The Man Who Could Cheat Death

(1959) Directed by Terence Fisher; Written by Jimmy Sangster; Based on the play The Man in Half Moon Street by Barré Lyndon; Starring: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee, Arnold Marlé, and Delphi Lawrence; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: ***½

“I must insist in saying that there are no South American versions, nor are there any Japanese versions or any other versions. This is what happens: we shoot the scenes up to the point where we say, ‘This is it; no further; this is how it should be.’ Subsequently, the complete integral version is submitted to the censors of each country, whereupon they decide what could be cut and what should be left in… There was only one scene they asked me to shoot for possible export. That was a waist nude of Hazel Court when she was posing in The Man Who Could Cheat Death.” – Terence Fisher (on shooting alternate film versions for Hammer)

 

Ever since our species have contemplated our mortality, it’s been the dream of philosophers, scientists, and the wealthy to find the secret to prolonging life. Barré Lyndon’s 1939 play The Man in Half Moon Street ran with this theme, followed by the 1944 Paramount film adaptation. Seeking to get a piece of the late ‘50s Hammer Horror pie, Paramount offered their property to the production company. Peter Cushing was offered the starring role, but when he turned it down for unknown reasons (presumably exhaustion), Hammer scrambled to find a replacement. The logical choice was Anton Diffring,* who played the role in 1957, for a one-hour segment of the British television series, Hour of Mystery (sadly, it’s presumed lost). Hammer’s version was retitled The Man Who Could Cheat Death,** with the play’s main character, John Thackeray, changed to Georges Bonnet for the latest version. 

* Fun Fact #1: The re-casting of Diffring was truly a last-minute decision, with producer Michael Carreras offering the role only five days before shooting was to begin. 

** Fun Fact #2: The film’s working title was The Man in the Rue Noire, before it became known as The Man Who Could Cheat Death.

Set in Paris, circa 1890, doctor and hobbyist sculptor Georges Bonnet (Anton Diffring) has set up his practice in a new place (curiously, we never see him practicing medicine or treating a single patient). Just as he’s about to retire his latest model/muse Margo Philippe (Delphi Lawrence), an old flame from his days in Italy, Janine Du Bois (Hazel Court), walks back into his life. When Janine agrees to pose for Bonnet’s unfinished project, a nude bust, their passion is reignited – much to the disdain of her current boyfriend, Dr. Pierre Gerrard (Christopher Lee). Meanwhile, Margo, who’s less than thrilled to have been kicked to the curb, accidentally discovers Bonnet’s secret, which he’s guarded fiercely for decades: an elixir that restores his youth and vitality. As we soon learn, however, the substance only has a temporary effect, with a more permanent solution requiring more drastic measures. Bonnet eagerly awaits the arrival of his elderly colleague Dr. Weiss (Arnold Marlé),* who alone holds the secret to prolonging his life, a surgical procedure involving replacement of the parathyroid gland (which requires replacement every 10 years).** Complications ensue when the now 89-year-old Dr. Weiss (who was once 15 years Bonnet’s junior) reveals that a recent stroke has rendered him incapable of operating. Desperate to preserve his life at any cost, Bonnet is forced to find another doctor who can perform the delicate surgery. But time and his previous misdeeds (moving from place to place each preceding decade, while his models mysteriously disappear) have begun to catch up with him. 

* Fun Fact #3: Marlé, who also appeared with Diffring in the 1957 television version, reprised his role as Dr. Ludwig Weiss for the movie. 

** Fun Fact #4: Although an operation scene seems to suggest that the parathyroid gland was in Bonnet’s abdomen, the real parathyroid gland (humans generally have four) is located around the thyroid gland in the neck.

The film’s greatest strength is in the performances by a cast of exemplary actors.* While some might view Diffring’s performance as Bonnet to be cold and distant, I would argue that he sets the right tone, as someone who’s progressively lost his humanity over the years, desperate to keep his youthful visage at any cost. On the other hand, it’s a little difficult to imagine Peter Cushing occupying the same role, although I’m confident he would have done a good job with his interpretation of the character. Hazel Court is radiant as Bonnet’s muse and former lover, Janine, in what should have been her breakthrough role as a Hammer star (unfortunately, this film proved to be Diffring’s only role for Hammer, and Court’s last). Christopher Lee is underutilized as Dr. Pierre Gerrard, who seems to be there only to serve as the film’s moral compass. Arnold Marlé has a more substantial role as Dr. Weiss, who’s grown ambivalent about his relationship with his longtime friend and colleague. His tipping point is reached when he expresses his disgust to Bonnet about his flagrant disregard for the sanctity of human life. 

* Fun Fact #5: Hammer regular Michael Ripper was reportedly slated to play a scene as a morgue attendant, although it appears the scene was never shot.

Despite the fact that the film was fairly tame compared to its Hammer contemporaries The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula (aka: Horror of Dracula), the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) scrutinized every detail of the production, starting with Georges Bonnet’s hobby (they didn’t like the idea that the main character was a sculptor of busts, which was apparently too salacious for audiences). They also objected to the scenes when Bonnet attacked one of the characters with his toxic green hand (the accompanying sound effect was cut from the final print). The BBFC also deemed the final scene too gruesome, so the climactic sequence was truncated for the release version. Most famously, a brief shot of Hazel Court posing topless was excised from the UK and American prints but retained for the European cut (film lovers will be pleased to learn that the recent Vinegar Syndrome release restores the cut shot of Court, as well as the complete final scene).  

 

The Man Who Could Cheat Death resonates with the age-old theme of someone vainly attempting to overcome humankind’s mortal limits. With shades of The Picture of Dorian Gray (minus the painting) and Bluebeard, the film illustrates how the quest for the secret to eternal life is an ultimately selfish pursuit, neither practical nor desirable. It’s too bad it’s not regarded as highly as some other Hammer productions. It stands on its own, featuring an enduring premise, fine performances, and eye-catching color cinematography. By virtue of following The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula, the bar was set impossibly high for this comparatively lower-key production. While the movie fails to hide its origins as a stage production, its other substantial assets are more than enough to hold our attention. With the benefit of quite a few decades behind its belt, The Man Who Could Cheat Death deserves a reassessment, based on its own merits. Although perhaps a notch below some of Hammer’s most celebrated films, it’s certainly worthy of its Hammer Horror pedigree. 

 

Sources for this article: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray commentary by Kim Newman and Stephen Jones; “A Hideous Concoction – Film Historian Jonathan Rigby on The Man Who Could Cheat Death” (Vinegar Syndrome featurette); The Hammer Story, by Marcus Hearn and Alan Barnes; Hammer Films: The Unsung Heroes, by Wayne Kinsey