One of the reasons I love low budget sci-fi movies is that the requirement of the genre to come up with at least something reasonably out of the ordinary results in them occasionally having to rush into realms of strangeness where better movies would fear to tread; and I particularly love OLD sci-fi movies because of their occasional interesting imagery and considerable period charm (cameraman Brendan Stafford duly delivers on both counts with this potboiler shot in 50's London). Unfortunately contemplation of the simple existence of 'The Man Without a Body' is far more appealing than actually having to sit through it.
Veteran exploitation producer Guido Coen presumably decided that it was time to try his hand at a sci-fi quickie, but 'The Man Without a Body' still looks and feels more like one of his cheap crime pictures, with a reanimated head grafted on to the plot the way Dr. Philip Merritt eventually grafts one on to his hapless assistant Dr Waldenhouse - which provides the film with its funniest scene as his new creation lumbers out on to the streets. ("You know it's remarkable it's alive, this head mounted on your assistant's body" nonchalantly observes Dr. Alexander (Norman Shelley). "That was quick thinking on your part, doctor, I must admit.")
Presumably based on a nodding acquaintance with old Frankenstein movies, screenwriter William Grote (probably a pseudonym, since it's his sole film credit) introduces one truly original idea to this otherwise entirely derivative mishmash by coming up with the astonishing idea of resurrecting the head of that old sixteenth century fraud Nostradamus to provide bullying millionaire Karl Brussard (George Coulouris) with his final desperate bid for longevity; although "original" is probably not quite the word to describe it. Separated from Nostradamus's body at Brussard's behest by a drunken, struck-off surgeon (Tony Quinn) who sneaks into his crypt, Brussard then smuggles the head through customs back to London in a hatbox. As played by Michael Golden, Nostradamus conveniently speaks English, and Coulouris's attempt to employ his brain as a sort of high-definition VHS tape by browbeating him into accepting that his memories and personality are now those of Brussard is what makes this film one of a kind.
It took two credited directors - one American - to bring this shambles to the screen, and in addition to Robert Hutton as the inevitable American leading man, 'The Man Without a Body' also manages to have two foreign-accented leading ladies: good girl Julia Arnall from Austria and bad girl Nadja Regin from Serbia.
Veteran exploitation producer Guido Coen presumably decided that it was time to try his hand at a sci-fi quickie, but 'The Man Without a Body' still looks and feels more like one of his cheap crime pictures, with a reanimated head grafted on to the plot the way Dr. Philip Merritt eventually grafts one on to his hapless assistant Dr Waldenhouse - which provides the film with its funniest scene as his new creation lumbers out on to the streets. ("You know it's remarkable it's alive, this head mounted on your assistant's body" nonchalantly observes Dr. Alexander (Norman Shelley). "That was quick thinking on your part, doctor, I must admit.")
Presumably based on a nodding acquaintance with old Frankenstein movies, screenwriter William Grote (probably a pseudonym, since it's his sole film credit) introduces one truly original idea to this otherwise entirely derivative mishmash by coming up with the astonishing idea of resurrecting the head of that old sixteenth century fraud Nostradamus to provide bullying millionaire Karl Brussard (George Coulouris) with his final desperate bid for longevity; although "original" is probably not quite the word to describe it. Separated from Nostradamus's body at Brussard's behest by a drunken, struck-off surgeon (Tony Quinn) who sneaks into his crypt, Brussard then smuggles the head through customs back to London in a hatbox. As played by Michael Golden, Nostradamus conveniently speaks English, and Coulouris's attempt to employ his brain as a sort of high-definition VHS tape by browbeating him into accepting that his memories and personality are now those of Brussard is what makes this film one of a kind.
It took two credited directors - one American - to bring this shambles to the screen, and in addition to Robert Hutton as the inevitable American leading man, 'The Man Without a Body' also manages to have two foreign-accented leading ladies: good girl Julia Arnall from Austria and bad girl Nadja Regin from Serbia.