The Man With Two Lives

(1942)*1/2

Picture it; a clever scientist, Dr. Clark, is keeping a dog’s heart alive in a bell jar. The success of this experiment prompts him to suggest that his process, which involves the restoration of dead tissue, might even work on a human. He is quickly told to put a lid on such an idea because it would make baby Jesus cry. Okay, I added the whole “baby Jesus” thing, but you get the idea. Good thing he ignores the concerns of the ignorant because as you can imagine this research is going to come in handy sooner than he thinks.

While Dr. Clark is playing God, a serial killer is about to be juiced in old sparky. Perhaps not wishing to help mankind in any way, earlier he had denied the Dr. Clark’s request that he donate his body for research. I don’t blame him, who wants some scientist poking and making fun of your genitalia?

Meanwhile, at the precise moment that the electric chair is barbecuing its latest victim, recently engaged popular guy, Philip, is killed in a car crash. A friend of Philip’s familiar with Dr. Clark’s recent experiments in reanimation pressures him to resurrect dead boy, he’s engaged after all! Dr. Clarke initially protests, even though you know he’s psyched (think Willy Wonka warning kids against danger), but ultimately acquiesces.

The operation is a success, with one unforeseeable hiccup; via transmigration Philip ends up with the killer’s soul. What this essentially means is that Philip is now a prick and he wastes no time insulting everyone around him. Before anyone realizes what has occurred, Philip (now the killer) rejoins and takes over the mob Panino gang he used to belong to and begins a killing spree, murdering all involved in his original arrest. He also hooks up with his old gal pal. At the 66-minute mark I was digging the ridiculousness of it all and then the film ends the next minute following a Wizard of Oz conclusion.



Damnit, another film spoiled by a cheat ending (see my House of the Damned review for similar outrage). Why go through the effort of writing a semi-engaging story if you’re going to ruin the whole thing with a terrible “twist”?