BY DARREN ALLISON

The Film Detective continues to thrill us with a couple of excellent cult classics. Frankenstein’s Daughter is a film that had been denied a great deal of exposure to fans of the strange and macabre. For many, it’s a title that has teased us for decades, with a still or a lobby card appearing once in a while by way of a horror book or a specialist periodical, so it is certainly welcome. It is typically what one would expect from this lush 1950s period. An incredibly low-budget affair, these films would often be produced for around $60,000, but the filmmakers certainly knew how to squeeze every ounce out of that budget. If anything, it ignited creativity and provided a lesson in how to make the most of the limited resources that were available to them.

Frankenstein’s Daughter is a fine example of that. Starring Donald Murphy, Sandra Knight, John Ashley and Harold Lloyd Jr (yes, that’s the son of the silent film comedian), the film was directed by Richard E. Cunha. The film is a simple enough story, if a little absurd, and attempts to latch on to the whole horror family spin off notion - film’s such as Universal’s Dracula’s Daughter (1936), Son of Dracula (1943) and Son of Frankenstein (1939) undoubtedly contributed towards the filmmakers line of thought. There was a gap in the market, and it was rich ground for exploiting. Donald Murphy is the real villain here, playing the sleazy and devious lab assistant Oliver Frank (Frank being a thinly disguised identity for the Frankenstein family name), and it’s his intention of creating the first female Frankenstein's monster which drives the narrative.

Like most of these low budget horrors, it’s usually down to the ‘monster make-up’ which determines its overall likeability factor. Frankenstein’s Daughter fits right in. It is very much in the same ballpark as AIP’s cult classics such as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein made a year earlier in 1957, and where the central ‘monster’ seems to be inspired by an automobile accident victim, which of course, in the worst instance, can be something quite grotesque and disturbing. This all works well in the context of Frankenstein’s Daughter and adds a great deal to the overall thrill factor. The acting is quite naturally wooden and stiff, but anyone who knows and loves these films wouldn’t expect anything less, as it’s part of their appeal.

The Film Detective has done a remarkable job on this film. Considering its low budget, the film looks quite beautiful framed at 1.85:1, and with sharp, clean detail in both picture and audio.

I was really impressed with the bonus materials which include a very interesting documentary, Richard E. Cunha: Filmmaker of the Unknown - A new retrospective from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, featuring an archival interview with director Richard E. Cunha. There is also a very detailed and enjoyable audio commentary with numerous contributors and a fascinating featurette, John Ashley: Man from the B’s - a new career retrospective featuring film historian C. Courtney Joyner. The Film Detective seals this fine tribute with a nice 12-page booklet featuring an original essay, The Making of Frankenstein’s Daughter written by Tom Weaver. It’s a thoughtful and well -produced Blu-ray release which has to be admired.

The Amazing Mr. X (1948), also known as The Spiritualist, is an American horror thriller made in a film noir style. For a title that sits in the public domain it's perhaps unfairly overlooked or labelled as a ‘lessor’ quality film, and this really isn’t the case. Starring Turhan Bey, Lynn Bari, Cathy O'Donnell, and Richard Carlson, the film was directed by Bernard Vorhaus.

Some two years after her husband's death, Christine Faber (Lynn Bari) hears her late husband Paul Faber (Donald Curtis) calling out her name. She walks outside her beachfront home and encounters Alexis (Turhan Bey), a mysterious, charming stranger who seems to know all about her. After more ghostly manifestations, Christine and her younger sister Janet (Cathy O'Donnell) become obsessed with the strange life of Alexis, a spiritualist. But Alexis finds himself in more trouble than he had in mind. After staging a convincing séance involving the deceased Paul, he is surprised by the appearance of Paul Faber himself. And so begins a twisting tale of deceitful plotting.

The Amazing Mr. X moves along very nicely, and is full of wonderfully atmospheric scenes. But it’s also a story of two parts. Once Paul is revealed as being very much alive, the film changes direction and becomes more of a straightforward piece of noir and the supernatural element takes more of a back seat. However, everything is handled exceptionally well, especially the impressive cinematography by John Alton. Alton’s use of shadow and his clever optical effects really helps to elevate the movie and gives it a more polished (and expensive) look that you would expect to see in a RKO or a Universal production from the same period. Large, lush sets and exotic beach locations all add to the general glossy production values.

Once again, The Film Detective has produced a fine addition to their catalogue of titles. The movie’s new 4K transfer, both in visual and audio terms, is superb - perhaps a little soft in certain scenes, but some close-ups, particularly on Bari, appear more as intended soft focus shots. But overall, The Amazing Mr. X, presented in its correct aspect ratio of 1.37:1, punches high above its weight. The bonus material is also very enjoyable and includes a specific audio commentary by Jason A. Ney. There is also a new documentary, Mysteries Exposed: Inside the Cinematic World of Spiritualis, which is an enjoyable and informative reflection of the genre. A nice 12-page booklet is included which features a detailed essay, The Amazing Mr. Bey written by Don Stradley.

Both Frankenstein’s Daughter and The Amazing Mr. X (1948) offer a great deal of enjoyment and fun. It’s nice to see that the wonderful original artwork has been utilised on both releases rather than some badly cut and pasted Photoshop design which always cheapens the overall presentation. It’s a shame that the original trailers were not included, especially for Frankenstein’s Daughter. As an exploitation movie, the accompanying trailers often provided a certain over-the-top sense of salesmanship which was always so unique and memorable.

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(Darren Allison is the movie soundtracks reviewer for Cinema Retro magazine.)