FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER

FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER (1958). Director: Richard Cunha.

Frankenstein's grandson Oliver Frank (Donald Murphy) has somehow wound up working with the elderly Carter Morton (Felix Locher) on something or other while in the wine cellar he's secretly putting in work on his real project: making another monster. Oliver inexplicably gives Morton's niece Trudy (Sandra Knight) a drug that turns her into a snarling, deformed she-creature that roams the streets in a bathing suit. Later Oliver uses the brain of Sandra's friend Suzie (Sally Todd) to bring his "Frankenstein's daughter" to life -- even if the poor thing looks much more like a man. Stupid, illogical but amusing horror film holds the attention but offers few real thrills. John Ashley plays Trudy's boyfriend and Harold Lloyd Jr. is Suzie's singing beau. Donald Murphy offers a flavorful and good performance as Frankenstein, but the younger players offer amateurish performances. Felix Locher gives a poor performance as well, but John Zaremba and Wolfe Barzell are better as a cop and the "gardener" who assists Frankenstein in his work. In the sixties Sandra Knight was married to Jack Nicholson for six years, and appeared with him in The Terror. She wasn't much of an actress.

Verdict: Unintentionally comical at times and mildly entertaining. **.