Rating: - From A Lorre Fan!
This movie is a strange one. Some of the acting is bad, the premise of the story is pretty far out in left field, and Ted Healy's attempt at comedy is irritating. But this is quibbling. The whole movie is no more or no less than a stellar performance by Peter Lorre. His mad Dr. Gogol is one of the most over the top performances ever seen.

Yes, this movie is a strange one, but for a Lorre fan, a must-see! Recommended!

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Rating: - A MACABRE FASCINATION.
The macabre Dr. Gorgol (Peter Lorre) is so madly infatuated with the beautiful wife (Frances Drake) of a concert pianist (Colin Clive) that he conceives a diabolical plan...That there is something twisted behind the shaven head and dead face is indicated by an opening sequence in which, enraptured, Lorre watches a Grand Guignol stage performance in which Drake plays a faithless wife put to torture. Lorre later turns her into a waxwork image to be worshipped, serenaded on the piano, and read poetry to in the privacy of his own weird home...This is by far the best of many versions and variants of Maurice Renard's novel LES MAINS d'ORLAC. Karl Freund, the master cinematographer who won himself an AA for THE GOOD EARTH in 1938, is, however, no more at ease direction-wise than he was making THE MUMMY three years prior. However, the film boasts an astounding performance from Lorre in his American picture debut.

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Rating: - A Good Little Gem
Mad Love is an interesting and well made little picture. You've got Karl Freund,Peter Lorre and Greg Toland all working near their peaks and that alone is something to behold. Another beautiful black and white film, some may want to hold off and see if it hits DVD but VHS is not evil-not like Peter Lorre...Fans of classic cinema (and Citizen Kane in particular as this film influenced a young Welles-he sought out Toland as a collaborator based on his work on this and other films) and the almost always entertaining Lorre should pick this up. Not well known but well worth discovering.

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Rating: - Wonderful and unnerving study of obsession!
Dr. Gogol is a somewhat bizarre, but brilliant surgeon who is obsessed with the beautiful actress Yvonne. He goes night after night to see her perform in a Grand Guignol-style performance as a victim of sadistic torture. When the theatre is closing for the season, he is upset to hear that Yvonne is not returning as she is married and will be joining her husband. He is able to purchase a wax likeness of her from the theatre and this he keeps and fantasizes over, speaking to it as if it were alive. Yvonne's husband, the famed pianist Stephen Orlac is injured in a train accident and his hands are crushed. Yvonne, wary of Dr. Gogol's attentions, but knowing of his reputation as a surgeon, asks him to help her husband. Dr. Gogol, anxious to do anything to keep the object of his desire close by, agrees. He grafts the hands of the recently guillotined knife-throwing murderer Rollo onto Stephen Orlac. After recovering, Stephen finds that he cannot play the paino as he used to, but his hands do have the ability to wield a kinfe with deadly accuracy, and they seem to have a mind of their own! With bills for therapies piling up, Yvonne and Stephen's life seems to be falling apart. Dr. Gogol sees this as a chance to make Yvonne his own. Peter Lorre gives a stellar turn in this role. We are truly able to see his character's descent into madness. Director Karl Freund's expressionist style makes every frame interesting to look at. Some of the comic relief is a bit over the top, especially the batty maid, but overall a great film, well worth a look.

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Rating: - Pretty Good Movie
I thought this movie was good overall. Peter Lorre gave a convincing portrayal of a man rejected and unloved. It was a bit slow-paced in spots but overall, I enjoyed it.