In 1957, Hammer Films of England had found some success with it's science fiction pictures and turned an eye toward gothic horror. Rather than the comparatively budget-minded approach of the Quatermass films, however, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN was a lavish, full-color production boasting some of the top talent the Brits had to offer. Peter Cushing shines as the driven, though immoral, Dr. Frankenstein. Christopher Lee plays the Monster. Both actors would be associated with the genre from then on. Though the story of Frankenstein challenging the laws of science and creation to patch together his own test tube human being who escapes and goes on a rampage was highly familiar by this time, Hammer's take was so vivid and effective that it set a new standard. Some have dismissed Hammer's winning formula to be little more than taking an old idea and adding to it color, cleavage, and blood, but there's much more to it than that. The film features a level of production value worthy of period costume epics, and the straight-faced British approach to acting really sells the fantastic plot. A trend-setter, and a success. THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN did so well for Hammer that the studio began looking for similar properties. THE HORROR OF DRACULA firmly established the studio's new position as King of Horror. THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN followed shortly after, kicking off a wave of elegant color re-interpretations of classic horror stories that would last through the next decade. Hammer would periodically return to the Frankenstein legend, with Peter Cushing playing the not-so-good doctor in titles like THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, and FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL.
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