The Man With Two Lives (1942)

Directed by Phil Rosen; produced by A. W. Hackel

At the exact moment a murderous criminal is executed, a young man (Edward Norris) is revived after what was first thought a fatal car accident. Initially overjoyed, his family is soon consternated by the survivor’s inexplicable behaviour, unaware that his body has in fact been occupied by the soul of the late killer.

When one sees that a film was made by Monogram Pictures, one knows its production values won’t be high, and its cast will be largely unknown. But any creation of Hollywood’s ‘Poverty Row’ shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. The Man With Two Lives is a entertaining film, principally through the medium of its leading man.

Edward Norris had a very busy career in low-budget cinema, sometimes acting in half a dozen movies a year from the early 1930s to the late ‘50s. Taking small roles in bigger movies, he was often a lead in the cheaper productions, before moving for a few years into television.

In The Man With Two Lives, he gives a convincing performance, first, as a decent but rather bland young man, and then, as a psychopathic criminal. His interpretation of the latter makes the character rather charming at times, and he easily slips from bonhomie to menace. He makes the far-fetched and under-written story credible. There is a good scene in which his character simply barges in on a meeting of his old gang, guns down the new leader and takes over. The confidence Norris gives the man carries conviction.

Marlo Dwyer, as the criminal’s former girlfriend, matches Norris’s skill, but in a more natural fashion. The other actors veer from capable to wooden, and, while they fulfill their parts well enough, achieve no more.

The story combines crime drama with a touch of mysticism. As mentioned above, it stretches believability, though not to the breaking point. The script is better at dialogue than at actually furthering the story, but nonetheless has some interesting aspects. The newly re-awakened soul of the killer doesn’t recall his past life, and so must reconcile what he is told about who everyone thinks he is, with his urges and subconscious memories. There is a disastrous one minute at the end of the film which should be ignored for the benefit of the film’s enjoyment.

Unlikely to be found even on the latest of late-show movies, The Man With Two Lives is probably typical of the ‘programmers’ that filled out a double bill, paired with a more watchable film, back in the 1940s. Even so, it has its moments, and is better than one might think.