Alas, kurt siodmak never makes it clear what is going on if boris karloff simply transplanted red cannons brain into the professors body, why is there such a problem getting. Screenplay writer curt siodmak is credited as kurt siodmak in this film. An odd confluence of horror movie and gangster film, done up with the usual polish of universals uppercase monster movies, but sadly unfocused. Black friday is a peculiar mixture of gangster film and dr jekyll and mr hyde wherein a brain transplant serves in place of a personalitytransforming potion. Even though i have the movie on dvd i didnt have to bother looking for it because it was readily available on youtube and it was followed by the brighton strangler which i really. Black friday is a 1940 film about a doctor who transplants the brain of a gangster into his professor friends body to save his life, but there is a side effect that causes a dangerous split personality directed by arthur lubin. Ernest sovac given his talent for playing mad scientist characters see bride of the monster for an exampleas a secondrate gangster with only minor importance to the films primary conflict. Black friday 1940 film universal monsters wiki fandom. With that said, black friday its not one you look for because of the bela lugosikarloff collaboration.
Curt siodmak, the writer would revisit this theme again in donovans brain and hausers memory contentsshow plot the famous dr. Although the movie itself may not be the best, ridges is absolutely dynamic. There are so few films in which either boris karloff or bela lugosi are in where they do not steal each and every scene, but black friday is indeed one such film. The film black friday stresses strengthening black economics.
It is of note because of its pairing of the two reigning horror greats of the era boris karloff and bela lugosi, one of their eight such pairings together. Its 1940 and boris and bela face the worst horror of their careers. This isnt that black friday, its just another friday the th which looms heavy on a calendar behind the opening credits. Dec 11, 2015 chicago a packed audience at philadelphias international house was treated to a free screening of the recently released documentary the film black friday. The whole of black friday is unique in its amalgamation of tropes. Black friday was released in 1940 and was directed by arthur lubin.
Black friday, a photoplay in seven reels by universal pictures co. Sep 29, 2004 black friday was made the year before manmade monster. That a film the age of black friday can still pack such a punch, with karloffs selfish dr sovac holding. This isnt that black friday, its just another friday the th which looms heavy on a. By 1940s standards, the frankensteinesque errant brain transplant isnt as excitable to see even if karloff now plays the doctor instead of the monster. Black friday is a 1940 film about a doctor who transplants the brain of a gangster into his professor friends body to save his life, but there is a side effect that causes a dangerous split personality.
Detailed information about this film is available from. Even though i have the movie on dvd i didnt have to bother looking for it because it was readily available on youtube and it was followed by the brighton strangler which i really enjoyed seeing. This film is included on the bela lugosi collection dvd set. In an interview, curt siodmak said of boris karloff, who demanded and obtained bela lugosis role in black friday 1940. As a borisbela teamup black friday is still a big disappointment. Jan, 2017 its 1940 and boris and bela face the worst horror of their careers. Other uses black friday is a 1940 american science fiction film starring boris karloff. Principal photography concluded on january 18th, 1940. Black friday deserves criticism for casting bela lugosithe obvious choice to portray dr. Then again, the acting here is overall much better than what youd expect to get from the namesake hockey mask franchise.
Karloff didnt want to play the dual role in black friday. Horror, film noir, ww2, old movie, old film, full movie, complete, rip. Detailed information about this film is available from the afi catalog of feature films at, or by clicking here. Writer curt siodmak would revisit this theme again in donovans brain 1953 and hausers memory 1970. Btw, youll notice that in black friday karloff wears a hairpiece in the front and the rest of his hair is extremely short kinda like the haircut jerry. Perhaps even more so stanley ridges, who isnt exactly a household name but a very capable actor. Black friday comes from the great era of mad scientist films, the 1940s.
Black friday is a 1940 american science fiction gangster psychological thriller starring boris karloff. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Sovac karloff saves his life by means of an illegal operation that. They are barely together and belas role was reduced to a generic gangster anyone could have played. This collection includes the black cat, the raven, the invisible ray and black friday. In case anyone thought differently, black sunday is not a sequel to black friday. I watched black friday yesterday on black friday just for the novelty of it. Sovac transplants the brain of a gangster into his professor friends body to save his life, but there is a side effect that causes a dangerous split personality.
Ernest sovacs best friend, a bookish college professor. Black friday 1940 headhunters horror house wiki fandom. Production on black friday began on december 28th, 1939. A bland gangster film with only the slightest hints of horror or scifi in its formula, black friday is a shameful whatcouldvebeen experience. Boris karloff, bela lugosi, stanley ridges, anne gwynne anne nagel. Transplanted human brain cells will live and function. Black friday is a 1940 american science fiction film starring boris karloff. Black friday is a 1940 scifi horror thriller from universal. That said, this is a far cry from the slasher splatter flicks of the films that share a title with this black and white 1940 film. Bela lugosi, although secondbilled, has only a small part in the film and does not appear with karloff. Walter burns cary grant is a newspaper editor who learns his exwife is about to marry a bland insurance man and settle down to a quiet life. With boris karloff, bela lugosi, stanley ridges, anne nagel. It is generally considered marginally better than most of the poverty row films of its ilk that filled the screens at the time. Awardwinning short film, best short film, best screenplay.
Chicago a packed audience at philadelphias international house was treated to a free screening of the recently released documentary the film black friday. Alternatively, use the tick boxes to select only the releases you wish to view and then click apply filter. Curt siodmak, the writer would revisit this theme again in donovans brain and hausers memory. You would swear they were actually two different people. Three stars out of five for friday the th, aka black friday. Rent black friday 1940 film for free as part of our trial offer. Directed by arthur lubin starring boris karloff, stanley ridges and bela lugosi. Police are baffled by a string of untraceable murders, the victims all doublecrossing members of the late criminals gangand one. See more ideas about 1940s movies, classic movies and movies. The score was very good but most of it was written for an even earlier universal film that i saw recently but cant recall the name of. His character goes from kindly doctor to greedy mad scientist. Black friday 1940 film wikipedia republished wiki 2. Black friday 1940 page 10 classic horror film board.
Black friday universal 1940 universals black friday, released in 1940, is a slick, science fiction thriller starring boris karloff and bela lugosi. This is what i wrote at my facebook group, the 40s50s in film. See the full list of black friday cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. At least this one, however, also had bela lugosi tagging along though, again, by this time, the two had starred together so many times that it probably seemed commonplace too. I imagine that, at this point, it must have felt like this genre was taking up screens on a weekly rate. His girl friday is a 1940 american comedy film directed by howard hawks starring cary grant, rosalind russell and ralph bellamy. Universal pictures, division of universal city studios, inc. Black friday 1940 black friday stream deutsch, black friday kostenlos anschauen, black friday kostenlos downloaden. When his friend professor kingsely ridges is at deaths door, brain surgeon dr. Island of doomed men 1940 68 min peter lorre full movie version classic rare duration. Black friday is a 1940 american science fiction gangster psychological thril. If you would like to participate, you can edit one of the articles mentioned below, or visit the project page.
Oct 21, 2018 black friday deserves criticism for casting bela lugosithe obvious choice to portray dr. Bela lugosi, although secondbilled, has only a small part in. This is where black friday makes its strongest claim to horrorfilm status. Black friday was made the year before manmade monster.
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