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The Beast With Five Fingers

Play trailer Poster for The Beast With Five Fingers Released Feb 8, 1947 1h 28m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Astrologist Hilary Cummins (Peter Lorre) works as a personal assistant to the eccentric and mostly paralyzed pianist, Francis Ingram (Victor Francen). A nurse, Julie Holden (Andrea King) also lives at the Italian villa to help care for Ingram, who plays the piano with only his undamaged left hand. Following a visit from a scam artist (Robert Alda), Ingram crashes down the stairs to his death -- and a plague of bizarre events ensues that are attributed to the musician's disembodied left hand.
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The Beast With Five Fingers

Critics Reviews

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Kim Newman Empire Magazine This is one of those semi-classic horror films which contains unforgettably creepy sequences and one or two great performances along with a great deal of fudged plotting. Rated: 3/5 Oct 18, 2016 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader This is fairly spooky despite its silly story and modest budget Apr 7, 2010 Full Review Variety Staff Variety It gives more credit for intelligence than the average thriller. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times Lorre literally steals the show with a masterfully bravura performance in a superior slice of psychological horror. Rated: 4/5 Oct 18, 2016 Full Review TV Guide A taut, genuinely scary psychodrama which gave vent to Lorre's weird mannerisms and produced some marvelous special effects created by director Florey. Rated: 3/5 Oct 18, 2016 Full Review Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy Given the tenuous state of horror in 1946, it acquits itself beautifully. Rated: 7/10 Jun 8, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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dave s When the will of a wealthy concert pianist is contested, it isn't long before mayhem and murder become the focus of the local constabulary. However, when it is discovered that a hand of the deceased is missing, those concerned can only jump to one logical conclusion: there is a murderous appendage running amok. Sure, the premise is absurd, but as things turn out, The Beast with Five Fingers is actually more of a murder mystery than it is a horror film. The acting is solid (Peter Lorre is always fun to watch), the camerawork and lighting establish an effectively eerie atmosphere, the effects are respectable, and the story manages to keep your interest, but it's all a bit silly in retrospect. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member My first movie in 1946. Frightening for a youngster. Peter Lorre marvelous. Excellent for a movie of psychological terror for its time. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review deke p One thumb up for the hand! 1946! I've seen parts of it before and again tonight January 2021 on the SVENGHOOLIE TV show. It was seriously acted and of course a preposterous Idea. Peter Lorre! Got incredibly high reviews I'm rotten tomatoes from both critics and audiences Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Frances H Well done and sometimes funny horror flick, which must, I think, have ben the inspiration for Thing in the Charles Addams cartoons who first appeared in the Addams Family cartoons in 1956. I looked it up! In this flick, the movie magic that made the hand move around was just as good as the later technology in the Addams Family TV show and movie series. Fun movie, with Alan Alda's Dad as the romantic lead. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/29/20 Full Review Audience Member When I first saw this movie in 1946, I was 12 years old and was scared witless, having been brought up on black and white Frankenstein movies. Not only was this film of that ilk, it was a psychological thriller and Peter Lorre's histrionics, frightening then, are fun to watch today. Good cast, good actors, and a dark mood throughout. Can't expect a scare like a preteen but a nice way to spend your time. One of the first of the many disembodied hand movies Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Entertaining postwar horror film with impressive SFX for the time. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Beast With Five Fingers

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Movie Info

Synopsis Astrologist Hilary Cummins (Peter Lorre) works as a personal assistant to the eccentric and mostly paralyzed pianist, Francis Ingram (Victor Francen). A nurse, Julie Holden (Andrea King) also lives at the Italian villa to help care for Ingram, who plays the piano with only his undamaged left hand. Following a visit from a scam artist (Robert Alda), Ingram crashes down the stairs to his death -- and a plague of bizarre events ensues that are attributed to the musician's disembodied left hand.
Director
Robert Florey
Producer
William Jacobs
Screenwriter
William Fryer Harvey, Curt Siodmak
Distributor
Dominant Pictures Corp., Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Warner Bros.
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 8, 1947, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 28m
Sound Mix
Mono
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