Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

mark.waltz While the 1939 Nick Grinde film "The Man They Could Not Hang" dealt with the story of a kindly scientist who vows revenge after his experiment with a mechanical heart is interrupted, this one takes a similar theme to new twists and turns out to be much better. The story opens with Karloff being sentenced to death for aiding an elderly man in "assisted suicide" which is labeled here as mercy killing. Karloff goes to prison and goes to work for the prison's doctor, keeping his experiment going as he prepares to die. On the day of his execution, he is sentenced to life in prison instead, and gladly continues his experimentation of aiding the elderly, unaware that the serum of a dead killer he had implanted in himself has poisoned his mind, making him do quite the opposite than what he originally intended.There's a sad look in the eye of the classic pianist Karloff visits to implant the serum in to test him and improve the quality of his life. The vulnerability and trust in this man is a quiet visual that will remain in my mind's eye when I think of this film. There are some touching realizations of how pathetic we become as our bodies age and mind fights to remain strong in spite of physical pain. Karloff literally becomes "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" as he struggles between the good doctor and the maniacal killer in doing what he wants to do for society and doing what the killer's poisoned blood did to make the dead prisoner kill in the first place.As fast moving as the predecessor, this isn't based upon the revenge plot which dominated and weakened the first film, but more on how good intentions are sometimes the pathway to hell when the rules of the universe aren't followed. Karloff goes between good and evil with ease, and his performance is one of his best. The doctor may not be mad, but his experiments will certainly drive him that way.

zboston3 Karloff often portrayed characters who were torn between good and evil - memorably in THE BLACK ROOM where he played twins, but I have never seen him do such a great job of acting as he does in this film.It opens with him portraying an old, weak, good intentioned doctor - a sympathetic and at times pathetic character. But once he injects himself with a serum that was made from tainted blood, that of a serial murder, he changes. He is younger in appearance and action, and he is a killer, a tortured one, but a chilling one as well. It's great to watch.While the movie has the weakness of being a cheaper B-film, there is still a lot of good work in it. The camera work with the use of light and shadow is exceptional, the music is better than in some other Karloff films I've watched, and the scenes involving blood are almost too strong to watch.Often in these films there are times when you think they could have been much better with a bigger budget, but they still accomplish so much. The scene where the doctor's daughter goes into his lab and the door closes behind her, shutting us out for just a moment, gave me a chill as good as something from Alfred Hitchcock's FRENZY.So catch this little known gem and enjoy it.

BaronBl00d Boris Karloff played the benign "mad" scientist whose intentions were good but turn awry better than anyone else. Most of his mad scientists were men put into bad situations by some kind of catalyst beyond their control and Before I Hang is no exception. Karloff plays a doctor brought before a jury for a mercy killing - a man who had been living in terminal pain sought out Karloff's help with hopes that a youth age-suppressing serum he had been working on would help regulate the pain and off-set the aging process. It didn't work and Karloff aided in his assisted death. Karloff is sent to prison but finds that the warden believes in his work and allows him, with the aid of Edward Von Sloan the prison doctor, to work on his serum just weeks before he is to be hanged for his crime. Before I Hang has really quite a preposterous storyline but Boris Karloff breathes life into it rather nicely with a gentle performance edged by a maniacal turn as he injects himself with the serum that has some bad side effects. The other actors are all very good with old Karloff nemesis from Frankenstien Von Sloan doing very well with his rather small, thankless role and Eugene Palette giving a good turn as the warden. Karloff's three old friends are all well-played and Evelyn Keyes as his daughter adequate as is Bruce Bennet as her love interest and Karloff's former assistant. The movie is not particularly fast-paced but the tension does build increasingly with effect. Before I Hang is a rather nice addition to Karloff's Columbia Mad Doctor roles. Perhaps not the best of them but certainly stands strong with the rest of them.

wdbasinger Of the Karloff Columbia Mad Doctor pictures, my very favorite is "The Man With Nine Lives" with "The Devil Commands" a close second followed by "The Man They Could Not Hang" (which was still quite good). Similarly, "Before I Hang" is a good "B" picture with some good scenes such as the experimentation with the model in order to mix the chemicals and serums correctly. Karloff's "Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde" transformations seem to be very hair-raising indeed. As usual, Karloff proves he was one of the best mad scientists of classic shudder cinema. This neat little "B" came with a good supporting cast including Bruce Bennett and Evelyn Keyes.Worthwhile watching with all of your "B" buddies. 7/10.