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. 1 2 John Hamilton, The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70 Hemlock Books 2013 p 42-47
  2. 1 2 3 Tom Weaver, The Horror Hits of Richard Gordon, Bear Manor Media 2011 p 80-95
  3. Stephen Jacobs, Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, Tomohawk Press 2011 p 422
  4. http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/t-z/werewolfinagirlsdorm62.htm
  5. The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.

External links

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