THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH (1959)

 

Colorful diversion from Hammer Pictures involving a scientist who has discovered the secret to eternal youth. The one minor problem is that he must kill someone every ten years in order to obtain vital human glands that will keep the process going. Anton Diffring, with his uniquely handsome and somewhat cold countenance, is appropriately agitated as the scientist. He is perfectly matched by Christopher Lee as a doctor who reluctantly agrees to perform the necessary glandular transplant. It's all very British, loaded with typical Hammeresque atmosphere, and turns out to be much more talk than action. That's not exactly a problem, considering what a pleasure it is to hear the commanding voices of these two fine actors in their scenes together. Gorgeous Hazel Court plays the lady who is desired by both of the lead characters. Although she would later be remembered for playing perfidious characters in horror films such as THE RAVEN (1963), THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964), and THE PREMATURE BURIAL (1962), in this film Miss Court emotes convincingly as a damsel in distress. There is a very slow buildup to a few minutes of actual horror in the closing moments of the film, with  Diffring's makeup looking suspiciously like what was later used for Lee in THE MUMMY (also 1959). While not the most exciting of the Hammer horrors, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH nonetheless deserves a place of honor on every horror fan's Mad Scientist shelf. Jimmy Sangster wrote the screenplay and Terence Fisher directed.