The Awful Dr. Orlof

1962 "You'll get an insight into the face of terror!"
6| 1h30m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 02 December 1964 Released
Producted By: Hispamer Films
Country: Spain
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Dr. Orlof, a former prison doctor, abducts beautiful women from nightclubs to use their skin to repair his daughter's fire-scarred face. He is assisted by Morpho, a deformed monstrosity who delights in biting his victims. Orlof had better hurry, though -- a young police inspector and his ballerina girlfriend are onto his sadistic practices.

Genre

Horror, Thriller

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Director

Jesús Franco

Production Companies

Hispamer Films

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The Awful Dr. Orlof Audience Reviews

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
lemon_magic The main lesson that "ADO" gives us is that Franco was capable of pretty good work when he took his time and polished it...but even early on, it's obvious from this movie's choices that Franco was mostly interested in shock and exploitation in his films, even at the cost of common sense or real story telling. The movie is an obvious retelling of "Eyes Without A Face", not as well plotted or acted overall. It's still quite watchable thanks to some effective black and white cinematography, some attractive (or at least interesting looking) actors and character designs, and a weird, churning organ/drum based sound track that helps maintain the mood even when things drag. Alas, there are pacing problems, holes in the plot you could drive a submarine through, and some gimmicky nudity (I'll grant that the topless shots actually make sense in the context of the scenes). Franco overuses certain kinds of shots - seemingly half the movie consists of Morpho carrying dead/unconscious women from place to place. And what's the deal with Morpho, anyway? He's got some kind of vampire neck biting thing going on which is never explained, so it's obviously just Franco translating sexual assault through ripping off Universal's and Hammer's versions of "Dracula". And the dubbing (at least in the DVD I saw), sinks it. None of the English voice talent is incompetent, but it seemed as if the "main" voice roles were performed by actors not really fluent in English on a native level - lines are shouted, declaimed, recited and delivered,but nothing sounds authentic. I am sure the movie would be much better with subtitles. Decent. There were moments I forgot I was watching a Jesse Franco film - but inevitably,I would quickly be reminded. See it if you like Franco, exploitation in general, or "Eyes Without A Face".
Sean Jump If THE AWFUL DR. ORLF doesn't quite reach the first rank of classic horror films from the 1960s, it is nonetheless an eerie, thoroughly entertaining little gem that deserves a broader audience. Director Jesus Franco establishes a rich, fog-haunted atmosphere that saturates the viewer in Gothic ambiance, and the story manages to rise above the limitations of formula for all that it lovingly embraces the familiar trappings of genre. The principal characters are believable and quite well acted, notably Howard Vernon as the eponymous mad doctor (who, awful as he is, is motivated to torture and kill young women in the vain hope that he can restore youth and life to his disfigured daughter) and Conrado San Martin as the police detective determined to track him down. Also noteworthy are Ricardo Valle as Morpho, the murderous but helpless thrall of Orlof whose shambling, blind killer is both frightening and yet somehow sympathetic, and the enchanting Diana Lorys, who essays a dual role as both the detective's ballerina girlfriend and also Orlof's comatose daughter. Lorys is blessed with beauty and charisma in equal measure, and her role is in many ways the central one of the film. The movie's only notable flaw is a pace that occasionally drags, but all the same the picture maintains interest and the eventual climax is not only fitting but exciting. Overall, THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF is a small but vital triumph, well-directed with an even hand and a fine Gothic treasure of 60s cinema.
MartinHafer There have been many versions and variations of the plot in "The Awful Dr. Orlof" including a Bela Lugosi movie ("The Human Monster") and a reworking of the tale in "Eyes Without a Face". Jesús Franco made this Spanish-language film, though the version I saw was kind of weird--it had been dubbed into French and then subtitled into English! Dr. Orlof is a crazed man whose sole ambition is to restore his daughter's face. How the face became disfigured and why she's in a coma was never explained during the film. Regardless, with the aid of his homicidal maniac servant, Morpho, they kidnap prostitutes and skin them! At first, he tried doing this on dead women but when the results were not satisfactory, he began keeping some of his victims alive! Nice guy, huh? Much of the film is taught from the viewpoint of the police inspector working on the case. He seemed pretty competent and worked hard to figure out the murders. However, and this part annoyed me, his girlfriend (or was it his wife? I dunno) decided to investigate matters on her own. Here is where it gets really insane, as she dresses like a 'professional girl' and hangs out in dives--hoping to lure the killers. However, she has absolutely no backup nor does she tell anyone about her actions!!!! So, despite a very creepy plot, creepy characters and an interesting story, late in the film it all hinges on a complete moron! Because of this and the awfulness of the soundtrack, the film loses a few points. Still, however, it is entertaining. However, parents be aware that Franco usually throws gratuitous nudity in his films and this one is no exception. In fact, one scene looked like he almost randomly tossed it in just to please folks looking for some skin!
Claudio Carvalho In 1912, five beautiful easy women are kidnapped and the efficient Inspector Tanner (Conrado San Martín), who is engaged of Wanda Bronsky (Diana Lorys), is assigned to the case. The responsible for the abductions is Dr. Orloff (Howard Vernon), a former prison doctor, and his deformed assistant Morpho Lodner (Ricardo Valle), who was a prisoner sentenced to death and revived by Dr. Orloff, that bring the women to the Hartog Castle to remove the skin of his victims to repair the face of his daughter that was burned in a fire. When Wanda decides to help her beloved fiancé to find the criminal, she becomes the next victim of Dr. Orloff. Now Inspector Tanner's last chance to find Dr. Orloff relies on the lead of the drunkard Jeannot (Faustino Cornejo)."Gritos en la Noche" (a.k.a. "The Awful Dr. Orloff") is one of the best films of director Jesus Franco that I have seen so far. The story combines the story lines of the successful 1960 "Les Yeux Sans Visage" ("Eyes without a Face") with Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes and the result is good. The cinematography in black and white is great and the acting is decent. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Terrível Dr. Orloff" ("The Terrible Dr. Orloff")