Is House of Frankenstein as good as Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein? No. Is it better than Ghost of Frankenstein? Yes, I think so. House of Frankenstein is not an outstanding movie, with a story that is a little too silly with scenes that work and some that don't quite, a thin script and a too short length. However, it has great photography and absolutely beautiful sets and costumes. The music is very atmospheric and the sound effects likewise. Most of the scenes show a perfect mixture of laugh, thrills and nostalgic suspense, there is not much that is scary but what there is is effective indeed. The performances are great, there are many characters here but all are a delight to see. J Carroll Naish is a poignant hunchback, Elena Verdugga plays her role sympathetically and Lionel Atwill and George Zucco give fun if brief turns. John Carradine mayn't quite erase memories of Bela Lugosi, but his Dracula is still aristocratically evil, while Lon Chaney Jnr is typically scary-looking and moving as the Wolfman. Boris Karloff with his magnetic presence, imposing make-up and telling eyes dominates the film as Niemann. In conclusion, a fun movie if not quite one of my favourites. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Review of House of Frankenstein
