THE BODY SNATCHER (1945)

DAY #398

Another white-out. A white-out out. I mean outside, its a white-out. An out and out white-out in fact.

It's completely white is what I'm trying to say (outside).

So lots of time to sit here and think... to reflect on my life before the igloo...

God, I loved women. Loved them so much that I wanted to hold them, squeeze them and never let go. This led to all sorts of lawsuits involving complicated legal jargon such as 'strangulation' and 'murder', and at one stage I was even accused of being sexist!

"What's wrong with being sexy, love?" I replied to the female lawyer, pretending to have misheard her.

But she didn't see the joke, and went on to cite the fact that most of my 12 marriages had ended acrimoniously. She even had the gall to suggest that the only reason some of the marriages hadn't ended acrimoniously was because the bodies were never recovered from the reservoir*.

In my defence, I tried reminding her of the time I judged a beauty competition. But in response, all that this efficient, well-prepared and sexy lawyer did was quote my beauty competition judging notes back at me - in particular the page where I'd scrawled "All whores must die!" across the page in a mixture of my blood and semen.

I said no more on the subject, but to this day I still regret judging that beauty competition. It caused me no end of bother, especially when the winner went missing after an evening stroll with me.

But all this happened long ago, and beauty competitions are probably a lot less controversial these days. So! Enough attempts at reminiscing - here comes a film!

THE BODY SNATCHER (1945)






Misleading Poster Alert...



The Body Snatcher is one of three horror films in which Boris Karloff starred for producer Val Lewton (the others being ISLE OF THE DEAD & BEDLAM). Tis based on a Robert Louis Stevenson story, set in his home-town of olde Edinburgh around the 1820s. The tale centres around an idealistic young medical student Fettes (played by Russell Wade who pronounces Edinburgh as Edin-bow-row in his first scene which, as a Scot myself, is pretty unforgivable so I won't be mentioning him again), who gets taken on as an apprentice by the renowned Dr. MacFarlane. Now all we need are specimens to examine so we can work out how to save a young girl's life...

Although this film reunites Lugosi and Karloff, the main action is between Henry Daniell as Dr. Macfarlane and Karloff as his nemesis, Cabman and part-time Graverobber and Murderer John Gray.

Both actors play their parts superbly, no doubt helped by the beautifully written dialogue. Daniell manages to elicit real sympathy for his character even though he's a humourless and highly-strung arse, and Karloff gives a wonderfully sinister yet intelligent performance as the mocking Gray, who seems to have an uncanny hold over the doctor. Maybe they share a secret past?



The relationship between these two characters is what makes The Body Snatcher so compelling, locked as they are in some sort of death-embrace just like a pair of... I can't remember exactly. But I do seem to recall watching a nature show with two insects fighting which resulted in a ghastly stale-mate, where the next move would mean instant death for both of them. Anyway, that's Gray and Macfarlane.

Has anyone compared this film to Cape Fear before? I'd certainly do an in-depth study of the themes shared between the two If I wasn't restricted to watching random films in this bloody igloo. For a start, there are some obvious similarities in the storyline of both films, with the not-so-innocent protagonist coming up against a less than welcome reminder from their past. In both films, its the 'good guys' who seem less comfortable in their own skin, whereas Gray and Cady seem to have no such problems with what they are. They have come to terms with the evil that men (usually themselves) do. Also, in a touch which I particularly enjoy, throughout both films our flawed heroes are saddled with something of a pet-name by their nemesises - Gray enjoys referring to Macfarlane as 'Toddy' with the same evident relish that Max Cady greets Sam Bowden as 'Counselor'.

As I alluded to earlier, the relationship between Macfarlane and Gray surely can't end well for either of them. And it doesn't. No one here gets out alive, yet even in death the two can't be separated it would seem...

The Body Snatcher is a true horror classic which has stood the test of time remarkably well. It explores ethical issues regarding our quest of knowledge that are still relevant today, and offers a stark warning of what happens when good men allow bad things to happen to achieve their own goals. And for many, it's Karloff's finest performance.



"I am a small man, a humble man. Being poor I have had to do much that I did not want to do. But so long as the great Dr McFarlane comes to my whistle, that long am I a man. If I have not that then I have nothing. Then I am only a cabman and a grave robber. You'll never get rid of me, Toddy."

MORE KARLOFF AT THE BORIS KARLOFF BLOGATHON

* Reservoir is just a complete guess of course.

ISLE OF THE DEAD (1945)

Day #16

Clear weather again today, so I venture west and attempt to map my surroundings...

I had been walking for several uneventful hours when it hit me!

I looked around – nothing. So I attempted to carry on walking and it hit me again! Some sort of invisible force field!

I walked as far as I could to the left, and to the right. No way through. Am I trapped? Trapped like an animal? Like an animal in… an arctic force-field?

I find myself pondering upon this question back in the igloo, as the TV flickers on and offers up a melancholy tale of people trapped on an island – is this another message aimed at me? Must… write. Must… record…

ISLE OF THE DEAD (1945)

Isle of the Dead - a beautifully subtle and understated horror movie - is one of famed producer Val Lewton’s 9 seminal horror films he made for RKO in the 1940’s. Val Lewton's horrors have a unique style all of their own, as he favours atmosphere and trepidation over shocks and monsters. Brain over brawn, if you will, which makes for a type of film-making that has stood the test of time rather well.

To my mind (semi-frozen in the arctic wasteland as it is), Isle of the Dead has an awful lot in common with Lewton’s 1942 masterpiece ‘Cat People’. In both, superstition plays a central part. In both, a young lady is under suspicion of being some sort of supernatural being. In both, superstition and madness become intertwined…

Several people find themselves quarantined on a Greek Island during The Balkans War. Among them we have a stern General played with magnificent restraint by Boris Karloff. Others present include a British consul and his invalid wife, a military doctor, an attractive young lady, and an incredibly annoying old Greek peasant women.

And so the group find themselves stuck on this island together, as the plague takes hold and they start to die off. And as if this wasn’t enough, the old Greek woman starts ranting about a Vorvolaka (some sort of Greek vampire sort of thing) being in their midst – and she’s pointing her crooked old arthritic Greek finger straight at the attractive young lady!

What follows is 90 minutes of a beautifully shot and wonderfully acted (especially Karloff) meditation on superstition, science, mortality, war, disease and madness.

It’s a truly haunting movie (no pun intended) with a foreboding atmosphere throughout, a chilling ending that gets right under your skin, and a premature burial thrown in for good measure. Essential viewing for the Horror connoisseur!

SON OF DRACULA (1943)

How much you enjoy Son of Dracula depends on how willing you are to accept Lon Chaney in the role of the blood-sucking Count. I’m willing.

A common criticism of Chaney’s performance is that he’s a little too heavy for the role, which I think is a bit harsh. He’s a big man, but he’s not out of shape and his bulk gives Dracula another dimension of menace. So now, not only can he hypnotize you and bite your neck, he can also punch your lights out as well. See the scene where he throws the hapless Frank through a set of thick double doors for proof. Yes, I’m a fan of Chaney's performance in this film and am more than willing to overlook the fact that he doesn’t even try to put an accent on.

The film is set somewhere in The South. Swamp country. In the Bayou, whatever that means. A rich American woman invites the strange Count Alucard over from his homeland in Europe and before any of her friends and family can say “Internet relationships never last” she marries him! You see, she knows that he’s Dracula, and is more than happy to accept a quick bite in exchange for eternal life. In a noir-ish twist however, once bitten (don’t worry I won’t make a ‘twice shy’ pun) she double-crosses Dracula and calls on her ex-boyfriend to ‘Whack Drac’ and stake a claim for her heart (sorry). She needs him to ‘take Dracula out’. Into the sunlight, preferably.

Highlights include Alucard’s sly little look into the camera – right at the audience!!! – before he makes his entrance. And you will also have the pleasure of experiencing one of the eeriest scenes in cinematic history - the first glimpse of the newly undead Louise Albritton, resplendent with a supernatural glow and the merest trace of an unholy smile… it’s a brilliantly acted and directed set-piece. Unforgettable.

You’ll also spot the lovely Evelyn Ankers, who was Larry’s love interest in The Wolf Man.

Here, she plays the good sister, as opposed to her naughty ‘morbid’ sister.

I’ll leave you with one final thought. Is Count Alucard the son of Dracula? Or is it Dracula himself? That, dear reader, would be telling... myoohahaha! Myoohahaahahahaaaa! Myoo...cough!

THE WOLF MAN (1941)

Surely every Horror blog worth it’s salt has a review of The Wolf Man hiding somewhere?

But here’s the problem… surely ever Horror fan knows all about it anyway? You’ve all spotted the goof where the door opens twice, and you’ve already spent way too long wondering why Bela is telling fortunes minutes before a full moon when he knows he’s a werewolf… and where The Wolf Man’s boiler suit comes from… and where the family resemblance between Calude Raines and Lon Chaney Jnr is supposed to lie?

So, no need for an actual review. I’d just like to suggest, recommend, nay order you to listen to Tom Weaver’s wonderful commentary that adds so much to this timeless classic. It's my favourite Universal Horror, and one that I keep coming back to at least, oh, once a month. When the wind moans dolefully outside and the rain beats it’s weary lament ‘pon your window… AYE! and a Full Moon appears from behind yonder cloud – that’s when The Wolf Man makes his appearance!

Why do I love it so much? Well, I’m a big Larry Talbot fan. He gets a raw deal here, because he selflessly rushes to the aid of a damsel in distress, and manages to fight of a wolf bare-handed (apart from a certain silver topped can of course) – the guy’s a hero! He should be thanked profusely, receive a bravery award and have the run of all the local women. Instead, everyone thinks that ‘there’s something tragic about that young man’ and he turns into a werewolf. With the usual consequences.

But hey, maybe next time I watch it things’ll turn out better for Larry. Maybe Bela will remember what time it is, shut down the fortune-telling booth and take an early night. Maybe.