A physician on death row for a mercy killing is allowed to experiment on a serum using a criminals' blood, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll-&-Hyde.
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Title: Before I Hang (1940)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Boris Karloff | ... | Dr. John Garth | |
| Evelyn Keyes | ... | Martha Garth | |
| Bruce Bennett | ... | Dr. Paul Ames | |
| Edward Van Sloan | ... | Dr. Ralph Howard | |
| Ben Taggart | ... | Warden Thompson | |
| Pedro de Cordoba | ... | Victor Sondini | |
 |
Wright Kramer | ... | George Wharton |
|
|
Bertram Marburgh | ... | Stephen Barclay |
| Don Beddoe | ... | Capt. McGraw | |
| Robert Fiske | ... | District Attorney | |
| Kenneth MacDonald | ... | Anson, Prison Guard | |
| Frank Richards | ... | Otto Kron - Convict | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
A physician on death row for a mercy killing is allowed to experiment on a serum using a criminals' blood, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll-&-Hyde.
Taglines:
DOOMED TO KILL...BY THE MURDERER'S BLOOD IN HIS VEINS! (oringinal print ad - all caps) See more »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
17 September 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El mago de la muerte See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Victor Sondini: Why, I've had a very full life, I... After all, man's span of life is only supposed to be threescore and ten.
Dr. John Garth: Who made that rule? George, your old age is a disease, and I can cure it!
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This film was shot in the house later used in the 1945 title The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) staring Hurd Hatfield. See more »Quotes
Dr. John Garth: Well, you want to go on living, don't you?Victor Sondini: Why, I've had a very full life, I... After all, man's span of life is only supposed to be threescore and ten.
Dr. John Garth: Who made that rule? George, your old age is a disease, and I can cure it!
See more »
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Dr. John Garth (Boris Karloff) is convicted of a mercy killing and sentenced to hang. With the time he has left, he is allowed to continue his experiments in prison. He creates a serum that reverses aging and tries it out on himself. But side effects of the serum turn him into a homicidal maniac. Karloff is terrific in a role very similar to many others he had played before and always perfectly. He was so good at creating sympathetic performances out of characters that other actors would have played in broad strokes. Nice supporting cast that includes the always good Edward Van Sloan, Evelyn Keyes, Bruce Bennett, Don Beddoe, and the underrated Pedro de Cordoba. You might not recognize some of those names but it's a solid cast for a 'B' picture. Not the best of Karloff's mad scientist films but highly enjoyable anyway. Definitely give it a shot.