Friday, November 12, 2021

Frankenstein's Daughter: Suburban Smash Monster Mash


The bright and shiny Film Detective October 26, 2021 4K release of the 1958 cult classic "Frankenstein's Daughter" makes a perfect "bride" for the Detective 4K release of fellow kiddie matinee fodder "The Amazing Mr. X." As the Unreal TV post on the "X" release states, Detective awesomely reminds us that they don't make 'em like that anymore. 

As usual, Detective enhances fanboy viewing pleasure ala Ballyhoo Films labor-of-love documentaries. 36 minutes of the wit-and-wisdom directly from the mouth of "Daughter" auteur in "Richard E. Cunha: Filmmaker of the Unknown" tells the viewer everything that be wanted to know about making B movies but was afraid to ask. 

A highlight of "Filmmaker" is watching Cunha discuss making "Giant From the Unknown," which is another exceptional Detective 4K release. That low-budget opus will make you remember the Alamo. 

The bonus companion piece "John Ashley: Man From the B's" has Ballyho regular talking head/film historian extraordinaire C. Courtney Joyner explore the life-and-times of the titular portrayer of the teen doofus stock character in "Daughter." One spoiler is that Ashley is no Arch Hall, Jr. of the (reviewed) Detective 4k of "Eegah." 

The following Detective promo for "Daughter" goes above-and-beyond by featuring the aforementioned included Ballyho documentaries. A highlight of this is explaining the appearance of the titular creature. 



Two primary themes of "Daughter" set it apart from its fellow '50s thrillers. The larger concept borrows the Hitchcock theme of moving the terror from the spooky house (or castle) on the hill to the center-hall colonial in the 'burbs. The nefarious doings this time occur in what essentially is a man cave. This also feeds on Cold War paranoia by showing that you never know what is going on next door. 

The other notable aspect of "Daughter" reflects the vibe of "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" (1957). Both films are non-canon productions of franchises with universal appeal. They also add a particularly strong "Jekyll and Hyde" element to tales of teen angst. On a related note, "Werewolf" easily could have ben titled "Lycanthrope Without a Cause."

Our story begins with teen slut Suzie, who ultimately gets a Hays Code style comeuppance, finishing up a typical date with her disposable beau-du-jour when she encounters the Hyde of the film. The morning-after action shifts to affable scientist/guardian Carter Morton checking in with his niece/ward Trudy. The disturbed state of the mind of Trudy provide early clues to a Cosby-type situation that proves to be especially sad-but-true. A sociological aspect is girls of the era coming across as Sandra Dee at the cost of fully suppressing their inner Mamie Van Dorn. 

The other primary player is madman-with-an-evil mind/research assistant Oliver Frank, who is very proud of the heritage of his family. His garden-variety deranged assistant adds an awesome touch that makes one hope that he finds a "donor" whom he believes is named Abby Normal.

The plot thickens on the reveal that Frank expresses his frustration as to his lack of game by slipping an unsuspecting Trudy an experimental drug that brings out her ugly side on a few levels. This is a prelude to the primary trauma-and-drama of the film. One confrontation puts the concept of poetic justice to the acid test.

"Daughter" further reflects its time with an odd '50scom epilogue with a highly predictable climax. The message here is that our principals have recovered from the wacky adventure of the previous proverbial 30 minutes and now can laugh about it. As stated above, they do not make 'em like that anymore. 


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