Scalpel (1977)

A psychopathic plastic surgeon transforms a young accident victim into the spitting image of his missing daughter.

Director:

John Grissmer

Writers:

John Grissmer, Joseph Weintraub (original story)

Stars:

Robert Lansing, Judith Chapman, Arlen Dean Snyder

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Lansing	...	Dr. Phillip Reynolds
Judith Chapman	...	Heather / Jane
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Uncle Bradley
David Scarroll	...	Dr. Robert Dean
Sandy Martin	...	Sandy
Bruce Atkins	...	Bartender
Muriel Moore	...	Cousin Margaret
Clara Dunn	...	Gossipy Woman
Stan Wojno	...	Donald (as Stanley Wojno)
Laura Whyte	...	Jennifer Reynolds
Larry Quackenbush	...	Keith Jarvey
Greg Oliver	...	Killer
Mimi Honce	...	Maddie Schuster
Ellen Heard	...	Woman at the Party
Tad Currie	...	Mr. Branch

Storyline

A psychopathic plastic surgeon transforms a young accident victim into the spitting image of his missing daughter.

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Plot Keywords:

plastic surgery | pianist | operation | jazz band | funeral | 

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Taglines:

a face created by a master surgeon ... to live a lie created by a madman.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Woman of the Shadows

Filming Locations:

Covington, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

PJ Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

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Soundtracks

The Dying Poet
by Louis Moreau Gottschalk

User Reviews

some stunning key scenes and some real shocks

So many times since I bought this Blu-ray, I've picked it up and then put it down again. A low budget film featuring facial surgery, maybe not. And then I watched it! Great film, full of surprises, not least of which is that the early exposition is dealt with so smoothly. From the brutal and explicit beginning, through the background story, the surgery and all, we are skilfully informed as the pictures fade into each other and we have arrived at the beginning of the tale that we expected to be the ending. Set in Georgia we get wonderful pictures of green and gold burial grounds and overgrown ruins. An atmosphere of creepy otherness develops alongside shades of incest. More a dramatic tale with tinges of the Italian gallo than a horror, this is nevertheless horrific and not without surprises. One particular surprise towards the end really caught me off guard and is followed quickly by the chase through the woods of a skimpy bikini clad women that almost as surprising as it is stunning. And then surprising again! It is a tragedy that director John Grissmer only made one other film and that almost a remake of this. Robert Lansing is effective as the leading man but Judith Chapman is an absolute revelation. Her career seems to have been more in TV and it is true that the interiors here sometimes look more like TV but Chapman is marvellous in a difficult role and always convincing. This is an underrated film that seems to offer little but does quite the opposite with great location shooting, some stunning key scenes and some real shocks.