Directed by Eugene Franke
and James P. Hogan, written by Eugene Frenke, L. Wolfe Gilbert, John F.
Goodrich, James P. Hogan, Arthur T. Horman and Mary McCarthy
Starring Onslow Stevens,
George P. Breakston, Lois Wilson, Valerie Hobson and Robert E. Cornish
1935
This one really stretches
the definition of “horror” – you could make the argument easily this is not a
horror film at all. Still, Universal acquired the film from an independent
production company and lumped it in with its list of horrors I guess because it
deals with the idea of resurrecting the dead.
Supposedly based on a
true story and featuring “real” footage of an operation that brought a dog back
to life, the film co-stars real-life doctor Robert E. Cornish and has his
signature of authenticity. Unfortunately it seems to mostly be bunk, and the
resurrection-of-the-dead plot takes a backseat to a schmaltzy tale of a disgraced
scientist who gives up on his life and his pre-teen son who ends up on the
streets as a result. The kid’s only pal is his dog, but when the dog turns up
dead – well, enter Robert E. Cornish.
This is the worst
Universal has to offer, and I guess is Universal-in-name-only since it’s an
out-of-house production they just happened to purchase. A lot of the mainstream
Universal horror movies are preoccupied with ideas of suspended animation and
resurrecting the dead, so apparently this subject material was more shocking
(and exploitable) in its day than it is now. Skip this one if you can find it,
which you probably can’t.
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