Corridors of Blood (1958)

Dr. Thomas Bolton fights for the use of anesthetic in surgery and uses himself as a guinea pig but soon finds himself addicted.

Director:

Robert Day

Writer:

Jean Scott Rogers (screenplay)

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Betta St. John, Christopher Lee

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Thomas Bolton
Betta St. John	...	Susan
Christopher Lee	...	Resurrection Joe
Finlay Currie	...	Supt. Charles Matheson
Adrienne Corri	...	Rachel
Francis De Wolff	...	Black Ben (as Francis de Wolff)
Francis Matthews	...	Jonathan Bolton
Frank Pettingell	...	Mr Blount
Basil Dignam	...	Hospital chairman
Marian Spencer	...	Mrs Matheson
Carl Bernard	...	Ned, The Crow
John Gabriel	...	Baker
Nigel Green	...	Insp. Donovan
Yvonne Romain	...	Rosa (as Yvonne Warren)
Howard Lang	...	Chief Inspector

Storyline

In an effort to relieve the suffering of surgery patients, Dr. Thomas Bolton painstakingly develops an opium-based anesthetic, to which he gradually becomes addicted. In order to provide a continual supply of chemicals to continue his experiments and support his addiction, he falls in with a den of murderers who use his signature to sell cadavers to the local hospital.

---

Plot Keywords:

experiment | surgery | tavern | death certificate | 1840s | 

---

Taglines:

Tops in Terror!

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 1962 (UK)

Also Known As:

Corredores de Sangue

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£90,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amalgamated Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the film was not released until 1962, it was actually shot in 1958.

---

Goofs

The light used on Lee's entrance varies from shot to shot.

---

Quotes

Dr. Bolton: [In the Seven Dials] This place must breed a hundres fevers!

---

Connections

Featured in Shiver & Shudder Show (2002)

---

Soundtracks

"Luverly Gin"
(uncredited)
Music by Buxton Orr
Lyrics by Francis O'Grady

User Reviews

Laced With Laudanum

If Boris Karloff's character of a Victorian doctor looking for an anesthetic had the benefit of some scientific journals he might have read about Morton, Long, and Welles over in America experimenting on such a project. In Corridors Of Blood the lines of experimentation that Karloff was pursuing held a lot of danger for everyone concerned.

Corridors Of Blood casts Boris Karloff as a respected London surgeon of the early Victorian era who is seeking a method of painless surgery. But those Americans I cited were using a form of Nitrous Oxide and eventually developed Ether. Karloff has decided to use a concoction that has as its base Laudanum which is an Opium derivative.

The results are what you would expect, Karloff breathing in the fumes of his experiment becomes an addict and starts frequenting the seamier sides of London for Laudanum for his experiments and more for himself. A pair of cutthroats played by Francis DeWolff and Christopher Lee aid him in his search, for a price.

Corridors Of Blood is a moody atmospheric thriller set in Oliver Twist London. Look also for a good performance by Nigel Green as the police inspector looking to break up the den of vice and corruption that Karloff has fallen into. Definitely a must for Karloff fans.