57 Days to Halloween - House of Frankenstein

Don’t profane his name with your dirty lips.

It is hard to completely poo-poo a film that has Carradine as Dracula in top hat and Karloff out of makeup working a mad scientist routine (Warner Bros sure cast him in plenty of those). But it is Naish that is the star of this film. I have already said this elsewhere (and probably in the past on this film) but I think he takes what could have been minor in any other performer’s hands, giving it a shine and sheen quite impressive. He kills for Niemann because his psychosis comes from self-hatred in his “ugly” body, so desperate to be freed to a healthy, strong body (he tries to barter for Talbot’s body but Niemann shuts him down) he’d murder at command. And Niemann clearly only wants to use him as muscle and labor. To do his bidding, Niemann will abuse Daniel’s services, waving his ability to cure him of his hunchback condition much like he holds his skills as a surgeon/scientist over Talbot. Who will cure Talbot but Niemann? That is what Talbot endures while waiting for his cure. And tragedy strikes over and over because Niemann wants to get even with those who were responsible for his prison term due to the human-brain-in-dog experiments.

Dr. Niemann spends so much time obsessing about revenge and not helping those he promised to help (Daniel, the hunchback, and Talbot, the Wolf Man), he might have cost himself the chance to truly advance Frankenstein’s work. The distractions are because he’s a monster. He just turns loose Daniel without a single thought. Lampini (a wasted Zucco who deserves better than this) and his traveling sideshow, killed without a thought. Those that put Niemann in prison, those that Dracula might attack, and those the Wolf Man might tear apart; the victims mean very little to the brother of Frankenstein’s former assistant. All that Niemann cares about is revenge and Frankenstein’s Monster (a colorless Strange). The swamp is a fitting resting place for him. 

When I watch this I find gypsy Ilonka more and more repulsive with each passing year. This whole “tragic romance” angle just gets me queasy. Talbot is full on torment and Ilonka just drools over him. Ugh. That Daniel is denounced by Ilonka as “ugly” after he rescues her—a fine thank you that is for just telling her the truth because he wanted to keep her safe—I ponder why I’m supposed to give a shit about her tragic demise. Fitting demise, I say.