The Crime of Dr. Crespi
Encyclopedia
The Crime of Dr. Crespi (1935
) is a horror film
starring Erich von Stroheim
, Harriet Russell, Paul Guilfoyle
, Jean Brooks
(billed as Jeanne Kelly), John Bohn, and Dwight Frye
, and released by Republic Pictures
.
The movie was filmed at Biograph Studios
in The Bronx, New York and is loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe
short story "The Premature Burial
".
However, Crespi has given Ross a drug that induces unconsciousness, while Ross retains all of his senses. Dr. Arnold (Guilfoyle) becomes suspicious and asks Dr. Thomas (Frye) to to help him. They exhume the body and find Ross buried alive
.
1935 in film
-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) is a horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
starring Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim was an Austrian-born film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.-Background:...
, Harriet Russell, Paul Guilfoyle
Paul Guilfoyle (actor born in 1902)
Paul Guilfoyle was an American stage, film, and television actor...
, Jean Brooks
Jean Brooks
Jean Brooks born Ruby M. Kelly was an American film actress who appeared in over 30 films. She was raised in both New York City and Costa Rica, and was fluent in both English and Spanish. She never achieved major stardom in Hollywood, though she landed a number of prominent roles in the early 1940s...
(billed as Jeanne Kelly), John Bohn, and Dwight Frye
Dwight Frye
Dwight Iliff Frye was an American stage and screen actor, noted for his appearances in the classic horror films Dracula , Frankenstein , The Invisible Man , and Bride of Frankenstein .-Early life and career:Frye was born in Salina, Kansas...
, and released by Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
.
The movie was filmed at Biograph Studios
Biograph Studios
Biograph Studios was a studio facility and film laboratory complex built in 1912 by the Biograph Company, formerly American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, at 807 E. 175th Street, in the Bronx, New York....
in The Bronx, New York and is loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
short story "The Premature Burial
The Premature Burial
"The Premature Burial" is a horror short story on the theme of being buried alive, written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1844 in The Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. Fear of being buried alive was common in this period and Poe was taking advantage of the public interest...
".
Plot
Dr. Crespi (von Stroheim) hates Dr. Ross (Bohn), who marries Crespi's girlfriend (Russell). During surgery, Ross appears to die.However, Crespi has given Ross a drug that induces unconsciousness, while Ross retains all of his senses. Dr. Arnold (Guilfoyle) becomes suspicious and asks Dr. Thomas (Frye) to to help him. They exhume the body and find Ross buried alive
Premature burial
Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally or intentionally...
.