House of Frankenstein (1944) User Reviews (111)

Sum Parts Add Up Better Than the Whole!

[jbirtel · 6/10 · 14 October 2002]

This has some of the best vintage sequences in the series, great George Robinson photography, eerie sets and a nice score from Hans J Salter that expands on the previous entries. And everyone does their professional best to spout the inane dialogue they're saddled with. What's wrong is the silly story that surrounds the events. A movie that promises a Monster Mash results in a collection of Monster cameos.

This is a semi remake of 'Son of Frankenstein', where broken-neck Ygor used the Monster to exact his revenge. This time around, it's mad scientist Karloff (with hunchback Naish) doing the same on those who imprisoned him. But the only 'monsters' used as his proxy for revenge are Dracula and Daniel. The Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster show up just long enough to do their snarls before being dispatched. A nice touch was the triangle love between Talbot, the gypsy Ilonka and Daniel. And like 'Ghost of Frankenstein', there's a difference of opinion on who should be the recipient of whose brain.

But this movie is still fun, probably because it's based more on my nostalgic memories from the first time I saw it as a kid rather than my harsh adult perception. (A & C Meet Frankenstein I saw 1st, at 5 yrs old...another movie with all these monsters in it??...too cool! [just my silly 6 yr old opinion].

This one has the best 'Wolf Man' make-up and man-to-beast transformation (the footprints & the mirror sequence). Carradine's turn as Dracula is very good, but you can't help but wonder if only Lugosi had been allowed to reprise his most famous role. And for his limited input, Strange does just fine as the Monster (better than what Chaney and Lugosi did with the role in the last two) helped by Karloff's coaching on how the monster moved and walked. And it's complete with gypsies, a castle, fog forests and an angry mob (again).

So just grab some popcorn; and double up with Universal's 'House of Dracula' for a fun double feature. Just don't swallow too hard.

A nostalgic 6 out of 10!

Great Cast Makes Film Better Than It Should Be

[bsmith5552 · 6/10 · 19 May 2004]

"House of Frankenstein" is salvaged by a great cast of seasoned performers who make this movie better than it should be, given it's split "B" movie story. In a move to re-generate interest in its fading horror series, Universal gives us Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, the Wolf Man, the Hunchback and the Mad Doctor all in the same film. But where's the Mummy? It is essentially divided into two parts.

We begin with the notorious Dr. Gustav Niemann (Boris Karloff) and his hunchback assistant Daniel (J. Carroll Naish) escaping from the prison in which they have been held for the past 15 years. They come upon a traveling Chamber of Horrors that supposedly includes the remains of the infamous Count Dracula, run by a Professor Lampini (George Zucco). Neimann wants to return to his home and resume his work of creating life from dead bodies and take revenge upon his accusers. The unfortunate Professor is quickly dispatched and Neimann takes his place.

It turns out that the remains of Dracula are genuine and Neimann brings him back to life in the form of John Carradine. Neimann plans to use Dracula as the instrument of his revenge. He is sent to murder the local Burgomeister (Sig Ruman) and is attracted to his grand daughter Rita (Anne Gwynne). When Rita is abducted by Dracula, her husband (Peter Coe) and the local police Inspector (Lionel Atwill) give chase and .....

Meanwhile Neimann plans to go to the ruins of Frankenstein's castle to seek out the scientist's notes on the creation of his creature. Along the way they stop at a gypsy camp and Daniel becomes infatuated with a gypsy girl Ilonka (Elena Verdugo). At the castle Daniel falls into a frozen cave where they find the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) and the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange). The Wolf Man changes back into Lawrence Talbot and pleads with Neimann to help rid him of his werewolf curse.

Neimann takes them both back to his laboratory but becomes pre-occupied with restoring the monster rather than helping Talbot. Ilonka begins to fall in love with Talbot but is warned of Talbot's curse. The full moon comes up and you know what happens next. Daniel attacks Neimann because of his broken promises to him. The monster suddenly awakens and.....

The teaming of Karloff and Chaney makes this film work. Karloff is great as the mad doctor and Chaney brings pathos and sympathy to his portrayal of the doomed Talbot. Carradine makes a surprisingly good Dracula in an all too brief appearance. Naish almost steals the film as the tragic Daniel whose love for the gypsy girl is doomed from the start. Cowboy actor and former stuntman Glenn Strange takes over as the monster but has little to do until the last reel. Atwill and Zucco sadly, make only brief appearances in minor roles.

Followed by "House of Dracula" (1945) a similar but inferior film.

House of Frankenstein (1944) ***

[JoeKarlosi · 7/10 · 1 September 2004]

This is the first time Universal Studios tried a Monster Mash by incorporating three of their most popular creatures into one film: Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster. The results are quite good, mostly due to the performers chosen for their parts. This is not supposed to be sophisticated film-making or storytelling; just a fun ghoulish romp, perfectly suited for a Halloween Night. And it succeeds admirably.

Boris Karloff returned to the Frankenstein Series with this installment, and it's an asset to the picture to have him. Some fans have accused him of walking through his part as a mad scientist here, but I've always found this to be a very understated kind of calculated evil, and he's very good here. He portrays the mad Dr. Niemann, who once dared to follow in the footsteps of the original Frankenstein, and as a result was jailed for his unethical experiments along with his hunchbacked assistant, Daniel. When a severe thunderstorm destroys the foundation of the prison he's housed in, Niemann manages an escape and attempts to locate the original diary of Dr. Frankenstein, running into Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Frankenstein Monster along the way.

J. Carrol Naish scores high points with his portrayal of the sympathetic hunchbacked assistant to Karloff, and manages to stir up our emotions as he pines away for cute gypsy girl Elena Verdugo. Lon Chaney plays The Wolf Man for a third time here, and though he's saddled with some silly dialogue ("why have you freed me from the ice that imprisoned the beast that lived within me?") he has now made the tragic character of Larry Talbot the werewolf all his own. He is desperate to aid Dr. Niemann however he can, in the hopes that the scientist may be able to return the favor by curing him of his curse.

John Carradine is exceptional as Dracula, playing the part differently than Bela Lugosi had. What Carradine lacked in the creepy "otherworldliness" of Bela, he made up for with aristocratic evil. His physical look is actually much closer to how Bram Stoker described the character in his novel, "Dracula". Glenn Strange takes on the role of the hulking and imposing Frankenstein Monster for the first time, and is the next best to Karloff's interpretation of the creature, in terms of appearance. Hans J. Salter again provides a wonderfully haunting music score. Director Erle C. Kenton accentuates the proceedings with gloomy sets, dark nights and the customary thunder and lightning.

This monster fest is light and breezy, packing much into its brief 70 minute running time. If there is any quibble to be made for HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, it would be with regard to the episodic way in which its three monsters are worked into the plot. Dracula has an early segment all his own, and then the second half switches to the Wolf Man and the Frankenstein Monster. None of the creatures cross paths with another, and their screen time as ghouls is limited (especially the case for the Monster). But this is just a technicality; for those who don't go into it expecting High Art, there is still much fun to be had within the House of Frankenstein. *** out of ****

A nice change from the gore-fests of 1999

[bekayess · 21 December 1999]

I grew up in the 60s, and my dad introduced me to the Universal Horror movies through TV reruns. Among the attractions: the mysterious atmosphere, the B&W photography, the convincing and committed performances, the occasional wit and humor. These films never fail to please me and put me in a good mood, and this one is one of my favorites. Lots of fun with the monsters, moods and music. Call me old-fashioned, but I'd rather watch just one of these old chestnuts than a year's worth of Freddies, Jasons, etc.

An "odd" film.

[Norm-30 · 6/10 · 6 February 2000]

Instead of being the usual "monster-fest", the film focuses on Boris Karloff, who uses the creatures to murder the people who sent him to an asylum.

The "Dracula" bit (in the beginning of the film) doesn't quite seem to "fit" the film; it looks as if it was added as an after-thought. (Plus, Carradine's Dracula is VERY "sloppy" about self-preservation; he is "discovred" and destroyed in the very beginning of the film. I don't think that LUGOSI'S Dracula would've let that happen! I wonder if that's why Lugosi

didn't play Dracula).

A new "twist" is added to the "killing a werewolf with a silver bullet" theme....it must be done by someone "who loves him enuff to do it".

The Frankenstein monster is "wasted", too -- only coming to life in the last 10 mins. of the film.

But, forget all it's shortcomings. Just sit back and enjoy Karloff's performance. (I like the bit where he tries to strangle the asylum guard for a piece of chalk!).

An "odd little film". Norm

Not bad Universal horror

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 19 March 2001]

Mad scientist Boris Karloff escapes from prison with hunchbacked assistant Daniel (J. Carrol Naish). He plans revenge against the men who put him there and wants to revive the Frankenstein monster. Along the way they revive Dracula (John Carradine) and Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) pops up as the Wolf Man. Silly but enjoyable all-star monster mash. Naish, Karloff, Carradine are all very good as is Elena Verdugo as a gypsy who falls in love with Talbot. Chaney Jr. just walks through his role. No great shakes (or scares) but there's tons of atmosphere, beautiful sets, pretty good special effects and it moves quickly. Worth seeing.

very inconsistent but fun

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 30 March 2006]

The movie begins with evil Dr. Gustav Niemann and his sidekick, Daniel roaming the countryside doing evil and making a few bucks on the side. It's a simple life traveling the countryside and creating mayhem, but somebody's gotta do it, right?! Well, the maniacal doctor has a lot of unforeseen luck, as he stumbles first upon the skeleton of Dracula (who he wisely decides to revive). For some odd reason, the long-dead Dracula comes back not as Bela Lugosi but John Carradine. While a decent enough villain, it just made no sense why Lugosi didn't reprise the role. Anyway, they later discover the Frankenstein monster and the Wolfman frozen in a cave (since their last film) and spend much of their time trying to revive them--so they can kick butt and spread terror. Well, they did not foresee that the Wolfman, when in the form of nice-guy Larry Talbot, didn't want to spread terror and death (shucks). Well, the plan is shot and evil is thwarted. Cool.

Strengths of the film are the evil doctor--he's a really nasty menace, having three monsters instead of the usual one and the fact that it is a Universal horror film with all its campy fun. The weaknesses are that the series is getting a little old, the pathos concerning Daniel falling for the gypsy girl is a tad annoying, and John Carradine just isn't and never could be Dracula!

A fun romp with little substance

[DPMay · 6/10 · 17 August 2008]

After the relative box office success of the earlier "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man", Universal clearly realised there was more mileage in their horror series by combining the various elements.

The promise of Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster all interacting in one adventure is a mouth-watering prospect for any horror fan, but in reality it doesn't happen here.

The big flaw of "The House Of Frankenstein" is its structure: it is essentially two different tales, linked by Boris Karloff's central character of Doctor Niemann, the latest in a seemingly endless line of scientists with a habit of putting brain transplant surgery ahead of moral ethics on their list of priorities.

After a nice intro sequence which establishes the characters of Niemann and his hunchbacked friend Daniel (J Carrol Naish), we then see the pair escape their prison and rather fortuitously stumble upon a travelling show which just so happens to contain Dracula's corpse. Even though we were led to believe that Dracula's corpse was burned (in the film "Dracula's Daughter"), Niemann has no trouble restoring the vampire to undead life in the form of the suave John Carradine, whose tall, gaunt appearance lends itself well to the character. We then get a rather lightweight 15 minute episode in which Dracula does his usual routine of turning into a bat and sucking blood from innocent people at the behest of Niemann who has some old scores to settle. When Dracula finds himself being chased by an angry mob, Niemann leaves him to his fate and then goes on to the next town and the next adventure, which finds him discovering the frozen bodies of the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster.

So begins the movie proper and the characters' motives all come into play. Niemann wants revenge on those who incarcerated him and plans to do so by putting their brains into the bodies of the monsters he has just revived. Daniel has fallen for a Gypsy girl, Ilonka, who likes him but finds his physical appearance distasteful, so he wants to be given a new body. The ideal choice, he feels, would be the body of cursed werewolf Larry Talbot (once more played by Lon Chaney Jr, who conveys the burden of his affliction superbly) since Ilonka is smitten by him. Talbot only wants Niemann to put him out of his misery permanently so that he can finally escape the curse of being a werewolf.

The love triangle between Daniel, Ilonka and Talbot is probably the closest this film comes to having a meaningful plot and whilst it's handled competently, it's all rather too rushed for it have any depth, a knock-on effect from having too many elements in the one film and from devoting a quarter of the movie to an unrelated Dracula storyline. Whilst Talbot as a character plays a significant part in the proceedings, his alter ego the Wolf Man has very little to do and is barely seen. And if you're wondering why I haven't mentioned the Frankenstein Monster much yet, that's because the same is true of him. From his introduction half way through the film he lies dormant on a bench in a laboratory, and only springs into life 5 minutes from the end. He doesn't encounter Dracula, he doesn't encounter the Wolf Man... But he does encounter yet another mob of torch-bearing villagers (see most of his previous film appearances).

All in all, House Of Frankenstein oddly chooses to circumnavigate its biggest selling points. With so many interesting characters and actors in the film (including Lionel Atwill, George Zucco in regrettably small roles), a better storyline giving the monsters more involvement might not only have paid dividends, it could have re-ignited the whole Universal monster series. As it is, it's more of a Boris Karloff-as-a-mad-scientist film. Not a bad thing, as Karloff is always interesting to watch, but definitely a missed opportunity.

Monster Mash ? More Of A Monster Mess Actually

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 8 January 2011]

If FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN was two horror movies for the price of one HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN tries to up the ante by giving the audience three horror icons in one film . The problem with FMTWM was that it never successfully meshed the Frankenstein monster with the Lawrence Talbot storyline and this film makes an even bigger mess of bringing the monsters together

Casting Karloff as Dr Niemann must have been something of a coup for the studio but the problem is that pushes the much anticipated monster parade to the periphery of the story . In fact if the monsters didn't appear at all you might have had a better movie since Karloff is so entertaining in his role but this is a franchise film involving a monster cavalcade so the monsters must remain even though screenwriter Edward T Lowe obviously doesn't know what to do with them

Count Dracula gets the short straw and amounts to a mere cameo . John Carridine possibly makes the worst on screen version of the Count since he has all the presence and mannerisms of a wild west snake oil doctor . Please remember Dracula is supposed to be a Romanian vampire . If they'd cast John Wayne in the part he wouldn't have been much worse . That said neither Talbot and the Frankenstein monster are given much to do . And like so many other films in the series it's puzzling to think how they survived their demise from the previous movie . They were entombed in an ice chamber therefore preserving their bodies for years . Fair enough but how are they supposed to breath ? And is an ice chamber a few feet below a temperate region an natural phenomena ?

There's equal stupidity in the confused storyline . Dr Niemann wants to swap bodies with a few characters in the story but it's never made clear who . He tells a couple of abductees who betrayed him years before that he'll swap their brains with the monster and Talbot then when these characters inexplicably disappear from the story he insinuates he'll swap Talbot's brain with the monster . Why ? Well this is never explained and you're left feeling that there's a major part of the movie that's ended up back at the editing suite . Truth be told someone might have been better giving the screenwriter a bigger brain

Seventy-one minutes of pure, nostalgia-stirring fun

[TheUnknown837-1 · 7/10 · 7 October 2010]

The problem that I personally had with "The Ghost of Frankenstein" was that I felt the movie's creators did not realize they were involved in the production of a kitsch-fest. In other words, they treated a lighthearted, not-to-be-taken-seriously project as if it were brooding and provocative like the first two movies, most notably James Whale's masterwork "Bride of Frankenstein." As a result, "The Ghost of Frankenstein" was a little slow-going for me. However, the following picture in the franchise (or at least on my DVD collection) "House of Frankenstein" was a step down in quality, but up in entertainment. Because this movie recognizes that it is low-key and packed full of kitsch, and makes the best of it. That's the secret to its charm and I would be a hypocrite if I told you I did not enjoy watching it.

The movie clocks at a brisk seventy-one minutes and every frame of it stirs up nostalgia and a sense of fun. The movie is called "House of Frankenstein" really because it combines several iconic characters. Boris Karloff stars not as the green-skinned monster, but a mad scientist (not Dr. Frankenstein) seeking out revenge on those who threw him behind bars. To exact his revenge, he calls upon the Frankenstein monster (played by Glenn Strange), Count Dracula (John Carradine), the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.), and a hunchback (J. Carrol Naish). Along the way, they pick up a cabaret dancer (Anne Gwynne) who catches the eye of the hunchback, but loves the Wolf-Man whenever he's not howling at the moon.

Sure, it's silly and the movie has no real purpose for any of the creatures. Heck, Count Dracula's scenes could have been entirely excised from the picture and nobody would have known the difference. The Frankenstein monster exists for no other reason than to be there for the climax. The only "creature" that has any real sense of belonging is the Wolf-Man. It's a real treat that Lon Chaney Jr. reprised his immortalizing role here. But everybody else seems just obligatory to be in the picture. This movie is a dartboard for critics, but this one had a great time and has no regrets in saying so.

Every now and then this picky, pro-and-con-measuring reviewer is in the mood for a big, fast-moving hunk of cheese wrapped in a big ball and "House of Frankenstein" delivers. It knows precisely what it is doing, it has an eye-candy cast, lots of hammy dialogue that is delivered with deliberate pretentiousness, and it never dulls out. Sure, it's dimwitted, but it's a lot of fun.

The Gang's All Here!

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 13 December 2006]

It's the "anything for a buck" mentality that still permeates the film industry today. So little imagination that to copy is the only way to go. Take all the monsters, played by different actors down on their luck, and throw them at the audience. Do a good job of promoting the film, with evocative posters and neat trailers, and hope the Saturday morning crowd shows up. There isn't much to this film. At the center is a hunchback who uses the little power he has to strike out at the world. The rest is predictable shtick as the entire bunch are let loose on the world. I agree with a previous commentator who said that this may have been a last hurrah for the whole genre; at least at Universal. Of course, it's fun to see how Hollywood makeup could do, but as for a plot and a story, the hype is better than the product.

There goes the neighborhood!

[evilskip · 8/10 · 12 August 1999]

In 1943 Universal teamed up Frankenstein and the Wolfman and made a fortune. So the theory was if the public loved 2 monsters, let's toss five at them!!Strangely enough this works.

The mad doctor Niemann(Boris Karloff) and his hunchback assistant are locked in prison. Seems the old doc was doing some rather frowned upon experiments. A convenient lightning bolt destroys the prison walls and the doctor and his hunchback escape.

They are picked up by Lampini's travelling sideshow.The hunchback kills the owner and the doctor takes his place. They head to the town that vilified the mad doctor years before.

Without giving too much away the doctor stumbles upon Dracula(John Carradine),Wolfman (Lon Chaney) & the Frankenstein Monster (Glenn Strange).They all figure into his plot of revenge against the men who sent him to prison.

This movie has a wonderful sense of lunacy to it.Boris gives a fine performance as Niemann.Carradine gives his first portrayal of Dracula. (Always found him to be extremely hammy).Chaney of course gives a tortured air to Larry Talbot, the Wolfman.

Many critics felt that too many monsters spoiled the brew.But Dracula & the Monster are really nothing more than extended cameos.If you sit back and just enjoy the ride the movie accomplishes what it set out to do and that is just entertain. Gets an 8.

Universal's monsters confrontation with horror classic actors

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 18 January 2007]

Dr. Gustav Newmann (Boris Karloff) is jailed for accusation as a body snatcher. He breaks-out and along with hunchback Daniel (J.Carroll Naish) take the ¨chamber of horrors showside¨ of Professor Lampini (George Zucco) containing the skeleton of count Dracula (John Carradine) . They are going to Frankenstein's village and later they return to Vesaria . His aim is taking the experiments on life of the deceased Henry Frankestein found into archives of the castle . The doctor tries some scientific experiments to cure various Universal monsters but results that their bad habits emerge again . The second half has them dealing with the werewolf called Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) and monster Frankenstein (Glen Strange in his first appearance as monster) . Meanwhile , the hunchback falls in love with a Zingara (Elena Verdugo) and developing a loving triangle with the werewolf , the beast marked for the pentagram .

The classic player of horror movies Boris Karloff is magnificent and his strong portrayal of the scientific attempting to create a new monster changing brains is awesome . Filmmaker Erl C. Kenton creates some really chilling scenes, with amazing moments , and several powerful images, especially when the creatures are reborn , including an interesting and twisted script . ¨Frankenstein¨and ¨The bride of Frankenstein¨ by James Whale were the definitive expressionist Gothic Horror movies that set the mold for successive terror movies just like this ¨House of Frankentein¨and many others . Atmospheric , slick terror film , creaky at times but it's still impressive . Film displays excellent set design , ambitious screenplay with too many monsters and enjoyable and sensitive interpretation of all casting . Lon Chaney Jr.'s top-notch acting in the role which made him a terror movie legend . J Carroll Naish is excellent as a hunchback similar to Igor . The movie is also called ¨The Zingara and the monsters¨, as the title suggests , various of Universal's most famous monsters confront and fight each other . Creepy and adjusted music by Hans J. Salter and eerie black and white cinematography , filled with lights and shades . The motion picture was well directed Erle C. Kenton who already directed various horror films . The prequel was ¨Frankestein meet the wolf man¨ and was followed by a sequel : ¨House of Dracula¨.

Frankenstein VI: Chamber of Horrors

[lugonian · 5/10 · 27 June 2003]

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (Universal, 1944), directed by Erle C. Kenton, returns Boris Karloff to the "Frankenstein" series, but not as the Monster, the role he immortalized in FRANKENSTEIN (1931); BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) and SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939). Instead, he stars as Doctor Gustav Nieman, a semi-mad scientist serving time in prison, accompanied by his hunchback assistant, Daniel (J. Carroll Naish). Nieman. Neimann is a follower of the late scientist who created a fiendish monster from dead bodies years ago, and plans on following through with Frankenstein's experiments. With a stroke of luck, lightning strikes over the prison, breaking down the wall, causing Niemann and Daniel to be set free. The two men soon happen upon a traveling sideshow consisting of a museum of horrors. After doing away with the carnival owner, Professor Bruno Lampini (George Zucco), they take control of his wagon consisting the body of Count Dracula (John Carradine). Nieman removes the stake from his heart and the skeleton remains of Dracula transforms itself into human form, resurrecting the vampire from the dead of eternal condemnation. Nieman then uses Dracula to help him kill the men responsible for sending him to prison, particularly Burgomaster Hussman (Sig Rumann). After doing his evil deeds, Dracula meets his doom when unable to return to his coffin by sunset. Next Niemann and Daniel find themselves taking in an abused gypsy girl, Ilonka (Elena Verdugo), whom Daniel cares for and loves. After locating the remains of Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange), frozen beneath the ice of the Frankenstein castle, along with the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.), thus picking up where FRANKENSTEIN AND THE WOLF MAN has left off, Niemann sets them free. Neimann promises to end Lawrence Talbot's werewolf curse through the operation of a new brain but is in need of locating Frankenstein's thesis, "The Secret of Life and Death." After it is found, Niemann shows more interest in reviving the unconscious monster than helping Talbot. More conflicts arise when Ilonka shows more interest in Talbot than with Daniel, leading to his jealousy and madness.

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN repeats the formula used in the previous Monster feast, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943), in which the story brings together legendary monsters into one single film, this time combining the elements of Count Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster. However, instead of featuring them all together in one set plot, which could have worked a whole lot better, this production is actually three separate stories in one with Doctor Niemann as the focal point. Although HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN does have the makings of a great horror film, in many ways, probably looked better in script form. The biggest weakness is cramming so many incidents into 70 minutes, leaving no time for plot development and character study. The best segment is one involving Count Dracula. For reasons only known to Universal, John Carradine steps in as the Count rather than its originator, Bela Lugosi. Carradine, however, makes a good substitute, giving a new dimensional look to the Dracula legend: tall, thin, supporting a mustache, creepy eyes, and no Hungarian accent. Carradine's Dracula walks about with top hat and cane under the alias of Baron LaToes.

As for Chaney, his transformation scenes from wolf man to Talbot, etc., and special effects that go with it, are still first rate. Along with Dracula, the Wolf Man isn't given much to do, and neither does the Monster. Of the actors chosen to play Frankenstein's Monster, Glenn Strange is probably the worst, playing him more like an imbecile, leaving nothing to the character created by Karloff. By this time, the stories contradict the previous films. (Wasn't Ygor's brain placed in the Monster's head in THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN? Now, what happened to Ygor?). Why can't the Monster talk?

Although HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN relatively belongs to Karloff and Naish, Naish comes off best. Regardless that his character kills as ordered by his master (Karloff), Naish's Daniel is a sympathetic portrayal, naive and caring, in the way Lon Chaney Sr. might have played him had assumed this particular role. His Daniel also continues to care for the gypsy girl knowing that she has lost interest in him.

In spite of its title, there are no characters in the film bearing the Frankenstein name, and if the name Frankenstein is associated with the Monster, he's hardly there. This is also the only known film in which Lawrence Talbot is referred to as The Wolf Man. Lionel Atwill, who previously appeared in earlier Frankenstein segments starting with THE SON (1939), returns once more, and again, in a different portrayal, this time as Inspector Arnz in the earlier portion involving Dracula. His scenes, too, are brief.

The supporting cast also includes the Universal stock company of Anne Gwynne as Rita Hussman Peter Coe as her husband, Carl; Brandon Hurst as Doctor Geissler; with Philip Van Zandt as Inspector Muller; Frank Reicher as Ullman; and Brandon Hurst as Doctor Geissler.

Contrary to the outcome of HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Universal would repeat this formula again in its next sequel, HOUSE OF Dracula (1945). And after running out of houses, Universal would end it all by having their studio monsters meeting up with Abbott and Costello before the end of the decade.

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which is available on video cassette, did enjoy frequent revivals and resurrections on local commercial television stations for many years starting from the late 1950s before heading over on cable channels where they were shown on the Sci-Fi Channel, American Movie Classics (prior to 2001) or Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: October 9, 2016). To really enjoy HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is to not take it too seriously, accepting it for what it is, a campy horror film. (**1/2)

Let's Hear It For Karloff!

[ES-III · 8 November 2002]

House of Frankenstein features Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine alongside the masterful Boris Karloff -- who is absolutely amazing for sheer presence alone -- as an enthusiastic, budding mad-scientist named Dr. Niemann who escapes from prison after a bolt of lightning inexplicably strikes the granite reformatory that he and his servant -- a hunchback assistant played by J. Carrol Naish -- are bound in.

Fortunately, after his escape, Niemann comes across the creepy Professor Bruno Lampini, who is conveniently taking a traveling show of horrors across the country. His main attraction is the skeletal remains of Count Dracula (complete with wooden stake jutting from ribs). As expected, Niemann kills Lampini, poses as the renowned crackpot, and revives the vampire (played by a 'princely' young Carradine), who, in turn, takes revenge on one of Niemann's enemies as a favor. Oh, and then Dracula dies like a wussy and his dull little role is over as if it never existed since it never helped move along or even remotely create a plot out of this revolving-door mishmash of monster cameos (read on).

Though this is essentially a sequel to 1943's Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman, the title sort of refers to Neimann's aspiration to carry on Dr. Henry Frankenstein's work (speaking of which, the Monster doesn't appear until about 45 minutes into the film), though Neimann's objectives are never quite revealed to the viewer. Nevertheless, while exploring the ruins of the great doctor's decimated Vasarian castle and to generate some semblance of plot, Neimann finds the monster offspring of Frankenstein frozen in a block of ice near the Wolfman (Chaney), who is quickly unthawed and put to work by Neimann. For some reason, the escaped doctor intends to switch the brain of Frankenstein's Monster with the brain of the Wolf Man, which, in itself, might have been funny. I just wonder if the Wolfman's curse would have followed the brain or the body, and how a Wolfman with poor motor-skills would have convincingly frightened someone - `I'll rip you to shreds like a wild dog as soon as I make my way over to the other side of this room!')

Again, aside from revenge, I couldn't really detect a plot, and the film has the single most abrupt ending I've ever seen! Plus, Frankenstein's Monster (played by cowboy actor Glenn Strange rather than Karloff) does absolutely nothing as the film plods on! Besides getting to toss a hunchback through a window (and who doesn't enjoy doing just that every now and again), he descends - quite dramatically -- into quicksand and lies around comatose the rest of the time (how about a cross-promotion film with the Weekend At Bernie's franchise -- Bernie Does Vasaria?).

As the famous Universal Studios monsters continued to parade out, I began to think of the marketing possibilities this film might have had if the whole state of affairs would have been placed in the here-and-now - playsets, lunch-boxes, limited-edition bobble-heads, House of Frankenstein-flavored fruit bars, Taco Bell Wolfman Burrito tie-ins, Dr. Neimann chemistry sets, etc.! In short, House of Frankenstein was obviously a crass attempt to bleed quick dollars out of a highly profitable franchise. There was no attempt at veiled artistry, and you can almost hear executives counting out the money beneath the hackneyed layer of canned shrieks! On a lighter note, the film would have easily qualified for 'self-parody' status with a bonus appearance from the Mummy! I certainly wouldn't have been surprised if he had been worked into the plot somewhere!!

Despite all the film's shortcomings, I was truly mesmerized by Karloff's hammy staging. In fact, his best performance comes during the film's opening scene, where his peculiar character strangles a prison guard for a piece of chalk just so he can continue to draw scientific diagrams on his wall. If only a screenwriter had been so arduous with the script for this film!

Good campy fun, but feels like a missed opportunity

[jhigginbotham151 · 6/10 · 9 May 2014]

House Of Frankenstein could have been the be all, end all of horror battles. Frankensteins Monster, The Wolf Man and Dracula engaged in a three-way battle to the death. Instead we get this, and its a great little monster flick, full of all the stuff you have come to expect from universal horror, but damn I wish I could have saw that epic battle I thought this film would show.

The film is basically split in two parts. The first half deals with a condensed Dracula story with Dracula being played by John Carradine who, although not as good as Lugosi, brings an understated, menacing evil to the role, his voice is also as smooth as butter. The first half is extremely entertaining and sets up the second half well.

The second half deals with Dr. Niemann (played by Boris Karloff) and his hunchback assistant Daniel (played by J. Carrol Naish) on the search for Dr. Frankensteins notes on his experiments. Searching Frankensteins castle they find the preserved bodies of both Larry Talbot (played by Lon Chaney Jr.) and The Monster (played by Glen Strange). From there its pretty standard affair, brain transplants, mad doctors, backstabbing and all that good stuff.

The cast all have a nice upbeat energy, like there all happy to be doing the picture. Carradine, Karloff, Chaney and Strange all give great performances (even if Chaneys Talbot is starting to get a little old and tired) and I was especially surprised by Glen Strange, who was coached by Karloff into how to play The Monster properly. The love triangle between Daniel, Larry and Rita is actually a very refreshing thing to see in a Universal Horror film and its a nice diversion from the typical themes these films recycle.

Overall, its good campy fun and nothing more, the formula was getting tired for Universal at this point so the fact they still managed to pull off even a decent film is actually pretty good.

THE Monster Mash

[jluis1984 · 6/10 · 13 December 2005]

Considered a cult campy classic, "House of Frankenstein" is Universal's attempt to make cash by putting 5 monsters on film, in a direct sequel to "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man". Strange enough, it is not as bad as it sounds.

Legendary Boris Karloff plays the mad scientist, Dr. Niemann, who was imprisoned because of his bizarre experiments. Durng a storm, he and his assistant Daniel the Hunchback (J. Carrol Naish) manage to escape, and decide to find Dr. Frankenstein's diaries in order to learn from his discoveries.

In his travel, they will find count Dracula (John Carradine), the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) and Frankenstein's monster himself (Glenn Strange). As silly as it sounds, the movie works, mainly because of the power of the actors, as well as Erle C. Kenton's direction, who manages to do here what he failed to attempt in his last horror, "Ghost of Frankenstein".

In this movie, Kenton uses his characters the way he always wanted, with more humor and less horror, fulfilling the slow transformation of the franchise from Gothic horror to campy comedy. Boris Karloff is superb as the scientist and shows his wide range as an actor. He was certainly more than his famous role of the monster in the first three Frankenstein movies.

Lon Chaney Jr. continues in his classic role as the tormented Larry Talbot, and while both John Carradine and Glenn Strange receive very few screen time, their appearance is well received.

The main problem of the movie is that with the exception of the Wolf Man and the Hunchback, the rest of the characters receives very little development. While Karloff makes a great job, his character remains as mysterious as he started, and the creature and Dracula are almost reduced to cameos that serve to move the plot.

Nevertheless, the movie manage to deliver the fun it promises, as it never gets tiresome or boring. Viewed as a horror movie, it certainly fails to impress, but honestly, this works better as dark comedy. 6/10

"They Did the Mash, They Did The Monster Mash..."

[babeth_jr · 7/10 · 1 April 2006]

This is a very fun movie from start to finish. Boris Karloff portrays the evil Dr. Niemann, who along with his hunchback assistant Daniel (portrayed with sensitivity by J. Carrol Nash) escapes from prison and decides to resurrect the Frankenstein monster in order to have the monster kill the men who sentenced him to prison. Along the way they run into Dracula, played by the sinister John Carradine, (who was good in every role he played, no matter how ridiculous the part) and also the Wolfman, played once again by Lon Chaney Jr., in his 3rd outing as the tormented Larry Talbott. The movie also includes Elena Verdugo, portraying a gypsy girl who is thrown in the mix for a romantic love triangle between the wolf man and the hunchback assistant. Glen Strange portrays the Frankenstein monster and really has little to do except towards the end of the film. This movie is so much fun because of all the monsters. They just need the mummy and the invisible man along to make the monster roster complete!!! Enjoy!

Probably the silliest of the Universal horror movies ...

[Teknofobe70 · 6/10 · 16 August 2005]

Four Frankenstein movies, four Dracula movies, two Wolf Man movies, and still we wanted more. And, well, I guess it was about time they put all three monsters together in one movie.

It's all wonderfully silly ... an insane doctor called Gustav Niemann manages to escape from a lunatic asylum along with his hunchback assistant, and decides to continue the work of Frankenstein. By pure chance he happens to run across a travelling circus which happens to have the genuine skeleton of Count Dracula. It isn't long before he slaughters the circus folk and removes the stake from the vampire's heart, reviving him. He then makes his way to the castle of Frankenstein and in a glacial ice cavern he discovers both Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man frozen in ice. He thaws them and takes them back to his laboratory, promising new life for the monster and a cure for the Wolf Man. But a beautiful gypsy girl causes conflict between them ...

While the story for this one comes from Curt Siodmak, the team of director Erle C. Kenton and scriptwriter Edward T. Lowe Jr. created both the "House of Frankenstein" and the "House of Dracula" sequels. The only one of the monsters that's actually still being played by the same actor here is Lon Chaney Jr's Wolf Man. Boris Karloff appears, but not as the Frankenstein monster. Instead he plays Doctor Niemann (who amusingly gets called a 'would-be Frankenstein' in the first scene), while Glenn Strange plays the monster. But fear not -- both turn in excellent performances all the same, with Glenn Strange proving himself to be such a great choice for Frankenstein that he would return again in "House of Dracula" and "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein".

J. Carrol Naish is also noteworthy as Niemann's hunchback assistant. However, this was John Carradine's first appearance as Dracula, and he's barely even slightly creepy. He's not a patch on Bela Lugosi (although much better then some of the other actors who portrayed Dracula), and the "vampire bat" effects are as bad as ever, if not worse. Thankfully he only has a very small part anyway. And considering the movie is called "House of Frankenstein", Frankenstein doesn't have a very big part either, but what small screen time he has is particularly memorable -- the climax is one of the most thrilling out of any of the Universal monster movies. The Wolf Man is the more interesting and sympathetic character, so once again he has the most screen time.

This is an entertaining movie that throws in everything but the kitchen sink. Fans of the Universal monster movies will be suitably thrilled by it, regardless of how silly it all is.

Better than the first five Frankenstein movies.

[13Funbags · 5/10 · 12 July 2017]

I keep forgetting to watch The Wolf Man but at this point, I don't think it matters any more.This is one of the better Frankenstein movies so far. It doesn't really have anything to do with Frankenstein but for the first time in the series they don't ignore and/or change what happened in the last movie. One weird thing is that now the town is named Frankenstein, which is not only different but very confusing. The town people say they want to forget about Frankenstein but they named the town after him? I also find it weird that they keep using the same actors in different roles, although Lon Chaney finally plays the same character two movies in a row. And why does every movie with a werewolf have gypsies in it? What's the connection? Anyway, this is definitely worth watching if you like monster movies.

Fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 18 August 2012]

Is House of Frankenstein as good as Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein? No. Is it better than Ghost of Frankenstein? Yes, I think so. House of Frankenstein is not an outstanding movie, with a story that is a little too silly with scenes that work and some that don't quite, a thin script and a too short length. However, it has great photography and absolutely beautiful sets and costumes. The music is very atmospheric and the sound effects likewise. Most of the scenes show a perfect mixture of laugh, thrills and nostalgic suspense, there is not much that is scary but what there is is effective indeed. The performances are great, there are many characters here but all are a delight to see. J Carroll Naish is a poignant hunchback, Elena Verdugga plays her role sympathetically and Lionel Atwill and George Zucco give fun if brief turns. John Carradine mayn't quite erase memories of Bela Lugosi, but his Dracula is still aristocratically evil, while Lon Chaney Jnr is typically scary-looking and moving as the Wolfman. Boris Karloff with his magnetic presence, imposing make-up and telling eyes dominates the film as Niemann. In conclusion, a fun movie if not quite one of my favourites. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A monster reunion. The whole gang is here.

[michaelRokeefe · 5/10 · 31 October 2000]

Dr. Gustav Niemann(Boris Karloff) is a mad doctor that escapes from an asylum and takes possession of a travelling show of horrors. It features the skeleton of Count Dracula. Niemann is returning to his beloved Visaria. Along the way he visits the ruins of the House of Frankenstein and revives the Frankenstein monster and the Wolf Man from their frozen cavern tomb. Niemann convinces the gang of monsters into helping him deal revenge against the men who put him in prison fifteen years ago.

Lon Chaney Jr. is of course Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man. John Carradine tries his hand at being the Prince of Darkness and Glenn Strange plays the Frankenstein monster. Also in this tale are Philip Van Zandt, Lionel Atwill and Anne Gwynee.

Sometimes this film gets a little disjointed, but it is the thought that counts.

Fun, fast paced, monster rally!

[chillercinema · 8/10 · 28 November 1999]

Okay, let's get this straight right off the slab - not the best Universal monster movie ever made, but tons of fun! Gets an extra star due to sheer number of monsters in the film; Boris Karloff as the mad scientist, Lon Chaney Jr. as the wolfman, J. Carol Naish as the hunchback, Glen Strange as the monster, and John Carradine as Dracula! Whew! And they manage to pull it all off convincingly. What more could one ask for? This is a fun, fast paced, monster rally. Check it out - if you enjoy the Universal monster movies, you'll love this one.

"We've had enough horrors around here"!

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 14 October 2016]

If Boris Karloff wouldn't or couldn't reprise his iconic horror character, The Frankenstein Monster, then at least the film makers did the next best thing. In the opening scene, a prison guard describes inmate Professor Niemann (Karloff) as a 'would-be' Frankenstein for his prior efforts at transplanting a human brain into a dog. This is now the third movie in which I've caught such a reference made to Karloff or the character he was portraying as having a connection to Frankenstein. The other two are the 1936 film "Charlie Chan at the Opera", and the 1947 flick "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome". Check my reviews of those pictures if you want to know the specifics.

Well, except for the absence of Bela Lugosi, this one had all the horror greats of the era that I would have wanted to see in one place at one time. You had Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Lionel Atwill and George Zucco working in the same picture, with commendable support from John Carradine and J. Carroll Naish. All that makes some of the continuity issues from film to film superfluous; who cares with all the atmospheric sets and spooky stuff going on, especially with Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolf Man brought together for the very first time.

So as I consider that each of the 'monsters' die in this picture before it's over, I had to wonder why the script writers even bothered with that little formality in the prior five pictures of the Frankenstein series. Each successive time out, they had to twist themselves into pretzels to make sense of it all, when there's no way to make sense of it. Just go with Professor Lampini's (Zucco) explanation before he gets offed by Niemann and Daniel (Naish) - "...believe me my friends, this is no fake!"

With this sixth entry in the Universal series, the Frankenstein mythos is put to rest unless you want to consider (as I do) one final stab at reuniting The Monster and Wolf Man in 1948's "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein", this time with an assist from Bela Lugosi's Dracula. As much as Karloff resolved not to appear in film as The Monster he made famous, he actually DID portray the character one more time. I would draw the reader's attention to a 1962 TV episode of 'Route 66' entitled 'Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing'. It's a humorous Halloween story in which Karloff and Chaney reprise their characters one last time, with Peter Lorre filling in as Dracula. The show is a blast, and is one I've written about in my reviews as well. Check it out.