This week’s mystery movie was the 1940 Universal film Black Friday, with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Stanley Ridges, Anne Nagel, Anne Gwynne, Virginia Brissac, Edmund MacDonald, Paul Fix, Murray Alper, Jack Mulhall, Joe King and John Kelly.
Original screenplay by Kurt Siodmak and Eric Taylor.
Photographed by Elwood Bredell.
Art direction by Jack Otterson.
Associate Harold MacArthur.
Edited by Philip Cahn.
Musical direction by H.J. Salter.
Gowns by Vera West.
Set decorations by R.A. Gausman.
Sound supervisor Bernard B. Brown.
Technician Charles Carroll.
Associate Producer Burt Kelly.
Directed by Arthur Lubin.
Further information on Black Friday is available from the AFI Catalog.
Black Friday is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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Black Friday is a fine little entertainer running a bit over an hour that reminds us about the dangers of brain transplants, especially when the brain in question belongs to a criminal mastermind. Stanley Ridges plays the dual role of a meek professor and a gang boss out for revenge. Casting Bela Lugosi as the gang boss is a curious choice, but presumably the studio figured Lugosi and Boris Karloff in the leads would draw audiences.
This is the sort of film The New York Times would usually ignore or fob off on one of the “alphabet critics,” but let’s see. Why it’s Bosley Crowther from his days as “alphabet critic” B.R.C. on March 22, 1940:
As a treat for the kiddies, the Easter bunny left Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi on the stoop at the Rialto Theatre yesterday in a fluffy and pink beribboned basket labeled Black Friday. Lugosi’s terrifying talents are wasted in the role of a mere gangster, an unsupernatural mugg, but Karloff is in exquisite artistic form as a surgeon who “transplants” the brain of a killer into the timid cranium of an aging professor of English literature and then morbidly watches the fun in English “A.” The “prof” finally has to be shot in the midst of a homicidal seizure while Boris, who does the shooting, has to pay the penalty for his surgical heresies in the electric chair, all in the spirit of good holiday fun. Stanley Ridges plays the scholarly schizophrenic.
For Monday, we have a mysterious surgeon.
Update: This is Dr. Boris Karloff.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious bartender.
Update: This is Jack Mulhall with Stanley Ridges as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Chrisbo (Monday’s mysterious surgeon) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious surgeon). Note to Stacia: He’s in the mystery movie, but in a different role.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have two mysterious chaps going for a little drive.
Update: This is gangster Bela Lugosi, left, with Edmund MacDonald.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and both mysterious guests), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious guest), Stacia (mystery movie and both mysterious guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and both mysterious guests), Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery bartender) and Sheila (mystery movie, both mystery guests and bonus Back of the Head Guy for Tuesday).
For “Aha “Thursday,” we have a mysterious bellboy.
Update: This is Murray Alper.
We also have this mysterious fellow wearing pince-nez glasses with the miracle invisible lenses.
Update: This is college professor Stanley Ridges.
And this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is gang boss Stanley Ridges.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Greg (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious guests), L.C. (mystery movie and enigmatic cast), Chrisbo (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mysterious bartender and Wednesday’s mystery guest No. 1), Funky PhD (mystery movie and all mysterious guests), Sylvia (mystery movie and all mysterious guests, plus Tuesday’s Back of the Head Guy) and Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mysterious guests).
For Friday, we have a woman of mystery!
Update: This is Anne Nagel.
And a second woman of mystery!
Update: This is Anne Gwynne.
Finally, a mysterious surgeon who discovers that brain transplants don’t always work out well.
Update: This is the dapper Dr. Boris Karloff.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mysterious guests), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery guests) and Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mysterious guest No. 2 and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Looks like Boris Karloff eyes.
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This really looks like Bela Lugosi but I can’t find a film that matches this exactly, and I even went through my pal Ronnie Merchant’s all-Bela blog and couldn’t find photos that look like this, but I’m gonna guess it anyway.
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Cary Grant in MONKEY BUSINESS.
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Trevor Howard in Green for Danger.
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Looks like Basil Rathbone under the surgical mask. Perhaps, in The Mad Doctor (1940)?
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I believe that Monday’s surgeon is none other than William Henry Pratt, better known in films as Boris Karloff. Here he is as Dr. Sovak making the classic horror movie blunder of transplanting a criminal brain into his professor friend’s body. Can’t wait for Bela to show up. Yes, I was a subscriber to Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine.
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HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT. Leo carrillo and Jack mulhall today. Colin Clive Monday.
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BLACK FRIDAY. Doris Karloff Monday and Jack Mulhall today.
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I think our movie is Black Friday, with Stanley Ridges and Boris Karloff. It sticks out in my mind because I can’t take Stanley Ridges seriously as a gangster.
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That’s Jack Mulhall on Tuesday so this is BLACK FRIDAY and I can’t believe I got Karloff confused with Lugosi. Ugh.
Showed my husband the picture of Mulhall and he said said “oh, I know that guy, he’s a hard-working character actor” and I was like you gotta narrow that down a little bit, buddy. It turned out he remembered him from THE SHE-CREATURE.
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Boris Karloff & Jack Mulhall in BLACK FRIDAY. P.S. I am back on line.
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Tuesday’s mystery bartender might be Jack Mulhall …
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Edmund McDonald sitting at the var.
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Boris Karloff, Jack Mulhall and back-of-head guy Stanley Ridges in ‘Black Friday’?
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Belated Lugosi and McDonald today.
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Hm Wednesday: Bela Lugosi and Edmund MacDonald in Black Friday.
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Black Friday (1940) w/Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Jack Mulhall, Stanley Ridges, Anne Nagel, Virginia Brissac, Paul Fix, Anne Gwynne, Edmund MacDonald…
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Jack Mulhall, Bela Lugosi, John Kelly in Black Friday
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Bela Lugosi is the man on the left in the car. Black Friday? If so, that’s Boris Karloff in the surgical mask, and Edmund MacDonald driving the car.
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Black Friday 1940
Mon – Boris Karloff
Tue – Jack Mulhall is the barkeep. Is the BOTHG Stanley Ridges when he’s having a “Lugosi spell”?
Wed – Bela Lugosi and Edmund MacDonald
What a tale!
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Oops! Just re-read the blog I found. Tuesday’s BOTHG I still think is Stanley Ridges, but not in a “Lugosi spell”. (Totally misunderstood what part Lugosi plays.)
The Stanley Ridges in the bar is playing the second of his dual roles. The gangster persona.
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Bela and Edmund MacDonald.
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Edmund MacDonald chauffeuring Bela Lugosi
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Murray Alper, Stanley Ridges, and John King.
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Thursday – Murray Alper as a bellboy
Stanley Ridges as the sweet professor
Stanley Ridges as the gangster
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Edmund MacDonald, Murray Alper, Stanley Ridges
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Anne Nagel, Anne Gwynne, and Boris. Stanley ridges in second photo yesterday too.
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Murray Alper, Stanley Ridges (twice), Anne Gwynne and Anne Nagel and Boris.
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Friday: Anne Nagel, Anne Gwynne and the final reveal of Boris Karloff.
I was surprised that “Mr Drysdale” of the Beverly Hillbillies (Raymond Bailey) didn’t make the cut. Didn’t recognize him in the images online. Just various blogs pointing him out. He’s so young and much slimmer here. And he’s a gangster! Ha.
Fun puzzle, crazy story. I love that Karloff’s character “… just happened to have already practiced brain transplant surgery” a number of times before the accident. Thanks for the grins.
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