The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Barré Lyndon (play) and
Jimmy Sangster (screenplay)

Release Date:

June 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

HIS HIDEOUS OBSESSION LED HIM TO COMMIT GHASTLY CRIMES OF PASSION AND VIOLENCE.

Plot:

A remake of "The Man in Half Moon Street" (1945) (qv.). Dr. Bonner plans to live forever through periodic gland transplants from younger...

Plot Keywords:

Centenarian | Surgical Operation | Murder | Eternal Youth | Death In Title

Cast

Anton Diffring	...	Dr. Georges Bonner
Hazel Court	...	Janine Du Bois
Christopher Lee	...	Dr. Pierre Gerrard
Arnold Marlé	...	Dr. Ludwig Weiss
Delphi Lawrence	...	Margo Philippe
Francis De Wolff	...	Inspector Legris
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ronald Adam	...	Second Doctor (uncredited)
Marie Burke	...	Woman At Private View (uncredited)
John Harrison	...	Servant (uncredited)
Ian Hewitson	...	Roget (uncredited)
Gerda Larsen	...	Street Girl (uncredited)
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Man At Private View (uncredited)
Frederick Rawlings	...	Footman (uncredited)
Michael Ripper	...	Morgue Attendant (uncredited)
Denis Shaw	...	Tavern Customer (uncredited)
Barry Shawzin	...	Third Doctor (uncredited)
Lockwood West	...	First Doctor (uncredited)
Middleton Woods	...	Little Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Fisher

Writing credits
Barré Lyndon		(play "The Man in Half Moon Street")
Jimmy Sangster		screenplay

Produced by
Michael Carreras	....	producer
Anthony Nelson Keys	....	associate producer (as Anthony Nelson-Keys)

Original Music by
Richard Rodney Bennett		(as Richard Bennett)

Cinematography by
Jack Asher

Film Editing by
John Dunsford

Production Design by
Bernard Robinson

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	makeup artist
Henry Montsash	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Peverall	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jock May	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Len Harris	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Molly Arbuthnot	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	supervising editor

Music Department
John Hollingsworth	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Shirley Barnes	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Cadogan Films
• Hammer Film Productions

Distributors

• Paramount British Pictures (1959) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• AFEX (1960) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1960) | Sweden:15 | West Germany:18 (nf) | UK:X

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Cadogan Films

Trivia:

Anton Diffring was second choice for Dr. Bonner, after Peter Cushing turned it down. When Cushing claimed illness after breaking his oral commitment, the studio threatened legal action against its biggest star but didn't follow through.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Man in Half Moon Street (1945)

Atmospheric Mad Science From Hammer

Hammer's most famous and greatest 'mad science' franchise is, of course, the great Frankenstein series starring the almighty Peter Cushing as the ruthless and yet somehow very likable Baron Victor Frankenstein. While THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH (1959) is by no means as great as Hammer's Frankenstein films it is a very atmospheric mad-scientist-flick with an excellent cast. Directed by Hammer's Number one, Terence Fisher, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH is an adaptation of a play that was first filmed as THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (1945) which I haven't seen yet.

The mad scientist in this film is played by the always-sinister Anton Diffring, who had played Baron Frankenstein in Hammer's own TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN, a 1958 pilot for a planned Frankenstein TV-show that wasn't made. Actually, Diffring's character in this movie, Dr. George Bonner isn't really that 'mad', regarding his situation: In Paris of 1890, Dr. Bonner is a man who seemingly is in his 40s. However, he is in fact 104 years old and keeps his youth with the aid of a serum. In order to survive, he needs periodic gland transplants from young and healthy victims. Needless to say he is willing to kill for his life...

THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH co-stars two Hammer icons, British Horror-beauty Hazel Court and the inimitable Christopher Lee. Both deliver great performances as usual. Personally I like Christopher Lee most when he is evil, but hero-roles such as in this film also fit him well. Anton Diffring is a specialist for sinister and macabre characters, and he is once again excellent here. 19th century Paris is a good setting for a Hammer film; even though most of the movie plays indoors here, director Fisher once again makes great use of the Hammer-typical visuals, creating a thick Gothic atmosphere. Overall, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH offers few surprises and may not be an essential must-see, but it is tense and atmospheric Gothic Horror and should not be missed by my fellow Hammer-fans.