douglas that Victor was not using the script and was adlibbing. When all of the others have left, Victor returns and smiles.
On a stormy night, Mike is on the phone promoting, while Judy drinks coffee, and Carolyn lays in front of the fire. Wilhelm is in the background, and Victor is playing his organ quietly. Carolyn gives Shuter a scarf she has bought in town. She ties in on with a gentle kiss. Shuter is overwhelmed. Victor makes a stink face and chews on Shuter for having Carolyn give him gifts.
Douglas comes down with the new script. He asks Carolyn to go over the new scene with him, and Judy gets really mad.
Wilhelm talks to Victor about his dealing with the Director of the Morgue and his new interest in bodies. Victor reminds his old friend of a curious commandant at Belsen. Wikipedia.org states: “Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle.”[4] Wilhelm says he does not like the way his friend is changing. He asks for the truth. The actions of Victor make the friend give up the conversation.
Victor lights a candle and heads to the basement, turning out the lights as he goes. Victor turns the head of a cherub on the opening of Richard’s tomb, and the crypt where he said the Monster was buried opens. Victor descends the stairway that is hidden in the crypt. He pushes a button at the bottom, closing the crypt above. Victor enters his secret laboratory. It has massive electrical equipment that he brings to life with a control panel. The largest piece is a chamber that looks like a giant MRI. He also has switches where he can listen in to each of his guest’s rooms. Victor has a picture of himself when he was young, and he is working on a clay bust of his likeness.
Victor opens the door to the giant chamber. Inside is a gurney with a body that is bandaged up to the neck. The head is only a skull. Victor scrubs up and puts on his apron.
Shuter is upstairs, securing the castle for the night.
Victor has a microphone for recording his notes. He says the bones are now ready for reconstruction. He begins cutting away the bandages from the hands and arms. Metal stitches the real and synthetic skin together.
Shuter descents to the basement. He is turning out lights and candles when he stops to admire his scarf. While dusting the plaque, he notices the head of the cherub and opens the crypt. At this point, I would have left the castle, never to return. Shuter heads down the stairs.
Shuter walks in on Victor and his creation, who are in the dark. Victor laments that he is sad that the visitor was Shuter. Victor turns the lights on, and Shuter is horrified seeing the Monster. Shuter begs for his life, but Victor hypnotizes him with a pair of surgical scissors. Shuter is drained of his blood, and Victor harvests his heart.
In the morning, Carolyn is cooking breakfast. Her and Judy note the absence of Shuter. Victor comes in to let them know that Shuter has gone to visit his family. Hans is the new serving man. Carolyn tells Victor that his equipment has arrived.
Victor goes to his secret lab and places Shuter’s brain into the creature. Victor goes to the refrigerator to retrieve a pair of eyes. The closing door hits his arm. He drops the eyes, destroying them.
Later, Wilhelm is going over bills, and Victor is playing a more upbeat tune on his organ. Carolyn joins Victor at the organ. He asks her if she is disturbed, and she replies that organ music reminds her of death. Carolyn has found Shuter’s scarf in the basement. Victor says he will send it to Shuter and then wraps it around his neck.
Wilhelm comes in and asks where Shuter is and states that Shuter had no relatives. He also says all his clothes are in his room. Victor reminds Wilhelm of the story of the inquisitive commandant at Belsen. Victor says one day, the commandant was found without a tongue. Victor says he was called in to examine the killing, and said “it was a beautiful piece of surgery if I do say so myself.” Wilhelm leaves the room.
In the secret lab, Victor returns the creature to the chamber. Now that he has the reactor, he turns the machine on. The atomic reactor generates steam when then generates electricity through a turbine. Harness the power of the Sun and use it to boil water!
The electric lights in the castle dim. There is steam coming from the machines and loud humming noise. A bell signaling the end of the cooking. Victor brings the body out of the chamber.
On his room peeper, Victor hears Douglas trying to gain admittance to Carolyn’s room.
In the laboratory, the heart is beating, and everything seems fine. Victor stands the creature up and begins trying to communicate with Shuter’s brain. Brain waves are printed on the computer as the brain responds. Victor tells Shuter that he must get him some eyes.
Judy is working in her room when Mike comes in. Mike has a bottle with him. He kisses her and then stops to slug a glass of whiskey. Mike keeps pushing, and Judy throws him out of her room. He begs at the door for a bit.
Judy gets undressed for bed and hears a knock at her door. She opens it, and the fully bandaged, eyeless creature is there. She passes out.
Victor chews the Monster out because he wanted Douglas. Don’t send a blind monster on a kidnapping mission. The Monster killed Judy. Judy’s eyes are of no use, and Victor disposes of them in the trash.
The Monster leaves the secret lab. Douglas and Mike argue about the disappearance of Judy. Douglas says she didn’t take her alimony check, and Mike thinks it might be because he tried to put the moves on her. Douglas asks Victor if he knows anything. Victor denies all knowledge. Victor makes some weird comments to Carolyn.
Douglas wants to shoot in Victor’s lab. Wilhelm confirms to Victor that the laboratory is not part of the deal. Douglas sends Morgan and Carolyn to line up shots. Morgan uses his eyepiece to check shots with Carolyn. She backs into a dark alcove, and the creature almost catches her.
Carolyn goes back upstairs while Morgan lines up more shots. He looks around the room until he becomes eyeball to eyeball with the Monster if the Monster had eyes. The Monster stalks Morgan, I guess, by sound and kills him.
In the laboratory, Victor sees that Morgan’s blood type was Type-A and cannot be transplanted into the monster.
Police Inspector Raab (Irwin Berke) comes about Judy and Morgan missing. Victor says Morgan went to get a lens in Frankfurt. Victor takes Inspector Raab and the whole gang down to search the basement.
Down in the secret lab, the Monster pushes the crypt opening button. Victor sees the crypt open and is able to shut it before anyone else sees it. Inspector Raab apologizes for disturbing the place of the dead.
Douglas admits that he has been spreading stories about Frankenstein’s Monster for publicity. Victor tells Wilhelm that he will press charges against Douglas.
Wilhelm confronts Victor about the continued disappearances. Victor says Wilhelm would have made a great commandant. He decides to show Wilhelm what he has been working on. Victor opens the crypt access. The Monster and Wilhelm have a staring contest until Wilhelm’s eyes are shown in the Monster. After the surgery, Victor gets rid of the evidence of Wilhelm.
Douglas and Mike come to search the basement. Douglas finds Morgan’s viewfinder. Douglas leaves to get Inspector Raab. Upstairs, Victor confronts Mike about Douglas’ whereabouts. At first, he shows Mike a book, and then he uses a coin to hypnotize him. Victor asks Mike where Douglas is and is told he has gone to the police. Victor tells Mike that at the quarter-hour to bring Carolyn downstairs with the story that Douglas has returned.
It is hard for Douglas to convince the inspector to come. He has to get witnesses from the taxi company and the train station to say that none of the missing people have left. Inspector Raab finally agrees to go back to the castle.
The clock chimes, and Mike goes to get Carolyn with the false story. She runs down the stairway, and instead of Douglas, she finds the Monster.
Douglas and Inspector Raab speed to the castle.
The Monster brings Carolyn to the secret laboratory crypt entrance. She wakes and begins screaming. Victor keeps telling Shuter to bring her down to the secret lab. Finally, Carolyn starts telling the Monster, who has Shuter’s brain, to take her upstairs. The Monster is conflicted.
Douglas and Inspector Raab shout for Victor. They search upstairs first. Victor hears the men searching on his snoop machine. Victor starts powering up his apparatus. The Monster comes into the secret lab and starts breaking things. As Victor bids him go back, atomic steam flows out of the chamber, killing the Monster and Victor.
A man in a full radiation gear with a Geiger counter checks the secret laboratory for safety. Victor and the Monster are dead on the floor. Inspector Raab enters and tears the bandages away from the Monster’s face. He finds the face of the young Victor Frankenstein.
Douglas starts messing around with the equipment and finally plays the tape where Victor says: “I made you in my image so the name of Frankenstein could survive. I gave you eyes, ears, a heart, a brain and…” The voice fades away. The last shot is the Monster’s head with the face of a younger Victor Frankenstein.
I’ll be right back with conclusions and the World-Famous Short Summary following a word from our sponsors.
Summary – Frankenstein 1970 (1958)
Frankenstein 1970 (1958) was Boris Karloff’s fifth Frankenstein film. However, this was the first time he was a member of the family. In the original and its two sequels, Karloff was the Monster. In House of Frankenstein (1944), he was Dr. Gustav Niemann.[5]
I wanted to mention a couple of related books today. The first of these is Black Frankenstein: The Making of an American Metaphor by Elizabeth Young. This book is focused on Mary Shelly’s writing within American culture and its use in racial terms. Young says that language derived from Shelly’s book is used to “they humanize the slave; they explain, if not justify, black violence; they condemn the slaveowner, and they expose the instability of white power.”
The second is a graphic novel, “Destroyer,” by Victor LaValle. Like today’s movie, the last surviving descendant of the Frankenstein family loses her only son when the police shot him. She uses the family science project to build something that will eliminate humanity.
World-Famous Short Summary – Man faces disappointment with his son
Beware the moors
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051630/
[2] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/frankenstein_1970
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_Castle
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergen-Belsen_concentration_camp
[5] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051630/trivia
