The Black Sleep (1956)

Simply A Masterpiece

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Basil Rathbone is at the top of his game, here in THE BLACK SLEEP. A solid production, with solid performances from all of the leads (especially Akim Tamiroff as Udu/Odo "the gypsy," the part originally to have been played by Peter Lorre) and some solid direction. "You're only Legally Dead," Rathbone tells the man he framed for murder: "Justice has been satisfied." When it turns out that the dead man they're operating on is, in fact, alive, Rathbone again shrugs it off: "In the interest of Science, anything- ANYTHING!- is justified." Lon Chaney, Jr. stalks the halls, attacking anything that moves (including his own daughter), while Lugosi creeps around cleaning up the doctor's messes. It turns out that in the basement are John Carradine (who comes out swingin') and Tor Johnson, among others. Not a bad lineup, if you ask me. (I once saw a man in a heroin-induced "coma" standing on a corner one day: his eyes were shut and he didn't move for an hour. Talk about a Black Sleep...)

Beginning is a bit like "The Man They Could Not Hang"--innocent man condemned to death is spared by his doctor friend. It also is a bit like "The Man Who Lived Again"--both are Boris Karloff films from the 1930s. So, if you have a sense of déjà vu, this might be why.The film stars Basil Rathbone and Herbert Rudley. Rudley has been falsely accused of murder and is about to be executed. His 'friend', Rathbone, gives him a potion to make him appear dead--then instead of burying him, Rathbone will use him as an assistant in his brain research. What Rudley doesn't realize is that this research is being done on live humans--humans that Rathbone renders unconscious with his 'black sleep' formula. Unfortunately, Rathbone's plans for Rudley aren't all that altruistic--tune in and find the evil truth.This film has lots of appearances very horror notables--though most are not very satisfying, as their roles were very, very small. Along for the ride are Akim Tamiroff in a very creepy role--and the most complex of the guest stars. As for Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi, both have thankless non-speaking roles and are rather wasted. And, out of the blue, John Carradine appears near the end of the film...and then overacts wildly. And, along for the ride with him is Tor Johnson--of Ed Wood fame. I liked seeing all these guys--I just wish the script had given them more to say and do. It's like a great opportunity somewhat squandered.The film is entertaining--mostly because the plot is quite good and has a few nice twists. Unfortunately, however, there are also some moments with LOTS of cheese--most notably Carradine's bizarre performance. But the good well outweighs the bad and is fun.

'The Black Sleep' starred an impressive list of horror film stars, Basil Rathbone, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr, Bela Lugosi and even Tor Johnson. Peter Lorre was almost in it too, but they could not meet his salary requirements. The rating at the IMDb was 5.8 out of 10 stars. Frankly I feel it was over-rated. I was disappointed. Basil Rathbone did his best using his talents to bring some class to the production . Like Peter Cushing, I don't believe he can give a bad performance even in a poor quality film. I understand this film had a 12 day shooting schedule and a budget of $225, 000. Reginald Le Borg did a bad job directing. The plot premise was nothing new and was done many times before to greater effect...the story of a genius scientist willing to sacrifice and mutilate the innocent in order do experiments that might save someone he loves. It was predictable from start to finish. The best part was the way our mad doctor saved a man from hanging. I wonder what a studio like Hammer, with director Terrence Fisher at the helm might have done with this film and it's cast. It had potential in the right hands.It turned out the only reason to watch 'The Black Sleep' IMO was to check out the all star cast. That was also rather depressing. It was obvious for instance that Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney were in a poor state, their best films were behind them. Especially the best films for Mr. Lugosi. Neither were given any lines to speak in the film. John Carradine, like Rathbone did his best with what he had to work with. And Tor Johnson was...well...Tor Johnson. He is pretty much the same type of mindless brute in all his roles. I did wonder whether he and Bela did any reminiscing about working together with Ed Wood on 'Bride of the Monster' the previous year.There was one dungeon set with stairs near the end that had me wondering if they were using the same set used in 'Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein' eight years earlier. The set looked very familiar down to the location of the stairs and doors. Since this was not a Universal film that is probably unlikely.Overall I would not recommend this film unless you are a die hard fan of it's stars and would like to see them no matter what the film.

Wow, a movie with Bela Lugosi AND Tor Johnson, and it ISN'T an Ed Wood movie? Are you serious?YES! This movie has everything a fan of Gothic horror could ask for: creepy castle, mad scientist, British accents (from some of the actors) hidden passageways, grave robbing, mutants chained up in the dungeon, brain surgery on live victims, women chained against their will, the mute manservant, the dead-but-not-dead bride, etc. It's like a greatest hits of horror! This movie really is a fantastic, unheralded little gift, but by this time it looks like it has been somewhat rediscovered after many decades in obscurity, after being screened by TCM a few years ago. The film was made in a lull period for horror, especially Gothic horror stories of this type. Made in 1955, it was released in 1956.Hammer Films was a year away from beginning their great cycle of Dracula and Frankenstein films which reinvigorated the horror genre. Hollywood had grown tired of classic horror, giving a last gasp around 1945 with House of Dracula etc. By 1948 they were turned to spoofs to do anything at all with horror, turning out Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein (great) and films like like Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla (crap) and several Bowery Boys horror themed productions (lovable crap). By 1955, invasions of flying saucers and giant insects were all the rage in fantastic filmmaking. Even the Creature From The Black Lagoon had more of a science fiction slant than horror.So to discover a respectable Gothic horror title from 1955 is quite a surprise for many film fans. Even if it is low budget.And let's not forget the cast, a great round-up of horror film icons. The only way this could have been better was to put Boris Karloff in the Basil Rathbone part (though Rathbone manages to be both ruthless and sympathetic in his part as Dr. Cadman, no mean feat for any actor), and Peter Lorre (as originally intended) in the part played very well by Akim Tamiroff. That would have REALLY been a horror film cast to end all horror film casts. But I can't complain, especially when ** SPOILER ALERT ** the climax of the movie rewards you with Tor Johnson strangling Lon Chaney Jr. to death while John Carradine beats Lon over the head with a staff! The climax of the movie is quite nutty, and quite enjoyable. A great find for horror buffs and a great way to spend 82 minutes, in spite of its somewhat low budget origins.And yes, this was Bela Lugosi's true last film role; Plan Nine From Outer Space, released later, features Lugosi in test footage shot with no particular movie in mind. Just a shame that here Bela was cast as a mute and had no lines. Same thing with Lon Chaney, but par for the course for Tor Johnson, who was much better off cast as a mute, as Tor's few lines of dialog in Plan Nine From Outer Space prove.