The Frozen Dead is a 1966 British science fiction horror film written, produced and directed by Herbert J. Leder (It!; Doomsday Machine) and starring Dana Andrews (Night of the Demon), Anna Palk (The Skull; The Nightcomers; Tower of Evil) and Philip Gilbert (Die! Die! My Darling!). Edward Fox (Skullduggery; The Cat and the Canary; Lost in Space) has an early role as Prisoner #3.
Hammer horror regulars Don Banks (The Evil of Frankenstein; The Reptile; The Mummy’s Shroud) composed the strident score, whilst Scott MacGregor provided the art direction (Taste the Blood of Dracula; The Vampire Lovers; Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell).
Although shot in Eastmancolor, US distributors Warner-Seven Arts chose to release it in black and white to save money duplicating prints!
Plot teaser:
A Nazi scientist plans to revive a dozen frozen Nazi leaders…
Reviews:
“Unlike It!, where a simple premise gets madder and madder, The Frozen Dead has a grand idea but doesn’t really seem to know what to do with it. We’re only treated to one rampaging Nazi zombie (as played by Edward Fox, no less), but even he’s a bit crap. However, it’s worth noting that the “Elsa’s head in a box” scenes are incredibly effective, and almost make it worth seeking out the film by themselves. Bathed in an eerie blue light and glaring balefully at her captors, she’s the real star of the show.” British Horror Films
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“Dana Andrews is actually quite good in this mess, giving his character of Dr. Norberg some layers that went above and beyond the call of duty for a film of this caliber. Character actor Alan Tilvern plays a goofy Igor-like character who manages to spice things up by going bat-guano crazy. It’s too bad the rest of the movie didn’t give these two more to work with.” Victor Medina, Cinelinx
“The Brain That Wouldn’t Die is noteworthy for Virginia Leith’s talkative, taunting performance as that film’s body-less head. In The Frozen Dead, the honor goes to Kathleen Breck as the hapless Elsa. Her subtler, more tortured and mostly mimed performance is actually quite good, in unrealistic surroundings realistically expressing the horror of finding oneself disembodied and at the mercy of loopy scientists. A couple of (stationary matte?) effects shots showing the disembodied head are also well done. And she gets the film’s memorable last line, dialogue which, given all the absurdities that preceded it, is admirably haunting.” Stewart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk
“Seriously, folks: despite being an enjoyably bad b-movie, The Frozen Dead has a somewhat disturbing quality to it that won’t let you forget about it. But, of course, on the upside, we do get to see a wall of severed arms come to life and strangle Nazis. I mean, you can’t go wrong with that, right?” Luigi Bastardo, Cinema Sentries
“The best things about this unscary movie are the art direction and the living head which features prominently in the production.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook
Choice dialogue:
“Bury me, bury me…”
Cast:
- Dana Andrews – Dr. Norberg
- Anna Palk – Jean Norburg
- Philip Gilbert – Dr. Ted Roberts
- Kathleen Breck – Elsa Tenney
- Karel Stepanek – General Lubeck
- Basil Henson – Dr. Tirpitz
- Alan Tilvern – Karl Essen
- Anne Tirard – Mrs. Schmidt
- Edward Fox – Norburg’s Brother (Prisoner #3)
- Oliver MacGreevy – Joseph the Butler
- Tom Chatto – Inspector Witt
- John Moore – Bailey the Stationmaster
- Charles Wade – Alfie the Porter
