The Man Who Lived Twice

"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.

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.

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.

This is the type of B movie that makes you want to keep seeking these old flicks out. Ralph Bellamy plays Slick Rawley, a notorious criminal who is disfigured. The cops get too close to him, so he ducks out from his friend Gloves (Ward Bond) and his girl Peggy (Isabel Jewell) and ends up in a college at a lecture by scientist Dr. Schuyler (Thurston Hall in a nice turn). This Doctor says he can cure certain types of criminals by releasing pressure on the brain, caused by tumors. Rawley is intrigued and talks the doctor into using him as his first human experiment. (He had done experiments on "criminal" dogs before). Slick only asks for his disfigurement to be repaired. After the experiment, Slick loses his memory and becomes the prominent Dr. Blake after much help from his new father figure, Dr. Schuyler. After a few years his old cohorts show up and he gains a new ally in Gloves, who again is loyal to the man who takes care of him, but now an enemy in his old girl, Peggy, who wants the reward for turning in Slick to the police.

Harry Lachman was a very good director and this film benefits also from being made at Columbia, a quality studio. This is clearly a B film, but has a class that shows. Lachman uses a lot of close-ups, montages and angled shots that keep the story feeling tense, even in some of the lighter passages. Ralph Bellamy is very good in a dual role, first as the disfigured criminal and second as the respected doctor. He uses different body language for each and at the same time both have certain aspects in common, including the voice and the nervous habit of twirling a key-chain, which eventually gives Blake's true identity away.

Likewise, the supporting cast is very good. Ward Bond plays Gloves with some real sympathy. He's not the smartest man, but he really just needs a chance. Jewell is quite good as the greedy woman, who won't take good charity from Dr. Blake and would rather turn him in for more money. The two mirror the good and bad sides of Blake/Rawley. Gloves is his loyal, good side that gives people a chance, despite their criminal ways. Peggy, meanwhile, is the seedier side that takes the quick and easy way rather than work hard. Marian Marsh is also sympathetic as a woman, Janet, who Blake helps and ends up falling in love with.

The Man Who LivedTwice is a special little B, that has some good suspense and even some horror overtones with the story of disfigurement and scientific experiment. The sci-fi angle is, of course, the weak point with the ridiculous tumor on the brain theory, but when you get past that, this is a really good crime melodrama.

This movie delves into something I've wondered about: no matter what the crime, if a person no longer has knowledge of what they've done, if their memories are gone, should they be held responsible form those crimes?

Ralph Bellamy does well in his dual role of criminal Slick Rawley and Dr. James Blake (a new version of himself, his criminal past wiped away by surgery). He's made a new, morally upright life for himself, had no memories of who he once was and is ready for future with Janet Haydon (Marian Marsh), all courtesy of Dr. Schuyler (Thurston Hall). When his former girlfriend Peggy (played with a good "bad girl" style by Isabel Jewell) recognizes him, and causes trouble, even his friend/chauffeur (and former crony) John "Gloves" Baker (Ward Bond) taking drastic measures can't help him and soon the public (and James himself) has to decide whether or not his present self should pay the price for what his former self did (despite that former self being erased from his memory)?

A movie that makes you think!