Early sci fi effort from Hammer films, made the same year as Spaceways and a lot more effective - much better made, in part because it has a stronger story. Two boys are in love with the same girl, a childhood friend (years before Pearl Harbour) - the two grow up to become scientists, still in love with the girl, but she prefers one of them... so the other decides to clone her. But then the poor bastard finds out the clone likes his mate too - when they go on honeymoon she tries to kill herself. Instead of trying to find someone new, he decides to wipe the clone's memory, leading to chaos.
Now that's not a bad idea for a science fiction film - indeed, I'm surprised it wasn't used again in the 60s and 70s when the creepy/necrophiliac overtones couldn't have been exploited more. It's very much indebted to Frankenstein, with a bad scientist toying with god and dealing with his tragic creation, climaxing with an operation that involves the monster strapped to a slab and a fire burning down the building. (The first Quatermass owned a debt to that story too.) The big difference here is Frankenstein is schtupping his monster.
It lacks logic - I get why the mad scientist is doing it (for love) but for the girl and his mentor doctor to go along with it pushes credibility. It's stylishly shot and directed.
A big debit is the cast - Stephen Murray is given a choice role as the tormented Bill, a Frankenstein figure, but he's never allowed to cut loose (or was unable to). John Van Eyssen is a damp squib as his friend (meant to be more charismatic but bugger if I could see it). James Hayter irritates as a kindly pipe smoking doctor who seems to encourage the cloning. The most effective performance came from cult favourite Barbara Payton, notorious good time girl whose career was overshadowed by scandal; she's not a great actress but she's pretty and is clearly trying - she seems like a nice person, which is a bit naff to say, but it's true, and actually helps the movie... she's no cliched femme fetale and her clone character is touching in places.
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