"The Man Who Could Cheat Death" is certainly entertaining, with the kind of period recreation and atmosphere that the Hammer studio always did so well. The acting is first rate and the story is a pretty good one. The problem is that one can tell this derived from a stage work, as it gets bogged down in talk without having too many really good horror moments.
Previously filmed as "The Man in Half Moon Street", it tells the tale of an eminent doctor, Georges Bonnet (Anton Diffring, who stepped into the role after Peter Cushing backed out) who dabbles in sculpting. Bonnet is maintaining a pretty big secret: he's actually a LOT older than he looks, managing to stay healthy and youthful looking by a scientific process involving removing glands from unwilling donors. An old girlfriend of his, Janine Du Bois (the lovely scream queen Hazel Court) wants to come back into his life, despite being involved with a surgeon named Pierre Gerrard (Sir Christopher Lee). It's up to Gerrard and the intrepid Inspector Legris (Francis De Wolff) to do something to stop the mad doctor.
The film has an impressive pedigree, with frequent Hammer director Terence Fisher doing a more than capable job, and Jimmy Sangster (Fisher, Lee, and Sangster, having previously done "The Curse of Frankenstein" and "Dracula" together) writing the script. The settings of late 19th century Paris are moodily photographed, and the music score composed by Richard Rodney Bennett is excellent. The cast has a field day with the material, with Diffring managing to be equal parts demented and sympathetic. It's nice to see Lee in a heroic role, and in support Arnold Marle and De Wolff do great work.
Hammer completists will want to see this but due to the films' more-talk-than-action nature, it won't be for all horror fans. Still, with the amount of talent in front of and behind the camera, it does have a fair bit going for it.
Six out of 10.
Previously filmed as "The Man in Half Moon Street", it tells the tale of an eminent doctor, Georges Bonnet (Anton Diffring, who stepped into the role after Peter Cushing backed out) who dabbles in sculpting. Bonnet is maintaining a pretty big secret: he's actually a LOT older than he looks, managing to stay healthy and youthful looking by a scientific process involving removing glands from unwilling donors. An old girlfriend of his, Janine Du Bois (the lovely scream queen Hazel Court) wants to come back into his life, despite being involved with a surgeon named Pierre Gerrard (Sir Christopher Lee). It's up to Gerrard and the intrepid Inspector Legris (Francis De Wolff) to do something to stop the mad doctor.
The film has an impressive pedigree, with frequent Hammer director Terence Fisher doing a more than capable job, and Jimmy Sangster (Fisher, Lee, and Sangster, having previously done "The Curse of Frankenstein" and "Dracula" together) writing the script. The settings of late 19th century Paris are moodily photographed, and the music score composed by Richard Rodney Bennett is excellent. The cast has a field day with the material, with Diffring managing to be equal parts demented and sympathetic. It's nice to see Lee in a heroic role, and in support Arnold Marle and De Wolff do great work.
Hammer completists will want to see this but due to the films' more-talk-than-action nature, it won't be for all horror fans. Still, with the amount of talent in front of and behind the camera, it does have a fair bit going for it.
Six out of 10.