The Body Snatcher (1945)

★ 7.0 1h 18m IMDb
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Edinburgh, 1831. Among those who undertake the illegal trade of grave robbery is Gray, ostensibly a cab driver. Formerly a medical student convicted of grave robbery, Gray holds a grudge against Dr. MacFarlane who had escaped detection and punishment.

The Body Snatcher

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Cast

Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff as John Gray Died 1969 · Camberwell, London, England, UK William Henry Pratt (November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969), better known as Boris Karloff, was an English-born actor who emigrated to Canada in 1909. Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror...
Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi as Joseph Died 1956 · Lugos, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary [now Lugoj, Timis County, Romania] Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian stage, screen, and television actor. He is best remembered for his iconic por...
Henry Daniell
Henry Daniell as Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane Died 1963 · Barnes, Surrey, UK From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Charles Henry Daniell (5 March 1894 – 31 October 1963) was an English actor who had a long and prestigious career on stage as well as in films. He is perhaps bes...
Edith Atwater
Edith Atwater as Meg Camden Died 1986 · Chicago, Illinois, USA ​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edith Atwater (April 22, 1911 – March 14, 1986) was an American stage, film and television actress. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Atwater made her Broadway debut...
Russell Wade
Russell Wade as Donald Fettes Died 2006 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Russell Wade (June 22, 1917 – December 9, 2006) was an American actor..
Rita Corday
Rita Corday as Mrs. Marsh Died 1992 · Tahiti, French Polynesia Rita Corday (born Jeanne Paule Teipo-Ite-Marma Croset; October 20, 1920 – November 23, 1992) was an American actress. She appeared in 30 films during the 1940s and 1950s. She was sometimes billed as P...

Audience Reviews

John Chard 9/10 Aug 28, 2014
Grave robbing is one thing, but murder is quite another.

Dr. MacFarlane and John Gray share a murky past, but just what is this hold that the lurching Gray has over the eminent Doctor?. Based on a Robert Louis Stevenson short story, The Body Snatcher contains tight direction from Mr Versatile, Robert Wise - all the classy Gothicism one comes to expect from producer Val Lewton - and a stunningly effective performance from Boris Karloff. The piece neatly puts itself out as a kind of sequel to the infamous story of Burke & Hare, where here our main protagonists are clouded over by a link to the dastardly duo who purloined cadavers for cash in the 1820s.

What stands out with this picture is the wonderful pacing, nothing is rushed to try and jolt fear into the viewer, it's sedate and framed in a marvellous Gothic texture by the makers. The core story line is of course one of great distaste, but this is a medical quandary in the name of research that makes for a thought provoking narrative. We are put into a position very early on where we so want to see a young girl cured of her ills, and thus this axis of the film is neatly surrounded by the lurking horror that begins to unfold. You have to suggest that this is great writing from Stevenson, Lewton & MacDonald.

Boris Karloff is Gray, a large shuffling man who is the body snatcher of the title, he be a smirking and well spoken Gent, which really shouldn't be scary, and yet Karloff manages to chill the blood in every scene that he is in. Henry Daniell is MacFarlane, a very emotive performance as the character is twisted by his pursuit of medical achievements whilst having Gray's looming presence constantly hovering over him. Rounding out the cast with thespian effect is Russell Wade as protégé in waiting, Donald Fettes, Bela Lugosi (a classic horror fans dream comes real in one great sequence with Karloff) as Joseph, and Edith Atwater as loyal love interest Meg Camden.

However, the actors all play second fiddle to the makers' work here. Gloomy cobbled streets come shining to the fore, Gray's hovel like abode is cloaked in dark shadows with the odd flicker of fire light, while the stone surrounds come across as monolithic structures. Some great sequences as well, a particular one uses the characters' shadows to tell the story under the watchful gaze of Gray's cat, and then the final reel, which is mood personified and perfectly puts closure on this fine piece of fevered Gothic work. Highly recommended. 8/10

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