Frankenstein créa la femme

Susan Denberg was a Playboy Playmate in 1966, and had four screen appearances, before she went back to Europe. She becomes Dr. Frankenstein's latest subject.

Each of these films seem to get more and more elaborate as Dr. Frankenstein stretches the bounds of science. Of course, one has to believe in the existence of a soul to follow his logic, but that is his definition of life.

After her boyfriend Hans (Robert Morris) is unjustly executed for a murder committed by three spoiled rich kids, Christina (Denberg) takes her own life. But, Frankenstein works his magic and puts Hans soul into Christina and the horror begins as they take their revenge.

Of all the many films in the longstanding Hammer Frankenstein series, after "The Curse of Frankenstein," I like this one the best. It has a classic, almost mythic, structure of the lover who sacrifices himself to preserve the virtue of his beloved and a good deal of existential discussion about human nature. But beyond the heavy academics of its plot, Peter Cushing is truly great here. He's completely sympathetic, intelligent, and witty as a man struggling outside society's version of morality. Some people criticize Terence Fisher as a director who--apart from "Dracula" and "The Devil Rides Out"--had a static and slow-paced directorial style. They're completely wrong. Fisher was a master of the medium, a genius of composition whose films demonstrate so much intelligence. I miss the 1960's, Fisher, and Hammer Films.

Dr. Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) has discovered how to contain the soul of somebody after they had died. His helper Hans (Robert Morris) is (unjustly) found guilty of a murder committed by three other men and guillotined. Hans' girlfriend Christina (Susan Denberg) kills herself. Frankenstein saves Hans' soul and puts it in her. She comes out as a beautiful woman but has Hans thirst for revenge...

As you can see logic does not play a strong role in this picture. For one thing Denberg is introduced as a dark haired, horribly scarred woman. After the "operation" she's blond-haired and looks perfect! Also, when she goes out to kill the men responsible for Hans death, she seems to know EXACTLY where they'll be (I love how she just guessed that Johann would be in a coach and it would break down). Still, Hammer films were never strong on logic so this can be forgiven. Also there's some dreadful day-for-night shooting (another Hammer trademark). Despite all this I DO love this film. It moves quickly and has some pretty bloody scenes (for 1967). There's also a flash of nudity in a bedroom scene.

The acting is very good. Thorley Walters gives a good performance as Dr. Hertz; Morris is actually pretty good as Hans; even Denberg isn't bad (although her voice was dubbed). Best of all, of course, is Peter Cushing. He plays Frankenstein to perfection showing the doctors obsession with creating life.

One of the better Hammer Frankenstein movies. Just turn off your mind and enjoy. I give it an 8.

I like this one a lot better than the previous sequel, even though it also lacks Christopher Lee. Cushing seems more interested in the script, though, and the whole concept is more engaging. Basically, Frankenstein is now working with an aging and drunken doctor in yet another small German town, and he discovers a means to preserve a soul and place it into (of course) a dead body. This time, though, he decides to try taking the soul of his young assistant, executed for a crime he did not commit, and place it into the body of said assistant's hot young lover (Susan Denberg), after she kills herself. The new man-woman becomes dedicated to killing the men who raped her and set him up to be framed. Again, this is rather racy stuff for the material, and there's an unfortunate lack of monster makeup (except for part of the film, in which Denberg has a facial deformity), but I quite enjoy it.

Frankenstein Created Woman(1967) is the most complex and tragic of all the Hammer Frankenstein films. DR. Frankenstein in the film tries to figure out a way to beat death by the transference of the soul. Susan Denberg is excellent as the deformed turned avenging beauty named Christana. Terence Fisher's brilliant direction in this movie is enough to show that along with Mario Bava was one of the best Horror directors of the 1960's. The movie is about how ignorance can have an effect on an entire community. Frankenstein Created Woman(1967) is a thought provoking horror flick that ends on a depressing note.