THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES (1940)

 

THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES/ Behind the Door (1940) ***

One of the low-budget "Mad Doctor" films made by Boris Karloff at Columbia Studios. The best of the series was THE DEVIL COMMANDS which is truly bizarre but this effort by the well named Nick Grinde is rather routine despite the fact that most of the action takes place in an underground ice cave. It is also notable that it takes a relatively long time for Karloff to appear on screen. The pleasure derived from these films is not one of artistic achievement but almost purely in the presence of Boris Karloff and if , like me, you are a fan, this is often enough. Here Karloff is the benevolent Dr.Kravaal, living alone on an island carrying out experiments in "Frozen therapy" which, of course, meets with the disapproval of the medical establishment - a theme reflected in the other films in this series and, indeed, in nearly all mad doctor films. Available on You Tube.