Details

Release year: 1945

Storyline

A ruthless doctor and his young prize student find themselves continually harassed by their murderous supplier of illegal cadavers.

Top credits

Directors

Robert Wise

Writers

Cast

Boris Karloff — Cabman John Gray
Bela Lugosi — Joseph
Henry Daniell — Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane
Edith Atwater — Meg Cameron

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Did you know

• Although based on a fictional short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, the author came up with the idea from actual events occurring in 19th century England and Edinburgh, Scotland in 1827, called the West Port murders of 1828. At that time, medical schools lacked sufficient funding or the resources to provide their students with cadavers for study. Seeing a financial opportunity there, William Burke suggested to his landlord, William Hare, that they sell the body of a recently deceased boarder to Dr. Robert Knox, an instructor at a Surgeon's Square anatomy school. Knox was grateful to have a specimen for his class and Burke and Hare began a lucrative operation that quickly moved from grave-robbing to murder. They killed their victims by suffocating or "burking" them. Estimates were that they murdered up to 28 people, preying on drunks, prostitutes, and the destitute elderly.

• The little dog in the opening scenes who won't leave his master's grave is based on "Greyfriars Bobby", probably Edinburgh's most famous dog. On 15th February 1858 a local man named John Gray died of tuberculosis. Gray was better known as "Auld Jock", and on his death he was buried in old Greyfriars Churchyard (depicted in the scene, on location by the look of it). Bobby, a wee Skye Terrier, belonged to John, who worked for the Edinburgh City Police as a night watchman, and the two of them had been virtually inseparable for approximately two years. Bobby led his master's funeral procession to the grave at Greyfriars Cemetery, and later, when he tried to stay at the graveside, he was sent away by the caretaker. But the little dog returned and refused to leave, whatever the weather conditions. Despite the combined efforts of the keeper of the Kirkyard, Auld Jock's family and some of the local people, Bobby refused to be enticed away from the grave for any length of time, and he touched the hearts of the local residents. Although dogs were not allowed in the graveyard, the people rallied round and built a shelter for Bobby and there he stayed, guarding Auld Jock. In reality, Bobby was not slaughtered by a grave robber but instead he lay on the grave for fourteen years, only ever leaving for food. He died himself on January 14, 1872, aged 16 years. Bobby was also buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, just seventy five yards away from his master's grave.

• The 'exterior' scenes were filmed on sets constructed for RKO's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).