The theatrical version was compared to the US TV version.

Frankenstein's monster

In a remote mill, Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant Hans are working to create new life. The theft of the body of a recently deceased farmer puts the local priest on Frankenstein's trail. Overwhelmed by the blasphemous goings-on, the priest destroys large parts of Frankenstein's laboratory, forcing him to return to his old home town of Karlstaad. After a scuffle with the village population, Frankenstein ends up in the mountains, where he accidentally discovers the remains of his monster, frozen in a glacier years ago. Together with Hans and a deaf and dumb beggar woman, he tries to breathe new life into the monster. The experiment succeeds, but the monster is trapped in a kind of trance, which can only be solved by the hypnotist Zoltan. Zoltan recognizes the creature's potential and wants to use it for his own purposes, to the displeasure of Frankenstein.

The third part of the Hammer Frankenstein series does not directly follow on from its predecessors. Rather, it is a kind of reinterpretation of history. As Universal had secured the rights for US distribution this time, the makers were able to fall back on the concept of the Universal Frankenstein series. The look of the monster, which is based on Boris Karloff's portrayal, the elaborate lab sets and content elements such as the thawing of the frozen monster make The Evil of Frankenstein look like a classic interpretation of the Frankenstein myth. Peter Cushing's fierce portrayal of Dr. Frankenstein, who is obsessed with his work, saves the film from a number of weaknesses in content.

US TV version included for the first time completely on US Blu-ray

For the first TV broadcast on US television in 1968, an edited version of the film was produced. Some somewhat too brutal passages were cut out of the film and 13:17 min. of newly shot scenes were packed into the film, in which especially the beggar woman, who is given the name Rena here, is mentioned. The figure of Dr. Sergado is introduced, who tells a reporter that Rena's condition is related to a terrible event from her past. A little later, in Frankenstein's review, we see Rena playing in the forest and being discovered by the monster. She runs back to her parents and has not been able to hear or speak since. The child is taken to Dr. Sergado, but he cannot explain what happened to Rena. A little later, Dr. Sergado visits Rena's father, who has become a pathological alcoholic, and talks about taking Rena to Vienna to the physician Dr. Freud, so that he can treat her.

The new scenes are detached from the main plot and ultimately contribute nothing to the film. What is completely unsatisfactory is that none of the plot elements that have been started come to an end. The reporter who speaks of a big story about Frankenstein does not reappear. Rena's father does not get his revenge on Frankenstein and Rena's therapy in Vienna does not take place. The additions harm the film above all, because they drag it out without contributing much. After the scenes of the US TV version were already in the bonus material of the German Blu-ray by Anolis, the complete TV version of the film was released for the first time on the US Blu-ray by Shout Factory. This is remarkable and fans of the movie can access it here.

Just a short digression about how closely even the bigger US labels calculate their releases. As one user on the Classic Horror Film Board reports, he provided Shout with his scan of a 16mm copy of the US TV version. The transfer was old and a new 4K scan could have delivered a much better result. He estimates that the new scan would have cost about $1000, but Shout rejected this offer for budget reasons. Furthermore, the version on the Blu-ray does not correspond to what he sent Shout. The compression is too strong and the colors are distorted. This is a real pity, because it would have been possible to preserve the US TV version for posterity. It (seemingly) failed because of 1000 dollars alone. How little value Shout attaches to the TV version is shown by the fact that the TV version is not even mentioned on the cover as a bonus.

The Shout Blu-ray uses a new 4K transfer, which offers a bit more picture information on all four sides compared to the old Blu-ray by Universal. This is well clarified with the picture comparison at caps-a-holic.

Image comparison:

The TV version shows a little bit more at the top and bottom, but is cropped on the sides.

Theatrical version:

TV version:

Runtimes:

Theatrical version: 86:36 min.
US TV version: 97:47 min.

[00:00:13][00:00:15]

The Universal logo is longer in the theatrical version. The first shot of the film starts earlier.

Theatrical Version: 11 sec.


[00:04:50][00:04:40]

The theatrical version also shows Frankenstein operating on the heart of the deceased while the credits are displayed. He places it in a glass with liquid.

Instead, the TV version cuts to the scientific instruments while the credits are faded in.

Theatrical Version: 1:34 min.
TV: 1:08 min.


[00:06:31][00:05:54]

The theatrical version shows further how Frankenstein puts the heart into the glass tank. Hans looks at him.

Theatrical Version: 17 sec.


[00:06:50][00:05:56]

After Frankenstein can be seen, the TV version shows a camera pan on the frozen body parts.

TV: 11 sec.


[00:07:42][00:06:59]

When Frankenstein turns the wheel back, a short cut is made on the mill.

Here, the Theatrical Version shows Frankenstein a bit longer.

TV: 2 sec.


[00:07:57][00:07:16]

The theatrical version shows a shot in which Frankenstein tries to reanimate the heart.

Theatrical Version: 3 sec.


[00:08:06][00:07:22]

Another cut on Frankenstein trying to get the heart beating. He looks at his watch simultaneously.

Theatrical Version: 3 sec.


[00:08:29][00:07:41]

Once again, Frankenstein tries to get the heart beating.

Theatrical Version: 3 sec.


[00:08:37][00:07:46]

Frankenstein lets go of the heart, which starts beating on its own.

Theatrical Version: 15 sec.


[00:11:13][00:10:08]

Film tear: Frankenstein and Hans can be seen longer in the carriage.

Theatrical Version: 2 sec.


[00:11:27][00:10:20]

In the theatrical version, the beggar woman continues to run and is harassed by four boys who take the bowl away from her. It comes to a scuffle. The four boys follow the beggar woman.

In the TV version, Carrell looks out the window. He is waiting for Dr. Sergado to finally receive him. Carrell tells him that he will soon leave for London. He tells him that, as a journalist in Bernheim, his attention was drawn to a missing body and that Frankenstein fled the city a short time later. He has learned from the priest that Frankenstein once lived in Karlstaad. Sergado reacts reservedly and says that people would like to forget Frankenstein.
Carrell looks out of the window and sees the castle of Frankenstein, which he would like to visit. Sergado says that nobody goes there anymore.
Sergado now asks Carrell to leave. He suspects that a big story is opening up. As he goes outside, he sees the beggar woman being harassed. Sergado holds him back and says that the beggar is deaf and dumb and can manage on her own.
Back in the house, Sergado tells him that the beggar woman's name is Rena and her parents have already died. Rena was a normal girl and was made into what she is now by Frankenstein. Sergado says that only the girl knows exactly what happened. Carrell wishes he had more time.

Theatrical Version: 34 sec.
TV: 3:37 min.


[00:27:42][00:29:36]

In the theatrical version, Frankenstein runs to the side as he searches for the monster.

The TV version fades over to a new scene. Little Rena is playing in the forest with her doll. Her mother calls for her. Rena asks her to play in the forest for a while. The mother agrees, if Rena promises to be home in time. The monster approaches.

Renas mother returns home. Rena is playing in the forest as the monster approaches. When Rena sees the monster, she screams and runs away.

Johann, Rena's father, comes home. He takes his rifle and says that the whole herd was killed. Rena's mother thinks of wolves, but Johann thinks he has heard stories about Frankenstein's monster. Rena's mother is afraid that since Rena is still in the woods but then she already shows up in the doorway. Her parents ask what happened, but Rena cannot answer. They want to take her to the doctor.

Theatrical Version: 1 sec.
TV: 3:00 min.

[00:28:45][00:33:37]

After the monster is shot, the theatrical version fades over to Frankenstein.

The TV version fades in on Rena's worried parents waiting for Dr. Sergado. He comes into the room and says that he doesn't know exactly what's going on with Rena. A terrible experience must have made sure that she can no longer speak or hear. Rena's mother leaves the room out of grief. Johann suspects that Frankenstein is behind it and wants to go to church and pray that Frankenstein will be punished for his heinous deeds.

Theatrical Version: 4 sec.
TV: 1:35 min.



[00:32:30][00:38:52]

The shot in which the mayor embraces his wife is shortened in the TV version and zoomed in.

Theatrical Version:

TV:

Theatrical Version: 6 sec.
TV: 5 sec.


[00:38:20][00:44:40]

The mayor's wife slides even further forward on the bed as Frankenstein abseils down.

Theatrical Version: 2 sec.


[00:39:02][00:45:21]

In the theatrical version, the carnival fades over to Frankenstein in the mountains.

In the TV version Dr. Sergado visits Johann, who has fallen asleep drunken on the table. He asks if his wife is here, but Johann says that she has been gone for a long time. Dr. Sergado says that he wants to bring Rena to Vienna to the new physician, Dr. Freud, from whom he hopes that Rena will be cured. Johann wants to know why he comes back to him after all these years. Sergado says that an event has shaken him up again and that Frankenstein is back in town. Johann runs to his shotgun, but Sergado can snatch it away from him again. Sergado wants to know where Rena is. Johann says that she is in the mountains, but he cannot say exactly where. Johann tells him that he has been having the same dream ever since Rena went into the mountains. In the dream, Rena is as before and comes to Johann. She tells him that the creature cannot hurt her anymore. Something in Johann tells him that Rena would say this to him if she could speak. Johann says that Sergado can bring Rena to Vienna, then he collapses drunkenly on the table. Sergado leaves.

Theatrical Version: 4 sec.
TV: 5:05 min.


[00:51:24][01:02:43]

Due to the cropped picture format, we cannot see the picture of the naked woman in Zoltan's caravan.

No time difference.


[01:07:13][01:18:31]

After the monster has put its hands down, the TV version cuts to Zoltan and then to the beggar woman. The scenes can be seen again later.

TV: 9 sec.


[01:07:42][01:19:09]

The monster hits the mayor against the wall once again.

Theatrical Version: 2 sec.


[01:07:46][01:19:11]

After the mayor's wife fainted, the monster knocks the mayor against the wall some more times.

Theatrical Version: 7 sec.


[01:13:42][01:25:00]

Zoltan, who is impaled with the bar, can be seen longer. The next shot in which he falls to the ground starts a bit earlier.

Theatrical Version: 6 sec.


[01:26:19][01:37:30]

In the TV version, the actors of the new scenes appear in the credits.

No time difference.