Dead Man's Eyes | |
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Directed by | Reginald Le Borg |
Written by | Dwight V. Babcock |
Based on | Inner Sanctum Mystery by Himan Brown |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Paul Ivano |
Edited by | Milton Carruth |
Music by | Paul Sawtell |
Production company | Universal Pictures |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 64 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Dead Man's Eyes is a 1944 noir-mystery film, and the second installment in The Inner Sanctum Mysteries anthological film series, which was based on the popular radio series of the same name. Directed by Reginald Le Borg, and starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Jean Parker, [1] the movie was distributed by Universal Pictures. [2]
Painter Dave Stuart is blinded by his jealous model, Tanya, who says she mistakenly switched Dave's eyewash with acid. 'Dad' Hayden, father of his fiancé Heather, offers an operation to restore his sight, but Stuart will have to wait until 'Dad' Hayden dies. The benefactor dies a premature death and Stuart becomes a suspect.
Dave tells Heather he no longer loves her and wishes to break their engagement because he considers his blindness a burden to her. Tanya volunteers to be Dave's caregiver as she has secretly been in love with him and sees his handicap as an opportunity to have him to herself.
Even though Dave is accused of killing 'Dad' Hayden, doctors transplant Hayden's corneas into Dave, since it was Dad's wish that his eyes go to Dave after his death. Before the operation can be performed, Tanya steals the corneas thinking that Dave will never return to Heather if he remains blind. Dr. Alan Bittaker suspects that Tanya is the person who took the corneas and confronts her. Tanya admits she took the corneas so that she could continue to care for Dave, but that she doesn't really want him to remain blind. Dr. Bittaker takes the eyes to the hospital and the transplant is performed. At first, the transplant seems to be a failure as Dave continues to be blind.
Heather suspects her other suitor, Nick, of being her father's killer though Nick vehemently denies it. Dave begins to suspect his former model Tanya of the killing, after initially defending her, and has her followed.
Tanya calls Heather saying she knows who the killer might be, but before she can tell her she is murdered by an unknown assailant. The police chief, who still suspects Dave of murdering Dad Hayden, confronts Dave about Tanya's death. The chief believes that Dave may secretly be able to see and tries to trick him into revealing it.
Dave returns to the scene of Dad Hayden's killing looking for clues. He is attacked by a mysterious man but manages to fight him off and escape. Heather enters the room after Dave runs out and the attacker is revealed to be Nick who accuses Dave of the killings.
Dave asks Dr. Alan Bittaker to come to his apartment and tells him that he knows he is the killer of both Dad Hayden and Tanya. Dave tells him that Alan killed Hayden so that Dave would regain his sight and return to Heather so that Alan could marry Tanya, as he had been in love with her. When Tanya realized Alan was the murderer, Bittaker killed her to save himself from the gas chamber.
After Alan admits his guilt to Dave he tries killing him with his cane, the same cane Alan used to kill Hayden and Tanya. As Alan swings his cane at Dave's head, Dave jumps up and stops him, revealing that his sight had indeed returned. The police then storm in, having heard Alan's confession, and arrest him. Heather enters the room and falls into Dave's arms and they profess that they still love each other as Alan is led away.
Creighton Tull Chaney, known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film The Wolf Man (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard in Son of Dracula, Frankenstein's monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), the Mummy in three pictures, and various other roles in many Universal horror films, including six films in their 1940s Inner Sanctum series, making him a horror icon. He also portrayed Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men (1939) and played supporting parts in dozens of mainstream movies, including High Noon (1952), The Defiant Ones (1958), and numerous Westerns, musicals, comedies and dramas.
The Ghost of Frankenstein is a 1942 American horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. It is the fourth film in the Frankenstein series by Universal Pictures, and the follow-up to Son of Frankenstein (1939). The film's plot follows the previous film's plot: Frankenstein's Monster and his companion Ygor are chased out of town. They go to another small town to encourage the younger son of Henry Frankenstein to continue his father's experiments, so that Ygor can have revenge against his enemies and his brain transplanted into the Monster's skull.
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Dracula vs. Frankenstein, released in the UK as Blood of Frankenstein, is a 1971 American science fiction horror film directed and co-produced by Al Adamson. The film stars J. Carrol Naish as Dr. Durea, a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein who is working on a blood serum with his assistant Groton. The serum soon becomes sought after by Count Dracula, who hopes that it will grant him the ability to be exposed to sunlight without harm. Other members of the film's cast include Anthony Eisley, Regina Carrol, Angelo Rossitto and Russ Tamblyn.
West of Zanzibar is a 1928 American synchronized sound film directed by Tod Browning. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using both the sound-on-disc and sound-on-film process. The screenplay concerns a vengeful stage magician named Phroso who becomes paralyzed in a brawl with a rival. The supporting cast includes Mary Nolan and Warner Baxter. The screenplay was written by Elliott J. Clawson, based on the 1926 play Kongo by Charles de Vonde and Kilbourn Gordon. Walter Huston starred in the stage play and later played Phroso again in the 1932 sound film remake of the same story which was also called Kongo.
The Frozen Ghost is a 1945 American noir-mystery film and the fourth installment in The Inner Sanctum Mysteries anthological film series, which was based on the popular radio series of the same name. The movie stars Lon Chaney Jr., Elena Verdugo, Evelyn Ankers, Tala Birell, and Martin Kosleck, and was directed by Harold Young.
Calling Dr. Death is a 1943 mystery film, and the first installment in The Inner Sanctum Mysteries anthological film series, which was based on the popular radio series of the same name, the film stars Chaney Jr. and Patricia Morison, and was directed by Reginald Le Borg. Chaney Jr. plays a neurologist, Dr. Mark Steele, who loses memory of the past few days after learning that his wife has been brutally murdered. Aware of his wife's infidelity and believing he could be the killer, Steele asks his office nurse Stella Madden to help him recover his lost memories.
Daredevil Jack is a 1920 American silent 15-chapter action film serial directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey and featuring Lon Chaney as a villain. The chapters were shown weekly between February and May 1920. The serial's working titles were Daredevil Durant or Dead or Alive. An incomplete copy of the film is housed in the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
The Road to Mandalay is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney, Owen Moore, and Lois Moran. It was written by Elliott Clawson, based on a story idea by Tod Browning and Herman Mankiewicz. The script's original shooting title was Singapore. The film took 28 days to complete at a cost of $209,000. The worldwide box office gross was $724,000. Some stills exist showing Chaney's makeup as Singapore Joe.
The Embezzler is a 1914 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Lon Chaney, Pauline Bush and Murdock MacQuarrie. The film is now considered lost. A still exists showing Chaney in the J. Roger Dixon role.
The Forbidden Room is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush and Lon Chaney. The film's working title was originally The Web of Circumstance. The film is now considered to be lost.
Her Escape is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. Lon Chaney not only acted in this film, he also wrote the screenplay. The Blake book on Chaney states the film was actually released earlier on December 13, 1914, but all other sources say December 27. The film is now considered to be lost.
The Grind is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney, Pauline Bush and Queenie Rosson. The film is now considered to be lost. The film was released in England as On The Verge of Sin. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of Henry Leslie.
The Violin Maker is a 1915 American short silent drama film directed by Lon Chaney, written by Milton M. Moore and starring Lon Chaney and Gretchen Lederer. The film is now considered to be lost. A still exists showing Chaney as "Pedro" smashing the violin.
The Bushwhackers is a 1952 American Western film directed by Rod Amateau and starring John Ireland, Wayne Morris, Lawrence Tierney, Dorothy Malone, Lon Chaney Jr. And Myrna Dell.
Mansion of the Doomed is a 1976 American exploitation horror film directed by Michael Pataki and starring Richard Basehart and Gloria Grahame.
The Inner Sanctum Mysteries film series consists of American classic-horror mystery films, based on and inspired by the works of Himan Brown, and the stories printed by Simon & Schuster.