The Hammer Frankenstein

by Bruce G. Hallenbeck

In 1957, Hammer released The Curse of Frankenstein and changed the face of horror cinema forever. Hammer Horror was born, and the film made international stars of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. In the years that followed, the company made six more Frankenstein films and a television pilot, all but two of them starring Cushing as the callous and amoral Baron Frankenstein–a very different character to that created by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel. Award-winning author Bruce Hallenbeck explores in detail the many cinematic experiments of the baron who, along the way, made ‘“Creatures” of Lee, Don Megowan, Michael Gwynn, wrestler Kiwi Kingston, Susan Denberg, Freddie Jones and David Prowse in a series unique in the annals of British horror. The Hammer Frankenstein relates the story of how Hammer Films, and director Terence Fisher, made a movie “monster” that endures to this day..

Genres: Horror

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must read for every Frankenstein fan: Frankenstein and the age of terror, Frankenstein before Hammer, The Curse of Frankenstein, Tales of Frankenstein, The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Evil of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Created Woman, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, the Horror of Frankenstein, Frankenstein and the monster from hell and Frankenstein after Hammer. So many cool movie stills and pictures inside. Absolutely enjoyed this one. Highly recommended!

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the title is The Hammer Frankenstein and that company's films are the main focus of the book, this very articulate and thoughtful study is actually a look at Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in the whole history of cinema from the silent era up until the date of its publication. The author, Bruce G. Hallenbeck, is extremely well-informed and presents much information and detail not present in other studies, especially about the actors, writers, directors, and producers of all these films and particularly the Hammer productions. Besides a very engaging text, it's also well-illustrated and would be a fine addition to any horror cinema fan's collection. One of the best of its type. - BH.

[Chris Steeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really not expecting much from this book. More just an addition to my collection of Hammer books. What a pleasant surprise it was. Full of fascinating information gleaned from various sources. Oh I wish I had the time to watch the films again. i would highly recommend this to any Hammer enthusiast. The Vampire one will be on my birthday list for sure.

[Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still give this a top rating, even though I disagree on two points. In the final chapter, he is talking about Frankenstein movies made after 1974(not by Hammer). I actually liked Kenneth Branagh's version, and Blackenstein was a lot better than it should have been.