The fifth teaming of Karloff and Lugosi might have been more remembered had Lugosi played a larger role, as was originally intended – but Boris Karloff didn’t think he could handle his role (a kindly professor who swaps brains with a dead criminal), so he pinched Lugosi’s (the professor’s doctor friend, who performs the operation).
Instead of Lugosi getting Karloff’s old role, it was given to character player Stanley Ridges – who, to be honest, steps up to the plate with an excellent performance. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine Bela or Boris doing better. I do think Bela would have been better in Boris’ role – Bela was a superior mad scientist, with that glint in his eye (for instance the scene where Boris browbeats gangster Ridges isn’t quite believable). And I think Boris could have pulled off Ridges’ part. Anyway, coulda-shoulda-woulda... Boris and Bela had plenty of juicy roles in their life and why shouldn’t Ridges have a moment in the sun?
And there is some fun to be had to see Bela absurdly miscast as a gangster – I think he could have played a gangster, but how about tweaking the role a little in order to account for his Hungarian-ness? He has a good death scene, cooked alive, and Karloff is smooth as ever (though why no scenes between the two stars?)
It’s enjoyable and director Arthur Lubin keeps things bustling along. We probably could have done without the spiralling newspapers and notebooks, they tend to be a bit silly. Writers have said this is a gangster drama rather than a horror film – while there is a lot of gangster stuff, it still involves a mad doctor and a brain transplant.
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