Black Friday (1940)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Arthur Lubin

Writers:

Curt Siodmak (screenplay) &
Eric Taylor (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 April 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Crime

Tagline:

A Reign Of HORROR... a man-made monster on the loose!

Plot:

When his friend Professor Kingsely (Ridges) is at deaths door, brain surgeon Dr. Sovac (Karloff) saves...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Professor | Revenge | Surgeon | Hospital

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Ernest Sovac
Bela Lugosi	...	Eric Marnay
Stanley Ridges	...	Prof. George Kingsley / Red Cannon
Anne Nagel	...	Sunny Rogers
Anne Gwynne	...	Jean Sovac
Virginia Brissac	...	Mrs. Margaret Kingsley
Edmund MacDonald	...	Frank Miller
Paul Fix	...	William Kane
Murray Alper	...	Bellhop
Jack Mulhall	...	Bartender
Joe King	...	Police Chief
John Kelly	...	Taxi Driver

Also Known As:

Friday the Thirteenth (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #6067) | Canada:PG

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Bela Lugosi was originally cast as Dr. Sovac and Boris Karloff as Kingsley/Cannon, but Karloff's interpretation of the gangster was unconvincing and he was replaced by Stanley Ridges. Karloff instead got the role as Dr. Sovac and Lugosi got a minor role, although his second billing remained. (Bojarski, "The Films of Bela Lugosi", 1980)

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: Black Friday (1940) (#1.117)" (1981)

KARLOFF TRANSPLANTS PART OF A BRAIN!

While a group of gangsters battle it out on a street, George Kingsley (Stanley Ridges), a college professor, is injured. George and a famous gangster, Red Cannon, are brought to a hospital. In an effort to save his friend Kingsley, Dr. Sovac (Boris Karloff) transplants part of Cannon's brain to Kingsley's. Kingsley survives the operation, but Cannon dies. There is a struggle to find the location of $500,000 that Cannon hid from his rival Marnay (Bela Lugosi). Sovac hypnotizes him, Kingsley is transformed into Red Cannon and starts killing everyone in sight. Lugosi in many ways stole the scenes from Karloff in this picture dispite the fact that Karloff had the leading role. This was Karloff's and Lugosi last film together with Universal. This is a must see film for all Karloff and Lugosi fans!