The Man Without a Body
| The Man Without a Body | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by |
Charles Saunders W. Lee Wilder |
| Produced by | Guido Coen |
| Written by | William Grote |
| Starring |
Robert Hutton George Coulouris Julia Arnall |
| Music by | Albert Elms |
| Cinematography | Brendan J. Stafford |
| Edited by | Tom Simpson |
Production company |
Filmplays Ltd. |
| Distributed by | Budd Rogers Releasing Corporation USA |
Release dates | May, 1957 UK |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤20,000[1] |
The Man Without a Body (also known as Curse of Nostradamus) is a low budget 1957 British horror film directed by Charles Saunders and W. Lee Wilder and starring Robert Hutton, George Coulouris and Julia Arnall.[2] The screenplay concerns a wealthy man who pays a surgeon to replace his brain with that of Nostradamus. The film was released theatrically in England in 1957, and in the U.S. in 1958 on a double bill with the Japanese film Half Human.
Plot
A financier secures the embalmed head of sixteenth-century French seer Nostradamus and persuades an esteemed surgeon to restore its tissues and substitute the brain for his own which is threatened by tumour. The financier being avaricious, also desires the seer to give him the power of prediction in business.[3][4]
Cast
- Robert Hutton ... Dr. Phil R. Merritt
- George Coulouris ... Karl Brussard
- Julia Arnall ... Jean Cramer
- Nadja Regin ... Odette Vernet
- Sheldon Lawrence ... Dr. Lew Waldenhouse
- Peter Copley ... Leslie
- Michael Golden ... Michel de Notre Dame (Nostradamus)
- Norman Shelley ... Dr. Alexander
- Stanley Van Beers ... Madame Tussaud's Guide
- Tony Quinn ... Dr. Brandon
- Maurice Kaufmann ... Chauffeur
- William Sherwood ... Dr. Charot
- Edwin Ellis ... Publican
- Donald Morley ... Stock Broker
- Frank Forsyth ... Detective
- Kim Parker ... Maid - Suzanne
- Ernest Bale ... Custom's Officer
Production
The film was partly financed from the NFFC. The directing credit was shared between Wilder and Saunders to ensure funding from the Eady levy although in reality Wilder did most of the directing. Shooting took place over three weeks.[1]
Release
The film was released on a double bill with the Japanese film Half-Human (1958).
Critical reception
- TV Guide wrote, "this very absurd film was codirected by Billy Wilder's brother, Lee."[5]
- "Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings" wrote, "between the incredibly demented storyline and the jaw-droppingly bad dialogue, one can only marvel that the actors were able to keep a straight face throughout this one...George Coulouris is a long way from CITIZEN KANE here."[6]
References
- 1 2 John Hamilton, The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70 Hemlock Books 2013 p 68-69
- ↑ "BFI | Film & TV Database | The MAN WITHOUT A BODY (1957)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- ↑ "BFI | Film & TV Database | The MAN WITHOUT A BODY (1957)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- ↑ "The Man without a Body (1957) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- ↑ "The Man Without A Body Review". Movies.tvguide.com. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- ↑ "Fantastic Movie Musings & Ramblings - THE MAN WITHOUT A BODY (1957)". Scifilm.org. Retrieved 2014-03-12.