“I made it to be perfect. If the brain hadn’t been damaged, my work would have been hailed as the greatest scientific achievement of all time!”

It’s 1860, and the “whole continent” is breathing a sigh of relief after the news that Baron Frankenstein has been condemned to death for his nefarious activities in the previous film.

As a hipster bearded Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is led to the guillotine, there’s knowing looks a-plenty on the scaffold. The blade falls… but whose head was on the block?

We soon find out, as a couple of comedy grave robbers (Michael Ripper and Lionel Jeffries) dig up the grave, only to find “…it’s a priest!”

For some reason, Frankenstein has been watching this pantomime, and steps out of the shadows, leading to Jeffries suffering a sudden and spectacular heart attack. If ever a character wasn’t cut out for their chosen profession…

The Baron’s doctoring instincts immediately cut in and he checks for a pulse. When there’s none, his Frankensteining instincts return and he gives a cold, non-committal shrug.

Then it’s three years later, and “Doctor Stein” is going down a storm in the town of Carlsbruk. In fact, it’s true to say that for the ladies of Carlsbruk, this handsome and charismatic new doctor is probably the best doctor in their world. The same can’t be said of the town’s medical council, though. His chiselled cheekbones have little effect on their opinions, and they’re not at all keen on his insistence on taking money from his rich patients and spending it on his poor ones (the fiend).

Well, that’s not strictly true – one of their number, idealistic young Doctor Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews), IS quite enamoured. And what’s more, he thinks he’s knows Dr Stein’s real identity. Hans just wants to learn from the master, so rather than brutally killing him, Frankenstein takes the young doctor under his wing.

Hans is introduced to Frankenstein’s secret laboratory, run by the quietly deformed Karl (Oscar Quitak) and featuring Otto, a chimp with the brain of an orangutan. Yes, as well as setting up a successful medical practice and a hospital, the Baron has also been busy continuing his experiments.

“It should have been perfect!” he tells Hans, when discussing the events of the previous film. “I made it to be perfect! If the brain hadn’t been damaged… I swore I would have my revenge! They will never be rid of me!”

At the back of the lab is his latest creation… a body he’s stitched together from bits of his poorer patients. Turns out that’s the reason why they’re not as happy as they might be.

Asked who the body is, he replies: “Nobody… he isn’t born yet.”

This time the brain will be donated by the mild-mannered Karl, who is happy to be reborn as a strapping six footer without a gammy leg. 

It’s at this point that a potential problem arrives, in the shape of Margaret (Eunice Gayson), an idealistic young lady who wants to help out at Dr Stein’s poor people’s hospital. 

But the operation goes ahead, and is seemingly a great success. It’s at this point Frankenstein decides to reveal to Hans that Otto the chimp became a cannibal following his brain transplant, killing and eating his mate. But the Baron is convinced that won’t happen this time… unless the brain gets damaged before it has a chance to heal properly.

New Karl (Michael Gwynn) wakes up, and is immediately subjected to the perfect storm of Hans explaining what Frankenstein has planned for him and Margaret loosening his bonds to make him more comfortable.

Returning to the laboratory, New Karl is badly beaten by Frankenstein’s janitor, who thinks he’s a burglar. With his as-yet unhealed brain now damaged, Frankenstein’s latest monster begins to regress into a half old Karl, half New Karl, half drooling cannibal nutcase. Confronting his creator in front of assorted witnesses, he cries “Frankenstein, help me!” before expiring.

Frankenstein, now exposed as the continent’s least favourite mad scientist, realises the game is up. But before he can bid auf weidersehn to the good people of Carlsbruk, is set upon and badly beaten by his patients at the hospital, who finally realise why they kept being left sans sundry limbs.

Luckily, Hans is around to make use of a spare body Frankenstein just happened to have lying around in the lab. He transplants the Baron’s brain, and hey-presto, a now moustachioed Peter Cushing has set up a new practice in Harley Street London, under the Scotland Yard-baffling pseudonym of Dr Franck.

As a satisfying continuation of the first, ground-breaking film, Revenge Of Frankenstein works. It’s also a great bridge into the increasingly nuts sequels which came after it. But as a stand-alone horror film it feels a bit lacking… everyone gives it their all and it looks gorgeous. But Michael Gwynn’s “monster” doesn’t really get enough screen time or chance to do much rampaging, promptly expiring off-screen just when things feel like they’re about to get going.