Mini-Review: The Body Snatcher (1945)

IMDb Synopsis.  A ruthless doctor and his young prize student find themselves continually harassed by their murderous supplier of illegal cadavers.

Classic Horrors Synopsis.  Cocky Dr. Wolfe "Toddy" McFarlane (Henry Daniell) and his assistant, Donald Fettes (Russell Wade) use bodies procured by Cabman John Gray (Boris Karloff) for practice so they can perform spinal surgery on a paralyzed child. Gray blackmails them and Joseph (Bela Lugosi) wants a cut, too.

Thoughts.  Karloff is more a character in this one than a gentle, grandfatherly type. He's fun to watch and his big scene with Lugosi is great. Overall, though, it seems a little too complicated, yet subtle, to be purely entertaining.

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Written by Philip MacDonald & Val Lewton, Robert Louis Stevenson (short story) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Henry Daniell, Edith Atwater, Russell Wade US Release May 17, 1945 RT 77 min. Home Video Turner Home Entertainment