Peter Lorre become synonymous with horror films in the early cinema. He had such a unique look. The bulging eye and accent captured audience's attentions. He was in many great films such as The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, Disney's 20,000 League Under the sea, Arsenic and Old Lace and more.
In 1935 Peter Lorre made his America film debut with the Mad Love. In this film Peter Lorre gives one the most eerie performances of his career. Now thanks to the great folks at Warner Archive this film has been given a Blu-ray release this film so richly deserves.
Yvonne Orlac (Frances Drake) is a theater actress married to concert pianist Stephen (Colin Clive). She has big plans to quit acting and tour with Stephen. Dr. Gogol (Peter Lorre) is her biggest fan and is totally upset with her decision. In a horrific accident Stephen's hands are destroyed. The great surgeon Dr. Gogol comes to Yvonne's rescue and replaces Stephen's hands. Only thing it is with the hands of a knife-wielding murderer and soon, Stephen's new hands develop a mind of their own.
Mad Love is an absolutely mesmerizing film. The story is so much ahead of it's time. The film runs just 68 minutes, so it is a fast paced atmospheric ride. It truly melds scifi, horror, romance and drama into a perfect experince.
Peter Lorre is at his creepiest and in my opinion best, and I love Peter Lorre in so many of his films. While Frances Drake and Colin Clive are tremendous alongside him. It is even cool to see Ted Healy in this film, he was best known for his time as the leader of the 3 Stooges before they broke out on their own. This a a perfectly cast film.
Warner Archive has transferred this 30s horror classic on Blu-ray it is presented in 1080p in it's original full screen format and the audio is a DTS-HD master audio 2.0. The picture is crisp and clean there is no signs of damage to this print. It is a truly glorious black and white print.
Warner Archive also added an every entertaining audio commentary by Steve Habermann and the theatrical trailer. I must say the trailer is not in the greatest condition. There is a lot of scratches, but to have it included still makes me happy.
Watch the Warner Archive Trailer below:
If you are a fan of Peter Lorre or old classic horror, I highly recommend this Blu-ray. It will make a truly welcome addition to any horror fans collection. You can order your copy today at Amazon.com.
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) Warner Archive's Blu-ray of Mad Love receives...
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