Product Details

• Actors: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee
• Directors: Terence Fisher
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Legend Films
• DVD Release Date: October 1, 2008
• Run Time: 82 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001D1KGZE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,269 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Man Who Could Cheat Death" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Review

[...] In Paris 1890, Dr. Georges Bonnet (Anton Diffring) is out murdering women when he isn t wrapped up in his hobby of sculpting. Bonnet is actually 104 years old but keeps the youthful image and healthy body of a man in his 30s by cutting out the parathyroid glands of said women and utilizing them for his secret elixir. When Bonnet s 89-year-old colleague Prof. Ludwig Weiss (Arnold Marlé) shows up and sees his much older friend appear much younger, he refuses to perform a vital operation on him, and that spells trouble. Another sensible and ethical doctor, Pierre Gerard (Christopher Lee) is blackmailed into performing the surgery after Bonnet endangers the life of the beautiful Janine Dubois (Hazel Court), a young woman who they are both vying for the attentions of, with Bonnet naturally in the lead, being the evil and deceitful one.

The Man Who Could Cheat Death is another colorful and handsome Hammer production made at their tiny Bray Studios, but it's a dialog-driven affair with most of the proceedings taking place on several sound stages. Bernard Robinson s sets are lavish, but too recognizably redressed from previous Hammer efforts (Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, Revenge of Frankenstein, etc.). The Dorian Gray-like horror antics are kept to a minimum but are highlighted by Jack Asher s effective lighting on Bonnet when he s on the brink of turning monstrous, or when the camera probes from the inside of his secret elixir cabinet, which glows outwardly in a florescent green. Providing the film s score in a position often reserved for James Bernard is Richard Rodney Bennett, whose successful career would lead to three Oscar nominations and eventual Knighthood. Roy Ashton s excellent decaying make-up is generously displayed during the film s fiery climax.

As Bonnet, Anton Diffring is perfectly cast in the villainous role, and gothic horror suits him well. [...] Christopher Lee is very good here as Pierre Gerard, proving early on in the horror cycle that he offered more than lumbering monsters or speech-deprived vampires. A bonafide scream queen of the highest degree, the late Hazel Court is given less to do here than in some of her other genre efforts, and she reportedly was filmed topless (during a nude modeling sequence) for a continental version which is yet to resurface. A number of other familiar Hammer character actors are present here, including Francis De Wolff and Charles Lloyd Pack.

Legend Films presents Hammer s The Man Who Could Cheat Death on DVD in a properly framed 1.66:1 transfer with anamorphic enhancement. After a rather dark credit sequence (which has Bonnet roaming the foggy Paris streets in search of glands), the transfer boasts excellent detail and even though at times the colors look somewhat muted, they are still distinct and shine through nicely in many scenes. Aside from occasional film dirt, the image is very clean and smooth, granting us a very handsome edition of this early Hammer classic. The mono English audio track is also in good shape, and aside from several crackles and pops, sounds nice and clear throughout. There are no subtitle options, but the disc is close captioned. [...] --George R. Reis of DVDDrive-In.com

Product Description

Studio: Legend Films Inc. Release Date: 10/03/2008

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great old-fashioned storytelling, December 16, 2008

By 

Alan M. Simmons "Simfilms" (Corinth, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Man Who Could Cheat Death (DVD)

This Hammer Studios film is one of their lesser known but better films.
A remake of a 1940's era film "The Man in Half-Moon Street", this one has
a more sensationalized approach and benefits from the presence of Anton
Diffring in the title role. Christopher Lee is the "good" guy but this
great actor's aloofness may have you rooting for the title character
instead (no offense Chris; we're just used to seeing you in villianous
roles). Beautiful sets, gorgeous color, great actors including the late,
great Hazel Court and a breezy short running time make this a winner all
the way.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Hammer entry into eternal life, December 12, 2008

By 

Luis - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Man Who Could Cheat Death (DVD)

I really enjoyed watching this film I did not know as a kid. It has no much action compared with other Hammer entries around this time (Horror of Dracula, Curse of Frankenstein). However, the film is really good at a more philosophical side as it deals with the positive and negative considerations of achieving eternal life. These two sides are illustrated by a partneship of two fellow scientists. On top of this you get the character played by the great Christopher Lee. This last aspect makes worth enough to get a copy of this DVD release. Except for the first 3 min or so, the digital transfer is pretty good. The film is close captioned in English and no extras are available except for a scene selection tool.

4.0 out of 5 stars Christopher Lee is a Good Guy in the Fun Hammer Horror Film!, August 13, 2011

By 

Scotman55 "James" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Man Who Could Cheat Death (DVD)

The Man Who Cheated Death


First Impressions:

This was one of the few Hammer films I have seen where Christopher Lee plays a sophisticated good guy in this fascinating horror film. This film is a remake of "The Man in Half Moon Street" (1945).

Georges Bonnet is on the hunt for glands! He sneaks around at night and kills the occasional person to get the gland and replenishes the one in his body -- after all, he is not getting any older at 104! And he doesn't look a day over 35!

He tires of going from place to place to change his identity before anyone notices that he does not age. Sadly, he goes into a rage and turns green with an acid touch if he does not get his gland or, a liquid substitute.

Story & Plot: I really liked the acting of Anton Diffring as Bonnet. He has an intense stare and is somewhat crazy to begin with, so the character really comes through as a frustrated, lonely man who, though he has discovered a way to immortality (at the expense of others), has no love.

Christopher Lee plays a surgeon who is slated to take over for another surgeon (Bonnet's pal) who was unexpectedly killed by Bonnet when challenged about the immorality of his quest for immortality. Oops!

There's a minor love story in there somewhere, kinda slapped together. The fun is in the horror. :)

The ending is quite ironic. A must-see!

Cast & Crew:

Director:
Terence Fisher
Writers:
Barré Lyndon (play), Jimmy Sangster (screenplay)
Stars:
Anton Diffring, Hazel Court and Christopher Lee

[The DVD is average with scene selection and music, and not much else!]