The Man Who Lived Twice

Enjoyed this small film, "The Man Who Lived Twice" from 1936 starring Ralph Bellamy, Ward Bond, and Isabel Jewell. Bellamy plays a criminal, Slick Rawley, whom the police are after. He disappears and at one point, ducks into a class given by an esteemed doctor (Thurston Hall) who talks about changing an animal's violent personality through surgery. However, he has never done this surgery on a human being.

Slick volunteers; the doctor accepts him for the surgery and also plastic surgery. When the operation is over, Slick doesn't remember a thing about his old life - not his crimes, his friends, nothing. He studies and becomes a doctor and sets up practice, also working with prisoners each morning. Then one of his old friends shows up and thinks he knows the doctor.

Good, earnest performance by Ralph Bellamy and by Hall, with some real spice added by Isabel Jewell as Slick's old girlfriend, who sees the doctor as a soft touch. She tries to talk Gloves (Bond), who now drives for the doctor, to steal from him.

Well worth seeing.

"The Man Who Lived Twice" is a low budgeted film that has an utterly ridiculous plot. Yet, despite this, it's also a terrific movie...one I strongly recommend.

Slick Rawley is a nasty criminal and when the story begins, he's involved with a shootout with the cops and kills one of them. He's now a wanted man and goes into hiding. After a while, he sneaks out and comes upon a most unusual lecture. The doctor talking to the audience (Thurston Hall) contends that SOME criminals are the way they are due to brain abnormalities and with the proper surgery, they can be rehabilitated. Well, apparently Slick doesn't like who he is and his life of crime and begs the Doctor to help him. Surprisingly, the Doctor does this as well as doing extensive plastic surgery on Rawley's hideous face.

When Rawley awakens from the surgery, something unusual has happened...he has absolutely no memory of his former life. In fact, he's now one of the nicest folks you could ever hope to meet. Eventually, he goes to college and becomes a Doctor...just like his benefactor. But he also has a most unusual desire...to work with the disadvantage in prisons! Yes, prisons...and there, an old sweetie of Rawley's recognizes the voice...though nice Dr. Blake looks nothing like the old criminal he once was...and he has no recollection of this old life. What's next? Well, this woman is determined to make money off her discovery...even if that means ruining nice Dr. Blake.

The plot is clearly silly and tough to believe but the film has several things going for it. First, the writing, despite the weird plot, really is good. Second, Ralph Bellamy really does a great job as both characters and you really appreciate how this underrated actor (and mostly, supporting actor) did his craft. Third, the story does bring up some interesting ideas about rehabilitation and justice. Overall, it's a film you really have to see to appreciate...and I sure apprecited it.

1936's "The Man Who Lived Twice" was one of the Columbia titles included in 1958's SON OF SHOCK package, which followed the monumental success of television's SHOCK! one year earlier. An unrecognizable Ralph Bellamy stars as Slick Rawley, dangerous killer on the run and willing volunteer for Dr. Clifford Schuyler (Thurston Hall), who believes that brain surgery can alter the behavior of hardened criminals. Once the operation is over, Rawley has no memory of who he was, so Dr. Schuyler takes the opportunity to create a new identity for his patient, in ten years a highly successful doctor and great humanitarian in his own right, James Blake. Unfortunately, Rawley's old moll (Isabel Jewell) spills the beans about his old identity, hoping to claim the reward for his capture, leading Blake's devoted chauffeur (Ward Bond), who knows the truth but keeps it to himself, to take drastic measures to ensure his employer's safety. Marian Marsh, coming off her role as Boris Karloff's leading lady in "The Black Room," shines as Blake's love interest, soon to give up acting for good by 1942 (she died at 93 in 2006). Despite the juicy dual roles for Bellamy, this must rank as one of Ward Bond's finest movie roles, soon to appear with Karloff in both "Night Key" and "Son of Frankenstein." "The Man Who Lived Twice" aired only once on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater, Jan 11 1969, followed by 1951's "Lost Continent" (its routine 1953 remake, the 3D "Man in the Dark," was broadcast two years earlier).

The Man Who Lived Twice (1936)

** (out of 4)

Fair mix of horror and crime has Ralph Bellamy playing 'Slick' Rawley, a notorious killer who hears about a doctor (Thurston Hall) who is performing brain operations, which is curing evil people of their bad deeds. After the operation Slick also has a face lift but the big key is that he's forgotten his past. With only the future ahead of him he decides to learn medicine and everything starts to go right until his past starts to catch up with him. THE MAN WHO LIVED TWICE has a pretty interesting set-up but sadly the film never really comes together for a number of reasons. I think the film's biggest flaw is the fact that it really doesn't know what type of movie it wants to be. The horror elements are so small that it's really hard to lump it into the genre even with the operation stuff. The crime elements really aren't explored either outside of the opening when we get to see what type of person Slick is. The rest of the film has a love story that really doesn't go anywhere and in fact I'd say that the majority of the running time is all about nothing. I'm not going to ruin the final ten-minutes of the movie but they're rather laughable and especially the way the conclusion plays out. The one thing working for the film are the performances and Bellamy leads the way in a nice turn. I thought he did a very good job as both the good doctor and the evil crime boss. Marian Marsh and Isabel Jewel are good as the love interests and Ward Bond nearly steals the picture as the assistant to Slick. There's really not too much atmosphere and even at 73-minutes the film drags a bit. THE MAN WHO LIVED TWICE isn't a horrible film but at the same time it's not really a good one either.

Criminal 'Slick' Rawley (Ralph Bellamy) escapes from the cops and the papers are all over it. He had killed a cop. He happens upon a lecture from Dr. Clifford Schuyler who claims to cure persistent criminality with brain surgery. So far, he has only operated on animals. Slick offers himself as the first human subject as long as the doctor fixes his scarred face as well. After the surgery, Slick loses his memories.

This has an interesting premise. I would prefer some changes, but I am running with this premise. I would like to remake this with a few changes. I guess I'll have to track down the Man in the Dark (1953). I'll hold back some of my judgements. Mostly, I like the first half and I stayed with it till the end.