orced to flee Vienna, Dr. Maria Frankenstein (Onyx) and her brother, Rudolph (Steven Geray), have settled in a vacant mission near Bisbee, Ariz. Attracted to the region by frequent electrical storms, the siblings continue the experiments first devised by their mad grandfather, utilizing
local peasants as their victims. After numerous unsuccessful attempts at creating a monstrous slave, Maria discovers why their research thus far has been futile. Unfortunately, with only one replacement brain left to implant, she needs a markedly muscular man to serve as her final test
subject.
At the same time, Jesse James (Lupton) and his hulking sidekick, Hank Tracy (Bolder), are hoping to pull off a lucrative stagecoach heist. The plan goes awry when one of their gang alerts the law, leading to a deadly shootout in which Tracy is seriously hurt. Escaping into the Arizona
wilderness, James and his loyal comrade run across the Lopez clan, who have fled their village due to the mysterious disappearances that began soon after the Frankensteins arrived in the area.
Gorgeous Juanita (Estelita) agrees to escort the pair to the closest physician, who happens to be Maria Frankenstein. Ushering the injured Tracy into her laboratory, the deranged doctor assures James—masquerading as "Mr. Howard"—that she will care for his companion. However, before long, she's operating on the wounded criminal, replacing his brain with an
artificial organ that turns him into a shambling hulk. Yet the transformation isn't complete until she engages the dreaded "duothermic impulsator." With the marshal closing in, and Maria inadvertently discovering his true identity, it's up to the legendary James not only to try to save his friend, but also to rid the Old West of the fearsome Frankenstein family.
Promising so much, delivering so little
Back in 1966, sophisticated moviegoers probably knew not to expect too much from an exploitation flick titled Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter. Still, even naive viewers got less than they bargained for upon entering the theater. Though the poster claimed to deliver "Roaring Guns Against Raging Monster!", there's far more plot absurdity and preposterous dialogue than either barrages of bullets or bloodcurdling horror. Happily, a fresh DVD release includes a feature-length audio commentary from famed drive-in devotee Joe Bob Briggs, making the
adventure not only mildly amusing, but also, from a historical perspective, downright informative.
As his sometimes rambling but invariably interesting observations reveal, the picture possessed a surprisingly highbrow behind-the-scenes pedigree. Director William Beaudine—nicknamed "One-Shot Beaudine" due to his reputation for filming every scene in a single take—began his career during the silent era and had once been rather influential in the industry, while writer Carl Hittleman had previously produced numerous legitimate westerns,
including two spotlighting Jesse James. The on-camera talent was admittedly less illustrious, although Lupton remains passable as the hero and Onyx adequately serves, in Briggs' words, as a delightfully demented "bitch with a beaker."
All the same, the movie is a mess. The story is stodgy, the no-budget sets are laughable and the ridiculous-looking gadgets—especially the wildly colorful "duothermic impulsator" helmets—invoke far more amusement than apprehension. Even the original theatrical trailer, included as the sole extra on the disc, fails to make the tale look thrilling. Luckily, Briggs
resuscitates the experience, ensuring viewers that, even if Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter is a visual disappointment, this particular presentation, at the very least, sounds entertaining.
