42 Frankenstein Movies to See Before You Die
The only horror movie mainstay more popular than Frankenstein and his monster is Dracula. We’ve already posted 55 Dracula Movies You Should See Before You Die, which features 55 of the 161+ Dracula movies available. Now we’re back with a list of Frankenstein movies you should see before you die. Where possible, we’ve linked to cool blog posts about each of the movies.
Universal Frankenstein Movies
The first series of Frankenstein movies (and the most recognizable) were the Universal movies, beginning with 1931′s Frankenstein.
- Frankenstein (1931) – Boris Karloff made the role famous in the original horror classic.
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935) – If any Frankenstein movie could possibly be more famous than the original, it’s this one.
- Son of Frankenstein (1939) – This was the last appearance of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein. It also features Bela Lugosi as Ygor, Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant.
- Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) – Lon Chaney Jr. plays the monster, and Bela Lugosi returns as Ygor.
- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) – Bela Lugosi plays the monster for the only time, and Lon Chaney portrays the Wolfman.
- House of Frankenstein (1944) Glenn Strange plays the monster, even though both Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney were in the film. John Carradine plays Dracula in this one.
- Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) – Glenn Strange as the monster again, along with the other Universal suspects playing the usual Universal monsters.
Hammer Frankenstein Movies
Hammer is well-known for their stylish and Gothic Dracula films, but their Frankenstein movies are also classics.
- The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) – Peter Cushing plays Dr. Baron Viktor Frankenstein, and Christopher Lee plays the monster
- The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) – Peter Cushing returns as Dr. Frankenstein in the 2nd Hammer Frankenstein movie. Michael Gwynn plays the monster this time around.
- The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) – Peter Cushing returns again as Frankestein, but a new monster is portrayed by Kiwi Kingston.
- Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) – Another Hammer Frankenstein movie featuring Peter Cushing as the mad doctor. This one co-stars Susan Denberg as the women he created.
- Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) – Peter Cushing reprises his role as Baron Frankenstein again. This one is considered a high point of the Hammer Frankenstein films.
- The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) – David Prowse (Darth Vader) plays the monster in this Hammer remake of the 1957 The Curse of Frankenstein.
- Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) – The last of the Hammer Frankenstein movies. It was also the last film from director Terence Fisher, and the last time Peter Cushing played the mad baron.
Other 1950s and 1960s Frankenstein Movies
Universal Studios and Hammer weren’t the only two companies making Frankenstein movies during the 1950s and the 1960s.
- I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957) – Camp classic about a teenager in a car crash who is reassembled and then reanimated. Stars Gary Conway.
- Frankenstein 1970 (1958) – Boris Karloff plays the doctor instead of the monster. He was almost 70 at the time.
- Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) – Ever wonder what a Japanese Frankenstein movie would look like?
- Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965) – A robotic pilot named Frank has an accident and wreaks havoc while aliens decide to use bikini-clad babes from earth to repopulate their dying planet.
- Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966) – Rumor has it that this is even worse than Billy the Kid VS Dracula.
1970s Frankenstein Movies
- Terror of Frankenstein (1977) – This one’s a really low budget but remarkably faithful adaptation of the novel.
- Lady Frankenstein (1971) – A Frankenstein movie with Joseph Cotten in it.
- Dracula VS Frankenstein (1971) – Directed by Al Adamson.
- The Rites of Frankenstein (1972) – Directed by Jess Franco. One of his surreal, erotic versions of a horror movie.
- Santo VS Frankenstein’s Daughter (1972) – The only thing better than a Frankenstein movie is a Frankenstein movie with a Mexican wrestler in it.
- Frankenstein ’80 (1972) – Another “erotic” version of the story, from Italy.
- Dr. Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks (1973) – Another Italian B-movie version of the story.
- Frankenstein (1973) – Bo Svenson plays the monster, and Dan Curist (of Dark Shadows) directs. (Bo Svenson is famous for his appearances in the Walking Tall movies.)
- Frankenstein – The True Story (1973) – Stars James Mason, among others, in a made-for-tv Frankenstein movie.
- Blackenstein (1973) – A blaxploitation version of the classic story.
- Young Frankenstein (1974) – Mel Brooks’ hilarious spoof is a classic of comedy. The monster is played by Peter Boyle, who later became famous as Raymond’s dad on Everyone Loves Raymond.
- Flesh for Frankenstein (1974) – Andy Warhol produced this one but had nothing to do with the actual filming of it. Udo Kier stars. Watch this one with your tongue planted firmly in your cheek.
Frankenstein Movies from the 1980s and Beyond
- Frankenstein Island (1981) – John Carradine is the ghost of Dr. Frankenstein. Cheesy B-movie.
- Frankenstein (1984) – Carrie Fisher has top billing, but she’s barely in it. David Warner plays the monster.
- Frankenweenie (1984) – Tim Burton’s first movie.
- The Bride (1985) – Sting stars as Dr. Frankenstein in this stylish remake of The Bride of Frankenstein.
- The Monster Squad (1987) – A cult classic and deservably so.
- Frankenstein Unbound (1990) – Roger Corman directs, and Raul Julia stars as Dr. Frankenstein. John Hurt and Bridget Fonda also co-star. From the novel by Brian Aldiss.
- Frankenhooker (1990) – From the same folks who brought you Basketcase.
- Frankenstein (1993) – This made-for-tv version was produced by TNT and features Randy Quaid as the monster.
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) – Kenneth Branagh portrays the mad scientist, and Robert DeNiro plays the monster.
- Lust for Frankenstein (1998) – Another sexy Jess Franco version.
- Frankenstein (2004) Hallmark miniseries with Donald Sutherland and William Hurt.
This entry was posted on Sunday, May 31st, 2009 at 1:23 pm and is filed under Horror Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Thanks for the link (Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed), and if it’s of interest I’m beginning Frankenstein Week over at my website, so if you’d like to read about some more Frankenstein films (as well as one without link here) feel free to check it out throughout the week.
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I’m looking to find the Frankenstien movie based on the Dean Koontz novel series anyone tell me where to find it ?
I am hoping someone can help me out. There was a movie that was on tv in the late 70′s maybe early 80′s that I think was a Frankenstein movie and the one thing I can remember is that the female lead was in a carriage accident and was decapitated. Her head was in a box and her body was in a larger box. I would really like to see it again now that I am old enough to actually enjoy it. Thanks!
I think I’m scouting around for the same movie Krissy is asking about. I could swear there was an old one that was in color, most likely from the 1960s. Her head is on a table, wires all attached to her and she can move limbs hanging up on the wall. She uses this ability to eventually kill the mad scientist, and the movie ends with her pleading, “Bury me. Bury me. Bury me.” Cannot for the life of me recall the title, but I remember seeing it as a kid. Was just feeling curious about its whereabouts these days, if its on DVD and whatnot.
I am searching everywhere trying to find a movie I saw as a kid. Very creepy and clearly inspired by Frankenstein. In it the protagonist dies, or nearly dies and is brought back as a sort of cyborg monster. He is so altered his son doesn’t recognize him, but the father befriends his own son as this monster. In the end the dad can’t stand it and has the son punch him in his one vulnerable spot, which kills him. It might have been a tv show for all I know, it seemed like a 60′s sci-fi B movie when I saw it.
Ok Krissy have a look at ‘Frankenstein the true story’ (yeh right!) The gir that gets decapitated is jane seymour. Heres a trailor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX8NJVMWV7c