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Greetings, and welcome to VIEWING THE CLASSICS. Here you'll find capsule reviews of vintage movies from the early days of cinema through the 1970s, with a special emphasis on sci-fi, horror, and mystery movies. Be sure to check out the Pages links, where you can find a Film Index of all my reviews, links to the reviews organized by cast members, directors, and other contributors, and links to my reviews of the films of talented young director Joshua Kennedy.

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Sunday, March 18, 2018

Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961)

Starring Kieron Moore, Hazel Court, Ian Hunter, Kenneth J. Warren, Gerald C. Lawson
Directed by Sidney J. Furie
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A medical student kicked out of his studies in Vienna for experimenting on living patients returns home to a British village, where he continues his efforts in secret caves within a coal mine.

This isn't a great film, with a story that largely takes the main themes from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein novel, and applies them to a more modern setting.  Interestingly enough, per IMDB, it was written by Nathan Juran (credited here as Jerry Juran), who's better known for directing films like Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman and The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad.  I've found Moore to be a fairly solid lead in his other pictures, but he doesn't compare here to the better known cinematic Dr. Frankensteins.  Nevertheless, I still found a good deal to enjoy here- Moore is surrounded by a capable supporting cast, with Court delightful as the nurse he romances, and Hunter, Warren, and Lawson standing out in fine character parts.  Cinematographer Stephen Dade captures some very picturesque scenery, including rustic homes and green fields descending down into rocky shoals.  The makeup on Moore's monster at the climax is also of quality.  The picture just lacks originality, and seems best characterized as an attempt to attract the audiences of previous Frankenstein pictures.

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