The heirs to a family fortune are required to attend a seance at the spooky old family mansion. However, throughout the night members of the family are being killed off one by one.The heirs to a family fortune are required to attend a seance at the spooky old family mansion. However, throughout the night members of the family are being killed off one by one.The heirs to a family fortune are required to attend a seance at the spooky old family mansion. However, throughout the night members of the family are being killed off one by one.
Gertrude Michael
- Sarah Rinehart
- (as Gertrude Michaels)
Pat Harmon
- Cab Driver
- (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman
- Professor
- (uncredited)
Eric Mayne
- Prof. John Andre
- (uncredited)
Dave O'Brien
- Young Victim
- (uncredited)
Richard Powell
- Detective Dooley
- (uncredited)
Oscar Smith
- Martin the Chauffeur
- (uncredited)
Emma Tansey
- Little Old Lady
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough Edwin Maxwell is credited as playing "The Maniac", it is Bela Lugosi himself playing the bulk of the role in the heavy makeup disguise---and his features can easily be recognized in spite of it, thanks to his mesmerizing "Dracula" stare. (There is no match for Edwin's eyes, nor with the rest of his facial features, with the maniac.)
- GoofsDuring the police interrogation approx 53 mins into the movie the character is asked by the police chief 'Where is the serum' The reply was meant to be 'in the laboratory' but a Malaprop occurred and the character replied 'In the lavatory'. The same Malaprop occurred again less than a minute later by the police officer who, holding Degar at gunpoint orders 'C'mon,where's the lavatory'?
- Quotes
Martin the Chauffeur: I was right! When I said they was... undertakers!
Degar: Remember... you have seen... NOTHING!
- Crazy creditsIn the opening credits the actors are introduced with their character names only, not their real names. At the end the actors' names are listed but without their character names.
Featured review
Where's Ed Wood When We Need Him
Get a load of the 'Maniac'. Nothing there that a good face wash and a painful dental visit wouldn't fix, if, that is, 5-years were spent on it. On the whole, it looks like the movie throws a bit of everything into the pot. Trouble is the drop-in ingredients-- horror, whodunit, romance, news-hound-- don't blend well.
Anyway, the plot's main question amounts to who's killing the Rineharts. It should be the Maniac, but we know it's not, though he does prey on necking couples; that is, when he's not hiding out in the bushes ready for his next close-up. An even bigger question is just what Lugosi's sinister Degar is supposed to be. That's a big a mystery too. Is he a house attendant from heck or maybe a dark agent from late night TV. What with his graveyard manner and sepulcher voice, at least he would keep unwanted guests away. Too bad the writers weren't sure what to do with their headliner, but it does get Lugosi's name on the marquee.
Then there's the comedy relief. Probably the movie was never a front rank choice on TCM, since it's a black man doing the embarrassing 'feets-don't-fail-me-now' brand of racial humor. And, for his humiliation, the actor's not even included in the credit list (IMDB). On the whole, however, the supporting cast performs ably, especially the women and the Rineharts.
All in all, the flick's a different kind of fright effort that unfortunately scatters impact. At least that's so until the finale, which is unexpected and cleverly thought out. There's also the completely novel "breaking of the fourth wall" by the Maniac, a real rarity, I would think, for its time. Too bad that the programmer's not good enough to really register, and not bad enough to make it as laughable camp. So where's Ed Wood when I could use a good chuckle.
Anyway, the plot's main question amounts to who's killing the Rineharts. It should be the Maniac, but we know it's not, though he does prey on necking couples; that is, when he's not hiding out in the bushes ready for his next close-up. An even bigger question is just what Lugosi's sinister Degar is supposed to be. That's a big a mystery too. Is he a house attendant from heck or maybe a dark agent from late night TV. What with his graveyard manner and sepulcher voice, at least he would keep unwanted guests away. Too bad the writers weren't sure what to do with their headliner, but it does get Lugosi's name on the marquee.
Then there's the comedy relief. Probably the movie was never a front rank choice on TCM, since it's a black man doing the embarrassing 'feets-don't-fail-me-now' brand of racial humor. And, for his humiliation, the actor's not even included in the credit list (IMDB). On the whole, however, the supporting cast performs ably, especially the women and the Rineharts.
All in all, the flick's a different kind of fright effort that unfortunately scatters impact. At least that's so until the finale, which is unexpected and cleverly thought out. There's also the completely novel "breaking of the fourth wall" by the Maniac, a real rarity, I would think, for its time. Too bad that the programmer's not good enough to really register, and not bad enough to make it as laughable camp. So where's Ed Wood when I could use a good chuckle.
helpful•21
- dougdoepke
- Jul 30, 2018
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- He Lived to Kill
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 5 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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