“In a sharp, amusing script, Clayton, a bitter and literally twisted man in the classic mould of the angry, creepy and disabled sidekick gets some cracking lines […] Taking potshots at the press, celebrity, wealth and the scientific establishment and offering up some ideas to later films, most obviously The Fly, there’s a lot here for a 62-minute film.” The Spooky Isles
“Formulaic but well-acted, this 1936 horror is often too restrained in its approach and fails to deliver its fair share of chills. Still, Karloff is always fantastic in any vehicle, no exceptions. And there’s a cool “transformation” scene where Laurience successfully switches the brains of Calthrop and Cellier.” The Terror Trap
“It certainly looks better than your average 30s horror flick as it has some atmospheric moments, excellent editing, and accomplished camerawork. It’s definitely a lot classier than most of the similar films Karloff made for Columbia Pictures. Speaking of Boris, this is one of his better performances.” 3/5 The Video Vacuum
Choice dialogue:
Doctor Clare Wyatt [Anna Lee]: “There’s always something queer about a genius.”
Doctor Clare Wyatt [Anna Lee]: “Sorry Dick but I specialise in looking after myself.”
Doctor Laurience [Boris Karloff]: “I was the leading surgeon in Genoa – the greatest authority upon the human brain until I told them something about their own brains. Then they said I was mad. Look at me. Am I mad?”
Clayton [Donald Calthrop]: “Most of me is dead. The rest of me is damned.”
Cast and characters:
Boris Karloff … Doctor Laurience/Dick Haslewood
John Loder … Richard “Dick” Haslewood/Doctor Laurience
Anna Lee … Doctor Clare Wyatt
Frank Cellier … Lord Haslewood/Clayton
Donald Calthrop … Clayton/Lord Haslewood
Cecil Parker … Doctor Gratton
Lyn Harding … Professor Holloway
Clive Morton … Journalist
D.J. Williams … Red Bull Landlord
Filming locations:
Islington Studios, Islington, London, England
Technical details:
1 hour 6 minutes
Black and white
Aspect ratio: 1.37: 1
Also released as:
Doctor Maniac Who Lived Again
The Man Who Lived Again
Dr Maniac
The Brainsnatcher
Clip:
