CONDEMNED TO LIVE (1935) is a low budget vampire horror made by Invincible Pictures, a studio hoping to rival the success of the Universal monster show. It even reuses some costumes and furniture from THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. The story, which is reminiscent of DRACULA, involves a village being plagued by strange deaths for which a giant vampire bat is blamed. But could there be a more human explanation?
This is a story that works on paper, with a heroic professor, a hunchbacked manservant, torch-wielding villagers running amok, and an array of unfortunate victims. As a film, it never really gets off the ground, feeling more staged and stately than even Lugosi's DRACULA. There's even a guy attempting a Bela accent in the cast. The mystery hinges on a plot twist which isn't too satisfying, and even with the drama of the climax it just sort of plods along.
This is a story that works on paper, with a heroic professor, a hunchbacked manservant, torch-wielding villagers running amok, and an array of unfortunate victims. As a film, it never really gets off the ground, feeling more staged and stately than even Lugosi's DRACULA. There's even a guy attempting a Bela accent in the cast. The mystery hinges on a plot twist which isn't too satisfying, and even with the drama of the climax it just sort of plods along.