IMDb RATING
6.0/10
2.1K
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Sir Joel Cadman, a mad scientist, kidnaps his victims and cuts open their brains in an effort to discover a means to cure his wife's brain tumor.Sir Joel Cadman, a mad scientist, kidnaps his victims and cuts open their brains in an effort to discover a means to cure his wife's brain tumor.Sir Joel Cadman, a mad scientist, kidnaps his victims and cuts open their brains in an effort to discover a means to cure his wife's brain tumor.
Lon Chaney Jr.
- Mungo
- (as Lon Chaney)
Patricia Blair
- Laurie Monroe
- (as Patricia Blake)
Louanna Gardner
- Angelina Cadman
- (uncredited)
Peter Gordon
- Sgt. Steele
- (uncredited)
Clive Morgan
- Roundsman Blevins
- (uncredited)
Aubrey Schenck
- Prison Coroner's Clerk
- (uncredited)
John Sheffield
- Det. Redford
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaShot February 9-23 1956, and the last completed film project of actor Bela Lugosi.
- GoofsWhen the evil doctor's last victim is uncovered, her facial muscles react visibly just before they pronounce her dead.
- Quotes
Sir Joel Cadman: Rome wasn't built in a day, so it must have been built in the night.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Weirdo with Wadman: The Black Sleep (1964)
Featured review
While Plan 9 from Outer Space is often considered to be Bela Lugosi's last film, considering that movie consisted of test scenes meant for a different movie, the actual final picture of which Lugosi actively participated in should actually be this one. He plays a mute butler who doesn't really do much but still has somewhat of a presence and is nothing to be ashamed about. He is joined here by fellow horror stalwarts John Carradine (gloriously hammy here), Lon Chaney, Jr., and fellow Ed Wood-directed series castmate Tor Johnson. The star is Basil Rathbone as a mad doctor who performs brain surgeries because of a secret I don't want to reveal here. Herbert Rudley is his reluctant assistant and Patricia Blair (or Blake as she's credited here) is the daughter of Chaney who plays another mute who was once a functioning human being. There's also an amusing performance by Akim Tamiroff as another associate of Rathbone's. Other cast members worth noting: Phyllis Stanley as Rathbone's nurse, Sally Yarnell as another of the underground "patients", Claire Carleton as a "customer" of Tamiroff's, and John Sheffield as a Scotland Yard detective investigating the whole thing. I thought this was a very effective chiller that was underrated considering the cast. So on that note, I'm recommending The Black Sleep.
- How long is The Black Sleep?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $225,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
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