THE BODY SNATCHER
DVD region 2. Odeon.

Based on a Robert Louis Stevenson story, Val Lewton’s production of The Body Snatcher is one of his more interesting horror films, which – like Isle of the Dead and Bedlam – eschewed supernatural suggestion for more down to Earth and upfront horrors. As such, it’s generally less regarded than films like Cat People or I Walked with a Zombie, but is arguably more interesting.

When Stevenson wrote his story in 1884, the story of murderous grave robbers Burke and Hare was still a relatively fresh memory, and this tale follows a similar path, setting Hernry Daniell up as Dr MacFarlane, a surgeon and medical teacher who needs a regular supply of corpses for his anatomy lessons, and is supplied by resurrection man Gray (Boris Karloff). But as graves become harder to rob, the sinister Gray turns to murder, and MacFarlane seems under his control, with suggestions of a shady past where the two of them were connected. Student Donald Fettes (Russell Wade) is soon caught up in the nefarious activities, as Gray puts the squeeze on MacFarlane, who on the one hand wants to escape his influence, but on the other is willing to pretend he doesn’t know how his ‘friend’ is obtaining the fresh corpses.

The film marks the final time that Karloff appeared with Bela Lugosi, and it’s sad to see the difference in these horror icons – Karloff gives a wonderful, creepy, slimy performance as the lead villain, but Lugosi, looking old and tired, has nothing more than a supporting role, rapidly dispatched and hopelessly, effortlessly outshone by his great rival. Karloff still had several strong roles ahead of him, but it was all downhill for Lugosi after this.

Robert Wise directs with a real sense of style – the film has a magnificent, nourish look – all shadows and light and with some wonderful gothic touches. It has to be said that the Edinburgh of 1831 shown in this film is a remarkably multi-cultural place, with American, English and Hungarian accents (one or two people manage a Scottish accent, but native Scots were clearly thin on the ground in Hollywood), and a sub-plot involving a crippled child is somewhat mawkish (with one of those remarkably annoying children that would turn up in genre films of the period) – but these are minor complaints about what is otherwise a very effective chiller – and one that, while portraying Karloff’s character as a fiend, at least accepts that the doctors seeking out bodies were generally decent types doing what they had to. Well worth picking up..

DAVID FLINT

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