House of Frankenstein (1944)

Featured Audience Ratings

• AJ V

  
  Gathering together the universal monsters to get revenge on your enemies sounds like a good plan, but if you think about it for a while you will realize that that's just stupid. The writers of this movie didn't think that long about it unfortunately.

• Morgan S

  
  ive noticed in these old movies that have more than one moster they deal with them one at a time indstead of combining the problems to make it more indepth.

• Chris G

  
  Frankenstein died with a whimper in this piece of garbage. Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff) escapes from prison and has a run in with Dracula (who's in the film for 10 minutes in a stupid sub-plot), stumbles onto the Wolfman who wants help, and attempts to revitalize Frankenstein.… More
  Frankenstein died with a whimper in this piece of garbage. Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff) escapes from prison and has a run in with Dracula (who's in the film for 10 minutes in a stupid sub-plot), stumbles onto the Wolfman who wants help, and attempts to revitalize Frankenstein. Crap, crap, crap. The only reason this thing gets one whole star is because Karloff is in it. Otherwise it's pure trash. Not as bad as House of Dracula, but it still sucks.

• Cassandra M

  
  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… More
  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.

• Michael G

  
  Not that great. Fun from a novelty standpoint but you can tell it was the sequel to an American remake of a horror movie of its day.

• Byron B

  
  Not as bad as House of Dracula. Boris Karloff as a Dr. Niemann and J. Carrol Naish as a humpback named Daniel are both very good in their roles. They begin as prisoners in a dungeon in adjoining cells. Dr. Niemann wants to carry on Dr. Frankenstein's experiments and get revenge,… More
  Not as bad as House of Dracula. Boris Karloff as a Dr. Niemann and J. Carrol Naish as a humpback named Daniel are both very good in their roles. They begin as prisoners in a dungeon in adjoining cells. Dr. Niemann wants to carry on Dr. Frankenstein's experiments and get revenge, and he promises to transplant Daniel's brain into a better looking body in exchange for his loyalty, which includes murder. A freak earthquake allows them to escape. A passing carnival show carriage owned by Prof. Lampini allows them transportation and a cover. The Hussmans, young couple Rita (Gwynne) and Karl (Coe) as well as her father the Burgomaster (Ruman), and an Inspecor (Atwill) head to the carnival. Dr. Niemann in disguise as Prof. Lampini has possession of Count Dracula's casket and skeleton. The doctor brings Dracula (Carradine) back to life. To life? Well, Niemann puts flesh back on his bones and inexplicably turns the tables on the Count by forcing him to carrying out part of Niemann's revenge plot against the Burgomaster. Carradine plays a gentlemanly Dracula, or Baron Latos, who seems closer to Stoker's discription. Dracula tries to steal the young Miss Hussman away and a fairly exciting chase ensues. With Count Dracula facing the sun, act one is over and it is as if we move on to a different movie. Dr. Niemann and Daniel travel on to the town where Frankenstein's castle is located. Gypsies are camping in the area and Daniel, the humpback, falls for his own dancing Esmeralda. In this movie she is named Ilonka (Verdugo). Niemann and Daniel find the Wolf Man/Lawrence Talbot (Chaney Jr.) and the Frankenstein's Monster (first time by Glenn Strange) frozen under the castle ruins. The gypsy girl falls for Talbot instead, but he still wants his life to end so the beast within him will stop being a curse. They all somehow pack up the monster and travel to Niemann's laboratory. The mad doctor makes promises left and right, but plans his own twisted scheme that leaves none of his cohorts happy. Gypsy and Wolf Man fight. Humpback and Mad Scientist fight. Humpback and Frankenstein's Monster fight. Angry Mob and Frankenstein's Monster fight. And finally at the end of burning torches in a quicksand pit Boris Karloff's face as Dr. Niemann is the last one we see disappearing from sight.

• MJS M

  
  And thus, the Frankenstein franchise comes to an end with a whimper. The monster would actually return in House of Dracula (which is even worse if I recall right), but this is certainly the last Universal monster movie with the word ?Frankenstein? in the title, and it?s pretty… More
  And thus, the Frankenstein franchise comes to an end with a whimper. The monster would actually return in House of Dracula (which is even worse if I recall right), but this is certainly the last Universal monster movie with the word ?Frankenstein? in the title, and it?s pretty half-assed. It?s pretty obvious that they just wanted to bring together all their monsters (except The Mummy? and The Invisible man) together in one movie, or rather one poster, and that?s about as much thought as they put into this thing. I didn?t really pay very close attention to it, it just blows.

• Henrik S

  
  I must say, I am a big fan of monster movies. But this Mash-Up really is too much salt in the soup. The problem that a movie faces, containing a few of the most profilic monsters in literature and cinema history, is obvious. You cannot possibly cast well-known or good actors for all… More
  I must say, I am a big fan of monster movies. But this Mash-Up really is too much salt in the soup. The problem that a movie faces, containing a few of the most profilic monsters in literature and cinema history, is obvious. You cannot possibly cast well-known or good actors for all of the creatures. Only Lon Chaney Jr. reprises his role of the Wolfman, while the Frankenstein monster and Dracula are portrayed by other, stinking actors. A fact that clearly sucks down the quality of this flick. The strongest part of the movie is of course Boris Karloff, who oddly enough does not play the monster itself, but Dr. Gustav Nieman, a mad scientiest who, after having escaped from prison, treks through the country to A) Find Victor Frankenstein's records and B) Return to his lab and continue his experiments. On his way he and his hunchback (besides kidnapping a gypsy woman) revive none other than Dracula, the Wolfman and the Frankenstein monster. Of course, these abnormal beings cannot possibly get along and despise each other, partly over a colliding love interest with the gypsy woman. It is a pity that not in ONE scene the three classic monsters fight against each other, which is a really a major stupid decision if you've already decided to throw them all into the same bowl alright. How could a final fight between Dracula, Wolfman and The Monster had been a highlight in creature cinema. Another basic rule of classic horror was not applied. You cannot have a strong antagonist without an equal protagonist and vice versa. I missed Van Helsing or a hard-boiled police constable. All in all, compared to classic movies of the early Universal or later Hammer era, this nugget really does not shine. It is a chuckling laugh at most. "I'm going to give that brain of yours a new home in the skull of the Frankenstein monster. As for you, I'm going to give you the brain of the wolfman so that all your waking hours will be spent in untold agony awaiting the full of the moon... which will change you into a werewolf."

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