2009 SGM Month of Halloween Horror Movie for October 6

"House of Frankenstein" (1944)

Phobia: Bogyphobia (Fear of boogeymen)

Quote: "The undying monster ... the triumphant climax of Frankenstein's genius. And the wolf man. They may know where the records are, friend Daniel. We will set them free, and they will help us." Dr. Neimann (Boris Karloff), grossly overestimating the capacity for gratitude in Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.).

Synopsis: Deranged scientist, Gustav Niemann, escapes from prison and overtakes the director of a traveling chamber of horrors. Pulling the stake out of a skeleton, he revives the infamous Count Dracula and commands him to kill the man responsible for his imprisonment. He then finds the frozen Frankenstein Monster and the Wolfman buried under the ruins of the infamous Frankenstein laboratory. When he brings them back to life, the Monster is uncontrollable and drags him to a watery grave.

Fear creeps in at 00:37:06: Dr. Neimann, mad scientist & genetic tamperer, and his hunchbacked assistant Daniel stumble upon an underground ice cavern. The search for Dr. Frankenstein's records have yielded little results, until this fortuitous accident. Deep within the cavern, Neimann and Daniel find the frozen bodies of the Wolf Man and the monster of Frankenstein. Like any good mad doctor, instead of fleeing the scene, Dr. Neimann surmises that he can make use of the two monsters, and he sets to the task of thawing them back to life.

Interesting side note: This film has a remarkable body count, even though much of the death occurs off-screen or is mentioned in passing. The final total – 10 – is also notable, in that it ties this film’s body count with that of the original "Friday the 13th."

House of Frankenstein body count:
Bruno Lampini: Strangled by Daniel
Carl Hussman: Drained of blood, by Dracula
Dracula: Vaporized by sunlight
Ulmann: Killed, brain implanted into the monster of Frankenstein
Fredrich Strauss: Died during the brain transplant procedures
Brohn: Slaughtered by the wolf man
Ilonka: Killed by the wolf man
Larry Talbot: Shot through with a silver bullet, by Ilonka
Daniel: Defenstrated from the top floor of Neimann's laboratory, by the monster
Dr. Neimann: Dragged into the marsh & drowned by the monster

See also: House of Dracula; Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein; The Monster Squad (1987)