Black Friday

Released Apr 12, 1940

1h 10m

Horror

List

100%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

52%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

As Dr. Ernest Sovac (Boris Karloff) makes his way to the electric chair, he recalls the events that landed him on death row. After placing brain matter from a violent gangster into the mind of a dying teacher named George Kingsley (Stanley Ridges), Sovac watches his patient take on violent tendencies. When Sovac learns, through an almost-possessed Kingsley, about a hidden stash of mob money, the doctor entices the criminal in Kingsley to come out -- with murderous results.

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Alberto Abuín

Espinof

Sequences like the one of the outrage, or the subsequent murders, each one more cruel than the other, reveal Lubin as a director more audacious than he seemed to be. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 4, 2019

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

While Karloff would continue to prominently appear in horror flicks for the remainder of his life, Lugosi found himself already being relegated to inconsequential bit parts.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 22, 2019

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 7, 2005

Full Review

Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

Rated: 3/5

Feb 13, 2004

Full Review

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Vastly inferior to the other Karloff-Lugosi vehicles from Universal, but it's actually a pretty sharp little horror film -- and of some note historically.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 30, 2002

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The results are a mixed bag, but there's enough entertainment to be gotten from this B-film to make it a satisfying watch.

Rated: C+

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

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Valerii Ege D

A different type of Jekyll and Hyde story. Really liked this one. Of course, it could have been better, but techniques weren't evolved in those days. Still, worth watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/13/23

Full Review

Brad P

Neither Karloff nor Lugosi has the main role; instead, Stanley Ridges stars in a dual role with both of the main marquee draws taking supporting parts – in Lugosi's case a very minor one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Liam D

A very interesting mixture of Gangster movie, Psychological Thriller and Body swap Sci-fi

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/31/22

Full Review

Audience Member

"Black Friday" is not the best movie I have ever seen, but overall it was not too bad of a movie. It had a decent premise and the late Boris Karloff and the late Bela Lugosi once again delivered strong performances that helped the movie be at least entertaining. Bela Lugosi, as we all know, soon fell victim to type casting and changing times. However seeing him in quite a few movies thanks to the Great Svengoolie, I can safely say that Dracula was no fluke. Lugosi was a very good actor who, in at least the movies I have seen, has not delivered a bad performance (Though I will admit the scene toward the end of "Black Friday" where he was trapped in the closet was rather stupid and not fitting of his character. "Let me Out!"). The late Stanley Ridges does a decent job in a dual role as college professor George Kingsley and murderous gangster Red Cannon. The late Boris Karloff is rock solid as usual. Overall, while not perfect, "Black Friday" (The working title for the movie was "Friday the 13th".) is at least an entertaining movie thanks in large part to its cast. It's worth seeing at least once.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent cast, great old horror flick. What's not to love? Boris, Bela, Stanley Ridges, Anna Neagle are wonderful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

andy f

Always worth avoiding Karloff and Lugosi mash ups. This may be the worst of all. Boris Karloff sadly wasn't made for speaking roles and Lugosi as ever in these films is wasted.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Arthur Lubin

Director

Boris Karloff

Dr. Ernest Sovac

Bela Lugosi

Eric Marnay

Stanley Ridges

Prof. George Kingsley

Anne Nagel

Sunny Rogers

Anne Gwynne

Jean Sovac

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Synopsis

As Dr. Ernest Sovac (Boris Karloff) makes his way to the electric chair, he recalls the events that landed him on death row. After placing brain matter from a violent gangster into the mind of a dying teacher named George Kingsley (Stanley Ridges), Sovac watches his patient take on violent tendencies. When Sovac learns, through an almost-possessed Kingsley, about a hidden stash of mob money, the doctor entices the criminal in Kingsley to come out -- with murderous results.

Director: Arthur Lubin
Screenwriter: Curt Siodmak, Eric Taylor
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1940, Original
Release Date (DVD): May 28, 2002
Runtime: 1h 10m