Blood of the Vampire (1958) Movie Script
- No.
No.
No, no.
- What do you want?
Go away.
All right.
I'll come.
I got to go now, business.
I'll be back later.
All right, all right, all right.
First the money.
No, no, no, I don't want those.
I know what to do.
We discussed this together several times.
Here, hold this.
You haven't paid me enough for this.
Do you hear me?
I want more money.
The authorities would pay well
for the information I could give them.
- Dr. Pierre, have you anything to say
before sentence is passed?
- I will say this, my lord.
All I did was to try to
save the life of my patient.
Had the members of the medical council
shown any competence in their task,
they would have realized
that death was inevitable
and in no way caused by my actions,
and may I ask the court once more
to contact professor
Bernard meinster of Geneva?
He knew my work
and will tell the court that
what I did was justified.
That is all I have to say.
- You have said nothing
that you have not already said
during the course of this trial.
However, to put your mind
at rest on one point,
the court took the Liberty of
writing to professor meinster
and placing before him
the facts of this case.
I have here his reply.
"Your honor, I know nothing of the man
who calls himself John Pierre,
and I feel bound to condemn most severely
his actions in this matter
and express the hope that
the law will deal with him
in the fullest severity."
John Pierre, you have been
found guilty of malpractice
leading to murder.
The sentence of this court
is that you be confined
to the penal institution on cambold island
for the remainder of your natural life.
The court is adjourned.
- Uncle, you must do
something to help him.
- Yes, dear, we will.
J always below j
j oh, don't deceive me j'
j oh, never leave me j
- Getting posh in here, isn't we?
- La Dee da, I calls it.
Come on.
Get out of here.
Dish of tea, your lordship?
- His lordship doesn't care to partake.
- Ha.
- The prisoner Pierre.
There's a visitor for you.
- His lordship has a visitor.
- Ha.
- In here.
- But I can't see anyone in here.
- In here or not at all.
This way, miss.
- You shouldn't have come here, Madeleine.
- I had to see you.
John, why did this have to happen?
We would be married next week.
Everything is-
- it'll be all right.
You'll see.
- I'm leaving for Geneva to see meinster.
That letter needs some explanation.
He'd never have written like that.
- I'll find out.
I promise.
- Aren't you gonna
introduce us, your lordship?
You can't keep a good thing
like this to yourself.
- You'd better go, my dear.
- What's the matter, your lordship?
Forgotten your manners?
- Come on.
- She lovely, ain't she?
- Your lordship, what'd she give you?
Let's have a look.
- 0h, his lordship don't wanna show us
his pretty little gee-gor.
Well, perhaps we'll
have to take it off him.
- Oh, oh.
- The other hand.
- Leave that.
The prisoner Pierre,
free the legs.
Leave the hands.
The party for cambold
island to remain here,
the prisoner Pierre to come with me.
- Where are you taking me?
- Something special for you, Pierre,
something very special.
Here's your prisoner.
- Out.
Take your time.
Inside.
Are you a doctor?
When I talk to you,
answer me, do you hear?
- Yes, I'm a doctor.
- In case you ever think of leaving us.
Come on.
Get inside.
What's this?
Prisoners aren't allowed
personal possessions.
- All right, all right, friend.
He's gone.
- Who was that?
- Wetzler, he's the head warder.
- I don't imagine I'm going to like him.
- Believe it or not, friend,
he's the least of the evils
you'll have to contend with here.
You can curse the fates
that sent you here,
for this is the abyss,
the bottomless pit of hell itself.
Wait.
Come.
- What's all the noise about?
- It's the unfortunates
who for various reasons
aren't going to get any breakfast.
It's a punishment.
- Starvation?
- One of the minor punishments.
- Here.
- Now you better stand away from that door
unless you want another
crack on the skull.
- You're not hungry this morning?
Then we shan't waste this good food.
Eat well.
I'll have some work for you to do later.
Start digging,
not too deep, or you'll
disturb the present occupant.
- Who's dead?
- Nobody yet.
- Then what... sh.
- This man's too ill to work.
- Who says so?
- I say so.
- You're not a doctor now, my friend.
You're our prisoner.
Get back to your work.
- I tell you he's-
Get up, I said.
We'll see if the dog can move you.
- It's Dr. Callistratus.
- Who is that?
- Callistratus.
- Who's he?
- You'll find out, friend.
Stop talking.
- I was willing to swear that that man
couldn't raise a finger.
Even the threat of the
dog wouldn't move him.
- Callistratus.
- Yes, he arrives,
and the man finds the strength not only
to get to his feet again,
but to do the work with
the strength of two men.
- Fear.
- I know, but what sort of fear
can inspire those reactions?
- Look, friend, there
are no words to describe
the horror of that name.
What you learn about callistratus,
you've got to learn for yourself.
You can't be taught.
Enough that he's in complete charge here,
our absolute lord and master.
Soon you'll see what that phrase can mean.
There's the grave we dug this morning.
- But you said no one was dead.
- There's your claimant
for the grave tomorrow,
at least what'll be left of him.
- This is the year 1880,
not the middle ages.
- This is a prison for
the criminally insane
whose families and friends
have forgotten them.
- My friends haven't forgotten.
There was certain evidence at the trial
that did not come to light.
- They won't be able to help you.
No one can.
- Why do you say that?
- 'Cause once a man
sets foot in this place,
he never leaves.
Do you know why I'm here?
My wife was very beautiful, too beautiful.
There was a man who
wanted her for himself.
He was the mayor of the
village in which I lived.
He was super influent.
One night in a tavern,
I quarreled with a man,
and later they found his body
with my knife stuck in his back.
I didn't have a chance.
The rest you know.
I'm here, and my wife-
- I'm sorry, Kurt.
- There's no help,
at least not from the outside.
- What do you mean?
- When you realize that
no one can help you,
perhaps then you and
I can help each other.
- Out.
Not you, just Pierre.
- Where are you taking me?
- To Dr. Callistratus.
Over here.
- Enter.
I am Dr. Callistratus.
You're perhaps wondering
why you've been sent here.
Your original destination was
to be cambold island, I believe.
You're here because I sent for you.
It's the prerogative of those
of us in charge of prisons
to ask for any prisoner
whom we consider would benefit
our own particular establishment.
Now I've read the reports of your trial.
I think you come into that category.
Will you follow me, please?
This is my laboratory.
This is where you will work.
- Work?
- You were confined to prison
for attempting to do something
that no one has ever done before,
transfuse blood from one being to another.
Now you must have believed
in what you were trying to do.
I too believe it can be done.
Here we shall attempt to do it together.
- Do I understand that you want me
to work on medical research?
- If you so choose,
you can sit in your cell and rot,
but I don't think you will.
- No, no, I won't.
- Good, good, now tell me,
in your work with blood,
what did you discover about the groupings?
- Only that there were
different types of blood,
very little else.
- Did you not discover that to inject
one type of blood into a
body bearing a different type
could be dangerous, even fatal?
- To my cost.
- That is why all species
of blood must be classified
so that the same mistake
is not made again.
Now here we have two entirely
different blood groups.
For want of a better name,
I'm calling them group a and group b.
I want you to observe the
different blood structure
of both these groups.
- Yes, I see the difference.
- And now I'm going to add
more of the group a blood
onto the a slide.
Do you observe the effect?
You see, they mix quite naturally.
Well, now I'm going to add
some of the group a specimen
onto the other slide.
Now will you tell me what you see?
- The groups do not mix.
They seem to be fighting one another.
- They will destroy each other.
The same thing could
happen in a human body,
so the first phase of your work
will be to classify
and to learn the various blood groups.
- Where do I obtain them?
- There are enough prisoners
in this establishment
to give you all the specimens you require.
- And the second phase?
- The isolation of a rare and
dangerous blood condition.
You'll learn about that when
your first work is completed.
- I see.
- Meantime, you're still a prisoner.
You will not be allowed to leave here,
but inside you will have
freedom of movement.
- Thank you.
- Here are some of my research notes.
Will you study them?
Oh, one other thing.
Your work will bring you in contact
with many of the prisoners.
You'll hear many strange
and fantastic stories.
Perhaps you already have.
Remember, Pierre, you
are in an institution
for the insane, criminally insane.
Three quarters of what is said here
can be completely discounted
as the raving of imbeciles.
Now Carl will show you to your room.
Carl.
You will remain there today.
Tomorrow we start work together,
and, Carl, will you get
those manacles removed?
- Let me have him back now.
I've some work for him to do.
Well, when?
A prisoner with privileges,
I never thought I'd
see that in this place.
Watch your step, Pierre.
One day, you'll slip up,
and I'll be looking after you again.
Don't you touch me, you dirty little ape.
- Carl, wetzler,
I want the prisoner's manacles removed.
- Thank you, Carl.
- Is the patient ready?
- No, don't.
Please.
Leave me alone.
- Soon, Carl, I shall be able to dispense
with the blood of others.
With Pierre helping me,
the solution of my problem
will be much quicker, easier.
What are you doing here?
- Oh, I'm sorry, doctor.
- When you first came
here as my housekeeper,
I warned you to confine
yourself to my living quarters.
You've chosen to ignore my warning
and to pry into matters
which do not concern you.
Now that you are here,
you must pay the forfeit
for your curiosity.
Carl will see that you're taken care of.
- Oh, no, please, doctor.
I won't say a word to anyone.
I promise you.
- Carl, take her away.
No.
No.
- Since you're so interested in my work,
there's no reason why
you should not assist me.
My experiments so far have been confined
to male blood groups.
I think the time has come
to extend my activities.
- As soon as this young lady
told me what had happened,
I came at once.
- And you say you never
received this letter
from the court at the time of the trial.
- If I had, I would have come immediately.
You know that, my dear.
- So this letter purporting to be from you
was in fact a forgery.
- It must have been.
- I see.
Well, in the light of these facts
you've laid before me, professor meinster,
I shall review the case.
Then perhaps we can take steps to discover
who perpetrated this deception
and with what reason in mind.
Ah, auron, this is monsieur auron
of the prison commission.
Auron, I'm going to review the case
of one John Pierre
at the request of mademoiselle duvow.
Notify the commission immediately.
- Yes, sir.
- That is all I can do, my dear.
- Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
- I'm sorry.
It's the last one.
You'll have to get another
from the laboratory.
- Can't it wait?
- Dr. Callistratus said
he wanted blood samples
from everyone in this block.
You go.
I'll wait here.
- Be back in a minute.
- Hello, Kurt.
John, for heaven's sake, I thought-
- that I was dead?
- It's been over a week
since they came for you.
What's happened?
- I work here now.
- What do you mean, you work here?
- Callistratus found
out that I was a doctor.
I'm helping him.
I've come to take a blood sample.
- Not from me, you won't.
- It's only a sample I want.
I've taken one from every prisoner here.
- I'm not going to be dragged down
to that laboratory and experimented on.
- What is there about the
laboratory that frightens you?
- What about the room
below the laboratory?
What about the ones that go in there?
Well, you saw that man
dragged off that time.
- He died of a heart attack.
Who told you
that, your doctor friend?
I saw two of the men who
were detailed to Bury him.
They told me his entire
body had been slit open,
and there was nothing left of him.
- He may have performed an autopsy.
It's not unusual in the
case of sudden death-
- another thing, all the
blood had been drained
out of his body.
He was only just skin and bone.
Ask your doctor friend to explain that,
and ask him about the man last week,
the one we had to Bury without his head.
I was on that burying party myself.
- Quick.
- Here you are.
Be more careful in the future.
- It's all right.
I've got what I want in here.
- Carl, fetch me done slide 34.
- Is the doctor down there?
Let me pass, Carl.
- Carl, what's keeping you?
What is the meaning of this?
As Carl's unable to,
perhaps you will explain.
- I apologize, doctor.
I merely wished to pass through the door.
Carl tried to stop me.
- Is that right, Carl?
Why did you want to go through that door?
- I wanted to find out what is down there.
- That is no concern of yours.
- If I'm to assist you,
I should understand the
full scope of your work.
- You will learn in good time.
Meanwhile, you please
concentrate on the groupings.
Carl, you may go,
but remember you will not
leave that door open again.
Have you completed the groupings?
- Nearly, I only have to classify them.
Then you can start on the
second phase of your work.
- Which is?
- You remember when you first came here,
I spoke of a blood condition
which I was trying to isolate.
- Yes.
- Now this condition breaks
down the living blood cells
and forms a completely new group.
The cells in this group cannot be mingled
with any other group,
but somewhere there must
be a combination of groups
that will not be antagonistic towards it.
We must find that combination.
- How are you going to do that?
- Trial and error is a laborious task,
but the only way, I'm afraid.
- You've experimented
before with this group.
- Naturally.
Why do you ask?
- On the prisoner who was taken
from his cell the other night.
- You've been listening to the ravings
of those poor wretches.
Now I warned you about that, Pierre,
when you first came here.
Don't let me have to warn you again.
Come in.
- Monsieur auron's
waiting to see you, sir.
- Thank you.
- Will you continue
with the classification?
I'll return soon.
Auron.
- Good morning, callistratus.
- You here in your capacity
as inspector of prisons,
or is it purely a social call?
- A little of both.
Firstly, the commission
are getting disturbed
at the number of deaths
at this establishment.
You must do something to
cover it up, callistratus.
The commission will be bound
to take action otherwise.
- That is your problem.
I pay you well.
Earn your money.
- I know, but you're making
it extremely difficult for me.
- What was the other thing you wanted
to talk to me about?
- The prisoner Pierre,
he's to be released.
- Why?
When?
- His case was reviewed.
They found out that the letter he sent to,
what's his name?
- Meinster.
- Yes, they found out
that it never reached him.
Meinster came to cast doubt himself.
- This is unfortunate.
- If it were ever found out
that I intercepted the letter
and replied to it myself,
I'd be finished.
I forged meinster's signature.
- This is most unfortunate.
Something will have to be done.
- I knew you'd help me out.
I only did it for you.
- When will the release order be through?
- A week, perhaps 10 days.
- That's good, good.
That's all, thank you.
- But what are you going to do?
- All in good time.
Now if there's nothing else,
I have work to do.
You will excuse me.
Will you tell Pierre I wish to see him?
- You won't forget what I told you
about the deaths here.
The commission are worried.
- The commission are always worried.
Now unless you want to meet Pierre,
I suggest that you wait for Carl
in the next room.
He'll see you out as
soon as he's finished.
- I wish I knew what you intended to do.
- Good day.
Come in, Pierre.
I've just had a visitor,
a member of the prison commission.
Among other things, routine things,
he brought up the matter of yourself.
- What did he say?
- He told me that in the
light of new evidence,
your case has been reviewed.
- It's what I've been waiting for.
- He went on to say that the court
could find no grounds to
reverse their original decision.
- But I don't understand.
- It grieves me to have
to tell you this, Pierre,
but your sentence must stand as passed.
The court found there were
no extenuating circumstances.
- But didn't meinster testify?
Didn't they get in touch with meinster?
- I'm afraid I'm not aware of the details.
I only know what I've been told.
Of course, I shall do all in my power
to see that you continue your work here.
That way your incarceration will weigh
less heavily on you.
That is all.
Pierre, that is all.
You may return to your room.
You'll be excused work
for the rest of the day.
Pierre, will you help me please?
I must keep this man alive.
Cardiac stimulant.
- He's suffering from a
serious blood deficiency.
How much have you given him?
- You misunderstand, Pierre.
I'm not giving him any blood.
I'm taking it from him.
- How much have you taken?
- Nearly two liters.
- You must be mad.
- I'm not interested
in your opinion of me.
I'm interested in keeping this man alive.
The stimulant.
- You've got to start a transfusion
on this man immediately.
- Got to?
Are you telling me what I must do?
Pierre.
Wetzler.
- He's dead.
- It was to prevent death
that I sent for you.
- You killed him, callistratus.
You murdered this man.
- And you ruined an important experiment,
which is infinitely worse.
Wetzler, Pierre's returning to his room.
Will you see that he gets there?
- Guard.
- What do you want?
- I want to go into the cell block
to see the prisoner Kurt urach.
- Why?
- It's on the doctor's business.
- I know nothing of this.
- Perhaps you'd like me to wake him up
so that he could tell you.
- No, wait, wait, wait a minute.
- That plan of yours,
the one you mentioned the night I arrived.
- What plan?
- I want to hear about it.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Look, I had to lie to get in here.
I want to know what that plan is.
- Here you are,
callistratus' pet lap dog,
trotting around doing
his dirty work for him,
and you expect me to fall for it?
Who put you up to it,
callistratus or wetzler?
- I'm serious.
Are you with me, or do
I have to try it alone?
- All right, let's assume for one moment
that you mean what you say.
Why have you changed your mind?
- They reviewed my case.
- The verdict stands?
I warned you, friend, didn't I?
- Yes, you did,
but you also said you knew
a way we could break out.
Now are you going to tell me what it is?
- All right.
I'll tell you.
It cost more than one life to get these.
This will unlock the door at the cell
and the door to the corridor.
That's stage one, easy.
Stage two is the difficult one,
getting across the compound to the wall.
The dogs will have to be taken care of.
That's where I need your help.
I need some poison.
Can you get any?
- I think so.
- Good, well, this is what'll do.
I know the prisoner whose
job it is to feed the dogs.
Now tomorrow night when
we've got the poison-
- I feel we've progressed
well today, Pierre.
I'm bound to admit you're
a great help to me.
- Thank you, sir.
Guard.
- What do you want?
- I have something important to tell you.
- The guard.
- Leave him.
I'll fix the rope.
Hurry.
No.
- Wetzler was for letting
you follow that man
into the courtyard.
Perhaps I should have let you.
- You knew.
You could have stopped it.
- Yes, I could have stopped it,
but sometimes it's
necessary to have an example
to show the imprudency of certain actions.
Remember what has happened, John Pierre.
Let it be a deterrent against
further similar occurrences.
- I am sorry, my dear young lady.
One more day, and the release order
would have become official.
- Are you sure there couldn't
have been some mistake?
- Quite sure.
I have the report here from
the governor of the prison.
Pierre and another man were both killed
while attempting to escape.
- Excuse me.
Can you tell me when,
can you tell me when Dr.
Callistratus will see me?
- I told him you were here, miss.
He's busy at the moment, I'm afraid,
but he won't be long.
- Thank you.
- Is the housekeeper's room ready?
Be prepared to take her there
as soon as I've seen her.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.
The duties of a prison governor are long
and sometimes arduous.
- I understand, sir.
- Please sit down.
- Thank you.
- Good, now whilst I'm delighted
at the choice of the prison
commission in selecting you,
I feel bound to admit
that I doubt their wisdom.
- I'm sorry, sir.
I don't understand.
- This is a prison.
More than that, it's hardly the place
for anyone so young and
beautiful as yourself.
- But I was told by the commission
that I shouldn't have to enter the prison.
- That is true.
If I had known you would
have been the choice,
I should have asked the commissioner
to replace my housekeeper
earlier, much earlier.
- I shall try and do my best, sir.
- I'm sure you will.
Now Carl will show you to your rooms.
Carl, this is mademoiselle
duvow, the new housekeeper.
He's my faithful servant.
You can trust him.
- Sir, look at this.
- At last.
Pierre, we've discovered
that the destructive power
of this group can be temporarily halted
by normal transfusion.
We're halfway to a permanent cure.
- If it's such a rare condition,
I don't see why we're bothering.
After all, there are many
more important things
we could be working on.
- There is nothing more
important, nothing.
For six years I've been working on a cure
for the evil degeneration
of the blood cells.
To suffer from this complacence
must be the most terrible
affliction of all time.
What is it?
Here now?
All right, tell him to wait.
I'll see him later.
After this discovery, Pierre,
we shall do no more work today.
- This card, the one for Kurt urach.
- What about it?
- Kurt was killed more than a week ago.
- I know that.
- There's an entry here
on a blood classification dated yesterday.
- Nonsense.
Yes, you're right.
A careless slip.
I'll alter it.
Will you return to your room?
- All right for you, callistratus.
You're not under constant-
- sh.
- What is it?
- John, John, my darling.
I knew it couldn't be true
when they said you were dead.
- Who said that?
- The prison commission.
They said you were killed
trying to escape the day before
your release came through.
- My release?
Meinster testified?
So there was lying.
- Who?
- Callistratus.
But what are you doing here?
- I was sure you wouldn't try to escape
when you know I was going to see meinster.
I had to find out for
myself what happened,
so uncle Phillip used his influence
to get me this job as housekeeper.
- You mustn't stay here, not for a moment.
If callistratus finds out who you are,
tomorrow you must leave.
Make some excuse, anything
to get out of here,
and go straight to the authorities.
Tell them what you know.
They'll know what to do.
- Oh, very well.
I'll come down immediately.
- I tell you this business of Pierre
and the other man dying like that,
it's going to cause a lot of questions.
- Perhaps the commission would rather
I let them escape.
- You've had too many
mysterious deaths here.
Other prisons don't have this trouble.
- This is not like other prisons.
Come in.
This is mademoiselle
duvow, my new housekeeper.
Monsieur auron.
- It's a great pleasure,
my dear young lady.
Tell me have we not met before?
- I don't think so, sir.
Is there anything else you require, sir?
- That's all, thank you.
- You know, callistratus,
I'm sure I've seen her somewhere before.
- All quiet?
- Dogs are a bit restless.
- Open up.
I'm going out.
Give me your rifle and bayonet.
Hurry.
- Enter.
Well, what is it?
- It's wetzler, sir.
He's dead.
- Where did this happen?
- At the burial ground.
There was an open grave.
- I shall come and see.
You'll excuse me, auron.
Where's the housekeeper, Carl?
I too shall retire.
I've had a long day.
Tell the doctor when he returns.
- What are you doing here?
- Come, my dear.
It's not as though we
are complete strangers,
or had you forgotten our previous meeting?
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- No?
- If you don't leave,
I shall call Dr. Callistratus.
- Please do.
I'm sure he'd be delighted
to know that we had met before.
Where was it?
In the chief justice's office,
if I remember correctly.
Now will you call him, or shall I?
- No, no, don't call him.
- Of course not.
So much nicer with just the
two of us here, isn't it?
I've brought you some wine.
I thought we might drink a toast together
to our friendship.
You are very beautiful, my dear,
much too beautiful to
remain in a place like this,
such fair skin,
so smooth and soft.
Carl.
Carl, explain.
- It's not Carl's fault.
He was helping me.
Auron came in here
and tried to force himself on me.2
then Carl... she's lying.
I came here to find out
where I'd seen her before,
and I'll tell you,
in the chief justice's office.
Go on.
Ask her what she was doing there.
- You're the one that's lying.
- She's trying to trick you, callistratus.
They sent her here to find-
- get out, auron.
- I tell you she's... get out.
- I'm leaving, but you haven't
heard the last of this.
I've done enough covering up for you,
and I'm going to make a full report
to the prison commission on
the work you're doing here.
- Release him.
Carl,
the gentleman is leaving.
My dear young lady,
how can I apologize for
this unfortunate incident?
- Thank you, doctor,
but it's all right now.
- Yes, my dear.
It's all right.
- You sent for me, sir?
- Yes, will you come over here, please?
I must apologize for this late summons,
but auron's stupidity has forced me
to come to certain decisions.
I'm afraid there's no time to lose.
Will you come with me, please?
Through here.
This is my other laboratory.
Only Carl and myself have
ever been down here before.
The practical side of
my work distresses you?
Come.
Let me explain.
This is a little experiment of mine
to determine the effects of deep freezing
on the human body.
This man is being kept alive artificially.
He has no heart.
I have recreated mechanically
the stimulus provided by the heartbeat.
Here is his heart
for which he had no further use,
so I borrowed it, shall we say?
More important, someone who knew you,
knew you very well.
- John,
- Don't worry.
The young lady is not leaving.
Carl, fetch that crowbar,
and bring it here.
Do as I say, Carl.
Now chain Pierre to the wall,
and remember this gun is
trained on both of you.
Get the operating table ready.
I hope you approve of my real workshop.
As a fellow doctor,
you'd have enjoyed some of my experiments.
The girl, Carl.
Carl, the girl,
strap her to the table.
Do as I say, Carl.
Very well, I shall deal with you later.
Leave the laboratory.
What I'm doing is no concern of yours.
Now leave.
Carl, stay where you are.
And now to put our theory into practice.
We shall soon see whether
all my work has been in vain.
With the aid of mademoiselle duvow here,
I am going to transfer the bloodstream
from one living person into another.
This will make you sleep, my dear.
You will feel nothing.
Callistratus, leave her alone.
If you must experiment on someone,
why not me?
Why not me, callistratus?
- Once I was a doctor like yourself,
and like yourself,
I experimented with
conditions of the blood.
They called me a vampire,
sentenced me to die,
to be impaled with the stake,
but during my work,
I discovered and isolated a culture
which allowed life to
remain dormant in me,
although my heart had been damaged,
so after my execution,
Carl, with the aid of a
drunken doctor, resurrected me.
I changed my name
and started life afresh,
but this culture proved
a double edged weapon.
It saved me from an early grave,
but it created an infection in me
in which one group of cells in my body
is destroying the other.
Kurt here has proved an ideal companion.
At last he will have some company.
- Kurt doesn't talk.
He doesn't even move about.
He just stays where he
is without complaining,
don't you, Kurt?
I'm not sure he even understands
what's being said to him.
I may say I performed a miracle of surgery
in keeping him alive.
The dogs were particularly
savage that night.
Kurt has been infected
with the same disease
that I am suffering from,
in a concentrated form, of course.
Now I intend to take Kurt's blood from him
and substitute fresh, clean blood.
If Kurt survives the experiment,
I shall have succeeded.
- Kurt, can you hear me?
This is John Pierre.
You mustn't let him do this.
You must stop him.
Don't let him, Kurt.
You must stop him.
- Don't bother yourself, Pierre.
I don't suppose he can
even understand you.
- Now, Kurt, now.
- Apparently he does understand you.
Kurt,
Kurt, let go of my arm.
Kurt,
Kurt, let go of my arm.
Kurt, Kurt, let go of my arm.
Kurt, let go of my arm.
Let go-
- Come on, Madeleine.
Wake up.
Wake up, Madeleine.
- It's all right.
We're leaving.
We'll be all right.
Callistratus, get up.
We're leaving here.
You'll give us safe conduct
as far as the main gates.
Is that understood?
If you do or say anything to stop us,
I'll kill you.
Madeleine, you go first.
Here's the key.
Don't forget.
If we don't get out of here safely...
- Open the doors.
We're going out.
Do as I say immediately.
Open them up.
- As soon as I've seen the
commission, callistratus,
I shall be back.
- Don't touch that.
Doctor, the dogs.
No.
No, no.
- What do you want?
Go away.
All right.
I'll come.
I got to go now, business.
I'll be back later.
All right, all right, all right.
First the money.
No, no, no, I don't want those.
I know what to do.
We discussed this together several times.
Here, hold this.
You haven't paid me enough for this.
Do you hear me?
I want more money.
The authorities would pay well
for the information I could give them.
- Dr. Pierre, have you anything to say
before sentence is passed?
- I will say this, my lord.
All I did was to try to
save the life of my patient.
Had the members of the medical council
shown any competence in their task,
they would have realized
that death was inevitable
and in no way caused by my actions,
and may I ask the court once more
to contact professor
Bernard meinster of Geneva?
He knew my work
and will tell the court that
what I did was justified.
That is all I have to say.
- You have said nothing
that you have not already said
during the course of this trial.
However, to put your mind
at rest on one point,
the court took the Liberty of
writing to professor meinster
and placing before him
the facts of this case.
I have here his reply.
"Your honor, I know nothing of the man
who calls himself John Pierre,
and I feel bound to condemn most severely
his actions in this matter
and express the hope that
the law will deal with him
in the fullest severity."
John Pierre, you have been
found guilty of malpractice
leading to murder.
The sentence of this court
is that you be confined
to the penal institution on cambold island
for the remainder of your natural life.
The court is adjourned.
- Uncle, you must do
something to help him.
- Yes, dear, we will.
J always below j
j oh, don't deceive me j'
j oh, never leave me j
- Getting posh in here, isn't we?
- La Dee da, I calls it.
Come on.
Get out of here.
Dish of tea, your lordship?
- His lordship doesn't care to partake.
- Ha.
- The prisoner Pierre.
There's a visitor for you.
- His lordship has a visitor.
- Ha.
- In here.
- But I can't see anyone in here.
- In here or not at all.
This way, miss.
- You shouldn't have come here, Madeleine.
- I had to see you.
John, why did this have to happen?
We would be married next week.
Everything is-
- it'll be all right.
You'll see.
- I'm leaving for Geneva to see meinster.
That letter needs some explanation.
He'd never have written like that.
- I'll find out.
I promise.
- Aren't you gonna
introduce us, your lordship?
You can't keep a good thing
like this to yourself.
- You'd better go, my dear.
- What's the matter, your lordship?
Forgotten your manners?
- Come on.
- She lovely, ain't she?
- Your lordship, what'd she give you?
Let's have a look.
- 0h, his lordship don't wanna show us
his pretty little gee-gor.
Well, perhaps we'll
have to take it off him.
- Oh, oh.
- The other hand.
- Leave that.
The prisoner Pierre,
free the legs.
Leave the hands.
The party for cambold
island to remain here,
the prisoner Pierre to come with me.
- Where are you taking me?
- Something special for you, Pierre,
something very special.
Here's your prisoner.
- Out.
Take your time.
Inside.
Are you a doctor?
When I talk to you,
answer me, do you hear?
- Yes, I'm a doctor.
- In case you ever think of leaving us.
Come on.
Get inside.
What's this?
Prisoners aren't allowed
personal possessions.
- All right, all right, friend.
He's gone.
- Who was that?
- Wetzler, he's the head warder.
- I don't imagine I'm going to like him.
- Believe it or not, friend,
he's the least of the evils
you'll have to contend with here.
You can curse the fates
that sent you here,
for this is the abyss,
the bottomless pit of hell itself.
Wait.
Come.
- What's all the noise about?
- It's the unfortunates
who for various reasons
aren't going to get any breakfast.
It's a punishment.
- Starvation?
- One of the minor punishments.
- Here.
- Now you better stand away from that door
unless you want another
crack on the skull.
- You're not hungry this morning?
Then we shan't waste this good food.
Eat well.
I'll have some work for you to do later.
Start digging,
not too deep, or you'll
disturb the present occupant.
- Who's dead?
- Nobody yet.
- Then what... sh.
- This man's too ill to work.
- Who says so?
- I say so.
- You're not a doctor now, my friend.
You're our prisoner.
Get back to your work.
- I tell you he's-
Get up, I said.
We'll see if the dog can move you.
- It's Dr. Callistratus.
- Who is that?
- Callistratus.
- Who's he?
- You'll find out, friend.
Stop talking.
- I was willing to swear that that man
couldn't raise a finger.
Even the threat of the
dog wouldn't move him.
- Callistratus.
- Yes, he arrives,
and the man finds the strength not only
to get to his feet again,
but to do the work with
the strength of two men.
- Fear.
- I know, but what sort of fear
can inspire those reactions?
- Look, friend, there
are no words to describe
the horror of that name.
What you learn about callistratus,
you've got to learn for yourself.
You can't be taught.
Enough that he's in complete charge here,
our absolute lord and master.
Soon you'll see what that phrase can mean.
There's the grave we dug this morning.
- But you said no one was dead.
- There's your claimant
for the grave tomorrow,
at least what'll be left of him.
- This is the year 1880,
not the middle ages.
- This is a prison for
the criminally insane
whose families and friends
have forgotten them.
- My friends haven't forgotten.
There was certain evidence at the trial
that did not come to light.
- They won't be able to help you.
No one can.
- Why do you say that?
- 'Cause once a man
sets foot in this place,
he never leaves.
Do you know why I'm here?
My wife was very beautiful, too beautiful.
There was a man who
wanted her for himself.
He was the mayor of the
village in which I lived.
He was super influent.
One night in a tavern,
I quarreled with a man,
and later they found his body
with my knife stuck in his back.
I didn't have a chance.
The rest you know.
I'm here, and my wife-
- I'm sorry, Kurt.
- There's no help,
at least not from the outside.
- What do you mean?
- When you realize that
no one can help you,
perhaps then you and
I can help each other.
- Out.
Not you, just Pierre.
- Where are you taking me?
- To Dr. Callistratus.
Over here.
- Enter.
I am Dr. Callistratus.
You're perhaps wondering
why you've been sent here.
Your original destination was
to be cambold island, I believe.
You're here because I sent for you.
It's the prerogative of those
of us in charge of prisons
to ask for any prisoner
whom we consider would benefit
our own particular establishment.
Now I've read the reports of your trial.
I think you come into that category.
Will you follow me, please?
This is my laboratory.
This is where you will work.
- Work?
- You were confined to prison
for attempting to do something
that no one has ever done before,
transfuse blood from one being to another.
Now you must have believed
in what you were trying to do.
I too believe it can be done.
Here we shall attempt to do it together.
- Do I understand that you want me
to work on medical research?
- If you so choose,
you can sit in your cell and rot,
but I don't think you will.
- No, no, I won't.
- Good, good, now tell me,
in your work with blood,
what did you discover about the groupings?
- Only that there were
different types of blood,
very little else.
- Did you not discover that to inject
one type of blood into a
body bearing a different type
could be dangerous, even fatal?
- To my cost.
- That is why all species
of blood must be classified
so that the same mistake
is not made again.
Now here we have two entirely
different blood groups.
For want of a better name,
I'm calling them group a and group b.
I want you to observe the
different blood structure
of both these groups.
- Yes, I see the difference.
- And now I'm going to add
more of the group a blood
onto the a slide.
Do you observe the effect?
You see, they mix quite naturally.
Well, now I'm going to add
some of the group a specimen
onto the other slide.
Now will you tell me what you see?
- The groups do not mix.
They seem to be fighting one another.
- They will destroy each other.
The same thing could
happen in a human body,
so the first phase of your work
will be to classify
and to learn the various blood groups.
- Where do I obtain them?
- There are enough prisoners
in this establishment
to give you all the specimens you require.
- And the second phase?
- The isolation of a rare and
dangerous blood condition.
You'll learn about that when
your first work is completed.
- I see.
- Meantime, you're still a prisoner.
You will not be allowed to leave here,
but inside you will have
freedom of movement.
- Thank you.
- Here are some of my research notes.
Will you study them?
Oh, one other thing.
Your work will bring you in contact
with many of the prisoners.
You'll hear many strange
and fantastic stories.
Perhaps you already have.
Remember, Pierre, you
are in an institution
for the insane, criminally insane.
Three quarters of what is said here
can be completely discounted
as the raving of imbeciles.
Now Carl will show you to your room.
Carl.
You will remain there today.
Tomorrow we start work together,
and, Carl, will you get
those manacles removed?
- Let me have him back now.
I've some work for him to do.
Well, when?
A prisoner with privileges,
I never thought I'd
see that in this place.
Watch your step, Pierre.
One day, you'll slip up,
and I'll be looking after you again.
Don't you touch me, you dirty little ape.
- Carl, wetzler,
I want the prisoner's manacles removed.
- Thank you, Carl.
- Is the patient ready?
- No, don't.
Please.
Leave me alone.
- Soon, Carl, I shall be able to dispense
with the blood of others.
With Pierre helping me,
the solution of my problem
will be much quicker, easier.
What are you doing here?
- Oh, I'm sorry, doctor.
- When you first came
here as my housekeeper,
I warned you to confine
yourself to my living quarters.
You've chosen to ignore my warning
and to pry into matters
which do not concern you.
Now that you are here,
you must pay the forfeit
for your curiosity.
Carl will see that you're taken care of.
- Oh, no, please, doctor.
I won't say a word to anyone.
I promise you.
- Carl, take her away.
No.
No.
- Since you're so interested in my work,
there's no reason why
you should not assist me.
My experiments so far have been confined
to male blood groups.
I think the time has come
to extend my activities.
- As soon as this young lady
told me what had happened,
I came at once.
- And you say you never
received this letter
from the court at the time of the trial.
- If I had, I would have come immediately.
You know that, my dear.
- So this letter purporting to be from you
was in fact a forgery.
- It must have been.
- I see.
Well, in the light of these facts
you've laid before me, professor meinster,
I shall review the case.
Then perhaps we can take steps to discover
who perpetrated this deception
and with what reason in mind.
Ah, auron, this is monsieur auron
of the prison commission.
Auron, I'm going to review the case
of one John Pierre
at the request of mademoiselle duvow.
Notify the commission immediately.
- Yes, sir.
- That is all I can do, my dear.
- Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
- I'm sorry.
It's the last one.
You'll have to get another
from the laboratory.
- Can't it wait?
- Dr. Callistratus said
he wanted blood samples
from everyone in this block.
You go.
I'll wait here.
- Be back in a minute.
- Hello, Kurt.
John, for heaven's sake, I thought-
- that I was dead?
- It's been over a week
since they came for you.
What's happened?
- I work here now.
- What do you mean, you work here?
- Callistratus found
out that I was a doctor.
I'm helping him.
I've come to take a blood sample.
- Not from me, you won't.
- It's only a sample I want.
I've taken one from every prisoner here.
- I'm not going to be dragged down
to that laboratory and experimented on.
- What is there about the
laboratory that frightens you?
- What about the room
below the laboratory?
What about the ones that go in there?
Well, you saw that man
dragged off that time.
- He died of a heart attack.
Who told you
that, your doctor friend?
I saw two of the men who
were detailed to Bury him.
They told me his entire
body had been slit open,
and there was nothing left of him.
- He may have performed an autopsy.
It's not unusual in the
case of sudden death-
- another thing, all the
blood had been drained
out of his body.
He was only just skin and bone.
Ask your doctor friend to explain that,
and ask him about the man last week,
the one we had to Bury without his head.
I was on that burying party myself.
- Quick.
- Here you are.
Be more careful in the future.
- It's all right.
I've got what I want in here.
- Carl, fetch me done slide 34.
- Is the doctor down there?
Let me pass, Carl.
- Carl, what's keeping you?
What is the meaning of this?
As Carl's unable to,
perhaps you will explain.
- I apologize, doctor.
I merely wished to pass through the door.
Carl tried to stop me.
- Is that right, Carl?
Why did you want to go through that door?
- I wanted to find out what is down there.
- That is no concern of yours.
- If I'm to assist you,
I should understand the
full scope of your work.
- You will learn in good time.
Meanwhile, you please
concentrate on the groupings.
Carl, you may go,
but remember you will not
leave that door open again.
Have you completed the groupings?
- Nearly, I only have to classify them.
Then you can start on the
second phase of your work.
- Which is?
- You remember when you first came here,
I spoke of a blood condition
which I was trying to isolate.
- Yes.
- Now this condition breaks
down the living blood cells
and forms a completely new group.
The cells in this group cannot be mingled
with any other group,
but somewhere there must
be a combination of groups
that will not be antagonistic towards it.
We must find that combination.
- How are you going to do that?
- Trial and error is a laborious task,
but the only way, I'm afraid.
- You've experimented
before with this group.
- Naturally.
Why do you ask?
- On the prisoner who was taken
from his cell the other night.
- You've been listening to the ravings
of those poor wretches.
Now I warned you about that, Pierre,
when you first came here.
Don't let me have to warn you again.
Come in.
- Monsieur auron's
waiting to see you, sir.
- Thank you.
- Will you continue
with the classification?
I'll return soon.
Auron.
- Good morning, callistratus.
- You here in your capacity
as inspector of prisons,
or is it purely a social call?
- A little of both.
Firstly, the commission
are getting disturbed
at the number of deaths
at this establishment.
You must do something to
cover it up, callistratus.
The commission will be bound
to take action otherwise.
- That is your problem.
I pay you well.
Earn your money.
- I know, but you're making
it extremely difficult for me.
- What was the other thing you wanted
to talk to me about?
- The prisoner Pierre,
he's to be released.
- Why?
When?
- His case was reviewed.
They found out that the letter he sent to,
what's his name?
- Meinster.
- Yes, they found out
that it never reached him.
Meinster came to cast doubt himself.
- This is unfortunate.
- If it were ever found out
that I intercepted the letter
and replied to it myself,
I'd be finished.
I forged meinster's signature.
- This is most unfortunate.
Something will have to be done.
- I knew you'd help me out.
I only did it for you.
- When will the release order be through?
- A week, perhaps 10 days.
- That's good, good.
That's all, thank you.
- But what are you going to do?
- All in good time.
Now if there's nothing else,
I have work to do.
You will excuse me.
Will you tell Pierre I wish to see him?
- You won't forget what I told you
about the deaths here.
The commission are worried.
- The commission are always worried.
Now unless you want to meet Pierre,
I suggest that you wait for Carl
in the next room.
He'll see you out as
soon as he's finished.
- I wish I knew what you intended to do.
- Good day.
Come in, Pierre.
I've just had a visitor,
a member of the prison commission.
Among other things, routine things,
he brought up the matter of yourself.
- What did he say?
- He told me that in the
light of new evidence,
your case has been reviewed.
- It's what I've been waiting for.
- He went on to say that the court
could find no grounds to
reverse their original decision.
- But I don't understand.
- It grieves me to have
to tell you this, Pierre,
but your sentence must stand as passed.
The court found there were
no extenuating circumstances.
- But didn't meinster testify?
Didn't they get in touch with meinster?
- I'm afraid I'm not aware of the details.
I only know what I've been told.
Of course, I shall do all in my power
to see that you continue your work here.
That way your incarceration will weigh
less heavily on you.
That is all.
Pierre, that is all.
You may return to your room.
You'll be excused work
for the rest of the day.
Pierre, will you help me please?
I must keep this man alive.
Cardiac stimulant.
- He's suffering from a
serious blood deficiency.
How much have you given him?
- You misunderstand, Pierre.
I'm not giving him any blood.
I'm taking it from him.
- How much have you taken?
- Nearly two liters.
- You must be mad.
- I'm not interested
in your opinion of me.
I'm interested in keeping this man alive.
The stimulant.
- You've got to start a transfusion
on this man immediately.
- Got to?
Are you telling me what I must do?
Pierre.
Wetzler.
- He's dead.
- It was to prevent death
that I sent for you.
- You killed him, callistratus.
You murdered this man.
- And you ruined an important experiment,
which is infinitely worse.
Wetzler, Pierre's returning to his room.
Will you see that he gets there?
- Guard.
- What do you want?
- I want to go into the cell block
to see the prisoner Kurt urach.
- Why?
- It's on the doctor's business.
- I know nothing of this.
- Perhaps you'd like me to wake him up
so that he could tell you.
- No, wait, wait, wait a minute.
- That plan of yours,
the one you mentioned the night I arrived.
- What plan?
- I want to hear about it.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Look, I had to lie to get in here.
I want to know what that plan is.
- Here you are,
callistratus' pet lap dog,
trotting around doing
his dirty work for him,
and you expect me to fall for it?
Who put you up to it,
callistratus or wetzler?
- I'm serious.
Are you with me, or do
I have to try it alone?
- All right, let's assume for one moment
that you mean what you say.
Why have you changed your mind?
- They reviewed my case.
- The verdict stands?
I warned you, friend, didn't I?
- Yes, you did,
but you also said you knew
a way we could break out.
Now are you going to tell me what it is?
- All right.
I'll tell you.
It cost more than one life to get these.
This will unlock the door at the cell
and the door to the corridor.
That's stage one, easy.
Stage two is the difficult one,
getting across the compound to the wall.
The dogs will have to be taken care of.
That's where I need your help.
I need some poison.
Can you get any?
- I think so.
- Good, well, this is what'll do.
I know the prisoner whose
job it is to feed the dogs.
Now tomorrow night when
we've got the poison-
- I feel we've progressed
well today, Pierre.
I'm bound to admit you're
a great help to me.
- Thank you, sir.
Guard.
- What do you want?
- I have something important to tell you.
- The guard.
- Leave him.
I'll fix the rope.
Hurry.
No.
- Wetzler was for letting
you follow that man
into the courtyard.
Perhaps I should have let you.
- You knew.
You could have stopped it.
- Yes, I could have stopped it,
but sometimes it's
necessary to have an example
to show the imprudency of certain actions.
Remember what has happened, John Pierre.
Let it be a deterrent against
further similar occurrences.
- I am sorry, my dear young lady.
One more day, and the release order
would have become official.
- Are you sure there couldn't
have been some mistake?
- Quite sure.
I have the report here from
the governor of the prison.
Pierre and another man were both killed
while attempting to escape.
- Excuse me.
Can you tell me when,
can you tell me when Dr.
Callistratus will see me?
- I told him you were here, miss.
He's busy at the moment, I'm afraid,
but he won't be long.
- Thank you.
- Is the housekeeper's room ready?
Be prepared to take her there
as soon as I've seen her.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.
The duties of a prison governor are long
and sometimes arduous.
- I understand, sir.
- Please sit down.
- Thank you.
- Good, now whilst I'm delighted
at the choice of the prison
commission in selecting you,
I feel bound to admit
that I doubt their wisdom.
- I'm sorry, sir.
I don't understand.
- This is a prison.
More than that, it's hardly the place
for anyone so young and
beautiful as yourself.
- But I was told by the commission
that I shouldn't have to enter the prison.
- That is true.
If I had known you would
have been the choice,
I should have asked the commissioner
to replace my housekeeper
earlier, much earlier.
- I shall try and do my best, sir.
- I'm sure you will.
Now Carl will show you to your rooms.
Carl, this is mademoiselle
duvow, the new housekeeper.
He's my faithful servant.
You can trust him.
- Sir, look at this.
- At last.
Pierre, we've discovered
that the destructive power
of this group can be temporarily halted
by normal transfusion.
We're halfway to a permanent cure.
- If it's such a rare condition,
I don't see why we're bothering.
After all, there are many
more important things
we could be working on.
- There is nothing more
important, nothing.
For six years I've been working on a cure
for the evil degeneration
of the blood cells.
To suffer from this complacence
must be the most terrible
affliction of all time.
What is it?
Here now?
All right, tell him to wait.
I'll see him later.
After this discovery, Pierre,
we shall do no more work today.
- This card, the one for Kurt urach.
- What about it?
- Kurt was killed more than a week ago.
- I know that.
- There's an entry here
on a blood classification dated yesterday.
- Nonsense.
Yes, you're right.
A careless slip.
I'll alter it.
Will you return to your room?
- All right for you, callistratus.
You're not under constant-
- sh.
- What is it?
- John, John, my darling.
I knew it couldn't be true
when they said you were dead.
- Who said that?
- The prison commission.
They said you were killed
trying to escape the day before
your release came through.
- My release?
Meinster testified?
So there was lying.
- Who?
- Callistratus.
But what are you doing here?
- I was sure you wouldn't try to escape
when you know I was going to see meinster.
I had to find out for
myself what happened,
so uncle Phillip used his influence
to get me this job as housekeeper.
- You mustn't stay here, not for a moment.
If callistratus finds out who you are,
tomorrow you must leave.
Make some excuse, anything
to get out of here,
and go straight to the authorities.
Tell them what you know.
They'll know what to do.
- Oh, very well.
I'll come down immediately.
- I tell you this business of Pierre
and the other man dying like that,
it's going to cause a lot of questions.
- Perhaps the commission would rather
I let them escape.
- You've had too many
mysterious deaths here.
Other prisons don't have this trouble.
- This is not like other prisons.
Come in.
This is mademoiselle
duvow, my new housekeeper.
Monsieur auron.
- It's a great pleasure,
my dear young lady.
Tell me have we not met before?
- I don't think so, sir.
Is there anything else you require, sir?
- That's all, thank you.
- You know, callistratus,
I'm sure I've seen her somewhere before.
- All quiet?
- Dogs are a bit restless.
- Open up.
I'm going out.
Give me your rifle and bayonet.
Hurry.
- Enter.
Well, what is it?
- It's wetzler, sir.
He's dead.
- Where did this happen?
- At the burial ground.
There was an open grave.
- I shall come and see.
You'll excuse me, auron.
Where's the housekeeper, Carl?
I too shall retire.
I've had a long day.
Tell the doctor when he returns.
- What are you doing here?
- Come, my dear.
It's not as though we
are complete strangers,
or had you forgotten our previous meeting?
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- No?
- If you don't leave,
I shall call Dr. Callistratus.
- Please do.
I'm sure he'd be delighted
to know that we had met before.
Where was it?
In the chief justice's office,
if I remember correctly.
Now will you call him, or shall I?
- No, no, don't call him.
- Of course not.
So much nicer with just the
two of us here, isn't it?
I've brought you some wine.
I thought we might drink a toast together
to our friendship.
You are very beautiful, my dear,
much too beautiful to
remain in a place like this,
such fair skin,
so smooth and soft.
Carl.
Carl, explain.
- It's not Carl's fault.
He was helping me.
Auron came in here
and tried to force himself on me.2
then Carl... she's lying.
I came here to find out
where I'd seen her before,
and I'll tell you,
in the chief justice's office.
Go on.
Ask her what she was doing there.
- You're the one that's lying.
- She's trying to trick you, callistratus.
They sent her here to find-
- get out, auron.
- I tell you she's... get out.
- I'm leaving, but you haven't
heard the last of this.
I've done enough covering up for you,
and I'm going to make a full report
to the prison commission on
the work you're doing here.
- Release him.
Carl,
the gentleman is leaving.
My dear young lady,
how can I apologize for
this unfortunate incident?
- Thank you, doctor,
but it's all right now.
- Yes, my dear.
It's all right.
- You sent for me, sir?
- Yes, will you come over here, please?
I must apologize for this late summons,
but auron's stupidity has forced me
to come to certain decisions.
I'm afraid there's no time to lose.
Will you come with me, please?
Through here.
This is my other laboratory.
Only Carl and myself have
ever been down here before.
The practical side of
my work distresses you?
Come.
Let me explain.
This is a little experiment of mine
to determine the effects of deep freezing
on the human body.
This man is being kept alive artificially.
He has no heart.
I have recreated mechanically
the stimulus provided by the heartbeat.
Here is his heart
for which he had no further use,
so I borrowed it, shall we say?
More important, someone who knew you,
knew you very well.
- John,
- Don't worry.
The young lady is not leaving.
Carl, fetch that crowbar,
and bring it here.
Do as I say, Carl.
Now chain Pierre to the wall,
and remember this gun is
trained on both of you.
Get the operating table ready.
I hope you approve of my real workshop.
As a fellow doctor,
you'd have enjoyed some of my experiments.
The girl, Carl.
Carl, the girl,
strap her to the table.
Do as I say, Carl.
Very well, I shall deal with you later.
Leave the laboratory.
What I'm doing is no concern of yours.
Now leave.
Carl, stay where you are.
And now to put our theory into practice.
We shall soon see whether
all my work has been in vain.
With the aid of mademoiselle duvow here,
I am going to transfer the bloodstream
from one living person into another.
This will make you sleep, my dear.
You will feel nothing.
Callistratus, leave her alone.
If you must experiment on someone,
why not me?
Why not me, callistratus?
- Once I was a doctor like yourself,
and like yourself,
I experimented with
conditions of the blood.
They called me a vampire,
sentenced me to die,
to be impaled with the stake,
but during my work,
I discovered and isolated a culture
which allowed life to
remain dormant in me,
although my heart had been damaged,
so after my execution,
Carl, with the aid of a
drunken doctor, resurrected me.
I changed my name
and started life afresh,
but this culture proved
a double edged weapon.
It saved me from an early grave,
but it created an infection in me
in which one group of cells in my body
is destroying the other.
Kurt here has proved an ideal companion.
At last he will have some company.
- Kurt doesn't talk.
He doesn't even move about.
He just stays where he
is without complaining,
don't you, Kurt?
I'm not sure he even understands
what's being said to him.
I may say I performed a miracle of surgery
in keeping him alive.
The dogs were particularly
savage that night.
Kurt has been infected
with the same disease
that I am suffering from,
in a concentrated form, of course.
Now I intend to take Kurt's blood from him
and substitute fresh, clean blood.
If Kurt survives the experiment,
I shall have succeeded.
- Kurt, can you hear me?
This is John Pierre.
You mustn't let him do this.
You must stop him.
Don't let him, Kurt.
You must stop him.
- Don't bother yourself, Pierre.
I don't suppose he can
even understand you.
- Now, Kurt, now.
- Apparently he does understand you.
Kurt,
Kurt, let go of my arm.
Kurt,
Kurt, let go of my arm.
Kurt, Kurt, let go of my arm.
Kurt, let go of my arm.
Let go-
- Come on, Madeleine.
Wake up.
Wake up, Madeleine.
- It's all right.
We're leaving.
We'll be all right.
Callistratus, get up.
We're leaving here.
You'll give us safe conduct
as far as the main gates.
Is that understood?
If you do or say anything to stop us,
I'll kill you.
Madeleine, you go first.
Here's the key.
Don't forget.
If we don't get out of here safely...
- Open the doors.
We're going out.
Do as I say immediately.
Open them up.
- As soon as I've seen the
commission, callistratus,
I shall be back.
- Don't touch that.
Doctor, the dogs.