In a turn-of-the-century Renaissance Italian mansion, its tyrannical owner, a wheelchair-bound one-handed pianist with a strong belief in the occult is murdered.In a turn-of-the-century Renaissance Italian mansion, its tyrannical owner, a wheelchair-bound one-handed pianist with a strong belief in the occult is murdered.In a turn-of-the-century Renaissance Italian mansion, its tyrannical owner, a wheelchair-bound one-handed pianist with a strong belief in the occult is murdered.
- Clara
- (as Patricia White)
- The Hand (playing piano)
- (uncredited)
- Mourner
- (uncredited)
- Carabinieri
- (uncredited)
- Carabinieri
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe piece of piano music played by Francis Ingram (Victor Francen) and later, his disembodied left hand, is the "Bach Chaconne in D Minor," as arranged to be played by the left hand alone by Johannes Brahms. It was selected by Max Steiner because the story required a piece of music that could be performed by a pianist with only his left hand, and Steiner, who was born in Vienna and whose family were friendly with Brahms, rather than composing his own original piece, immediately recognized its potential in underscoring such a grim tale. Legendary Hungarian-American pianist Ervin Nyiregyhazi performed the music played by the severed hand.
- GoofsThe Commissario says he has found fingerprints less than a day old. Normally there is no way to date fingerprints.
- Quotes
Francis Ingram: Hilary, do you know why you are here?
Hilary Cummins: No, I don't . Some anniversary perhaps?
Francis Ingram: No, no such thing. I merely want your testimony... that I am not insane. It's very important to me to be certain that not one of you thinks I am of unsound mind. Bruce, you are an artist, a musician, You've been with me a long time. You've been with me constantly; therefore you are in a position to speak. Are you convinced that there is nothing wrong with... with my mental balance?
Conrad Ryler: Your mental balance is equal to mine, and while I consider that a tribute to your sanity, there are certain people in San Stefano who consider me... slightly eccentric. Perhaps they're right.
- ConnectionsEdited from Doctor X (1932)
- SoundtracksChaconne in D minor BMW 1004
(uncredited)
Composed bt Johann Sebastian Bach
Arranged for the left hand by Johannes Brahms
Pianist Ervin Nyiregyhazi
("Played on the screen by Victor Francen)
What starts out as an average Warner Brothers melodrama/murder mystery is made memorable by the use of the disembodied hand. Robert Alda and Andrea King are forgettable leads, and J. Carrol Naish is horrible as the police inspector. Peter Lorre gives the best performance, and his scenes where he confronts the hand are great. The special effects are excellent.
Rewatch. 3/5
- guswhovian
- May 8, 2020
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Die Bestie mit den fünf Fingern
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1