Despite the ominous title and the presence of horror heavyweights Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, I would be reluctant to slap the horror label on Corridors of Blood. Karloff, so often the monster in some shape or form, plays benevolent London surgeon Dr. Thomas Bolton, who is so dedicated to alleviating pain and suffering during his operations that he uses himself as a guinea pig for his experimental anaesthesia. As a result, he becomes addicted to his formula, which, amongst other things, contains tincture of opium and laudanum. Stoned out of his head, the surgeon is exploited by Black Ben, landlord of a seedy tavern with a sideline in selling bodies for medical purposes. The problem is that most of Ben's stiffs didn't die of natural causes, but at the hands of murderer Resurrection Joe (Lee), and a valid death certificate is required for each corpse before he can collect his cash. And that's where Dr. Bolton comes in...
Those looking for classic mad scientist shenanigans, with a crazed scalpel-wielding physician slicing up innocent wenches, will be sorely disappointed, for the true horror here is the horror of addiction, the once brilliant Dr. Bolton gradually becoming a shadow of his former self, unable to perform his medical duties thanks to his constant huffing of his mind-altering mixture. Resurrection Joe is certainly scary and could be viewed as a monster, but he's very much a secondary character, the focus being on the drama of the good doctor's fall from grace, all of which soon becomes repetitive and tedious The film also sees fit to include a sappy romance between Dr. Bolton's son (Francis Matthews) and Susan, the home help (Betta St. John), which adds nothing to the plot whatsoever.
As someone who was looking forward to some classic scary action courtesy of Karloff and Lee (who only made two films together, the other being Curse of the Crimson Altar), I found this historical medical drama (for that is what this really is) not particularly gripping and rather disappointing.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for Yvonne Romain as buxom bar wench Rosa, the dancing dwarf in a top hat (every film should have one), and for Black Ben's gory demise.
Those looking for classic mad scientist shenanigans, with a crazed scalpel-wielding physician slicing up innocent wenches, will be sorely disappointed, for the true horror here is the horror of addiction, the once brilliant Dr. Bolton gradually becoming a shadow of his former self, unable to perform his medical duties thanks to his constant huffing of his mind-altering mixture. Resurrection Joe is certainly scary and could be viewed as a monster, but he's very much a secondary character, the focus being on the drama of the good doctor's fall from grace, all of which soon becomes repetitive and tedious The film also sees fit to include a sappy romance between Dr. Bolton's son (Francis Matthews) and Susan, the home help (Betta St. John), which adds nothing to the plot whatsoever.
As someone who was looking forward to some classic scary action courtesy of Karloff and Lee (who only made two films together, the other being Curse of the Crimson Altar), I found this historical medical drama (for that is what this really is) not particularly gripping and rather disappointing.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for Yvonne Romain as buxom bar wench Rosa, the dancing dwarf in a top hat (every film should have one), and for Black Ben's gory demise.