{"id":5641,"date":"2008-06-07T10:07:52","date_gmt":"2008-06-07T17:07:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5641"},"modified":"2022-02-20T18:44:05","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T01:44:05","slug":"body-snatcher-the-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5641","title":{"rendered":"Body Snatcher, The (1945)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;They&#8217;re uncommon bold, the grave robbers &#8212; and the daft doctors who drive them on!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Poster2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Poster2-207x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"207\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-57903\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Poster2-207x300.png 207w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Poster2-707x1024.png 707w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Poster2-88x128.png 88w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Poster2-186x270.png 186w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Poster2.png 745w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 207px) 100vw, 207px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn 19th century Edinburgh, the idealistic young assistant (Russell Wade) of a renowned surgeon (Henry Daniell) is shocked to learn that a creepy coachman (Boris Karloff) who sells stolen cadavers occasionally resorts to murder to secure enough bodies.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bela Lugosi Films<\/li>\n<li>Blackmail<\/li>\n<li>Boris Karloff Films<\/li>\n<li>Henry Daniell Films<\/li>\n<li>Horror Films<\/li>\n<li>Literature Adaptation<\/li>\n<li>Robert Wise Films<\/li>\n<li>Val Lewton Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAs Peary notes, this classy, &#8220;refreshingly literate&#8221; adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson&#8217;s short story (based on the real-life exploits of notorious murderers <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Burke_and_Hare_murders\">Burke and Hare<\/a>) presents a unique &#8220;Jekyll-and-Hyde variation&#8221;: one in which the war between good and evil &#8220;is between two men, &#8216;good&#8217; McFarlane [Daniell] and &#8216;evil&#8217; Gray [Karloff]&#8221;, each of whom possesses a good or bad side which he vehemently denies. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2-1024x638.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"399\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2-1024x638.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2-1536x957.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2-434x270.png 434w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Duo2.png 1665w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Indeed, it&#8217;s the complexity of the film&#8217;s two central characters which elevates <em>The Body Snatcher<\/em> well above its B-level status: we watch with fascination as Karloff (giving a stellar, nuanced performance) repeatedly torments McFarlane with hints about his sordid past, insistently reminding him, &#8220;You&#8217;ll never get rid of me.&#8221; McFarlane&#8217;s steadfast dedication to teaching young medical students about anatomy &#8212; which in turn requires a steady stream of &#8220;fresh&#8221; corpses to dissect &#8212; has caused him to breach the most important rule of ethics in medicine (&#8220;First, do no harm&#8221;), and the guilt he lives with because of this eats away at his very soul. Meanwhile, Gray remains unable to rise above his working-class status as a cabbie, but does everything in his power to remind McFarlane that they&#8217;re really cut from the same cloth: neither one is ultimately &#8220;better&#8221; than the other. As Peary notes, director Robert Wise does a &#8220;superb and tasteful&#8221; job depicting the horror elements of this &#8220;morbid&#8221;, highly atmospheric film, which remains one of producer Val Lewton&#8217;s most successful thrillers. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Peary also argues that the script is &#8220;in truth overwritten and dull in spots&#8221;, but I disagree; at just 77 minutes, <em>The Body Snatcher<\/em> moves along quickly and never feels stale. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boris Karloff as Cabman Gray<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3-1024x625.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57895\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3-1024x625.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3-768x469.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3-1536x938.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3-442x270.png 442w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Karloff3.png 1659w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography and set designs<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography-1024x636.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"398\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57896\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography-1024x636.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography-768x477.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography-1536x954.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography-435x270.png 435w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Cinematography.png 1653w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2-1024x638.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"399\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2-1024x638.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2-1536x957.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2-434x270.png 434w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/Body-Snatcher-Set2.png 1649w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Philip MacDonald and Val Lewton&#8217;s literate script<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as one of Lewton&#8217;s best thrillers, and for Karloff&#8217;s career-worthy performance, which Peary awards the <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=2606\">Alternate Oscar of the year<\/a>. NB: He nominates Henry Daniell in the same category. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0037549\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/classic-horror.com\/reviews\/body_snatcher_1945\">Classic Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1765val.html\">DVD Savant Review (scroll down to eighth review)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/horror\/body-snatcher-1945.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/748\/the-body-snatcher#articles-reviews?articleId=87407\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tvguide.com\/movies\/body-snatcher\/review\/117472\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/en_gb\/film\/the-body-snatcher\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;They&#8217;re uncommon bold, the grave robbers &#8212; and the daft doctors who drive them on!&#8221; Synopsis: In 19th century Edinburgh, the idealistic young assistant (Russell Wade) of a renowned surgeon (Henry Daniell) is shocked to learn that a creepy coachman (Boris Karloff) who sells stolen cadavers occasionally resorts to murder to secure enough bodies. Genres: Bela Lugosi Films Blackmail Boris Karloff Films Henry Daniell Films Horror Films Literature Adaptation Robert Wise Films Val Lewton Films Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: As&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5641\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5641"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81458,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5641\/revisions\/81458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}