Frankenstein’s Daughter

Frankenstein’s Daughter

Year: 1958

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard E. Cunha

Science FictionHorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsChilling experiments and classic monster horrorCreepy chilling and terrifying horror

A mad descendant of Dr. Frankenstein awakens the legacy of his ancestor, resurrecting terror from the grave to unleash new horrors in present‑day Los Angeles. Obsessed with creating monstrous beings, he spirals into increasingly destructive and terrifying experiments that threaten the city.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s

The story unfolds in a mid-20th-century setting with contemporary home laboratories and mid-century technology. The era’s mix of scientific optimism and looming danger frames the plot, as mutations and reanimation tech push moral boundaries. The tone reflects a 1950s science-fiction thriller, balancing suburban normalcy with sensational laboratory horrors.

Location

Morton home, Rockwell Labs, freight depot, police station

Most of the action unfolds in the Morton family home, which doubles as a secret laboratory for Digenerol experiments. The plot also takes us to Rockwell Labs, the corporate research facility connected to the project. A freight depot and surrounding city streets become stages for the monster’s rampage, while the police station anchors the investigation.

🌆 Urban 🏠 Domestic 🔬 Laboratory 🚚 Warehouse

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:22

Main Characters – Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958)

Meet the key characters of Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Trudy Morton (Sandra Knight)

A teenage girl who experiences relentless nightmares of turning into a monster. Her nighttime transformation is real and tied to the secret Digenerol experiments in the Morton home lab. Her struggle to trust others and protect herself drives much of the plot, making her the emotional center of the story.

👶 Teen 🔬 Protagonist 😨 Fearful 🧬 Transformation

Johnny Bruder (John Ashley)

Trudy’s boyfriend who dismisses her nightmares at first, creating tension between skepticism and belief. He becomes involved as the danger escalates and ultimately interacts with the monster in the lab setting. His movements help anchor the human relationship side of the story.

💑 Boyfriend 😶 Skeptic 🗺️ Ally

Oliver Frank(enstein) (Donald Murphy)

The lab assistant turned scientist who orchestrates the creation of the ‘perfect being’ using Digenerol. He is the grandson of the original Dr. Frankenstein and pursues power over life with ruthless ambition. His downfall comes when the acid-vial attack reveals his vulnerability, and he is consumed by the creature he helped unleash.

👨‍🔬 Scientist 🧪 Villain 🧬 Experimenter

Elsu (Wolfe Barzell)

Gardener and lab assistant who participates in the experiments but is reluctant about the darker aspects of the project. He ultimately resists harming Trudy and threatens to alert the authorities if Oliver harms her. His role provides a moral counterpoint to Oliver’s zeal.

👨‍🌾 Gardener 🧪 Lab Assistant 🛡️ Ally

Prof. Carter Morton (Felix Locher)

A scientist who aims to eliminate disease so people can live forever, but his methods and ethics are questionable. He steals Digenerol to push forward his research and becomes a central figure in the conflict surrounding the monster’s creation. He is ultimately arrested after the investigation shifts toward Oliver.

👨‍🏫 Scientist 🧭 Ambitious ⚖️ Flawed

The Monster (Harry Wilson)

The scarred, reanimated being created from Oliver’s experiments. She is a literal embodiment of the consequences of reckless science, roaming the city and killing a warehouse worker. The Monster’s actions escalate the police investigation and force all characters to confront the ethics of creation.

👹 Monster 🧬 Altered 😨 Traumatic

Det. Bill Dillon (Robert Dix)

A police detective who teams with Lt. Boyle to investigate reports of a monster on the loose. He confronts the Monster in Oliver’s lab and becomes entangled in the danger surrounding the reanimation plot. His persistence helps drive the investigation forward.

👮 Detective 🕵️‍♂️ Authority ⚔️ Determined

Police Lt. Boyle (John Zaremba)

Senior police lieutenant who leads the inquiry into the monster sightings and the Digenerol theft. He collaborates with Det. Dillon to uncover the truth and navigate the tense lab environment. His presence anchors the procedural aspect of the story.

👮 Officer 🕵️‍♂️ Investigator 🗝️ Cautious

Mr. Rockwell (Voltaire Perkins)

Representative of Rockwell Labs who explains the possible link between the stolen Digenerol and the monster crisis. He embodies the corporate side of scientific research and its risk factors. His involvement ties the lab world to the unfolding danger.

🏢 Corporate 🧬 Science 🔎 Gatekeeper

Suzie Lawler (Sally Todd)

Trudy’s friend who becomes entangled in Oliver’s dangerous plans. She is forced into a perilous situation when Oliver attempts to exploit her, leading to her tragic death in a car incident. Her fate heightens the sense of threat around the experiment.

👭 Friend 💀 Victim 🎭 Drama

Mack (George Barrows)

A loading dock worker who encounters theMonster at the freight depot and becomes one of its victims. His death underscores the monster’s indiscriminate danger in the industrial setting. He serves as a reminder of the real-world consequences of the laboratory’s misfires.

🧰 Worker 💥 Casualty 🚪 Warehouse

Loading Dock Foreman (Bill Coontz)

Supervisor at the loading dock where Digenerol and cargo-related activity intersect with the monster’s rampage. His presence situates the film in a working-world backdrop, illustrating how ordinary settings become sites of extraordinary danger.

👷 Supervisor ⚙️ Authority 🧭 Practical

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:22

Major Themes – Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958)

Explore the central themes of Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧪 Science Ethics

Oliver Frank’s drive to create a 'perfect being' exposes the dangers of pursuing knowledge without ethical guardrails. The theft of Digenerol, the failed reanimation, and the ensuing murders show how scientific hubris can spiral into tragedy. The project’s promise of disease eradication clashes with the cost in human life and autonomy. The film uses this clash to critique unchecked experimentation.

👩‍🔬 Gender & Power

Trudy’s nightmare and transformation put a female body at the center of a male-dominated scientific world. Oliver’s dismissive attitude toward the female mind underscores a patriarchal worldview, while Trudy’s struggle to seek help and assert agency drives the narrative. The monster becomes a fusion of personal fear and societal control, highlighting gendered dynamics in science settings. The plot uses the conflict to question who really wields power over life.

👹 Monstrosity & Identity

The reanimated creature embodies the fear and ambiguity of what counts as human when science tampons with life. Its scarred, othered form and violent acts critique vanity and ambition divorced from conscience. The monster’s existence forces characters to confront responsibility for created life. The climax—self-destruction by fire—signals the limits of hubris and the fragility of identity.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:22

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Frankenstein’s Daughter Summary

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Frankenstein’s Daughter Summary

Frankenstein’s Daughter Timeline

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Frankenstein’s Daughter Timeline

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