Product Details

• Actors: Robert Alda, Andrea King, Peter Lorre, Victor Francen, J. Carrol Naish
• Directors: Robert Florey
• Writers: Curt Siodmak, Harold Goldman, William Fryer Harvey
• Producers: Jack L. Warner, William Jacobs
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302509971
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,276 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Peter Lorre is indeed one of a kind!!, August 30, 2004

By 

Tuco (Phoenix, Az USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beast With Five Fingers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A superb and atmospheric early horror film with fine acting, super effects, tight script and haunting soundtrack. Lorre is in top form and the severed hand effects(in most cases)easily stand up against 1991's Addams Family 'Thing' effects.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the fantastic horror score by the great Max Steiner. The score to this film was re-recorded by William Stromberg and is available on two different compilation CD's right here on Amazon:

STEINER: Lost Patrol (The) / Virginia City

Murder and Mayhem: Suites from The Lodger (1944 Film) / The Beast With Five Fingers (1946 Film) / The Uninvited (1944 Film) [3 on 1]

Worth a watch just for the magnificent Mr. Peter Lorre's delivery of the single line "It was the hand I tell you!!!"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Peter Lorre horror, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beast With Five Fingers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

It takes a while to get the story rolling but when it does, the payoff is fantastic. Peter Lorre is so over-the-top pathetic and creepy, it's almost up there with his insanely perfect acting in "Mad Love" (1935). There has never been an actor like him and there never will be. Furthermore this story of an avenging hand must have inspired films like "The Crawling Hand", "Evil Dead 2" etc. Forget crud like "Scream" check out this near-classic horror tale.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A creepily atmospheric horror tale., October 1, 2000

By 

Marc Russell (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beast With Five Fingers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Altho nominally based on a short story by W.F. Harvey, this film uses only the title (a great title!) and the basic gimmick of a living disembodied hand. A bit too slow-moving, but with several memorably scary scenes that have that perfect atmosphere you can only get with an old black-&-white horror film. The final "evil plot and hallucinations" payoff is not really satisfying, but Peter Lorre is at his unique best as a revenge-crazed madman. He dominates the film, despite his third billing. The scenes involving the living hand are technically excellent, and probably could not be improved on today.