The cast: Donald Murphy, Sandra Knight, Felix Locher, Wolfie Barzell, John Ashley, Sally Todd, Harold Lloyd Jr., John Zaremba and Robert Dix. (The monster, Harry Wilson.)
Produced by Marc Frederic; Directed by Richard Cunha;
Screenplay by H.H. Barrie; Photography, Meredith Nicholson; Special Effects, Ira Anderson; Make-up, Harry Thomas and Paul Stanhope. A Marc Frederic and George Fowley Production, a Layton Film; Distributed by Astor Pictures in 1958.
8MM title "SHE MONSTER OF THE NIGHT; 85 minutes, B & W.
The Plot: The entire city is terrorized by a weird "monster woman." Her body is exquisite but her face is ghastly and shocking.
In a stately old house in the neighborhood where the creature has been seen, lives lovely Trudy Morton and her uncle, Carter Morton, a scientist.
Carter is assisted by Oliver Frank, 30. The men are working on the development of a drug that will wipe out all the destructive cells and organisms that plague man.
No one in the household is aware that Oliver and Elsu, the Carter gardener, are plotting something. Elsu is a gnarled old man who looks like an overgrown dwarf and who is frightening to look at.
Without Carter's knowing it, Oliver and Elsu have created a secret entrance to the laboratory and are working on an experiment of their own. This experiment is the creation of life from the dead. Oliver Frank is really the descendant of Frankenstein and is continuing the horrible experiments that his father started.
The monster woman who has been frightening the city is really Trudy. Oliver has been administering potent drugs that turn Trudy nightly into the monster woman. Trudy is completely unaware that it is she who has been the nocturnal monster.
Trudy is now becoming deeply concerned over her nightmares. She still does not know that she is the monster woman. She confides to her fiance, Johnny Bruder her dreams and fears. She also tells the story to Don and Suzie. However, none of her friends believe this is anything important.
In order to complete his experiments, Carter must obtain some Digeneral. In the middle of the night he breaks into the company laboratory, steals the Digeneral and returns to his own lab. But before he has a chance to use this new and powerful drug, Oliver purposely jostles him, causing Carter to drop the Digeneral. Oliver does not want Carter to complete his experiments as this will mean the end of their association and the end of Oliver's own secret experiments.
Oliver now realizes that he must hurry to conclude his experiments in bringing the dead back to life. He now increases the amount of the potion he secretly gives Trudy as he must have a body.
In desperation Oliver tricks Suzie, Trudy's friend, into going on a date and is killed by him. Oliver and Elsu bring the body to the laboratory and begin the operation. If successful, the body will become the human machine---controlled by the will of Frankenstein!
The operation is nearly completed when Oliver and Elsu are interrupted by Carter. Carter has broken into the nearby laboratory again to steal another bottle of Digeneral. However, this time the police almost caught him.
Meanwhile the monster that once was Suzie comes to life and disappears.
Oliver and Elsu find the missing monster and lead her back to a secret room where they revitalize her with a special drug.
Oliver now realizes that he must get rid of Carter. He informs the police that Carter is the man who has been stealing the Digeneral and is arrested.
Oliver's madness begins to assert itself. Elsu does not want to continue the experiments, but he is helpless. Oliver decides to make another monster. He has become insanely jealous because Trudy has announced she and Johnny are engaged. This time he will use Trudy for his experiment!
He drags the frightened Trudy into his laboratory. He tells her his real name is Frankenstein! Elsu refuses to proceed with the experiment. Oliver orders the monster to kill Elsu. Obediently, the monster chokes Elsu to death. In the excitement Trudy slips away.
Trudy rushes to the police where she meets Johnny who has been trying to help the imprisoned Carter. She tells her experiences and although they are somewhat dubious over the fantastic story, Detective Dillon decides to investigate. He goes to the Carter house, but is trapped by Oliver who orders the monster to attack the police officer. Dillon empties his gun at the monster, but the bullets have no effect and he is killed.
Meanwhile, Johnny and Trudy return to the Carter house where they are trapped by the monster and Oliver.
Oliver orders the monster to kill the couple. In desperation, Johnny flings a beaker of acid at the monster. It misses, but hits Oliver flush in the face. Oliver screams and covers his face. The monster is bewildered by the screams and by the shooting of the police who have now surrounded the house. She puts her arm over an open fire in the laboratory. Her clothes catch fire and the flames spread through the room.
The monster is now completely helpless. Oliver is too distracted by his injuries to give her orders. The monster wanders through the house igniting everything it touches. In the excitement Johnny and Trudy escape, but Oliver and the monster he created are trapped and perish in the flames.
Make-up man Harry Thomas did not know the monster was
supposed to be a female until the last minute, and so
applied a bit of lipstick to the ugly monster's lips. The make-up is kind of unique with a melted-look about it and the she-monster wears a totally unique outfit. Even though the movie is not as well-acted as the AIP films, it is still entertaining and is now considered a cult classic. A bit of trivia: Sally Todd, who plays Suzie, the girl who is the victim of Frankenstein's
"hit and run" and becomes the monster, posed for Playboy Magazine in February 1957.
In his book, The Frankenstein Legend (Scarecrow Press, 1973), writer Donald Glut states, "Frankenstein's Daughter was Astor Pictures' contribution to the list of worst Horror movies of all time. Directed by Richard Cunha, the film was another attempt to capitalize on the teenage movie craze."
