Corruption (1968)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Robert Hartford-Davis

Writers:

Derek Ford (writer)
Donald Ford (writer)

Release Date:

19 July 1968 (West Germany)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

This is not a woman's picture! No women will be allowed in alone!

Plot:

A doctor goes to extreme lengths--even murder--to restore the badly burned face of his fiance.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Surgeon | Beautiful Woman | Laser | Decapitation

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Sir John Rowan
Sue Lloyd	...	Lynn Nolan
Noel Trevarthen	...	Steve Harris
Kate O'Mara	...	Val Nolan
David Lodge	...	Groper
Wendy Varnals	...	Terry
Billy Murray	...	Rik
Vanessa Howard	...	Kate
Jan Waters	...	Girl in the Flat
Phillip Manikum	...	Georgie
Alexandra Dane	...	Sandy
Valerie Van Ost	...	Girl in the Train
Diana Ashley	...	Claire
Victor Baring	...	Mortuary Attendant
Shirley Stelfox	...	Girl at the Party

Also Known As:

Carnage (USA)
Laser Killer (USA) (longer version)

Runtime:

UK:91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Perfect)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:X (cut) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Oakshire Productions

Movie Connections:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever, Volume 1 (2005) (V)

What Would You Do To Keep Your Lover's Beauty?

A doctor (Peter Cushing) will go to great lengths for his lover. When her face is scarred, he develops a new treatment to cure skin blemishes by using the endocrine glands of the dead. But fresh dead bodies are in short supply, so when he discovers the treatment may take a few doses, he has to resort to extreme measures.

What bothers me about this review is that I know I've seen multiple films that feature doctors who have to kill again and again to help treat the woman they love, but I can't think of any examples just now. I am a failure in the horror historian department right now. But as this film was made in the 1960s, one would suspect that a great many films owe a debt to Cushing and the creators of this film. (At the time of this review, the movie is not available on VHS or DVD, so good luck tracking it down.) I really enjoyed this movie, as it captures the 1960s feel and has a dirtiness to it without being gory or disgusting. Sure, there's some stabbing and a severed head. But it's pretty tame by modern standards. Hippies and beatniks have a role in here and there's a gang of thugs that seem to be heavily influenced by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Two things really sell this film beyond the fact it's just a simple but great plot. First, Peter Cushing. Between Cushing and Christopher Lee, Cushing was always my preferred of the two. I think Vincent Price will always be the master of the era, but Cushing is capable of roles that Price would never be considered for. (It's amazing how often either of them get to play evil doctors, really.) The other thing is a twist towards the end that evokes "A Clockwork Orange" in some respects (though, again, this film came first). I won't give it away, because once I was restfully in position to see a third act about a doctor screwing up and getting caught, I was thrown into a whirlwind and given something almost completely random.

If you can find a copy of this one, see it. Peter Cushing downs not disappoint, and the supporting cast is also excellent. I especially enjoyed the actress who played the hitchhiker Terry (Wendy Varnals). The video quality on my copy is pretty shot, but given the manner I watched it in, that's not surprising. A good digital transfer would make this a beautiful film. I'd pick it up.