- Dr. Randolph is so obsessed with re-animating the dead in his isolated old dark house and lab that he doesn't realize his wife is in love with his younger assistant.
- Totally engrossed in his project to bring the dead back to life, Dr. Randolph fails to notice his wife Elaine's interest in Randolph's young lab partner, Dr. Cochran. Ancient housekeeper Maria doesn't, however, and will do anything, including using her voodoo powers, to see to it that Elaine is happy.—Doug Sederberg <vornoff@sonic.net>
- The movie open with title and credits shown over a slab of marble. A lightning storm rages outside, while inside a seaside house, a dog sits by the fire and a woman reclines on a couch. Maria (Rosa Rey) places a blanket on the sleeping woman, Elaine Randolph (Claudia Drake). Elaine scolds Maria for her superstitious ways. The dog, Brutus, stands and points in the direction of the door. Shadrach (Willie Best) runs into the room rambling about something outside. He is the houseboy or butler and claims the thing took a body into the doctor's laboratory.
Dr. David Cochran (Robert Shayne) tells Dr. Charles Randolph (John Carradine) that the body he just finished examining has been dead for a couple of hours. The two men begin working on the body of a fisherman (an uncredited Clark Kuney). Cochran hooks electrical equipment up to the body while Randolph retrieves a bottle of liquid from the refrigerator and connects it as an IV. Randolph explains that the man drowned under ideal conditions for their experiment. Cochran is having second thoughts and tells Randolph, "I'm worried about the authorities, sir. Do you think we're doing the right thing by performing this experiment?" Randolph replies, "Certainly. If there's the slightest chance of bringing a man back to life it's a doctor's duty." Randolph adds that he will take full responsibility. Elaine wanders into the lab and gasps. Dr. Cochran escorts her out and locks the door. The two doctors apply the full charge of electricity and the man on the table takes on a chalky white appearance, but opens his eyes and blinks. The man stares at the two doctors and then rises from the table. An explosion in their equipment causes the standing fisherman to grab his neck and collapse to the floor, dead.
Elaine paces the floor upstairs as Doctors Cochran and Randolph return to the house. Cochran is worried about the consequences of their experiment, but Randolph rationalizes that he was dead when they found him and he's dead now. Randolph and Cochran each go to their rooms for the evening. Elaine goes to Cochran's room to talk. She demands to know what Randolph was doing with the dead fisherman. She pleads with Cochran to stop Randolph, or at least leave the premises. Maria spies on the pair from outside. Randolph goes to his wife's room, but she is in with Cochran. Brutus is waiting outside Cochran's door, and Randolph knows the dog is devoted to his wife so that is where he will find her. After a brief exchange in Cochran's room, the Randolphs leave to their separate rooms. Brutus walks back to Elaine's door.
The next morning Randolph and Cochran join for breakfast. Randolph shows Cochran a newspaper article, "Body of Sailor Found on Beach." Cochran comments to Randolph that Maria doesn't like him. Randolph confides that Maria and Brutus are devoted to his wife. Cochran presents a voodoo doll and tells Randolph he found it under his pillow. Randolph explains he lived in the jungle long enough to become familiar with the rituals, "This one is supposed to make you fall in love."
Maria is tending to her mistress. Maria tells her she has arranged a love match with Dr. Cochran. Inspector Norton (Thomas E. Jackson) arrives at the house. He identifies himself to Shadrach as a policeman with the homicide squad. He wishes to talk to either of the Randolphs. While Shadrach gets Elaine, Inspector Norton invites himself into the living room. Elaine joins him and Norton explains it is merely a social call. Randolph had assisted him on a case some years before. Elaine explains that she has only been married for a year. She was the victim of an accident and Randolph operated and saved her life. Cochran is working in the lab and finds another love voodoo doll in his coat pocket. He dunks it into a beaker of corrosive liquid and Maria collapses on the staircase dropping a tray of glassware. She tumbles to the base of the stairs. The commotion brings Norton, Cochran and Elaine out to see what happened. Cochran examines her and proclaims her ok. She accuses the doctor of destroying the doll and tells him death is the penalty for such a crime.
Randolph installs the new equipment in the lab. Cochran tells Randolph he's decided to return to his regular practice, but Randolph persuades Cochran to stay. Norton drops by to see Randolph and suspects him of involvement with the dead fisherman: He offers as evidence his use of electricity and buying new equipment. Randolph is calm and deflects most of the more pointed questions. Randolph returns to the lab, and Cochran joins him. Randolph tells his colleague to lock the door and close the windows. Brutus is lying on the table, dead. Randolph will use the dead dog as his next subject. Cochran gets his revised formula and sets up a drip. Randolph applies the electricity, but the dog does not revive. A short time later they exit the lab and hear the dog barking. They search the lab and find the angry animal. Four shots from a revolver fail to kill the dog. It jumps through the closed window, like a ghost.
The next morning, Elaine joins Randolph and Cochran for breakfast. She complains she hasn't been able to find Brutus. Randolph lies and tells her he took the dog to the Vet because he was acting strangely. And speaking of strange, Elaine is told it is David's birthday, so she passionately kisses the man. Shadrach answers the door. Linda Sinclair (Maris Wrixon) has arrived and asks for David Cochran. Randolph sent Linda a telegram, without telling David, inviting Linda to the house, as a surprise. Linda's arrival is not so welcomed by Elaine or Maria. The two couples are in the living room, smoking and enjoying a drink. They hear the howls of Brutus, and the two doctors exchange glances as Elaine steps to the window to investigate. The two doctors claim to have heard nothing. It is late and the ladies retire for the evening. Linda is awakened in the night by Brutus howling. She sees him materialize in her bedroom. He barks at her which brings Elaine into her room to investigate. When she turns on the light, the dog disappears. Linda moves to Elaine's room.
The next morning the ladies join the men at the breakfast table. Shadrach enters the room and informs Randolph that Inspector Norton is here again. Norton informs Randolph that he is looking for a dog, Brutus. He asks point blank, "Where is he?" Randolph lies and tells Norton he is at the Vet and has been for a week. Brutus is suspect in the killing of farm animals and draining their blood. Norton departs and Elaine enters the living room and asks, "It was Brutus, wasn't it Charles? And it was he last night, wasn't it?" Randolph reluctantly acknowledges, "Yes...It was an experiment. Something went wrong." Still at the breakfast table, Linda demands that she and David both leave today. She relays the story of Brutus from the night before. He agrees to leave the next day. Cochran tells Randolph he and Linda are leaving, but they are evasive as to the reason.
Elaine moves into Linda's room and moves Linda's things to her room. Elaine tells Linda that she isn't afraid of the dog apparition, and adds that it wouldn't harm her. That evening, Maria cooks up a spell and places a vial of a smoking substance in Linda's room. She does not realize the two women have switched rooms. Elaine coughs and chokes on the noxious fumes. She tries to open the window but collapses and dies before she can. Randolph and Cochran notice something burning and are drawn to Linda's room. They enter and find Elaine on the floor. Cochran carries her out of the bedroom and places her body on his own bed. Maria sees, to her horror, that Linda is still alive. Cochran pronounces Elaine dead, "About half an hour, I'd say." Randolph is distraught, but Cochran suggests they revive her with their formula and electrical technique. Randolph hesitates to agree, but Cochran explains that he has revised the formula and will conduct the experiment alone if necessary.
In the lab, Cochran prepares the formula as Randolph connect the electrical equipment. Linda looks on. Cochran connects the IV and Randolph fires up the electrical machinery. The lab lights up and Linda approaches the table to get a better look. As Linda's skin turns a chalky white, she blinks then opens her eyes. Linda is amazed by what she witnesses. Cochran administers a drug to relax her cranial nerves and her skin returns to a normal color. She opens her eyes and begins to move. She calls to David, not her husband. They return her to her room and Cochran congratulates Randolph on his discovery. Linda observes that Elaine is in love with David. Randolph realizes the same. He examines the vial and observes it was a poison that killed his wife. He gives the vial to Cochran and tells him to smell the contents. He tells Cochran that it is the root of a plant used in the voodoo death ceremony. Maria spies on the two doctors and overhears their conversation. They know it was Maria. Cochran convinces Randolph not to kill Maria with a dagger and then takes Randolph to his room. Brutus returns to Elaine's room and stands next to her bed. To Shadrach's amazement he sees Brutus and Elaine enter the hallway through her closed door. They descend the stairs into the living room. Shadrach witnesses Maria hand Elaine the dagger and point towards Randolph working in the study. Maria watches as Elaine stabs her husband in the back. Maria takes the dagger and Elaine return to her room with the dog. The two pass through the door like ghosts.
Inspector Norton asks Maria questions regarding the murder. She tells Norton that Randolph and Cochran were arguing a few hours earlier and struggling over the knife. Jeff, the fingerprint man (Neal Burns) gets prints off the knife. He will later reveal they were in fact the prints of Dr. Cochran. Norton admits that he is convinced that David Cochran is the killer and arrests the young doctor. Of course, David protests his innocence. Linda perceptively observes, "Elaine, that woman Maria, I think shes at the bottom of all this." She tells Elaine that Maria tried to kill her, but didn't know Elaine was sleeping in Linda's room. Linda tells Elaine she is going to the police right now. Maria returns to the fire and conjures another spell.
At headquarters, David explains to Norton that he took the knife from Randolph because he was going to kill Maria for causing his wife's accident. David manages to escape custody just about the time Shadrach arrives to explain the events to Norton. David dries back to the house. Elaine and Brutus ascend the stairs heading for Linda's room. Linda exits the bedroom, sees Brutus and Elaine, and returns to her bedroom. She locks the door and turns off the light. The pair simply pass through the locked door. David enters the house and hears Linda scream upstairs. He breaks in and is attacked by the dog. The police arrive in time to witness Linda on the bed and David wrestling on the floor with nothing. They are the only two in the room when Norton turns on the light. David revives Linda as Norton goes down to find Maria, dead from the same toxic root she used on Elaine. We close with a scene of footprints leading into the ocean.
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