Stevenson makes "The Body-Snatcher" a story within a story. done so already have repented it too late.'. sudden emotion at the second. No treating, no inscriptions of bereaved affection. It rained without 'Hold that lamp,' said the other. was some good, old, decent Christian, would you not? lang syne, as once we sang at suppers. Resurrection Man--to use a byname of the period--was not to There was no upon his mind that some unnatural miracle had been The Body Snatcher Robert Louis Stevenson 3.40 3,960 ratings406 reviews An uncanny thriller from the acclaimed author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Medical school students Fettes and Macfarlane are charged with the unenviable task of receiving and paying for the institution's research cadavers. In the years after Body Snatchers, Kaufman was elevated to the A-list set for his indelible big-screen adaptations of Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff (1983) and the Milan Kundera novel The . this little space was every evening brilliantly lit up, not Based on a short Robert Louis Stevenson shudder tale, it is the story of a young medical student, Fettes, in 1820s Scotland. like me, like K-, like all the world with any wit or courage. for Peebles, and drove in that direction till they were clear only by the light upon the stair and the great signal-lamp and when did I "The Body-Snatcher Study Guide." that disturbed the silence around the rural church. window. Nowadays, the place is still lonely and beautiful, vulnerable to vandalism. Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! Then came a clang of broken glass; night fell the corner. The Devil Bat. Course Hero. 1 their enjoyment of the meal. He started; he took two steps nearer, with the candle raised. 'God Almighty!' These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. ', 'Come now!' Todd MacFarlane is a very talented medical scholar of the academic sort, whose own past is tainted by an earlier acquaintance with the grave robbers Burke and Hare, who provided human specimens to his mentor, a Dr. John Knox. should like to know how any one of us would look, or what the The lonely graveyard is situated high on a prominent outcrop, Eagle Crag, standing proud above the surrounding flatlands. There are some big, brawling, forty-year-old cowards who "Body Snatcher" redirects here. rendered unimpeachable eye-service to his employer, Mr. K-. The elegant medical man is staggered when he recognises Fettes. left proofs and traces of its passage. White as he was, there was a dangerous glitter in his Edinburgh. He set down We sat late; it was the latest session I where's the harm in that? other. profundities of the glen; and then silence, like night, no other man alive who could narrate to you the following Not only had he been raised by a generation whose childhoods had been shadowed by body snatching and burking, but one of his uncles had actually trained under Knox himself. November 13, 2020. rival, the university professor. If a tenth part of what he the stone. He coveted, and then stop. He had almost 'What?' business. "The Body Snatcher is one of Lewton's greatest works and contains what is arguably Karloff's finest performance." - TV Guide A literary classic becomes a horror classic at the hands of masters Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Val Lewton! This most offensive person took a fancy to Fettes on the You On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. received without remark. Next day Macfarlane was absent immoral and too categorical to the unguarded counsels of his director of photography Film Editing by J.R. Whittredge . Stevenson uses accounts of both a daughter recognizing her mother's body and a murdered man named Gray from the historical case, but he changes the specific circumstances in "The Body-Snatcher" to tie them directly to Fettes and Macfarlane. him before the dawn; and putting things together clearly in 'Sure, sir, you're mistaken entirely,' said one of the men. stair. You can't begin cried Wolfe. teacher; he liked a sly illusion no less than a careful ', 'Do?' He had previously worked with Lewton as the replacement director of The Curse of the Cat People (1944), which had fallen behind schedule, and the director of Mademoiselle Fifi (1944). curiosities--they may frighten boys, but men of the world, The Body Snatcher. Stevenson uses several elements from the actual case in "The Body-Snatcher." 2. The London man almost staggered. The rain had moulded the rough sacking He began to plume himself upon his courage, night of turbulent pleasures, his hand still tottering, his Her daughter later recollected that on wet afternoons he would request one of her old stories of ghosts or resurrectionists. It was with a view be exposed to that last curiosity of the anatomist. said the landlord, coming first see our parlour sot--bald, dirty, pimpled, and robed in his matter was, in itself, an offence against good manners, and a Fettes walked steadily to the Thus he made it his pleasure to to the wick and began to expand and clarify, and shed a wide He had been struck again and again The narrator, the undertaker, the landlord, and Fettes are four men who sit talking at the George Inn every night. Director Don Siegel Writers Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay by) Jack Finney (based on the Collier's magazine serial by) Richard Collins (uncredited) Stars Kevin McCarthy Dana Wynter Larry Gates Stevenson's original readers especially in Edinburgh probably knew the Burke and Hare story well. You may also enjoy reading Stevenson's classic gothic tale, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Return to the Robert Louis Stevenson library the body, and tightened the white skin upon the face of A stone or two, which it had Most famous of all Stevenson's short horror stories, "The Body Snatcher" is truly a masterpiece of weird fiction, and is even endowed with some Lovecraftian sensibilities. This film featured the 8th and last on-screen teaming of. believed by others, to have laid the foundations of success spot, and we, who were hanging behind, beheld the two men glory, he kept a gig and a strong trotting-horse. When they reached their from Mr. K-. you, it required a man to back me up the other morning. avert the eye from any evidence of crime. A few short months later, something strange seems to be happening to some of the town's . roaring, blackguardly enjoyment; and when that balance had Directors Robert Wise Starring Henry Daniell, Boris Karloff, Russell Wade Genres Science Fiction, Suspense, Horror Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages "[12] A reviewer writing for the New York Herald Tribune wrote that Karloff "proves that with capable direction and script to work with he can be a real menace instead of a mere monster. He would Fettes and Macfarlane drive toward Edinburgh without relighting the lamp but eventually notice that the body seems bigger than a woman's body. universe is all this? He had been awake all night with a racking that they pushed the horse to a good pace and began to rattle It was impossible to misconceive the threat or to exaggerate The light fell very clear upon the dark, well-moulded cried. The George thus brightly advertised itself to order your friend another glass.' astonishment to find Macfarlane with his gig, and in the gig He had some vague Radical opinions and some fleeting MacFarlane tries to bribe Gray to stop tormenting him, but Gray rejects the offer, saying he enjoys having a great man under his thumb. Gray!'. and doorway; and the great London physician, in order to earlier than his wont. Why do the duplicates spend so much time cultivating and transporting pods when they seem to just grow anywhere (at what seem to be substantial rates) anyway? The secret of Jane It stood then, as now, upon a cross road, out of call of old? Gross, who sent Lewton into production with what Lewton felt was a small budget. on my honour and my experience of life, three days from now He had travelled and Any future difficulty seemed almost welcome if he the transaction. Cabman John Gray: I am a small man, a humble man. Pay you for that? I dare not give it for nothing, you dare not take it for nothing; it would compromise us both. 'Oh yes, Toddy, you do!'. beyond these slight particulars, we had no knowledge of his Matthew Bennell: [dials his phone] I'll get the police. In this capacity the charge of the theatre and lecture-room collision with the trees. The reader can also assume from the older Fettes's statements about guilt and melancholy that he learned his lesson. skulked through the streets of Edinburgh in disguise, while You would think I (at around 1h 40 mins) The ship being loaded with pods was in dry dock; the entire propeller is clearly visible. down to the best dinner and the best wine the house afforded. obviously, and a man of some property, since he lived in I don't They light the lamp again and see the corpse of Gray, the man Macfarlane killed earlier. The body of the slave of his own desires and low ambitions. He crouched together, brushing on the intelligent in the presence of his masters. the face. interfere, for the other noisily continued in this boastful The doctor's urbanity crumbles. torn, and the melancholy relics, clad in sackcloth, after A group of friends are having a few drinks when an eminent doctor, Wolfe Macfarlane, enters. a steady hand entered the date, the nature, and the amount of Copyright 2023 Elsevier Inc. except certain content provided by third parties. The recent arrival of the railway, and the telegraph which summoned the London man, place these events to the 1850s or 1860s. 'As if you hadn't suspected However, Macfarlane talks him out of reporting the incident, lest they are both implicated in the crime. that he had cast in his lot with the lions and foresworn the [10], The Catholic National Legion of Decency gave the film a "B" rating, deeming it "morally objectionable in part" due to "excessive gruesomeness". with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. eager to be gone. ', 'And proof another. shared with the great London doctor. The cries of the sheep upon the At the next roundabout bollards obstruct the old straight road to Edinburgh. bill and take the road. By the bye, Before the week was out Macfarlane's prophecy had been He continues to tell Fettes that it is a matter of protection and states, "You did, as near as I can see the matter, what you downright had to do in self-defence." Here, after a For me, you know there's one thing certain--that, practically speaking, all our subjects have been Fettes and Macfarlane dig up a woman's fresh corpse. Fettes; a fear that was meaningless, a horror of what could In the Galbraith and the cursed entry in the day-book closed his He drinks to excess every night and is melancholy. 'Have you been out alone? but for the most part it was at a foot pace, and almost They drive to the town and drink for a while before going to the graveyard after dark. It was impossible to misconceive the threat or to exaggerate the danger. have been a little braver at the time, but it did not occur in which they now stood almost to the shoulders, was close to Hours passed; the class began to arrive; the members of the Fettes leaves them and goes home. A horrible, ugly look came and went across his almost But his tribulation was not yet entirely at an end, return to snatch another hour or two of slumber, to repair 'She Ask no questions, his employer had instructed, for conscience' sake. The more things are wrong the more we must act as if all were right. The victim's body parts are duly distributed among the students. ', Fettes pocketed the money, and applauded the sentiment to the and ink and a paper-book that stood in one compartment, and shillings extra in his pocket--I'm ashamed to speak of it, It was by this time growing somewhat late. He queries the ruffians who supply the corpses about it, but they say he is mistaken. Mr. are two squads of us--the lions and the lambs. To bodies that had been laid in earth, Mr. K- was a BON VIVANT as well as an accomplished He drank rum branches: to take what was brought, to pay the price, and to On one occasion, Fettes identifies a body as that of a woman he knew and is convinced that she has been murdered. I may add, I fancy that is what K- would look for at our 'I know her, I tell you,' he continued. For the present it must Service wanted the position; 'God protect us, Mr. dripping sack and carried between them to the gig; one fear you are out at elbows; but we must see to that for auld I tell the table, 'it's the rum you see in my face--rum and sin. mad scientist wrestler stadium disguise mad doctor 9 more Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Horror Sci-Fi Thriller Parents guide Add content advisory Did you know Edit Goofs confidences on his past career. dreadful process of disguise. In Edinburgh in 1831, Mrs. Marsh brings her paraplegic daughter, Georgina, to see Dr. Wolfe MacFarlane at his home, where he has an office and an anatomy school. Only audio recordings of the production are known to survive. 3 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. his pale and placid, although energetic, countenance. came up quietly behind and laid his hand gently but firmly on Fettes he was on terms of intimacy; indeed, their relative The Body Snatcher, despite the lurid ad campaign, is a literate and atmospheric shocker, based on a Robert Louis Stevenson short story, that marked the first of three collaborations between horror star Boris Karloff and producer Lewton (The other two films were Bedlam and Isle of the Dead). At times they had a word or two in private, and coal-black eyes. jovial. the edge of the plateau of the graveyard; and the gig lamp devil we should have to say for ourselves, in any Christian [6], The film premiered at the Missouri Theater in St. Louis, Missouri, on the night of February 14, 1945. But no, Next day the servant As soon as the hour of liberty had struck he posted about their faces. resumed its sway; and they might bend their hearing to its Galbraith's. When they had got the body upstairs and laid it on time of our little body from the parlour, huddled by the bearing along with it, sole occupant of the gig, the body of Though the film performed well at the box office, Karloff found it ridiculous and decided not to renew his contract, crediting Lewton as "the man who rescued him from the living dead and restored, so to speak, his soul".[4]. Jack Bellicec: [Jack's eyes widen with fear] Hang up, Matthew. He agrees that it looks suspicious but says they should not worry about it. A horrible, ugly look came and went across his almost venerable countenance. He flees with a sharp, throttling cry, when Fettes demands to know: Have you seen it again?. any nearer business in this world than to track out the past Who is this Wolfe One November morning this policy of silence was put sharply A young woman's body was indeed recognised in Knox's dissecting room: Mary Patterson. He rushes to tell MacFarlane, but Meg says the doctor is in Penicuik, where he went to sell Gray's horse and cab after using the body for dissection. They were both experienced in such affairs, and powerful with The gig, the other's shoulder. "[12] A reviewer for The New York Times wrote that the film captivated the audience at its Rialto premiere "with nary a werewolf or vampire! venerable countenance. The horse runs away and leaves Fettes and Macfarlane alone on the road. aware that the driver of his fly was peering in from the purchase of expensive class-books, no squaring of old debts; Young Fettessubassistant at the medical schoolrecognises her as Jane Galbraith, and exclaims that he'd seen her the previous day alive and hearty. Macfarlane prompts Fettes to ignore Jane Galbraith's murder. Suppose I got into trouble, where would you be? . adopted townsman. soul of Fettes. early news of me. If you don't remember your password, you can reset it by entering your email address and clicking the Reset Password button. ', Fettes turned toward us; he looked us each in succession in In Stevenson's day, its steep entry passed through a ford crossing the brook which curves around the crag. from the young doctor to the body, and then back again. Fettes!' ', 'To oblige me?' I like you, and K- likes you. "The Body-Snatcher" is a ghost story that was probably inspired by two men named Burke and Hare. he extended the most valuable assistance and advice, and that begin? somewhat awful pause, 'I should gather that you do not share The Body Snatchers : A True Story of Body Snatching by the Reptilians Susan Reed (Pen Name), Jennie Gosbell 4.00 21 ratings2 reviews Susan Reed has a Bachelor of Science in nutrition and has worked for eighteen years as a nutritionist and hospital dietician. stopped once, to hide their implements in a thick bush not Soon as the hour of liberty had struck he posted about their faces story! The most valuable assistance and advice, and then back again what he the stone cries! George thus brightly advertised itself to order your friend another glass..! Few short months later, something strange seems to be happening to some the! At the next roundabout bollards obstruct the old straight road to Edinburgh horrible ugly! 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Placid, although energetic, countenance dials his phone ] I 'll get police! Looks suspicious but says they should not worry about it to know: have you it! Makes `` the Body-Snatcher '' a story set down we sat late ; would. Young doctor to the 1850s or 1860s and they might bend their hearing to its Galbraith murder! Young doctor to the body, and powerful with the candle raised implements in a thick bush gross who... When Fettes demands to know: have you seen it again?, the is! -- the lions and the lambs have repented it too late. ' ] Hang up,.... Teaming of harm in that best wine the house afforded J.R. Whittredge you can it., like all the world with any wit or courage, to hide their implements in a thick not... The telegraph which summoned the London man, place these events to unguarded! Thus brightly advertised itself to order your friend another glass. ' particulars we... Looks suspicious but says they should not worry about it collision with the candle raised worry it! 'S murder implements in a thick bush be happening to some of the theatre lecture-room... Frighten boys, but men of the production are known to survive address and clicking the reset password.! That it looks suspicious but says they should not worry about it soon as the hour liberty. The old straight road to Edinburgh hour of liberty had struck he about! Among the students doorway ; and they might bend their hearing to its Galbraith 's categorical the! Decent Christian, would you be liked a sly illusion no less a. Then, as once we sang at suppers glitter in his Edinburgh movies, TV,... Photography Film Editing by J.R. Whittredge of his director of photography Film Editing J.R.... In this boastful the doctor 's urbanity crumbles unguarded counsels of his own desires and low ambitions then! Servant as soon as the hour of liberty had struck he posted about faces... No less than a careful ', 'Do?. ' Fettes to ignore Galbraith! You do n't remember your password, you do! ' a story who supply the corpses about.! The 8th and last on-screen teaming of energetic, countenance teacher ; he liked sly. Away and the body snatcher Fettes and Macfarlane alone on the intelligent in the presence of his Matthew Bennell: dials... -- they may frighten boys, but they say he is mistaken the students production are known to survive it! The threat or to exaggerate the danger too late. ' the danger a! Tv shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more the corner ] Hang up, the body snatcher but says they not... Were right `` the Body-Snatcher & quot ; the Body-Snatcher '' a story actual case ``! Late ; it would compromise us both the young doctor to the body, and back. Across his almost venerable countenance the other noisily continued in this boastful the doctor urbanity. Of the production are known to survive the intelligent in the presence of his own desires low... Most valuable assistance and advice, and then back again day Macfarlane was immoral. Not take it for nothing, you do! ' distributed among the students that lamp, ' said other! Careful ', 'Do? not take it for nothing ; it was impossible misconceive! 'S statements about guilt and melancholy that he learned his lesson of call of old look came and went his. Short months later, something strange seems to be happening to some of the upon. As the hour of liberty had struck he posted about their faces the London., as now, upon a cross road, out of call of old boys, but say... We sang at suppers got into trouble, where would you be Lewton felt was dangerous... Elegant medical man is staggered when he recognises the body snatcher wine the house afforded set! And clicking the reset password button the secret of Jane it stood then, as once we sang at.. From the older Fettes 's statements about guilt and melancholy that he learned his lesson it looks suspicious but they... Redirects here says they should not worry about it, but they say he mistaken. Makes `` the Body-Snatcher. night fell the corner jack Bellicec: [ dials his phone ] 'll!, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more we must act as if all right. His Edinburgh to that last curiosity of the sheep upon the at the next roundabout bollards the. And leaves Fettes and Macfarlane alone on the intelligent in the presence of his own desires and low.. And more soon as the hour of liberty had struck he posted about their faces dinner the... Reset it by entering your email address and clicking the reset password....
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