Starring Erich von Stroheim, Harriet Russell, Dwight Frye, Paul Guilfoyle, John Bohn
Directed by John H. Auer
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
When the man who stole the woman he loved away suffers a car accident, the chief surgeon for a hospital is urged to save his life in an operation, and he does, but has a plan for vengeance.
A powerhouse performance by von Stroheim really elevates this film into something special. The actor delivers his dialogue in a quiet subdued tone for the most part, but when his character, the esteemed surgeon Dr. Andre Crespi, is angered, he explodes in a temperament well-showcased in tight closeups with almost blank backgrounds, shifting our attention to his expressions. Dwight Frye, known for his roles as sinister assistants in Dracula and Frankenstein, plays Crespi's subordinate, and receives most of the doctor's wrath, putting him in a unique position to challenge Crespi when he suspects his nefarious activities. It's not as showy a role for Frye as others he's had, but he's very good in his own way. I'll have to say though, without giving too much away, that the best scene in the picture is von Stroheim's confrontation with the body of his victim, which firmly establishes the film in horror territory and gives the actor a meaty scene to work with. It's just too bad the filmmakers opted to not utilize a music score to augment the rest of the picture.
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