Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966) Embassy Pictures/Horror-Western RT: 85 minutes No MPAA Rating (violence, scary moments) Director: William Beaudine Screenplay: Carl K. Hittleman Music: Raoul Kraushaar Cinematography: Lothrop B. Worth Release date: April 14, 1966 (US) Cast: John Lupton, Narda Onyx, Estelita Rodriguez, Cal Bolder, Jim Davis, Steven Geray, Rayford Barnes, William Fawcett, Nestor Paiva, Roger Creed, Rosa Turich, Felipe Turich, Fred Stromrose, Dan White, Page Slattery, Mark Norton. Box Office: N/A
Rating: *
While there’s no question the production values are slightly better in Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter, the companion piece to Billy the Kid vs. Dracula, there’s no getting around the glaring error in the title.
Note that the daughter of Dr. Frankenstein is referenced in the title. The character in question, Dr. Maria Frankenstein (Onyx) is actually the mad doctor’s granddaughter! This is mentioned in the first ten minutes. It looks like William “One Shot” Beaudine strikes again! Does his one-shot filming policy also extend to the poster art? Could the studio not afford to correct the title? Or does its given title simply sound better than Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Granddaughter? Who knows and who cares?
In his final film, Beaudine delivers another terrible horror-western hybrid, this time pitting the notorious outlaw (Lupton) against a female mad scientist conducting dangerous experiments on Mexican peasants. Once again, all I can say is a befuddled “WOW.” This movie is horrendous. It played on a double bill with Billy the Kid vs. Dracula and I’m wondering if audiences felt they got their money’s worth with two stinkers as monumentally bad as these. I watched both flicks back-to-back in my living room and felt afterwards like I just underwent a lobotomy. I’m pretty sure that’s not the reaction Beaudine desired, but it is what it is.
Maria and her brother Rudolph (Geray) have settled in the American West due to the frequency of electrical storms. They need them for their experiments. It’s also a good place to hide out seeing that they’re on the run from the authorities in their home country of Vienna.
Meanwhile, Jesse and his hulking sidekick Hank Tracy (Bolder) come to town to join a local gang in robbing a stagecoach of $100,000. The gang, led by Butch Curry (Creed), call themselves The Wild Bunch which makes one question if this was where Sam Peckinpah drew his inspiration for his classic 1969 western. I’d say probably not.
After being humiliated by Jesse, Butch’s brother Lonny (Barnes) goes to the town sheriff (Davis) to strike a deal. In exchange for information about the impending robbery, he’ll collect the $10,000 reward for James. They stop the robbery, but Jesse and a seriously wounded Hank get away. They encounter peasant girl Juanita Lopez (Rodriguez) who takes them to the abandoned mission Dr. Maria is using as a laboratory for medical treatment. The mad doctor sees an opportunity to try the procedure once more. It’s her last chance seeing as she has just one brain left. Long story short, it works and Hank turns into a homicidal maniac named Igor. Take a wild guess who the hero is?
The equipment you see in the lab was provided by Ken Strickfaden and was also used in Universal’s Frankenstein flicks. The apparatus placed on the heads of the unwilling experimental subjects is actually an M1 combat helmet, repainted with red and white stripes. That’s the only cool thing about Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (other than the kooky title). Along with its companion piece, it was shot in just eight days. Yes, both movies were shot at the same time which is a nice way to cut costs.
Once again, Beaudine lives up to his nickname by leaving in all the gaffes, flubs and continuity errors. It doesn’t matter what they are because they’re all overshadowed by the inaccurate title. The acting and dialogue are terrible. At least the other movie had John Carradine, I’ve never heard of any of the actors in this dud. Certain scenes make no sense. The pacing is way off. It moves very slowly. There’s an unnecessary romantic subplot between Jesse and Dr. Maria. He likes Juanita, Dr. Maria wants him, he rejects her, Hell hath no fury like a woman mad doctor scorned, etc.
The special effects are shoddy and the whole movie looks cheap. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a cheap product from Woolworth’s. In short, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter is a complete mess. It’s one of those movies that UHF would show on the late, late show when only insomniacs are watching. This movie is a sure cure for that disorder. It’s not even unintentionally funny, it’s just bad. Not just bad, but BAD in big, brass letters! Recommended for masochists only.
