The Evil of Frankenstein

The Evil of Frankenstein

Year: 1964

Runtime: 87 mins

Language: English

Director: Freddie Francis

HorrorHorror

Baron Frankenstein, driven from his castle by villagers for creating a monster, returns to Karlstaad. In the mountains he discovers the creature’s frozen body and, with hypnotist Zoltan’s aid, revives it. Zoltan controls the beast, using hypnotic commands to commit murders. Frankenstein must break the spell before the creature kills its creator.

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Timeline & Setting – The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Evil of Frankenstein (1964). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Karlstaad, Frankenstein Chateau, cave, pub, carnival

Karlstaad is a shadowy European town with a wary, superstitious mood. The Frankenstein chateau on its outskirts anchors Victor's experiments and the locals' fear. The winding streets, pubs, and the nearby cave shelter shape the pursuit as Victor and Hans evade authorities.

🏰 Gothic town 🗺️ Northern European setting 🕯️ Secret laboratory 🏚️ Abandoned chateau

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:03

Main Characters – The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

Meet the key characters of The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing)

A driven, unscrupulous scientist who seeks to revive the dead. He returns to Karlstaad to fund new work by selling valuables from the abandoned chateau. He manipulates Zoltan to reanimate the creature for his purposes. He evades authorities but ultimately dies when the lab explodes.

🧪 Scientist 🧠 Obsessed 🗝️ Manipulative

Drunk (Howard Goorney)

A minor drunk in town; appears during the pub scenes; not a central player but adds to the social atmosphere surrounding Victor's misadventures.

🍺 Drunk 🧭 Minor presence

Karlstaad (Duncan Lamont)

A local town figure who embodies the town's authority within Karlstaad. He enforces order as Victor's activities unsettle the community and the authorities pursue him after the thefts.

🧭 Town official 🗡️ Authority

Prof. Zoltan (Peter Woodthorpe)

A hypnotist temporarily banished from Karlstaad for not having a license. He agrees to reanimate the creature to serve Victor's interests, then exploits the creature for revenge and profit. He manipulates the situation until the creature turns on him.

🧠 Manipulative 🪄 Hypnotist

Rena (Tracy Stratford)

A deaf-mute young woman who is harassed by thugs but sheltered by the protagonists. She leads Victor and Hans to a cave shelter and becomes a catalyst by guiding the way to safety.

🧒 Innocent 🗝️ Catalyst

Burgermeister's Wife (Caron Gardner)

A member of the town's social order who observes and participates in the town's concerns as the events unfold around the burgomaster and his household.

🏛️ Town's Elite 🕯️ Observant

Priester (James Maxwell)

A local priest who discovers the theft, acting as a moral observer of the events and a voice of the community's conscience as Victor skirts the law.

🙏 Religious figure 🗝️ Moral gauge

Hans (Sandor Elès)

Victor's loyal assistant who helps source materials and assists in the reanimation process. He remains practical and protective of Rena during the chase and escape.

🧰 Assistant 🧠 Loyal

The Monster (Kiwi Kingston)

Victor's reanimated creature, initially responsive to Victor but later commanded by Zoltan. It embodies the dangers of uncontrolled power and the fury of a mind manipulated by others.

👹 Creature 🧭 Outsider

Beggar Girl (Katy Wild)

A young beggar who witnesses the town's turmoil and interacts with the developing events, highlighting the social fragility around Victor's experiments.

🧒 Beggar 🕊️ Hopeful

Bürgermeister (David Hutcheson)

The Bürgermeister, the mayor and town leader who represents authority and becomes a focal point of the conflict with Victor's experiments and the town's efforts to maintain order.

👨‍💼 Mayor 🗳️ Authority

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:03

Major Themes – The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

Explore the central themes of The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧪 Science Ethics

Victor Frankenstein's relentless quest to conquer death drives the plot and its tension. He partners with Zoltan to animate life, crossing ethical lines that threaten the town's safety. The monster's awakening shows the unpredictable consequences of playing god. The film questions whether invention justifies reckless manipulation and the harm inflicted on others.

🕯️ Power Play

Victor uses Zoltan's desire for a license and status to manipulate him into reanimating the creature. Zoltan exploits the creature to exact revenge, turning science into a weapon against the town's authorities. The townspeople become pawns in a dangerous game of control and deception. The cycle of coercion ultimately unravels as trust collapses and loyalties splinter.

🔥 Destruction

The failed plan, the creature's rampage, and the ensuing fire lead to catastrophic losses. The chateau's destruction and the deaths of Victor and the Monster mark a costly end to ambition. The explosion wipes away the tainted laboratory and leaves the community in ruins. Only Rena and Hans escape to tell the tale, underscoring the price paid for forbidden knowledge.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:03

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Movies about mad science and tragic creation like The Evil of Frankenstein

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a clear arc: a driven individual, often an outcast, pursues a forbidden or ethically dubious creation. The story's tension builds as they succeed, only to be met with the catastrophic consequences of their ambition, often leading to destruction for both creator and creation.

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These movies are grouped by their shared focus on the 'mad scientist' archetype and the theme of scientific hubris. They share a dark tone, a steady pacing that builds towards disaster, and a bleak or tragic conclusion that serves as a cautionary tale.

Movies with a gothic and ominous atmosphere like The Evil of Frankenstein

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Narrative Summary

The narrative journey in these films is often less about complex twists and more about the steady, inevitable unfolding of a tragic fate. Characters are frequently trapped by their circumstances or past actions, moving through a shadowy world towards a bleak conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their dominant mood: a gothic, melancholic, and ominous atmosphere. They share a dark tone, steady pacing that allows the dread to simmer, and a visual and narrative style that prioritizes a chilling, claustrophobic feel over frantic action.

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The Evil of Frankenstein Summary

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The Evil of Frankenstein Summary

The Evil of Frankenstein Timeline

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The Evil of Frankenstein Timeline

The Evil of Frankenstein Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Evil of Frankenstein Spoiler-Free Summary

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