Directed by Karl Freund
1935/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Repeat viewing
Doctor Gogol: [despairingly] I, a poor peasant, have conquered science! Why can’t I conquer love?
Brilliant surgeon Dr. Gogol (Peter Lorre) has become obsessed with love for grand guignol actress Yvonne Orlac (Frances Drake). Her husband is great concert pianist Stephen Orlac (Colin Clive). When Steven’s hands are mangled in a train wreck, Gogol attaches the hands of an executed knife-throwing murderer. Maddened by Yvonne’s continuing rejection of him, Gogol then conceives an insane plan to get Stephen out of the way.
When this movie works, it works very well. Peter Lorre is always interesting in this and sometimes simply brilliant. The climactic scenes are unforgettable. There is also some excellent expressionist camera work by Gregg Tolland. The problem is, once again, that the film is bogged down by unnecessary comic relief by Ted Healy (ex of Ted Healy and his Stooges) as a reporter and May Beatty as the doctor’s drunken housekeeper. Despite its flaws, this is well worth seeing just for Lorre’s performance in this, his U.S. screen debut.
Trailer
Peter Lorre, when he felt like it, could give fantastic performances and he doesn’t do too badly here. His odd looks helped with the character of Dr. Gogol. But here we are again, stuck with Colin Clive and the totally unfunny insertion of “humor” by Ted Healey. That is how you can almost ruin a damn good film but supposedly this is what the public wanted…….somehow I doubt it.
I found the 1935 Crime and Punishment with Lorre on line. I’m really looking forward to it. Seems like it could be fantastic!
Just this week, I looked into Lorre’s Mr. Moto series. I’m considering watching “Thank you Mr. Moto” (1937) in which . . . “Mr. Moto battles murderous treasure hunters for a hidden cache belonging to Genghis Khan.”
Mr. Moto sounds like a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it as well. I’m really enjoying the Charlie Chan series.