Directed by Henry Edwards, Juggernaut is a moody British mystery-thriller starring the iconic Boris Karloff in one of his lesser-known roles. Filmed in the UK between April and June of 1936, it was Karloff’s third British feature before returning to Hollywood to shoot Charlie Chan at the Opera.
Plot Summary
Karloff plays Dr. Victor Sartorius, a brilliant but morally compromised physician desperate to fund his research into curing paralysis. When his financial backing dries up, he strikes a deadly bargain with Lady Yvonne Clifford (Mona Goya), the greedy wife of a wealthy industrialist. Together, they plot to poison her husband, Sir Charles Clifford, to inherit his fortune.
As the plan unfolds, suspicions rise among family members and staff—including the observant nurse Eve Rowe (Joan Wyndham). The tension builds toward a dramatic confrontation, with Karloff’s character teetering between scientific ambition and criminal madness.
Cast Highlights
- Boris Karloff as Dr. Victor Sartorius
- Joan Wyndham as Eve Rowe
- Arthur Margetson as Roger Clifford
- Mona Goya as Lady Yvonne Clifford
- Anthony Ireland, Morton Selten, and Nina Boucicault in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was part of a wave of British thrillers that gave Karloff a break from his Hollywood horror typecasting
- It was later included in a list of over 200 independent films made available for early television syndication in the U.S. by Advance Television Pictures in 1942
- Documented post-WWII telecasts include airings in New York (1948), Los Angeles (1949), Chicago (1949), and Salt Lake City (1949)
- The pacing was considered slow by American standards, but the film has gained a reputation as a guilty pleasure for Karloff fans
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