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The Black Sleep

The Black Sleep

The Terror Drug That Wakes the Dead!

19566.11h 22m

Overview

In 19th century England, a noted brain surgeon rescues a former student from being hanged on a false conviction for murder, and spirits him away to an ancient, repurposed abbey far in the countryside. There, he connives his pupil into assisting him in mapping the functions of the various parts of the human brain, using living subjects who are under a terrible animation-suspending drug called "black sleep". Subsequently, the student, along with the daughter of one of the subjects, discover that most of these subjects have survived but are being kept in a dungeon-like cellar, in various stages of physical and mental derangement...

Directed by Reginald Le Borg
Written by John C. Higgins, Gerald Drayson Adams
Produced by Howard W. Koch
Box OfficeBudget: $225K0

Top Cast

Basil Rathbone

Basil Rathbone

Sir Joel Cadman

Herbert Rudley

Herbert Rudley

Dr. Gordon Ramsay

Patricia Blair

Patricia Blair

Laurie Munroe

Akim Tamiroff

Akim Tamiroff

Odo the Gypsy

Phyllis Stanley

Phyllis Stanley

Daphne

Lon Chaney Jr.

Lon Chaney Jr.

Dr. Munroe, aka Mungo

Bela Lugosi

Bela Lugosi

Casimir

John Carradine

John Carradine

Bohemund

G

George Sawaya

Sailor-Subject

Tor Johnson

Tor Johnson

Mr. Curry

Themes & Keywords

experimentenglandmad doctorbrain surgeonsuspended animation

About The Black Sleep

The Black Sleep is a horror, science fiction film released in 1956 exploring themes of experiment, england, mad doctor, brain surgeon, suspended animation. Directed by Reginald Le Borg, it stars Basil Rathbone, Herbert Rudley, Patricia Blair. In 19th century England, a noted brain surgeon rescues a former student from being hanged on a false conviction for murder, and spirits him away to an ancient, repurposed abbey far in the countryside. There, he connives his pupil into assisting him in mapping the functions of the various parts of the human brain, using living subjects who are under a terrible animation-suspending drug called "black sleep". Subsequently, the student, along with the daughter of one of the subjects, discover that most of these subjects have survived but are being kept in a dungeon-like cellar, in various stages of physical and mental derangement...

Movies Similar to The Black Sleep

Discover titles like The Black Sleep — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to The Black Sleep

If you enjoyed The Black Sleep, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Black Sleep.

Black Friday
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Dr Simon Helder, sentenced to an insane asylum for crimes against humanity, recognises its director as the brilliant Baron Frankenstein, the man whose work he had been trying to emulate before his imprisonment. Frankenstein utilises Helder's medical knowledge for a project he has been working on for some time. He is assembling a man from vital organs extracted from various inmates in the asylum. And the Baron will resort to murder to acquire the perfect specimens for his most ambitious project ever.

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Frankenstein
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An American tourist and a troubled young woman are chased by her gang leader brother to a top secret British government facility that conducts experiments on children.

The Evil of Frankenstein
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Once hounded from his castle by outraged villagers for creating a monstrous living being, Baron Frankenstein returns to Karlstaad. High in the mountains they stumble on the body of the creature, perfectly preserved in the ice. He is brought back to life with the help of the hypnotist Zoltan who now controls the creature. Can Frankenstein break Zoltan's hypnotic spell that incites the monster to commit these horrific murders or will Zoltan induce the creature to destroy its creator?

Sssssss
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Sssssss(1973)

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David, a college student, is looking for a job. He is hired by Dr. Stoner as a lab assistant for his research and experiments on snakes. David also begins to fall for Stoner's young daughter, Kristina. However, the good doctor has secretly brewed up a serum that can transform any man into a King Cobra snake-and he plans to use it on David.

Beyond Re-Animator
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Once again tampering with mother nature to disastrous results, Dr. Herbert West continues his research while serving time in a maximum security prison for his previous exploits. West's limited prison-cell experiments are suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a new prison doctor and the brother of the girl who suffered from West's experiments 13 years earlier.

Come True
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Come True(2020)

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Looking for an escape from her recurring nightmares, 18-year-old Sarah submits to a university sleep study, but soon realizes she's become the conduit to a frightening new discovery.