Watch The Man They Could Not Hang

The Man They Could Not Hang is a classic horror movie from 1939, starring the legendary Boris Karloff as Dr. Henryk Savaard, a pioneering scientist who makes a groundbreaking discovery in the field of suspended animation. When Savaard is betrayed by his assistant, Bob Roberts (Robert Wilcox), and framed for murder, he is sentenced to be hanged. However, Savaard's loyal daughter Janet (Lorna Gray) believes in her father's innocence, and with the help of a group of journalists, she fights to clear his name and prove that he has found a way to cheat death.

The movie opens with a thrilling sequence that sets the tone for what's to come. We see Savaard's assistant, Bob Roberts, breaking into his laboratory and stealing his research papers. Savaard catches him in the act and in the ensuing struggle, Roberts accidentally kills Savaard's loyal butler, who has arrived to investigate the commotion. Roberts then frames Savaard for the murder, making it appear as though he killed the butler in a fit of rage.

Savaard is quickly tried and convicted, and the judge sentences him to be hanged. However, before he is executed, Savaard is allowed to demonstrate his invention to a group of journalists who are attending the trial. He shows them that he has discovered a way to put a living being into a state of suspended animation, essentially putting them into a state of suspended animation that allows them to cheat death. Savaard hopes that this discovery will have a profound impact on the medical field, allowing doctors to keep critically ill patients alive until a cure is found.

Despite Savaard's demonstration, the journalists are skeptical of his claims, dismissing them as fanciful and far-fetched. They leave the laboratory, convinced that Savaard is a madman and a murderer, and that his invention is nothing but a pipe dream.

However, after Savaard is hanged and his body is sent to the morgue, Janet breaks into the laboratory and revives her father using his own invention. Savaard is overjoyed to be alive, and he urges Janet to help him perfect his invention so that he can share it with the world.

Meanwhile, the journalists who witnessed Savaard's demonstration are haunted by their guilt. They begin to question whether they were too hasty in dismissing Savaard's claims, and they start to investigate the possibility that he may have been telling the truth. As they dig deeper, they uncover evidence that suggests that Savaard was indeed telling the truth, and they begin to believe that he may have discovered a way to cheat death.

The climax of the movie sees Savaard seeking revenge against his former assistant, Bob Roberts, who is now a successful doctor himself. Savaard kidnaps Roberts and puts him into a state of suspended animation, hoping to teach him a lesson about the dangers of playing God. However, things quickly spiral out of control, and Savaard's plan ultimately proves to be his undoing.

Despite its age, The Man They Could Not Hang is a suspenseful and engaging movie that holds up surprisingly well today. Boris Karloff delivers a captivating performance as the brilliant but misguided scientist, and Lorna Gray is excellent as his devoted daughter. The movie explores timeless themes such as the dangers of unchecked ambition and the limits of human knowledge and understanding, making it a thought-provoking and entertaining viewing experience.

The Man They Could Not Hang is a 1934 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 4 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8.