Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Mad Love (1935)


☆ ☆ ☆


Mad Love (1935) – K. Freund

Perhaps more appropriately titled, “The Hands of Orlac”, after the French source material, this horror film involves a hand transplant (from knife throwing murderer to concert pianist) where the hands have a will of their own.  Peter Lorre, in his first American film, is disturbing as the icky sleazy warped doctor who is infatuated with the actress married to the concert pianist.  There are some good creepy moments where Lorre seems to drool over torture scenes in a play starring the actress – what is his infatuation with her?  Is it some kind of degraded sexual fetish? Lorre makes you think so.  The rest of the film (and even Karl Freund’s heralded direction) can’t keep up with Lorre’s standards.
  

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