Good and creepy film
Peter Lorre .... Doctor Gogol
Frances Drake .... Yvonne Orlac
Colin Clive .... Stephen Orlac
Ted Healy .... Reagan, the American Reporter
Sara Haden .... Marie, Yvonne's Maid
Edward Brophy .... Rollo the Knife Thrower
It had been four years since Lorre's disturbing and controversial film "M" had debuted and only one year since Alfred Hitchcock's first making of The Man Who Knew Too Much starring Lorre. This film places Lorre in another somewhat disturbing role about a surgeon, Doctor Gogol played by Lorre, who is obsessively in love with a beautiful actress, Yvonne Orlac played by Frances Drake. Francis Drake's character is married to a traveling pianist, played by Colin Clive of Dr. Frankenstein fame.
Stephen Orlac happens to be on a train that a prisoner, played by Edward Brophy as the murderer Rollo the knife thrower, is being transported to his scheduled execution. While in transport the train wrecks and Orlac's hands are both severely injured.
Yvonne Orlac desperate to save her husbands hands takes him to the neurosurgeon Dr. Gogol. Gogol suggests amputation but Yvonne insists there must be something more he can do. Gogol seems to enjoy attending executions and in a moment of insight he devises a way to attach the hands of the now deceased Rollo in place of Orlac's real hands. Through therapy he is able to gain use of the hands but the hands have a mind and will of their own...those of their previous owner. They like to throw knives! :o
This film is really well done and I would consider it to be a cult classic. The subject is creepy and Lorre adds depth and dimension to Doctor Gogol and his obsessive love for Mrs. Orlac that eventually leads him into trouble.
I give this 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen this film? What are your thoughts about it?
Kevin
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