Hammer's final Frankenstein chapter, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, is a 1972 (released in 1974) return to Peter Cushing's revered, Baron roots, after the studio's miscalculated (though much later appreciated) 1970 reboot, The Horror of Frankenstein.
As it stands, Monster From Hell, directed by Terence Fisher, in what became his last feature, and penned by faithful, Frankenstein scribe Anthony Hinds (aka John Elder), picks up where Frankenstein Must be Destroyed left off, with Cushing's Victor Frankenstein, aka Carl Victor, now experimenting in an asylum, hindered by fire-damaged hands. He's assisted by a pretty, mute assistant, Sarah Klauss, aka Angel, played by Madeline Smith (of The Vampire Lovers/Live and Let Die/Taste the Blood of Dracula) and further abetted by skilled admirer/accomplice, Dr. Simon Helder, played by Shane Briant (of Captain Kronos/Dorian Gray/Demons of the Mind). The monster is enacted by David (Darth Vader) Prowse, who rendered a different monster in Horror of ..., and prior to such, a Universal knock-off in the comedic Casino Royale. (It must be noted that the creature, called Herr Schneider, is a "missing link," who upon receiving a new brain, gains a penchant for stabbing people with shards of glass.)
Nige Burton and Jamie Jones, with contributions from dramatist John Logan and the endearing Ms. Smith, cover the production's earliest conception to its ultimate reception, combined with an affectionate overview of Hammer's Frankenstein franchise.
In addition to the movie's aforementioned contributors, Monster From Hell's participants (whether before or behind the camera) receive methodical, biographical passages: Patrick Troughton, Bernard Lee, Charles Lloyd Pack, John Stratton, Michael Ward, Clifford Morrison ... Elsie Wagstaff, in addition to producer Roy Skeggs, cinematographer Brian Probyn, makeup artist Eddie Knight and composer James Bernard.
Monster From Hell was a woeful but effective sendoff in Hammer's Frankenstein franchise. Great thanks goes to Burton and Jones for celebrating this entry in such a rigorous way. For Monster From Hell's fans (and they are legion), this "ultimate guide" will delight with its layered text, promotional graphics and insightful trivia.
Classic Monsters of the Movies: Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell can be purchased at
https://www.classic-monsters.com/shop/product/frankenstein-and-the-monster-from-hell-1974-ultimate-guide-magazine/
