Les monstres se révoltent

Sir Joel Cadman (Basil Rathbone), a mad scientist, kidnaps his victims and cuts open their brains in an effort to discover a means to cure his wife's brain tumor.

Okay, so you have a 1950s mad scientist story about a guy doing experimental brain surgery that results in some serious mistakes. That alone could probably make a pretty decent horror film -- who is opposed to seeing brain dead lobotomy patients lumbering through a dungeon?

But, really, this film could not have failed if it tried. Besides Rathbone, it features Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney and John Carradine. They could have stood around and played hackey sack and I would still watch it.

Paul Corupe makes an interesting observation about this film's role in history. He notes that on the surface, Cadman is your typical 1930s mad scientist, saying things like, "In the interests of science, anything is justified." But underneath that, he is a 1950s scientist, a transitional figure who does experiments not just because he can but because he is trying to save a life -- he is one of the very first mad scientists we can feel sorry for, possibly. The only earlier example Corupe offers is from "The Ape" (1940).

If I went for snark more often in my reviews, I might say that "The Black Sleep" will put *you* into a black sleep. But, in truth, it's not *that* bad. It's just somewhat disappointing, given the gathering of some of the shining lights of the horror genre. This is really more of a period drama (with precious little period recreation - this is mostly shot in interiors) with touches of horror. Its first three quarters are somewhat dull, and talky, and most unfortunate of all, NOT very atmospheric.

The story mostly centers around the activities of a deranged doctor, Sir Joel Cadman (Basil Rathbone) who saves a former student, Gordon Ramsey (!) (Herbert Rudley) from the hangman. This he does with the assistance of a drug, the "Black Sleep" of the title, that can make people appear to be dead. Sir Joel intends to have Ramsey assist him in his radical research into the human brain. Ramsey meets such characters as Daphne (Phyllis Stanley), Sir Joels' loyal nurse, two mutes (Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi), and the very fetching young Laurie Monroe (Patricia Blair), while an annoying, talkative gypsy named Odo (Akim Tamiroff) provides Sir Joel with unwilling test subjects.

"The Black Sleep" is saved, to a degree, by its final quarter, which is good fun, as more characters come crawling out of the woodwork. Among them is a hirsute John Carradine. Don't be fooled; despite his prominent billing, his is little more than a cameo role. The same goes for the hulking Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson, who doesn't show up for a long time. The reasonably likable Rudley does a decent job of carrying the story. He's a good man who claims to be innocent of a murder charge, and there's no reason to doubt him. He's also the moral centre, scoffing at the insanity perpetrated by Sir Joel. Mr. Rathbone is marvelous; his performance does ultimately transcend the material. But performers like Carradine, Lugosi, and Chaney end up rather under utilized.

Directed without much style by Reginald Le Borg ("Weird Woman", "Diary of a Madman"), but the score by the talented Les Baxter is definitely worth a listen.

Six out of 10.

Oddly enough The Black Sleep was some years ahead of its time medically speaking. The title refers to a drug from India that scientists Basil Rathbone uses to do that. Today it's a technique to enable recovery from certain illnesses or injuries. But being that this is Basil Rathbone mad scientist you know the drug will be used for all kinds of nefarious purposes.

Rathbone gets Dr. Herbert Rudley out of prison to assist him by use of his coma inducing Black Sleep. Rudley is in prison for a murder he didn't commit. When he 'dies' before the death sentence is carried out that's the end of it. But Rathbone has a lot of work for Rudley to do, operations on some willing and not so willing patients. What it's all about you have to see The Black Sleep for.

If you do see it you're in for a treat because with a cast of scene stealing actors such as Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr., and John Carradine, this is not to be missed. All three of their characters are products of Rathbone's failed experiments. Carradine in particular is joy. He plays a deranged man who thinks he's a Crusader King and he's overacting outrageously and I'm loving every minute of it. Also in the film is Akim Tamiroff as a gypsy grave robber who also aids Rathbone.

All these people have legions of fans still. So if you want to see a film that's a combination of Frankenstein and the Island of Dr. Moreau with a great cast you can't miss with The Black Sleep.

While Plan 9 from Outer Space is often considered to be Bela Lugosi's last film, considering that movie consisted of test scenes meant for a different movie, the actual final picture of which Lugosi actively participated in should actually be this one. He plays a mute butler who doesn't really do much but still has somewhat of a presence and is nothing to be ashamed about. He is joined here by fellow horror stalwarts John Carradine (gloriously hammy here), Lon Chaney, Jr., and fellow Ed Wood-directed series castmate Tor Johnson. The star is Basil Rathbone as a mad doctor who performs brain surgeries because of a secret I don't want to reveal here. Herbert Rudley is his reluctant assistant and Patricia Blair (or Blake as she's credited here) is the daughter of Chaney who plays another mute who was once a functioning human being. There's also an amusing performance by Akim Tamiroff as another associate of Rathbone's. Other cast members worth noting: Phyllis Stanley as Rathbone's nurse, Sally Yarnell as another of the underground "patients", Claire Carleton as a "customer" of Tamiroff's, and John Sheffield as a Scotland Yard detective investigating the whole thing. I thought this was a very effective chiller that was underrated considering the cast. So on that note, I'm recommending The Black Sleep.

Dr Cadman saves the life of an old student, Ramsay, by giving him a drug nick named the "black sleep" prior to his going to the gallows. The drug simulates death and Ramsay is believed to have died before the hangman could have his way with him. Cadman revives Ramsay and has him help with his operations mapping the centers of the brain. Of course Cadman is mad, his desire to help his wife who is in a coma, has reduced him to using means that are less than savory. Tension mounts as Ramsay's good nature clashes with Cadman and the weird things that are going on in the house.

Somehow this little gem slipped under my radar and it wasn't until recently that I even knew this movie existed. With a cast that would be the delight of any classic horror movie fan (Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi,Lon Chaney, John Carradine, Tor Johnson, Akim Tamiroff) this is a one of those movies that they don't make any more. This is an odd mix of what you think of as classic horror and modern graphic visuals with a moody castle passageways and graphic brain operations and disfigured monsters. It walks that fine line of being link between the Universal style horror films of the 30's and 40's and the drive in monster fare of the 50's and 60's (it feels like a black and white version of the Hammer Frankenstein films or something like Blood of the Vampire) . Its a great deal of fun, and more than a tad creepy and tense since you really can't be sure whats going to happen next. In its way its a classic of its kind.

My only real complaint is that the casting of Lugosi, Johnson and Carradine is a bit misleading since Lugosi only has a few scenes as a mute butler, and Carradine and Johnson only show up in the final 15 minutes. They are really no more than cameos and don't deserve the high placement in the credits they receive.

Definitely high on my recommend list to anyone who likes classic style horror. This is a movie to search out and enjoy late on a rainy Saturday night.