The Man Who Could Cheat Death

Anton Diffring - Dr. Georges Bonnet
Hazel Court - Janine Dubois
Christopher Lee - Dr. Pierre Gerard
Arnold Marlé - Prof. Ludwig Weiss
Delphi Lawrence - Margo Phillipe
Francis De Wolff - Insp. LeGris

In 1959, Paramount turned over the remake rights to their 1944 thriller, The Man in Half Moon Street to Hammer Films. Shot under the title The Man in the Rue Noire, the completed production was released as The Man Who Could Cheat Death. A delicate treatment of the Dorian Gray theme based on Barre Lyndon's play of the same name, it emerged from the Jimmy Sangster treatment rather less delicate but still showing signs of its stage origin. Sangster injected a great deal of dialogue into the script and the storyline has a scarcity of the physical horror for which Hammer had become famous. Terence Fisher's direction is a trifle leaden, but its stately pace suits the age of the material. According to Sangster, nobody was particularly happy with the picture. The sumptuous production design was one area beyond reproach thanks to the efforts of lighting cameraman Jack Asher and production designer Bernard Robinson.

In casting Bonnet, Hammer turned to Anton Diffring. Glacially glamorous, Diffring was best known for his portrayals of Nazi officers, and it showed as he brought unsympathetic maniacal intensity to the role. Cast-against-type Christopher Lee's upright surgeon, however, is an interesting supporting role and stylishly played. Arnold Marie's wizened Dr Weiss – retained, like Diffring, from the 1957 TV version – is enjoyably theatrical. Scream queen Hazel Court, despite contributing a topless modelling scene to the European print that was cut from the domestic version, has little to do.

Paris, 1890. Amateur sculptor Dr Georges Bonnet is 104 but looks 35. His secret is a series of gland transplants from beautiful women. He needs a new uter-parathyroid gland at ten-yearly intervals in order to preserve his youth, and has resorted to murder to get it. He is now due for another transplant, but when Bonnet's elderly associate Dr Weiss arrives, he is too infirm to carry out the operation. Weiss suggests his colleague Dr Gerrard carries out the operation, but when he refuses, so Bonnett kidnaps the girl Gerrard is attracted to, and vows only to release her if the operation is a success. Dr Gerrard reluctantly consents.