Shownotes
About this episode
You can listen and download the New Ghost Stories Podcast from a number of platforms. And if you enjoy this frightening podcast, please take a moment to leave a review. It really helps the show. Like so many great cinematic treats, I first discovered the The Body Snatcher late at night, just by accident. It was the 1945 film version, produced by Val Lewton , whose movies Cat People and I Walked with a Zombie (not a title he chose) had established his reputation as a horror impresario. Their success allowed him access to a (somewhat) increased budget, and paid for an established star Boris Karloff , as well as one on the decline, Bela Lugosi . The film was directed by Robert Wise, one of cinema’s most successful yet oddly under-acclaimed directors. (Other achievements include The Day the Earth Stood Still, West Side Story, and The Haunting). Sacrilegiously, much as I love the original story, I might argue that the movie version is actually better, as it makes more of the antagonistic relationship between the snide McFarlane and his sinister tormentor, Grey. Though of course that version is not available for audio performance. Stevenson’s original story is not only inspired by the famous Burke and Hare case, but is presented as a previously unknown facet of that crime. The leads are young doctors, arrogant and ambitious, who willingly compromise their morals to succeed and maintain their positions of seniority in the class of the compromised Dr Knox (called Doctor K in the story). Stevenson published the story in 1884, just two years before Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. At one point during The Body Snatcher, the young doctor Fettes declares himself committed to McFarlane’s predatory life philosophy, and that he no longs feels committed to society’s strict moral code. It’s quite clear that in this short tale, the ideas for Stevenson’s most enduring work were already percolating. If you’d like to support this uncanny horror podcast, please consider becoming a patron at Patreon.com/newghoststories This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newghoststories.substack.com