The Man Without a Body

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The Man Without a Body
"The Man Without a Body" (1957).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.

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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 John Hamilton, The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70 Hemlock Books 2013 p 68-69
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links


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