The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Nick Grinde

Writers:

Karl Brown (writer)
George Wallace Sayre (story)

Release Date:

17 August 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

TRANSFORMED BY THE HANGMAN'S NOOSE...from a doctor serving humanity into a demon filled with hate...and terrorizing blood-lust!

Plot:

When Dr. Savaard's experiment in cryonics is interrupted by the short-sighted authorities, his volunteer dies, and he is condemned to death. He vows vengeance if he can survive his own hanging.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Hanging | District Attorney | Cryonics | Police

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Henryk Savaard
Lorna Gray	...	Janet Savaard
Robert Wilcox	...	Scoop Foley
Roger Pryor	...	Dist. Atty. Drake
Don Beddoe	...	Police Lt. Shane
Ann Doran	...	Betty Crawford
Joe De Stefani	...	Dr. Stoddard
Charles Trowbridge	...	Judge Bowman
Byron Foulger	...	Lang
Dick Curtis	...	Clifford Kearney
James Craig	...	Watkins
John Tyrrell	...	Sutton

Runtime:

64 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

UK:H (cut) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

Dr. Henryk Savaard: Think of it! The Edison or Pasteur of tomorrow need not die merely because his heart is worn out. We'll give him a new heart taken perhaps from the body of a young man who's been killed in a automobile accident. And our great genius is awakened to another sixty years of useful life! You ask me if that's a benefit to mankind? I answer it's the gift of eternal life! But whether man's wise enough or old enouh to receive such a gift, I don't know. I don't know!

Movie Connections:

References The Ninth Guest (1934)

Several Years Ahead of Its Time!

"The Man They Could Not Hang" is an interesting little film if only for its foretelling of artificial hearts and organ transplants by many years.

Dr. Henryk Savaard (Boris Karloff) has invented an artificial heart that has been successful in bringing animals back to life after they have been clinically dead. Savaard now wants to try the procedure on a human ans medical student Bob Roberts (Stanley Brown) agrees to be the guinea pig. His fiancé, Betty Crawford (Ann Doran), who is Savaard's nurse is fearful for Roberts' life.

As the experiment begins Betty goes to the police in an attempt to stop the experiment. Reporter "Scoop" Foley (Robert Wilcox) overhears Betty's pleas and goes ahead to Savaard's home where he meets Savaard's daughter Janet (Lorna Gray) with whom he strikes up a friendship. Police Lt. Shane (Don Beddoe) arrives at Savaard's laboratory before he can bring the young man back to life, and arrests him for murder. Savaard is tried and found guilty and is sentenced to hang. Before he is sentenced, Savaard vows revenge on those who had a hand in his conviction.

Following his execution, Savaard's body is turned over to his assistant Dr. Lang (Byron Foulger) who following Savaard's procedure, brings Savaard back to life. Weeks later, several of the jurors who voted for Savaard's conviction turn up hanged, apparently suicides.

Using a note from trial Judge Bowman (Charles Trowbridge) as bait, Savaard lures the remaining parties for his revenge to his home and traps them therein. Included are the Judge, DA Drake (Roger Pryor), Jury Foreman Kearney (Dick Curtis), Betty Crawford, the Coroner (Joe De Stefani) and Lt. Shane. "Scoop" Foley is also entrapped having "crashed" the party.

Savaard plans to systematically murder each person at 15 minute intervals. Judge Bowman is the first and dies by electrocution. Next Kearney is poisoned. Betty is targeted next, but before Savaard can complete his murderous scheme, his daughter Janet arrives and......................

Karloff as usual gives a great performance. He moves from a kindly dedicated scientist to a madman bent on murder and revenge with ease.

The use of an artificial heart put this modest little programmer several years ahead of its time.