Horrorfest 2012: The Black Sleep

THE BLACK SLEEP is a true gem for any classic horror fan. This late 50s homage to the then-recently ended string of Universal horror classics isn't quite as good as the best Universal monster flicks, but is better than the worst, and just as good as most of them.

Most of the film's allure comes from the incredible cast, a list that reads like a who's who of horror greats -- Basil Rathbone, Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine and Bela Lugosi. Even Ed Wood regular Tor Johnson is in this flick. The only one missing is Boris Karloff!

Rathbone stars as a mad scientist in the late 1800s who has invented a drug that puts his victims (I mean patients) into what he calls "the black sleep" -- indistinguishable from death, but as long as Rathbone administers an antidote within an hour, the sleeping patient will come back to life. This device helps with Rathbone's exploratory surgeries, as he dissects living human's brains in an effort to find a way to remove a brain tumor from his comatose wife without killing her in the process. Unfortunately, these experiments, while not killing the patients, leave a string of brain damaged monsters in their wake.

Our hero is probably the least interesting guy in the movie, but that's par for the course when you've got a huge list of great villains -- Herbert Rudley plays a doctor who is unjustly accused of murder and is awaiting execution on death row when Rathbone rescues him by faking his death with the black sleep and smuggling him to safety. In return, Rathbone wants Rudley's help with his experiments, which Rudley is initially happy to do, before discovering the unethical nature of the tasks at hand.

Chaney, Johnson and Carradine are on hand as demented, psychotic, murderous human leftovers of these experiments. Some of them are kept in a hidden dungeon in the castle, but Chaney roams the halls and, swinging wildly from docile to violent. 

The only one of these stars you could say is totally wasted in a worthless part is Lugosi who plays a mute butler. He has one good moment at the beginning of the film when he alarms our heroes by coming to the door to let them in, but other than that he just stands around in the background performing menial chores. It's awesome to have Lugosi's name in the credits and presence on screen, but it's a shame and a waste to see how he's used here. The part could have literally been played by anyone. Ed Wood used Lugosi to much greater effect in an otherwise shabbier flick shot around the same time, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER. Chaney is ALMOST wasted, also in a mute part, except he at least has several good fright scenes.

Rathbone fares better as the made scientist because it is clearly the best role in the film. He relishes each evil line and is unrepentant in his portrayal of a great, underrated screen villain.

THE BLACK SLEEP isn't as stylish as the classic Universal monster movies at their best, but it has a lot of spirit, a great cast and is never, ever boring.