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Five Days of Film Fright
Day 4: The most hilarious adaptations of Frankenstein
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Over in our Theater section, we told you about the Rabbit Hole Ensemble’s new play, The Tragic Story of Doctor Frankenstein. It’s yet another (and quite creative, actually) way of adapting Mary Shelley’s novel for the stage or screen. Since the story was first published in 1818, there have been hundreds of retellings, parodies and whatever Robert De Niro was doing when he played the monster in Kenneth Branagh’s film. But for every great Frankenstein adaptation (Young Frankenstein, Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein), there are 10 awful films. Here are some of the worst, or at least the oddest:
I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957)
Premise: “Professor Frankenstein, a university lecturer with an alligator pit under his house, steals body parts of dead athletes from the wreckage of a crashed airplane. He builds a hunky male monster with a hideously disfigured face, which goes on a killing spree.”
Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
Premise: “During WWII, a human heart taken from a certain lab in Europe (Dr. Frankenstein’s) is kept in a Japanese lab, when it gets exposed to the radiation of the bombing of Hiroshima. The heart grows in size, mutates and sprouts appendages, and eventually grows into a complete body and escapes. Later, a feral boy with a certain physical deformity (a large head with a flat top) is captured by scientists who refer to the boy as Frankenstein. The creature grows to the height of 20 feet, escapes again, fights police and army, and is practically indestructible. Later, a reptilian monster goes on a rampage. Eventually the Frankenstein creature and the reptile face off in a terrible battle.”
Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965)
Premise: “When an atomic war on Mars destroys the planet’s women, it’s up to Martian Princess Marcuzan and her right-hand man Dr. Nadir to travel to earth and kidnap women for new breeding stock. Landing in Puerto Rico, they shoot down a NASA space capsule manned by an android. With his electronic brain damaged, the android terrorizes the island while the Martians raid beaches and pool parties.”
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966)
Premise: “Legendary outlaw of the Old West Jesse James, on the run from Marshal MacPhee, hides out in the castle of Baron Frankenstein’s granddaughter Maria, who proceeds to transform Jesse’s slow-witted pal Hank into a bald zombie, which she names Igor.”
Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein (1972)
Premise: “Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant Morpho are killed just as they bring their creation to life. The monster is taken by Cagliostro and he now controls the monster and plans to have it mate and create the perfect master race!”
The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1980)
Premise: “The Flintstones and Rubbles win a trip on ‘Make a Deal or Don’t’ to Count Rockula’s castle in Rocksylvania where they have an unpleasant meeting with the Count and his servant Frankenstone.”
Frankenstein Island (1981)
Premise: “When a hot-air balloon crashes on a remote island, the crew discovers Dr. Frankenstein’s ancestor carrying on the family work, along with a race of mutants and a population of Amazons.”
Frankenstein General Hospital (1988)
Premise: “A mad doctor puts together a new body by using body parts he steals from a mortuary at the hospital where he works.”
Frankenstein: The College Years (1991)
Premise: “When Professor Lippzigger dies, his favorite student Mark inherits the key to his secret laboratory. There he and his friend Jay find the hundreds of years old body of Frankenstein—and revive it. But where to go with him? They take him with them to their dorms. He’s dumb as a brick, but makes it into their football team and becomes popular. If there only wasn’t Prof. Loman, who wants to become famous with Lipp’s inventions…”
Frankenstein & Me (1996)
Premise: Doesn’t matter. It stars Burt Reynolds and Ryan Gosling!