Corridors of Blood
| Corridors of Blood | |
|---|---|
 Corridors of Blood film poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Day |
| Produced by |
John Croydon Charles F. Vetter |
| Written by | Jean Scott Rogers |
| Starring |
Boris Karloff Christopher Lee Betta St. John Finlay Currie Francis Matthews |
| Music by | Buxton Orr |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Edited by | Peter Mayhew |
Production company |
Amalgamated Productions |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release dates |
December 1958 September 1962 (UK) |
Running time | 86 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤90,000[1][2] or £200,000[3] |
Corridors of Blood is a 1958 horror film directed by Robert Day. It starred Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee. The original music score was composed by Buxton Orr. The film was marketed with the tagline "Tops in Terror!" in the US where MGM only released it in 1962 as a double feature with an Italian import called Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory.[4]
Plot
An 1840s British surgeon, Dr. Thomas Bolton (Boris Karloff) experiments with anesthetic gases in an effort to make surgery pain-free. While doing so, his demonstration before a panel of his peers ends in a horrific mishap with his patient awakening under the knife; he is forced to leave his position in disgrace. To complicate matters, he becomes addicted to the gases and gets involved with a gang of criminals, led by Black Ben and his henchman Resurrection Joe (Christopher Lee). Unfortunately, this shady partnership leads Bolton to further ruin, culminating in his unwitting participation in murder — for which he becomes the first victim of a blackmail scheme.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Boris Karloff | Dr. Thomas Bolton |
| Betta St. John | Susan |
| Finlay Currie | Supt. Matheson |
| Francis Matthews | Jonathan Bolton |
| Adrienne Corri | Rachel |
| Francis de Wolff | Black Ben |
| Basil Dignam | Chairman |
| Frank Pettingell | Mr. Blount |
| Christopher Lee | Resurrection Joe |
| Nigel Green | Inspector Donovan |
| Yvonne Romain | Rosa |
| Howard Lang | Chief Inspector |
Production
After the success of The Haunted Strangler, producer Richard Gordon looked at making a follow up with Boris Karloff. At one stage a colour remake of Dracula was discussed as was an adaptation of The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar. Eventually producer John Scott discovered a screenplay by Jean Scott Rogers based on the early days of anesthesia, originally called Doctor from Seven Dials.[2]
Reception
The movie was made in 1958 but because of upheavals at MGM at the time was not released until 1962.[2]
According to MGM records, the film made a profit of $14,000.[5] It was considered a commercial disappointment and was the last film from Amalgamated Productions.[1]
References
Notes
- 1 2 John Hamilton, The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70 Hemlock Books 2013 p 42-47
- 1 2 3 Tom Weaver, The Horror Hits of Richard Gordon, Bear Manor Media 2011 p 80-95
- ↑ Stephen Jacobs, Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, Tomohawk Press 2011 p 422
- ↑ http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/t-z/werewolfinagirlsdorm62.htm
- ↑ The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
External links
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: Corridors of Blood |
- Corridors of Blood at the Internet Movie Database
- Corridors of Blood at the TCM Movie Database
- Corridors of Blood at AllMovie