Review of The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) by Michael T — 26 Mar 2017

Interesting early entry in the Hammer Gothic Horror line. This film is a remake of a 1944 Horror/Thriller The Man in Half Moon Street which itself was adapted from a stage play. This is part of the reason that this film seems more stagey and talkative than other Hammer films.

Anton Differing makes an interesting and compelling protagonist, a man who is over a century old but ever ten years or so he must replace certain glands (taken from a healthy and unwilling donor) or he will rapidly age and die.

He is artist, urban, and cultured, he is also selfish, egotistical, and quite willing to murder to prolong his life. Hazel Court is an old flame who is still in love with him and doesn't realize what a monster he is while Christopher Lee is our hero, a suave doctor who is in love with Hazel Court's character and is blackmailed into helping Differing's character.

It is always good to see Lee in a Hamer film and he always made as engaging a hero as he did a villain and Hazel Court's lovely presence is greatly appreciated and this script gives her more to do than many of the other films she was in during this period but ultimately this film does not stand up as well to other early Hammer films.

Director Terence Fisher is still developing his style and the Hammer look is still being developed. Still, it is one of the important early steps from this great studio.