Black Friday

Boris Karloff plays mad scientist who impulsively saves his best friend's life with a brain transplant. We would say brain implant today and save a few reels of confusion. The result is a certain improvement on the Jekyll and Hyde theme as the mild mannered professor transforms into a ruthless gangster. Stanley Ridges completely steals the show from Karloff with his Kevin Spacey grade transformations. Bela Lugosi is also present in a thoroughly thankless role. (There is some small irony that Karloff is playing the mitteleuropean immigrant.) Paul Fix has a small speaking role. Universal-style horror is tinged ever so slightly with noir touches.