THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE

Writers/researchers Nige Burton and Jamie Jones succeed again with another devilish, Hammer Horror tribute for Classic Monsters of the Movies.

In this case, it's writer/director Jimmy Sangster's wry, 1970 remake (and intended, series reboot) of The Curse of Frankenstein, entitled The Horror of Frankenstein. 

Horror of ... hasn't always been a praised submission among Hammer's prolific queue, perhaps because of its odd levity, but if sales for this issue are any indication, the once maligned redux is now more revered than not. 

Horror of ... stars Ralph (Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde/Taste the Blood of Dracula/Lust for a Vampire) Bates as Victor Frankenstein and as his creation, David (Darth Vader/A Clockwork Orange) Prowse (who'd go on to portray yet another Frankenstein creature in the next-up, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, and prior to the Hammer chapters, portrayed a Universal-styled Monster in the 007 spoof, Casino Royale). 

Not only are Bates and Prowse given ample exposure in Burton/Jones' periodical, the duo also grants biographical segments on the movie's supporting players: Jon (The Tragedy of MacBeth/Frenzy) Finch; Dennis (Twins of Evil/Horror Hospital) Price; Joan (The Story of Robin Hood) Rice; Bernard (Village of the Damned 1960/Doctor Who) Archard; Graham (Blood from the Mummy's Tomb) James; Kate (The Vampire Lovers) O'Mara and Veronica (Frankenstein Must be Destroyed/Dracula Has Risen from the Grave) Carlson. 

Horror of ... was Sangster's directorial debut, though prior to such he was best known as Hammer's top scribe. A look at Sangster's Horror of ... co-writer, Jeremy (The Avengers/The Saint) Burnham (who devised the original draft) is also included, though we learn he was far from satisfied with the the entry's results.

No matter its polarizing consequence, Horror of ...'s dry, comedic flavor is notable for predating Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein by three years, and for those who have come to appreciate its avant-garde flavor, Burton and Jones' 36-page, trivia-packed/still-laden, "ultimate guide" is bound to further entrench any and all fondness. 

Order Classic Monsters of the Movies' Horror of Frankenstein at 

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HAMMER HORROR CHRONICLES (1934 - 2019): A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE

Authors/researchers Nige Burton and Jamie Jones deserve profound praise for their detail-extensive, horror/science-fiction periodicals. An exceptional example of their know-how can be tapped in the Classic Monsters of the Movies, two-volume set, Hammer Horror: An Illustrated Chronicle (1934 - 2019).

Their overviews are most pleasing, covering the studio's top-shelf chapters, The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, Brides of Dracula, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Curse of the Werewolf ... The Mummy, but early (too often overlooked) gems like The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (with Bela Lugosi) and Song of Freedom (with Paul Robeson) are also acknowledged, along with such brash, historical experiments as The Terror of the Tongs, The Stranglers of Bombay and The Devil-Ship Pirates, which bolster the studio's wide-range significance even further.  

The Hammer father-and-son founders and influencers are chambered among the comprehensive pages: William and Anthony Hinds and James and Michael Carreras. The studio's supplementing writers and directors share the same, esteemed spotlight: Terence Fisher, Freddie Francis, Jimmy Sangster, Val Guest, John Gilling, Tudor Gates, Roy Ward Baker, Don Sharp, Don Houghton, Peter Sasdy, Seth Holt, Alan Gibson and more.

Of course, Hammer's proficient performers grab attention page upon page, with fulfilling bios, tidbits and respectful nods: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Veronica Carlson, Hazel Court, Anton Diffring, Michael Ripper, Thorley Waters, Oliver Reed, Herbert Lom, Bette Davis, Michael Gwynn, Francis Matthews, Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith, David Peel, Dave Prowse, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir, Patrick Troughton, Freddie Jones, Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick, Raquel Welch, Richard Wordsworth, Horst Janson, Jacqueline Pearce; Caroline Munro, Christopher Neame, Susan Denberg, Shane Briant, the Collinson Twins, et al. 

Indeed, the background on each production, filmmaker and star is exquisite and edifying (embellished by an inclusion of the studio's recent revival and subsequent productions, including The Woman in Black 2012), with each aesthetic period accentuated by crisp, black-and-white and color photos. 

These fine volumes can be purchased separately or together and are (beyond debate) essential for any cinema library. To order, visit

https://www.classic-monsters.com/shop/product/hammer-horror-an-illustrated-chronicle-volume-1-1955-1965/

and

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GODPSEED, DAVE PROWSE...

You were the man in Darth Vader's attire, but your sturdy frame suited other towering roles, as well. 

In fact, you portrayed the Frankenstein Monster in "Casino Royale '67" and twice for Hammer Studios in "Horror of Frankenstein" and "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell". In addition, you muscled your way into Hammer's "Vampire Circus" and costarred in Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange".

On the sidelines, you were the guiding Green Cross Code Man to Britain's youths, and to bodybuilder enthusiasts, an everlasting icon. You even trained Christopher Reeve to get in tip-top shape as the Man of Steel. 

Above all, you were loyal and grateful to your fans, Mr. Prowse: a mighty big man with a mighty big heart.