IMDb > The Body Snatcher (1945)
The Body Snatcher
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The Body Snatcher (1945) More at IMDbPro »

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The Body Snatcher (1945) -- A ruthless doctor and his young prize student find themselves continually harassed by their murderous supplier of illegal cadavers.
The Body Snatcher (1945) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   2,593 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 53% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Robert Louis Stevenson (short story "The Body Snatcher")
Philip MacDonald (written by) ...
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Contact:

View company contact information for The Body Snatcher on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

1946 (Turkey) more

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller more

Tagline:

INVADED!...the sanctuary of the Dead!...by the Hero of Horror!...and the Master of Menace! more

Plot:

A ruthless doctor and his young prize student find themselves continually harassed by their murderous supplier of illegal cadavers. full summary | full synopsis

Awards:

2 nominations more

User Comments:

A Classy Old 'Horror' Film more (69 total)


Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Boris Karloff ... Cabman John Gray

Bela Lugosi ... Joseph
Henry Daniell ... Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane
Edith Atwater ... Meg Camden
Russell Wade ... Donald Fettes
Rita Corday ... Mrs. Marsh
Sharyn Moffett ... Georgina Marsh
Donna Lee ... Street singer
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

Robert Louis Stevenson's 'The Body Snatcher' (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #10563) | Australia:PG | Germany:12 (video rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:(Banned) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

This film the last on-screen teaming of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. more

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gray kills Joseph, the latter's right arm is stretched out from his shoulder at a 90 degree angle and Gray reaches over to shoo away his cat who begins to nuzzle Joseph's right hand. In the next shot, the right arm of the dead Joseph has suddenly moved to a position where it lies parallel to his body. more

Quotes:

Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane: If you've any regard for your neck, you'll leave now and stay away from my house, from my school, and from me.
Cabman John Gray: Well, I've no wish for a rope cravat. I never like the small of hemp. So I'll bid you good night, Dr McFarlane.
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kingdom of the Vampire (2007) (V) more


FAQ

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16 out of 17 people found the following comment useful.
A Classy Old 'Horror' Film, 12 February 2006
8/10
Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

As of this writing, I have seen four of the nine Val Lewton DVD Horror Collection films and this one was, by far, the best.

Henry Daniell, Boris Karloff, Edith Atwater,Russell Wade, Sharyn Moffet and Bela Lugosi all acted well. I had forgotten that Karloff was a decent actor, not just some Frankenstein monster who couldn't deliver a line. He had a creepy voice, too, which lent itself nicely to horror films. I just found him fascinating here.

In addition, this movie had a well-known director, Robert Wise, and the story was adaption of a Robert Louis Steevenson. So, you see, this film had good bloodlines, pun intended. This was not some schlocky Ed Wood B-film. This movie is a high class affair.

I found it more of a crime story than anything else as a doctor (Daniell), trying to further his knowledge and needing human specimens (dead) to continue his research, has his graveyard supply cut off to him and then has to have his helper (Karloff) kill people to provide him the bodies. Meanwhile, a young and more moral student of the doctor, gets wind of what's happening and doesn't share his mentor's view that the "ends justify the means."

At any rate, this a keeper. Like the other Lewton films I've seen, it's well- photographed, too. I can only hope a few of the five I haven't seen yet are this good.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Nickname Toddy? carehm
Is this Karloff's best performance? A_Roode
About Gray.. Freku
Henry Daniell norm_gillespie
The Ending (spoilers) PigeonPanic
classic! ciaran122-1
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