The Body Snatcher (1945): Cast, Ratings & Plot
The Body Snatcher is a 1945 horror thriller directed by Robert Wise, starring Boris Karloff, Edith Atwater and Bela Lugosi. It is based on The Body-Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson. It runs 1 hour 18 minutes. Critics gave it 74 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 18m (78 min)
- Director
- Robert Wise
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- RKO Radio Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Body Snatcher About?
The premise of The Body Snatcher without spoilers, adapted from The Body-Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A struggling doctor seeks help from a mysterious taxi driver and his unsettling accomplice to obtain cadavers for his pioneering medical experiments. As he delves deeper into their unusual nocturnal operations, a young assistant uncovers disturbing secrets about the origins of the bodies. The shocking discoveries lead to a terrifying unraveling of the truth, exposing a descent into moral corruption and jeopardizing everyone involved.
The Body Snatcher Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- killing a dog
- singing
- song
- street singer
- psychotronic film
- edinburgh scotland
- paralysis
- handicapped child
- skeleton
- cadaver
- 1830s
- body snatcher
+38 more Show fewer
- student
- human experimentation
- medical assistant
- historical event
- scottish history
- child in a wheelchair
- horror thriller
- aspiring doctor
- physician
- surgical operation
- death of doctor
- pub
- murder trial
- secret identity
- dark and stormy night
- secret wife
- reference to hippocrates
- public house
- murder of dog
- medical ethics
- fatal accident
- horse cab driver
- extortion
- ends with death of protagonist
- threat
- mother daughter relationship
- housekeeper
- class differences
- medical student
- cemetery
- murder
- blackmail
- costume horror
- death of title character
- horror movie remade
- white horse
- suffocation
- medical experiment
The Body Snatcher Cast
Boris Karloff leads the cast, with Edith Atwater and Bela Lugosi. Directed by Robert Wise; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Robert Wise
Also Starring in The Body Snatcher
· 6 moreMore from Robert Wise
More films directed by Robert Wise, best-rated first: The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Sound of Music, The Haunting and Run Silent Run Deep.
The Body Snatcher Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Body Snatcher 74 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10.
-
IMDb 7.3 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 74 Metascore
See on Metacritic
The Body Snatcher Plot Summary
What happens in The Body Snatcher from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
A group of friends enjoys a night out with drinks when a renowned doctor, Wolfe Macfarlane, unexpectedly arrives. Among them, Fettes, portrayed by Boris Karloff, recognizes the doctor’s name and confronts him in anger, prompting suspicions among his friends about the underlying tension.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Fettes and Macfarlane share a past from their days in medical school, under the supervision of the mysterious Mr. K, an anatomy professor. Their education involved the grim task of accepting cadavers for dissection, sourced from a couple of dubious characters who supplied them.
Full summary
The whole story of The Body Snatcher, scene by scene
The Body Snatcher Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Body Snatcher.
How Well Do You Know The Body Snatcher?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the esteemed doctor that arrives at the gathering of friends?
The Body Snatcher Also Known As
17 alternative titles, including “Der Leichendieb” and “El ladrón de cuerpos”.
- Also known as
-
- Der Leichendieb
- El ladrón de cuerpos
- El ladrón de cadáveres
- La jena: l'uomo di mezzanotte
- La jena
- Le Récupérateur de cadavres
- Yeraltı Canavarı
- El profanador de tumbas
- Η Εκδίκησις του Νεκρού
- A testrabló
- 盗尸者
- O Túmulo Vazio
+5 more Show fewer
- Похитители тел
- 신체 강탈자
- Ligrøveren
- Els lladres de cossos
- Gravplundraren
Seen The Body Snatcher?
Movies Like The Body Snatcher
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Body Snatcher, Body and The Flesh and the Fiends.
The Body Snatcher FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, ratings, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of The Body Snatcher, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Body Snatcher?
The Body Snatcher runs 1 hour 18 minutes (78 minutes).
When was The Body Snatcher released?
The Body Snatcher was released on February 16, 1945.
Who directed The Body Snatcher?
The Body Snatcher was directed by Robert Wise.
More films by Robert Wise Who is in the cast of The Body Snatcher?
The Body Snatcher stars Boris Karloff, Edith Atwater and Bela Lugosi, among 10 credited actors.
How is The Body Snatcher rated?
The Body Snatcher has 7.3/10 on IMDb and 74 on Metacritic.
Is The Body Snatcher based on a book?
Yes. The Body Snatcher is adapted from The Body-Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Does The Body Snatcher have a post-credit scene?
No. The Body Snatcher has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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