Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed *** (1969, Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson, Simon Ward, Freddie Jones, George Pravda, Maxine Audley, Thorley Walters) – Classic Movie Review 2772

Director Terence Fisher’s 1969 Hammer Films horror movie sequel Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed brings back Peter Cushing as the bad and depraved Baron Frankenstein, who is once again working with illegal medical experiments.

Baron Frankenstein arrives in a town to meet Dr Brandt (George Pravda) to collaborate with him but finds he lost his mind and is in a mental asylum. He ends up literally picking his brain! Frankenstein takes a room in a boarding house run by Anna (Veronica Carlson) who is engaged to Karl (Simon Ward), a doctor who works at the asylum. When Frankenstein finds Karl is stealing drugs, he blackmails him and Anna to work as his assistants. He kidnaps Brandt to extract a secret that Brandt was going to share with him by transplanting his brain into another body. Unfortunately, Frankenstein gets lustful, and, shockingly, rapes Anna.

So, working with the reluctant young doctor Karl (Simon Ward) and his lovely fiancée Anna (Veronica Carlson), Frankenstein kidnaps his mentally ill distinguished colleague Dr Brandt (George Pravda) and accidentally causes his death. He then sets out to perform the first brain transplant, transferring his brain into the body of the asylum worker Professor Richter (Freddie Jones) he has killed, reanimating his corpse.

But the police, in the form of Inspector Frisch (Thorley Walters), the Police Doctor (Geoffrey Bayldon) and the Police Sergeant (Windsor Davies) are hot on their trail. Brandt’s wife Ella (Maxine Audley) is also on the case, and none too pleased when she finds her husband dead, then reanimated, and then replaced by Professor Richter (Freddie Jones).

The fifth film in the Hammer horror series is a gory, above-average episode in the franchise, with a great Gothic atmosphere. It is pretty good of its kind, thanks to a decently thought-out screenplay by Bert Batt (from an original story by Bert Batt and Anthony Nelson Keys), a chilly, imperious, impressive turn from the great, indispensable Peter Cushing, who is exceedingly dynamic and athletic in this episode from his initial surprise appearance to his final shock disappearance, and lively and imaginative direction by the talented Fisher, pumping some life into the old workhorse. Also Rosemary Burrows’s costumes, Bernard Robinson’s set designs and James Bernard’s score add much to the beauty and atmosphere of the film.

Poor Veronica Carlson is just there for her good looks, though she is effective enough, but Simon Ward, Freddie Jones, George Pravda, Maxine Audley and Thorley Walters all manage to get some lusty, slightly campy acting done. The movie proceeds in an effective series of gory or shock set pieces and ends in an excitingly staged fiery climax, though it ends very abruptly in Hammer’s familiar style. It is of course very shocking to find the nice Mr Cushing playing a man involved in sexual violence, even if that man is Frankenstein and he Must Be Destroyed. If Frankenstein is vile to Anna, he is not very nice to young Karl either, or Dr Brandt, Professor Richter or Ella either. He is superbad, and Cushing plays him real chilly.

Also in the cast are Veronica Carlson, Simon Ward, Thorley Walters, Maxine Audley, Geoffrey Bayldon, Collette O’Neal, Harold Goodwin, Frank Middlemass, Norman Shelley, Michael Gover, George Belbin, Peter Copley, Jim Collier, Alan Surtees and Windsor Davies.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is directed by Terence Fisher, runs 97 minutes, is made by Hammer Films, is released by Warner-Pathé, is written by Bert Batt, is shot in Technicolor by Arthur Grant, is produced by Anthony Nelson-Keys, is scored by James Bernard and designed by Bernard Robinson.

It is shot in England at Associated British Studios, Elstree, Hertfordshire, and on location at Tykes Water Lake, Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire, and Stanmore Hall, Wood Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex.

The BBFC cut the rape of Anna and shots and sounds of sawing during the brain operation (now restored).

Next sequel: Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974), also with Cushing.

Simon Ward in a reunion with Malcolm McDowell.

Simon Ward died on July 20 2012, aged 70. He started out playing a schoolboy with Malcolm McDowell in If…

Veronica Carlson, born in Yorkshire, England, as Veronica Mary Glazer, died on 27 February 2022, aged 77. She is one of Hammer Films’ most memorable stars. The British model and actress was signed by Hammer boss James Carreras after he saw her photo in a newspaper, and she made three films for the studio: Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) and The Horror of Frankenstein (1970). She also appeared in Vampira [aka Old Dracula] (1974), The Ghoul (1975) and House of the Gorgon.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2772

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