Jesse James we understand
Has killed many a man
He robbed the union trains
He stole from the rich
And gave to the poor
He'd a hand and a heart
And a brain
A small village somewhere at the border to Mexico is slowly turning into a ghost town. Only an older pair and their daughter Juanita (Estelita Rodriguez) still live there in the hope their son might still come back from the castle of Maria Frankenstein (Narda Onyx) and her brother Rudolf (Steven Geray). But word gets down to them, that their son, too, died of "a highly infectious illness" the doctors Frankenstein weren't able to cure.
While the Lopez flee from town, we learn that the poor guy was the victim of Maria's continuation of her grandfather's work (Jesse James meets Frankenstein's Granddaughter wouldn't have been an acceptable title, it seems) of implanting an artificial brain in a fine new body. Unknown to her, her brother slyly sabotages her experiments by injecting the subjects with poison (from a bottle with a big white skull and crossbones the good woman must be blind not to see). So she thinks the real problem have to be her victims subjects, as "mere children" completely inferior to "big, strong man". She needs "a real brute".
Soon, she will find one, since at the same time Jesse James (John Lupton) and his partner Hank Tracy (Cal Bolder) - a big, strong man - are learning some sad truths about the life of an outlaw - people want to kill you, some, like Lonny Curry (Rayford Barnes), a traitorous member of the Wild Bunch will even betray you to get on the good side of the law.
Jesse and Hank barely escape from Curry's trap, but not before Hank receives a grievous wound.
While they are on the look-out for a place to hide and a doctor, they meet the Lopez family. Juanita instantly falls for Jesse's expressionless face and his manly mustache and agrees to lead the men to the Frankenstein estate (without a word about possible dangers, but oh well).
There, they make Maria Frankenstein very happy - not only does she get the big, strong man she always wanted to play with, but also the hope to make Jesse her partner, when she will finally build an empire with the help of an army of one not exactly bulletproof creature.
At least her experiment succeeds and Hank, whose new brain makes him her obedient slave, can take to his new role in life, as well as his new name - Igor.
I can't possibly imagine why the good Doctor doesn't let him wear a shirt.
I think it is possible that I discovered a slight sado-masochistic subtext in the film. Could it be possible?
Anyway, I wasn't aware at all that films that looked and felt so very much like classic Poverty Row movies were still made in 1966. Well, director William "One-Shot" Beaudine had made quite a lot of films on poverty row, and I can't say he had learned anything since then.
But when you're talking about a film depicting the meeting of Jesse James and Lady Frankenstein, this isn't such a bad thing. Beaudine obviously knew a lot about letting his actors do their worst - the male actors, especially our hero, of course, are as wooden as they get, while our female leads (glorious, glorious, evil dominatrix-scientist Narda Onyx!) are completely over the top in each and every moment.
You can't do anything but love a film where the mad genius is a woman who rechristens her servant Igor, talks her own brother into subservience, and rants and casts melodramatic looks around permanently.
All of this is obviously terribly silly, but at the time so...beautiful you just have to love the movie and its true heroine.
Darling of the Day:
"You are no longer Hank Tracy! You are now - Igor! Do you understand? Igor! That is how you will be known! I am Maria Frankenstein! As I think, you will think! We are one! I will command, you will obey! You will live as long as I will it! You will die when I command it! Remember, you are always under my control! You are now Igor! I command you to arise! Igor! I am Maria Frankenstein! I created you! I created you! I command you to get up! Get up, Igor!"
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