Karloff
portrays an ex-con named John Ellman, recently released from jail after 10
years and trying to get his life back on track. He attempts to get a job with
some shady racketeers, but ends up being framed for the murder of a judge the
racketeers wanted revenge on. His innocence is exposed right after his death
sentence is carried out, but he’s miraculously brought back to life by a scientist
determined to reveal the secrets of life and death, while Ellman is determined
to extract revenge…
This little
film was directed by the gifted and influential Michael Curtiz, one of the most
significant directors from the golden era of Hollywood. It’s a clever little blend
of genres with elements from crime/gangster, sci fi and horror cinema, though
the major emphasis seems to be on crime elements. Curtiz had some experience
with horror and sci fi, directing Doctor X and Mystery of the Wax Museum a few
years earlier.
Watching
the film, there are some undeniable similarities with Frankenstein. In
particular is the scene where Karloff is revived from the dead, where some
pretty elaborate scientific equipment is projected with test tubes, boiling and
pumping liquids, and lots of electronics, with Karloff laying on the operating
table being injected with whatever scientific quackery it is that brings him
back to life. It’s pretty neat.
Karloff was
reportedly concerned with these similarities and wished for his character to
have more lines in order to separate the two of them. I have always found
Karloff’s facial expressions to be a cut above most of his peers, while his
voice a cut below. He had a slight lisp and a gentle voice which simply didn’t
suit many of the characters he came to portray throughout his career. In this
film, his voice works okay because of the way the character is written – sort of
gentle and innocent.
In addition to Karloff, there are other noteworthy performances in the film;
Ricardo Cortez does a real good job at portraying a corrupt lawyer asshole
intent on financial gain and collaborating with whorish gangsters. Also
noteworthy is character actor Barton MacLane in a typical tough guy gangster
role.
Direction
and technical quality is standard of the era, pretty bland most of the time,
but the pacing is good. The story keeps it interesting all the way. The ending
might seem incomplete, but I found it refreshing. Karloff fans, fans of classic
Hollywood cinema and fans of the golden age of horror/sci fi, will definitely
get a kick out of this classic piece of art.
