Details
Movie Description
In THE BODY SNATCHER, Robert Wise's creepy, intricate horror film, a 19th-century Edinburgh doctor and medical school professor, Dr. MacFarlane (Henry Daniell), has been relying upon unappeasable grave robber John Grey (Boris Karloff) to provide him with corpses for his experiments. His young assistant, Donald Fettes (Russell Wade), is shocked when he learns how they come to be in possession of their cadavers, but his admiration for MacFarlane leads him to keep the doctor's illegal dealings a secret. However, when their supply of fresh cadavers begins to dwindle, Grey taunts the doctor with a secret even greater than their body snatching. Meanwhile, Fettes must keep up his hardworking, moral front for Mrs. Marsh (Rita Corday), whose crippled little girl, Georgina (Sharyn Moffett), he's treating. Based on the famous Robert Louis Stevenson story, THE BODY SNATCHER incorporates a subplot based on the actual account of 19th-century Edinbugh murderers Burke and Hare. This chilling, atmospheric film features what is arguably one of Karloff's greatest performances as the menacing, murderous Grey. It also features a fantastic scene between Karloff and the legendary Bela Lugosi (as MacFarlane's servant Joseph), the only one the two ever filmed together.
Film Notes
Boris Karloff felt that the role of Grey was a chance for him to prove he was an actor--not just a scary monster out to scare people.
Robert Wise and producer Val Lewton (who had worked together on CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE) had to work with a tiny budget, using the old standing sets for the THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939), which Wise had edited.
Lewton did not want to hire Bela Lugosi, but the studio was insistent upon having Lugosi and Karloff together for publicity. So Lewton relented and created the role of Joseph.
Lugosi was very ill during filming, and Wise had to take special care with him in the direction of the very physical scene between him and Karloff. This is considered the last good film Lugosi made.
Quotations
"I've never had much of a need for a rope cravat--I never did like the smell of hemp--so I'll bid you a good-night."--Grey (Boris Karloff) to MacFarlane (Henry Daniell)
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