The Black Sleep
The Black Sleep

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- 60/100 based on 1,944 votes

England, 1872. The night before he is to be hanged for a murder he did not commit, young Dr. Gordon Ramsey is visited in his cell by his old mentor, eminent surgeon Sir Joel Cadmund. Cadmund offers to see that Ramsey gets a proper burial and gives him a sleeping powder to get him through the night, which Ramsey takes, unaware it is really an East Indian drug, "nind andhera" ("the black sleep"), which induces a deathlike state of anesthesia. Pronounced dead in his cell, he is ... (Full plot summary below)

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Actors in The Black Sleep:

Basil Rathbone
Herbert Rudley
Patricia Blair
Akim Tamiroff
Phyllis Stanley
Lon Chaney Jr.

Full Plot Details

England, 1872. The night before he is to be hanged for a murder he did not commit, young Dr. Gordon Ramsey is visited in his cell by his old mentor, eminent surgeon Sir Joel Cadmund. Cadmund offers to see that Ramsey gets a proper burial and gives him a sleeping powder to get him through the night, which Ramsey takes, unaware it is really an East Indian drug, "nind andhera" ("the black sleep"), which induces a deathlike state of anesthesia. Pronounced dead in his cell, he is turned over to Cadmund, who promptly revives him and takes him to his home in a remote abbey. Cadmund explains he believes Ramsey is innocent and needs his talents to help him in an project, which he is reluctant to immediately discuss further. In fact, Cadmund's wife lies in a coma from a deep-seated brain tumor, and he is attempting to find a safe surgical route to its site by experimenting on the brains of others, whom Ramsey comes to learn are alive during the process, anesthetized by the "black sleep", and are taken to a hidden recovery room in the abbey from which few emerge, though they still live...

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Movie Reviews

sbs.is - 9/10 by Stefan Birgir Stefanssonprobably the best picture that tor johnson starred in... that doesn't say much.
Creative Loafing - 6/10 by Matt BrunsonThe Black Sleep isn't nearly as bad as its reputation, but a higher budget and a more accomplished director than Reginald LeBorg might have yielded a more respectable horror yarn.
User Review - 8/10 by Matthew SAmazing cheap-jack poverty-row affair, stunning in its non-opulence, but greatly elevated by some earnest performances by its cast of horror veterans, detailing the sincere-yet-loony-toons Dr. Cadman's (The forever-awesome Basil Rathbone) attempts at exploratory brain surgery, utilizing the mysterious drug, the titular "Black Sleep" as a rudimentary anesthetic. Unfortunately, many of his human lab-rats survive and become drooling, homicidal maniacs, several of which (Including John Carradine, Lon Chaney, Jr., Tor Johnson, and a mute, very decrepit Bela Lugosi in one of his last films-) later escape their captivity in Cadman's subterranean dungeons and mete out their own brand of vengeful justice. Great character actor Akim Tamiroff steals the whole shebang as the odious Odo, gypsy purveyor of the deranged doc's many hapless victims. Corny fun!
User Review - 8/10 by wm mRathbone and Tamiroff creepy and Chaney gets some time and Lugosi doesn't get near enough. I really enjoy this movie when it is on.
User Review - 8/10 by Josh HThis is a nice forgotten gem of a film full of cameos by some of horror's all time greats. Basil Rathbone is his normal over the top self, which means he is brillant in the role of Cadmund the mad scientist who will do anything to bring his wife back including experimenting on a whos who of horror greats! lol His experiments include a hulking mondo played by Lon Chaney Jr., a mute butler type character played by Bela Lugosi, a big fat blind money lender aka Tor Johnson and of course the great John Carradine hamming it up with abandon playing a crusading type who just wants to judge and Kill Kill Kill. The movie wastes the talents of the greats but they were in their decline for the most part at this time in their careers and its just nice to see them all together. All in all this movie does work with some great camera work to go along with the great cast, and plus you can watch it free right here on flixster so no loss lol.
User Review - 6/10 by Aj VI've seen this story in other movies, better movies. Even though the movie has a good cast, it's not too exciting. Overall it's just okay.
User Review - 6/10 by Allen ROne of the best casts of a horror film ever: two Draculas, The Wolfman, Sherlock Holmes, and Tor Johnson from Plan 9.... Too bad the dated and gothic overtones, about a decade behind the times when this was released, don't take full advantage of any of them, or the gruesome plot that beats RE-ANIMATOR to the punch by 30 years...
User Review - 6/10 by John NVery odd horror movie that features Lon Chaney, Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi AND Tor Johnson! Oh, and Akim Tamaraoff.. who? Anyways, Tamaroff plays a doctor, unjustly accused of murder who is saved from the noose from Rathbone, Rathbone knows Tamaroff is a briliant surgeon, and wants him to join him to get into some explarotory brain surgery Rathbone is doing! Anyways, Rathbone is of course, loony, and Karloff and Lugosi (AND Johnson) are all in the movie playing mute subjects! Poor guys. I felt sorry for them having to do this kind of role. The movie itself is sort of silly, and Tamaroff mustve thought he hit the big time playing with these legends! It's Rathbone that shines the brightest here though. I could listen to a non-stop tape of Rathbone for hours.
User Review - 6/10 by Larry YThe Black Sleep crams in Basil Rathbone, Lon Chaney Jr, John Carradine, Bela Lugosi, and Tor Johnson but this is really Herbert Rudley's picture. Wrongfully accused of murder, Rudley survives execution thanks to mad doctor Rathbone's Black Sleep formula. Recruited into body snatching and barbaric surgery, Rudley must choose between evil science and Patricia Blake's raven locks. Solid 50s horror with some killer climactic makeup effects, and it's definitely a treat to see all those icons on one screen but the viewer is obviously left craving more. VF.
User Review - 6/10 by Kevin RA fairly by-the-numbers mad scientist flick mainly notable for having one of the greatest casts in horror cinema history... and then wasting most of the talent. Basil Rathbone is predictably British in the lead, and John Carradine is gleefully insane in his small role. But how can a film cast both Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. in non-speaking roles? The presence of Lugosi adds a deep note of sadness in particular as he shuffles through silently as Cassimir, a mute servant. He looks haggard and broken throughout. This would be his last time on a set. By no means is this a "must see." The Black Sleep is one for classic horror completists. Its worth is as much historic as it is in entertainment.

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