The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)..Unrated..

The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)

UNRATED!

BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED!

POSTED SAME/NEXT DAY!

THIS IS A REGION ONE DVD.A MULTI REGION DVD PLAYER IS REQUIRED!

Dr. Georges Bonnet has figured out a way to live forever. All he needs are the glands of some very unwilling donors! Anton Diffring stars as the mad doctor in this chilling Hammer Horror classic. As he struggles against the inevitable icy grip of death, the doctor begins a descent into madness that threatens to destroy the laws of nature and the lives of those he lusts after. It's up to horror legend Christopher Lee to stop his unholy quest before it takes a final deadly turn!

[...] In Paris 1890, Dr. Georges Bonnet (Anton Diffring) is out murdering women when he isn t wrapped up in his hobby of sculpting. Bonnet is actually 104 years old but keeps the youthful image and healthy body of a man in his 30s by cutting out the parathyroid glands of said women and utilizing them for his secret elixir. When Bonnet s 89-year-old colleague Prof. Ludwig Weiss (Arnold Marlé) shows up and sees his much older friend appear much younger, he refuses to perform a vital operation on him, and that spells trouble. Another sensible and ethical doctor, Pierre Gerard (Christopher Lee) is blackmailed into performing the surgery after Bonnet endangers the life of the beautiful Janine Dubois (Hazel Court), a young woman who they are both vying for the attentions of, with Bonnet naturally in the lead, being the evil and deceitful one.

The Man Who Could Cheat Death is another colorful and handsome Hammer production made at their tiny Bray Studios, but it's a dialog-driven affair with most of the proceedings taking place on several sound stages. Bernard Robinson s sets are lavish, but too recognizably redressed from previous Hammer efforts (Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, Revenge of Frankenstein, etc.). The Dorian Gray-like horror antics are kept to a minimum but are highlighted by Jack Asher s effective lighting on Bonnet when he s on the brink of turning monstrous, or when the camera probes from the inside of his secret elixir cabinet, which glows outwardly in a florescent green. Providing the film s score in a position often reserved for James Bernard is Richard Rodney Bennett, whose successful career would lead to three Oscar nominations and eventual Knighthood. Roy Ashton s excellent decaying make-up is generously displayed during the film s fiery climax.

As Bonnet, Anton Diffring is perfectly cast in the villainous role, and gothic horror suits him well. [...] Christopher Lee is very good here as Pierre Gerard, proving early on in the horror cycle that he offered more than lumbering monsters or speech-deprived vampires. A bonafide scream queen of the highest degree, the late Hazel Court is given less to do here than in some of her other genre efforts, and she reportedly was filmed topless (during a nude modeling sequence) for a continental version which is yet to resurface. A number of other familiar Hammer character actors are present here, including Francis De Wolff and Charles Lloyd Pack.

Legend Films presents Hammer s The Man Who Could Cheat Death on DVD in a properly framed 1.66:1 transfer with anamorphic enhancement. After a rather dark credit sequence (which has Bonnet roaming the foggy Paris streets in search of glands), the transfer boasts excellent detail and even though at times the colors look somewhat muted, they are still distinct and shine through nicely in many scenes. Aside from occasional film dirt, the image is very clean and smooth, granting us a very handsome edition of this early Hammer classic. The mono English audio track is also in good shape, and aside from several crackles and pops, sounds nice and clear throughout.