The Climax (1944)
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- Passed
- 1h 26min
- Horror, Music
- 20 Oct 1944 (USA)
- Movie
A demented physician becomes obsessed with a young singer whose voice sounds similar to his late mistress.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Boris Karloff | ... |
Dr. Friedrich Hohner
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| Susanna Foster | ... |
Angela Klatt
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| Turhan Bey | ... |
Franz Munzer
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| Gale Sondergaard | ... |
Luise
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| Thomas Gomez | ... |
Count Seebruck
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| June Vincent | ... |
Marcellina
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| George Dolenz | ... |
Amato Roselli
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| Ludwig Stössel | ... |
Carl Baumann
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| Jane Farrar | ... |
Jarmila Vadek
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| Ernö Verebes | ... |
Brunn
(as Erno Verebes)
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| Lotte Stein | ... |
Mama Hinzl
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| Scotty Beckett | ... |
The King
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William Edmunds | ... |
Leon - Theatre Concierge
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Maxwell Hayes | ... |
Count Romburg - King's Aide
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Dorothy Lawrence | ... |
Miss Metzger
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Ernie Adams | ... |
Man in Audience Next to Franz (uncredited)
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| Gertrude Astor | ... |
Woman in Audience Behind Franz (uncredited)
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Polly Bailey | ... |
Cleaning Woman (uncredited)
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| Rudy Bowman | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Anne Cornwall | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Maurice Costello | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Grace Cunard | ... |
Backstage Maid (uncredited)
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| William Desmond | ... |
Backstage Technician (uncredited)
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| Francis Ford | ... |
Backstage Attendant (uncredited)
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| Helen Gibson | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Stuart Holmes | ... |
King's Consul (uncredited)
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| Joe Kirk | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Bella Lewitzky | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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| Eric Mayne | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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Harry Mayo | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Richard Neill | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| William H. O'Brien | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Louis Payne | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Eddie Polo | ... |
Stagehand (uncredited)
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| Paul Power | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Barry Regan | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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| Jack Richardson | ... |
Musical Conductor (uncredited)
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Katherine Yorke | ... |
Chorus Girl (uncredited)
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Directed by
| George Waggner | ||
Written by
| Curt Siodmak | ... | (screenplay) and |
| Lynn Starling | ... | (screenplay) |
| Curt Siodmak | ... | (adaptation) |
| Edward Locke | ... | (play) |
| George Waggner | ... | (librettos) |
Produced by
| Joseph Gershenson | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| George Waggner | ... | producer |
Music by
| Edward Ward | ... | (musical score) |
Cinematography by
| W. Howard Greene | ... | director of photography |
| Hal Mohr | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Russell F. Schoengarth | ... | (as Russell Schoengarth) |
Editorial Department
| William Fritzsche | ... | associate color director: Technicolor |
| Natalie Kalmus | ... | color director: Technicolor |
Art Direction by
| Alexander Golitzen | ||
| John B. Goodman | ||
Set Decoration by
| Russell A. Gausman | ||
| Ira Webb | ... | (as Ira S. Webb) |
Costume Design by
| Vera West | ||
Makeup Department
| Jack P. Pierce | ... | makeup artist (as Jack Pierce) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Charles S. Gould | ... | assistant director (as Charles Gould) |
Sound Department
| Bernard B. Brown | ... | director of sound |
| William R. Fox | ... | sound technician (as William Fox) |
Visual Effects by
| John P. Fulton | ... | special photography (uncredited) |
Music Department
| William Tyroler | ... | vocal director |
| Edward Ward | ... | musical director |
| Harold Zweifel | ... | orchestrator |
Additional Crew
| Lester Horton | ... | operetta staged by |
| Gene Lewis | ... | dialogue director |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Universal Pictures (1944) (United States) (theatrical) (as Universal Pictures Corporation)
- Empire Universal Films (1944) (Canada) (theatrical)
- General Film Distributors (GFD) (1944) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Universal Film (1945) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Société Anonyme Universal-Film (1948) (France) (theatrical)
- Screen Gems (1959) (United States) (tv)
- MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (United States) (VHS)
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2006) (United States) (DVD)
- Universal Studios Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD) (5 film collection)
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2014) (United States) (DVD) (Universal Vault Series)
- NBC Universal Television Distribution (2018) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Elephant Films (2023) (France) (Blu-ray)
- Eureka Entertainment (2022) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (on 'Universal Terror' set)
- MCA Home Video (1996) (Canada) (VHS)
- Shout! Factory (2020) (United States) (Blu-ray) (included in "Universal Horror Collection Volume 4")
Special Effects
Other Companies
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Dr. Hohner (Karloff), theatre physician at the Vienna Royal Theatre, murders his mistress, the star soprano when his jealousy drives him to the point of mad obsession. Ten years later, another young singer (Foster) reminds Hohner of the late diva, and his old mania kicks in. Hohner wants to prevent her from singing for anyone but him, even if it means silencing her forever. The singer's fiancée (Bey) rushes to save her in the film's climax.
Written by Stephen Cooke |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The screen's classic of suspense! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | This film was shot on the lavish sets created for Phantom of the Opera (1943) in an attempt to recoup the large budget of that film. The opera house set had been built for the original The Phantom of the Opera (1925) starring Lon Chaney, and this extraordinary set still exists on the Universal Studios lot. It is the oldest surviving movie set in the world. See more » |
| Goofs | In the rehearsal sequence in which Angela loses her voice at the sight of Dr. Hohner, she closes her mouth a split second before the playback of her voice stops. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in The Climax (1970). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Three Marches Militaires See more » |
| Quotes |
Dr. Hohner:
You don't want to ruin that voice, do you? It isn't yours, remember? Now tell me, whose voice is it?... Tell me! Angela: Marcellina's! See more » |