Quote:
Originally Posted by FryeDwight
THE BODY SNATCHER (1945). Boris and Henry Danniel are both superb in this one, my favorite Lewton after CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE. Some extremely tense scenes, especially the one with Karloff and Bela; really good acting by both of them. ****1/2
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THE BODY SNATCHER (1945)
6/10
Yes, Henry Daniell, as Doddy, was good, but Boris Karloff was 100% John Gray, a tour de force performance. On the other foot, Russell Wade, as med student Donald Fettes, was usually clunky, delivering some lines like a 6 year-old, hanging on non-contracted words like it was his second language.
I think the story of the little girl wanting to walk was even duller than it was sappy, sucking the life out of the film, mostly due to the simple lines delivered doe-eyed by the trio of Fettes, mom and young lame daughter. Actually, the little girl was pretty good, making the most of the lines she had, which actually had a measure of character depth to them. If they were going to spend that much time on this trio, they should have made it a passionate love affair (maybe Wade would have a knack for that).
The story of Gray and Doddy really had some momentum, and would have been a much better film had it been flushed out more. Ultimately, I found the film much too static for the talent that director Robert Wise was. I read the budget was low, but this story didn't require a big budget, just a re-write.