A concert pianist named Stephen Orlac, played by Colin Clive is involved in a train wreck. The result is that his talented hands are maimed. His wife Yvonne, played by Frances Drake, finds a famous surgeon, named Dr. Gogol, played by Peter Lorre, to perform an operation, to repair his hands. Dr. Gogol, transplants Orlac’s hands with an executed murder, who was an expert with knives. After months of rehabilitation and therapy, Orlac’s hands are seemingly back to normal. The one adverse effect from the surgery, is that he now has the knife throwing abilities of the murderer. These abilities are realized whenever Orlac is angry or upset. An example being when his stepfather refuses to loan him money, to pay for medical expenses, and Orlac throws a knife at him. His stepfather is later found dead, with a knife in his back, and he is accused of the crime. He isn’t guilty, but is framed by Dr. Gogol, who is obsessed with his wife. When Orlac is in jail, Gogol makes unwanted advances toward Yvonne Orlac, which she rejects. The police soon figure out that Orlac is innocent, and Gogol killed Orlac’s father. The police and Stephen Orlac go to his house, where they see Gogol strangling Yvonne Orlac, with her own hair. Orlac grabs a knife and throws it into Gogol’s back, killing him.
Mad Love is a horror film of sorts. It is complete with over the top acting by Colin Clive. His character is someone who becomes a victim of a mad doctor rather than playing one. His role is best forgotten and definitely shouldn’t be remembered the way his role as Dr. Frankenstein is. Peter Lorre has done well portraying Dr. Gogol. He brings another creepy character to life in this film. He does look bizarre, when he dresses up like the executed murderer, in an attempt to push Stephen Orlac over the edge.
Karl Freund, directed this movie. He directed The Mummy, a very different horror film. Unfortunately his success as a filmmaker, can’t lift this film above silly and mundane. Freund, like any quality filmmaker, has good scenes of Orlac playing the piano and the frantic scene of Yvonne Orlac desperately trying to find her husband after the train wreck.
There are many horror films to see for anybody who enjoys this genre. Mad Love isn’t one of them. The sad part is that like countless movies, with a little more production oversight, it could’ve been.