Corridors of Blood (1958)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Robert Day

Writer:

Jean Scott Rogers (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 September 1962 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Tops in Terror!

Plot:

In an effort to relieve the suffering of surgery patients, Dr. Thomas Bolton painstakingly develops an opium-based anesthetic...

Plot Keywords:

Surgery | Experiment | Pickpocket | Grave Robbing | Nitrous Oxide

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Thomas Bolton
Betta St. John	...	Susan
Christopher Lee	...	Resurrection Joe
Finlay Currie	...	Supt. Dr. Charles Matheson
Adrienne Corri	...	Rachel
Francis De Wolff	...	Black Ben (also Francis de Wolff)
Francis Matthews	...	Dr. Jonathan Bolton
Frank Pettingell	...	Dr. Blount
Basil Dignam	...	Chairman
Marian Spencer	...	Mrs Matheson
Carl Bernard	...	Ned, The Crow
John Gabriel	...	Baker - Dispenser
Nigel Green	...	Inspector Donovan
Yvonne Romain	...	Rosa (as Yvonne Warren)
Howard Lang	...	Chief Inspector

Also Known As:

Doctor from Seven Dials (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating)

Company:

Amalgamated Productions

Trivia:

Although the film was not released until 1962, it was actually shot in 1958.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Corridor Gossip (2007) (V)

Why did it take four years to release this film? It was excellent and very watchable.

This is a deceptive little film. First off, because it was made and sat for four years before release, you might be inclined to think it is a dud--but that's far from true. The film is very good--good enough to almost earn an 8. Second, while the film has some horrific scenes and features Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, it is not a horror film but more of a drama. So if you see it, don't expect monsters or madness--instead, there are just bad people and good people doing bad things.

The film is set in 1840 and Karloff plays an exceptionally skilled surgeon who is dismayed that there are no drugs to alleviate the suffering of patients during surgery. Basically, people were wide awake and felt EVERYTHING during surgery and amputations! This is true, as the first anesthesias didn't come about until around 1850. Despite his concerns, other doctors didn't share his enthusiasm for change, so Karloff foolishly begins experimenting on himself--inhaling a mixture of various chemicals (including opium). Not surprisingly, he becomes addicted and this once sweet man becomes an unwilling pawn in the seedy underworld.

The film gets very high marks for construction, writing, direction and the performance of Karloff. There isn't much I'd change about the film, though fans of Christopher Lee might be disappointed that his role isn't that big and his character isn't that interesting (despite the fact he's a cold-blooded murderer). Give this intelligent little film a watch--it's really very good.