Hitchcoc The inimitable Peter Lorre plays Dr. Gogol, an incredibly gifted surgeon. He has a weakness, however. He has fallen for an actress whose being rules his life. When she tells him she is married he is crestfallen. Her husband is a renowned classical pianist. He is injured in a train wreck, his hands crushed. Lorre works to cure him, but until he transplants the hands of a murderer, a knife thrower, the man cannot be whole. Of course, he now has the hands of a murderer and they want to kill, using knives. He thinks he will get the girl, but he disgusts her. Her rejection sends him over the edge. Great vehicle for the wonderful Lorre as he expresses madness and pain. Very well done horror tale.

TheRedDeath30 Thank the gods for the internet, huh? In this modern age, internet communities and online reviews give us a chance to discover films that would otherwise go well below our radar. It is was the case that I found this movie to be highly recommended by several sources and it did not disappoint.I have been a monster kid since I was a young one in the 70s and read every horror movie history book I could get my hands on, but this movie never seemed to pop up in those mentions. Part of that is no doubt due to its' oddity among its' 30s brethren. This is a not a "monster movie" as was so popular during those days. Instead it predates the more thriller oriented horror of the 40s that would come later on, focusing instead on a deranged and slightly maniacal doctor longing for a love that he cannot have. Doing a little research on the movie, I also find that critics were not kind to it during its' day, but have come around in the past few decades, probably another reason that it is more mentioned now than it was during its' time.That seems to be a surprise because the movie is a horror fiend's dream. Based on a novel that had already been filmed as THE HANDS OF ORLAC with CALIGARI's Conrad Veidt. Directed by legendary cinematographer Karl Freund, with a script from Guy Endore, whose novel THE WEREWOLF OF Paris was a heralded classic made into the Hammer film CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF. The cast features the wonderful Peter Lorre in his first American role, along with Doc Frankenstein himself, Colin Clive. All of these parts together were almost certain to yield something worthwhile.The beginning of the movie sets a dark tone right from the start. Using the Grand Guignol stage as its' backdrop, we are immersed in a world of chills, as each employee of the theatre is dressed in spooky costume, before our heroine takes the stage in a production that would make Mario Bava proud. From there, we go to a beheading, complete with shiny, sharp guillotine and gallows humor. While there are no fantastic monsters present (as in Universal's work of the time), there are certainly chills to mark this firmly in horror territory.The story strays from the plot of the earlier HANDS OF ORLAC by placing much more emphasis on the new character of Dr. Gogol, played by Lorre. He's the glue holding this movie together, as he displays impressive range. We know from the beginning that there's something a little off about him. Clearly, he's obsessed with the heroine and maybe a little too much with torture, beheadings and deathly theater. In an early scene, we see that he's a little bit socially backwards as he takes an opportunity for a peck on the cheek with our heroine as a chance to plant a deep kiss on her.From there, his obsession spirals out of control, just as much as his grip on sanity seems to be spiraling downwards. His plot to make Yvonne his own ultimately ends with a dastardly surgery and murderous plot. By the time he comes to dress as a dead serial killer to further his ruse with Orlac, it's clear that he's crossed from damaged goods to full- on maniacal villain.The directing of Freund is spot on, as always. His movies look incredible and this is no exception. Watch the early conversation between Gogol and Yvonne in her dressing room and the use of close ups for a director clearly in firm grasp of his craft. The movie would work almost as effectively on mute as it does with sound.I recommend this to any fan of early horror or thrillers. What it may lack in a memorable monster, it more than makes up for by presenting a good story with great characters.

utgard14 Brilliant surgeon Dr. Gogol (Peter Lorre) is in love with actress Yvonne Orlac (Frances Drake). Yvonne is married to pianist Stephen Orlac (Colin Clive). When Stephen's hands are crushed in a train accident, Yvonne turns to Dr. Gogol to save them. Gogol performs a hand transplant, giving Stephen the hands of recently executed knife-thrower Rollo (Edward Brophy). Over time it becomes apparent Stephen's ability to play the piano is gone but now, whenever he's angry, he finds he has a knife-throwing ability he never had before.I believe this is the first sound adaptation of the Hands of Orlac story. It's certainly the best version of that story I've seen on film. It's an often copied story, usually without credit. Every movie you've seen that features a transplanted body part that belonged to a murderer is derivative of The Hands of Orlac. Variations of it are still being made today. But none has surpassed this one. This is one of the best horror movies of the 1930s and, surprisingly, it wasn't made by Universal. Peter Lorre is superb as the obsessive insane Gogol. Colin Clive and Frances Drake are both good, though more typical performances of the genre than the extraordinary performance of Lorre. Edward Brophy is great fun in his brief screen time as Rollo. Much is made of Ted Healey's unwanted comic relief as a nosy reporter but I don't feel he intrudes on the story much so it didn't bother me. Director Karl Freund does an amazing job, just as he did when he directed The Mummy. Freund was better known as a cinematographer. He shot such legendary films as Metropolis, Dracula, and The Good Earth. He had a wonderful eye and all of the films he worked on looked great.. This would be the last film Freund directed before returning full-time to cinematography. Check this one out if you haven't already. Mad Love is a must-see for classic horror fans.

LeonLouisRicci The Opening Scenes at the Grand Guignol Theatre are worth the Price of Admission, Startlingly Strange, Bizarre, Terrifying, and Unsettling. The Costumes, Sets, and Cinematography are Amazing and set the Tone for the rest of this Horror Movie that stills lies on the Fringe, Overshadowed by other Movies from Another Studio (Universal) and Sequeled Monsters.This one is just as good as Any due to a Combination of Story (The Hands of Orlac), Director (Karl Freund), and Star (Peter Lorre) that all Deliver one of the most Offbeat, Stylish Thrillers of the Decade. Almost every Scene is a Wonder and the only thing that keeps this from becoming a Certified Masterpiece is the Obligatory Comedy Relief.But Thankfully there isn't a whole lot of that, Certainly not enough to Detract from the Overall Sensationalism that this Film Embodies. It will most Likely be an Unforgettable Experience from Anyone Watching for the First Time, Even Today. Nothing quite like it and a Real Treat.