1956’s The Black Sleep (re-released in 1962 as Dr. Cadman's Secret) was an excuse to put together stars of Universal horror stars of the ‘30’s and ‘40’s, though one fell through (more on that later). The film stars Basil Rathbone as a scientist who experiments on living subjects’ brains in order to figure out how to cure his wife who has been in a coma for over a year. Using an East Indian drug that induces a deathlike state that can be reversed with an antidote if delivered within a few hours. He saves another scientist from the gallows in order to have him as his assistant with his work. When the assistant learns that they are actually working on living subjects, he expresses his disapproval. He also learns that below Rathbone’s scientist’s castle-like home houses former test subjects. All with different physical and mental issues due to the experiments. Of course, in the end the scientists plan all comes crashing down around him.
Bela Lugosi plays Rathbones mute butler, Lon Chaney Jr is one of the failed experiments, as is John Carradine. Tor Johnson, former professional wrestler, probably remembered more today for his appearing in Plan 9 From Outer Space, also appears as a former test subject. They tried to get Peter Lorre but he wanted too much money so they cast Russian born Akim Tamiroff, who had a similar look, as a gypsy that helps supply Rathbone’s scientist with his subjects. Sure, they were closer to the end of their careers but why give Chaney and Lugosi roles where they don’t speak? Chaney basically plays a beast-man. Lugosi has a couple nice moments he steals with facial expressions, but it seemed like a waste. Basil Rathbone was himself on the waning side of his career as well and his performance isn’t terrible, but there are times where I’m pretty sure his heart wasn’t quite in it. A little over an hour into its 72-minute running time the whole thing comes to an end pretty quickly. Overall, there isn’t anything audiences hadn’t seen before, and it isn’t presented in a new way. Stunt casting doesn’t help either. Is it a terrible film? Not really, but it is, and was in 1956, pretty derivative. There are a few interesting concepts presenting in the movie, but they are wasted in favor of the “mad-scientist killing people in hopes of saving a loved one” cookie cutter script.
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