Posing as Dr Fenner, Frankenstein moves into a boarding house run by Anna Spengler. She and her boyfriend, Karl, are involved in illegal drug dealing, using supplies which Karl gets from the asylum where he works. One of the patients there is Dr Barndt, an old associate of the Baron’s, who was driven hopelessly insane by their experiments and, when Frankenstein discovers Anna and Karl’s illicit activities, he blackmails them into helping him smuggle Brandt out of the asylum. For Brandt’s brain holds a secret which the Baron desperately needs and, in order to get it, he intends to operate on him and cure his insanity. But things go badly wrong during the escape when Brandt suffers a massive heart attack and now Frankenstein needs a healthy body into which he can transplant Brandt’s brain…..
Production Details
A Seven Arts-Hammer Film production released through Warner-Pathe Distributors Limited (UK) and Warner-Seven Arts (USA) Copyright MCMLXIX Hammer Film Productions ltd. – All rights reserved
MPAAApproved Certificate No. 22109
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
Based on the character created by Mary Shelly
RCA Sound System
Produced at Associated British Studios, Elstree, London, England
Technicolor 97 mins
Filming Began: 13th January 1969
UK Release: 22nd May 1969
Studio:
EMI-MGM Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire – Town street scenes
Location:
Stanmore Hall, Wood Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex – Baron Frankenstein’s hiding place house
Tykes Water Lake & Bridge, Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire – Countryside horse and carriage riding scenes
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Assistant Director | Bert Batt | 39 | 25 Apr 1930 | 6 Nov 2011 | 81 | 13 | 13 | ||
Boom Operator | Harry Fairbairn | 37 | 5 Jul 1931 | 5.07.1931 | 93 | 4 | 4 | ||
Camera Operator | Neil Binney | 37 | Jun 1931 | 01.06.1931 | 93 | 17 | 10 | 27 | |
Casting Director | Irene Lamb | 10 | 10 | ||||||
Construction Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-banks/# | 19 | 29 | 48 | |||||
Continuity | Doreen Dearnaley | 40 | 20 Nov 1928 | 3 Feb 1992 | 63 | 13 | 13 | ||
Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/terence-fisher/# | 65 | 23 Feb 1904 | 18 Jun 1980 | 76 | 31 | 31 | ||
Director of Photography | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-grant/# | 54 | 1915 | 1972 | 57 | 33 | 33 | ||
Editor | Gordon Hales | 53 | 1916 | 1994 | 78 | 1 | 1 | ||
Electrician | Derek Suter | 24 | 4 Jun 1944 | 4.06.1944 | 80 | 3 | 3 | ||
Hair Stylist | Pat McDermot | 39 | 1930 | 2015 | 85 | 5 | 5 | ||
Make-up | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/eddie-knight/# | 44 | 14 Mar 1925 | 27 Aug 1996 | 71 | 31 | 31 | ||
Music Composer | James Bernard | 43 | 20 Sep 1925 | 12 Jul 2001 | 75 | 25 | 1 | 26 | |
Musical Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/philip-martell/# | 61 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 104 | 1 | 105 | |
Original Story | Bert Batt | 39 | 25 Apr 1930 | 6 Nov 2011 | 81 | 13 | 13 | ||
Original Story | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-nelson-keys/# | 57 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 | 41 | ||
Painter | Michael Finlay | 21 | 23 Apr 1948 | 23.04.1948 | 76 | 1 | 19 | 20 | |
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-nelson-keys/# | 57 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 | 41 | ||
Production Manager | Christopher Neame | 26 | 24 Dec 1942 | 12 Jun 2011 | 15 | 9 | 24 | ||
Screenplay | Bert Batt | 39 | 25 Apr 1930 | 6 Nov 2011 | 81 | 13 | 13 | ||
Second Assistant Director | Bill Westley | 30 | 1939 | 01.01.1939 | 85 | 6 | 6 | ||
Sound Editor | Don Ranasinghe | 40 | 21 Jun 1928 | 5 Aug 1978 | 50 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sound Recordist | Ken Rawkins | 51 | 1 Jan 1918 | 1971 | 53 | 18 | 18 | ||
Sound Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/aw-lumkin/# | 56 | 1 Feb 1913 | 25 Oct 1985 | 72 | 30 | 30 | ||
Stunts | Terence Maidment | 37 | 28 Apr 1932 | 28.04.1932 | 92 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Stunts | Peter Diamond | 39 | 10 Aug 1929 | 27 Mar 2004 | 74 | 4 | 25 | 29 | |
Supervising Art Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 56 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 45 | 4 | 49 | |
Wardrobe Mistress | Lottie Slattery | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Wardrobe Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/rosemary-burrows/# | 36 | 5 | 41 | |||||
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Anna | Veronica Carlson | 24 | 18 Sep 1944 | 27 Feb 2022 | 77 | 3 | 3 | ||
Annas Neighbour | Dorothy Smith | 55 | 12 May 1914 | 23 May 1995 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
Baron Frankenstein | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/peter-cushing/# | 55 | 26 May 1913 | 11 Aug 1994 | 81 | 24 | 1 | 25 | |
Body in glass case | Arthur Howell | 49 | 5 Jan 1920 | Aug 1993 | 83 | 6 | 6 | ||
Burglar | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harold-goodwin/# | 51 | 22 Oct 1917 | 3 Jun 2004 | 86 | 4 | 3 | 7 | |
Christina | Elizabeth Morgan | 39 | 7 Feb 1930 | 7.01.1930 | 94 | 1 | 1 | ||
Dr Brandt | George Pravda | 50 | 19 Jun 1918 | 30 Apr 1985 | 66 | 1 | 1 | ||
Dr Heidecke | Jim Collier | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Ella Brandt | Maxine Audley | 46 | 29 Apr 1923 | 23 Jul 1992 | 69 | 2 | 2 | ||
Guest | Frank Middlemass | 49 | 28 May 1919 | 8 Sep 2006 | 87 | 1 | 1 | ||
Guest | George Belbin | 49 | 16 Feb 1920 | 25 Jan 2008 | 87 | 2 | 2 | ||
Guest | Norman Shelley | 66 | 16 Feb 1903 | 22 Aug 1980 | 77 | 1 | 1 | ||
Guest | Michael Gover | 55 | 31 Aug 1913 | 2 May 1987 | 73 | 1 | 1 | ||
Inspector Frisch | Thorley Walters | 56 | 12 May 1913 | 6 Jul 1991 | 78 | 6 | 6 | ||
Journalist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/victor-harrington/# | 59 | 27 Aug 1909 | 23 Jul 1980 | 70 | 7 | 7 | ||
Karl | Simon Ward | 27 | 16 Oct 1941 | 20 Jul 2012 | 70 | 1 | 1 | ||
Lady In Garden | Daphne Oxenford | 49 | 31 Oct 1919 | 21 Dec 2012 | 93 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mad Woman | Colette ONeil | 33 | 18 Nov 1935 | 11 Jul 2021 | 85 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mortuary Attendant | Robert Gillespie | 35 | 9 Nov 1933 | 9.11.1933 | 90 | 1 | 1 | ||
Nightwatchman | Meadows White | 68 | 9 Jan 1901 | 20 Nov 1973 | 72 | 1 | 1 | ||
Official | Robert Davis | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Passer-By | Caron Gardner | 28 | 9 Jan 1941 | 9.01.1941 | 83 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Police Doctor | Geoffrey Bayldon | 45 | 7 Jan 1924 | 10 May 2017 | 93 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Police Sergeant | Windsor Davies | 38 | 28 Aug 1930 | 17 Jan 2019 | 88 | 1 | 1 | ||
Police Sergeant | Alan Surtees | 44 | 31 Dec 1924 | 1 Nov 2000 | 75 | 1 | 1 | ||
Policeman | Timothy Davies | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Principal | Peter Copley | 54 | 20 May 1915 | 7 Oct 2008 | 93 | 3 | 3 | ||
Professor Richter | Freddie Jones | 41 | 12 Sep 1927 | 9 Jul 2019 | 91 | 2 | 2 | ||
Reporter | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/jack-armstrong/# | 1 | 7 | 8 | |||||
Villager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harry-fielder/# | 29 | 26 Apr 1940 | 6 Feb 2021 | 80 | 10 | 10 | ||
Warder | Michael Goldie | 37 | 26 Feb 1932 | 17 Jun 2013 | 81 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Water Board Workman | Edward Higgins | 53 | 23 May 1915 | 15 Jul 2004 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Woman in Street | Pauline Chamberlain | 36 | 2 Oct 1932 | 14 Jan 2021 | 88 | 5 | 5 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
This was the last production to be designed by Bernard Robinson, whose death in 1970 represented an irreplaceable loss to Hammer.
This was also the last film to be produced for Hammer by Anthony Nelson Keys. In 1972, he produced Nothing but the Night, an unsuccessful occult thriller starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, the only film to come out of Lee’s own production company, Charlemagne. After that, Keys retired until his death in 1985.
The notorious rape scene was added to spice the proceedings up at the insistence of Hammer supremo James Carreras. It was kept to the absolute minimum by Terence Fisher, who, along with Peter Cushing and Veronica Carlson, felt the whole thing tasteless and unnecessary and detested making it. To make matters worse, the scene was written in after subsequent scenes had already been shot, so Veronica Carlson’s character shows absolutely no reaction at all to Frankenstein’s attack!