LIFE RETURNS (1935) Onslow Stevens, Lois Wilson & Valerie Hobson | Drama, Horror | B&W

Life Returns is an American film directed by Eugene Frenke. The film stars Onslow Stevens, George P. Breakston and Lois Wilson with a plot that involves a doctor who is convinced that the dead can be brought back to life gets the chance to prove his theory on a dog that has recently died. Eugene Frenke created a film record of the operation and developed a film that would incorporate the footage of Robert E. Cornish who was doing experiments that successfully let him bring dead animals back to life.

SYNOPSIS
A doctor who has spent his career working on ways to revive the dead sees his chance to prove his theory by performing his procedures on a recently deceased dog.

At Hoskins University, three scientists, John Kendrick, Louise Stone, and Robert E. Cornish are attempting to develop a fluid that will restore life to the dead. After graduation, Kendrick announces to Cornish and Stone that he had secured work for them at the Arnold Research Laboratory. Louise and Cornish however, believe that their research has no place at a commercial laboratory. Kendrick goes to the foundation to work leaving Stone and Cornish behind.

Time passes and Kendrick marries a socialite while A.K Arnold loses confidence in Kendrick's experiments, believing it to be noncommercial, leading Kendrick to resign. Kendrick works in a private medical practice when Mr.s Kendrick tries to argue that he has a wife and child to support. Years pass again and Mrs. Kendrick dies, leading to court officials wanting Kendrick's son to be sent to Juvenile Hall. To avoid this, Danny and his dog Scooter run away. Danny joins a gang of kids his age and brags about his father. Scotter is caught by a local dogcatcher leaving Danny heartbroken, leading to him and his gang to attempt to recapture the dog. The rescue fails when one kid fractures his legs and the dogcatcher gasses Scooter.

Danny begs his father to help his kid and to revive Scooter, but Kendrick states he can't do either.

CAST & CREW
Onslow Stevens as Dr. John Kendrick
George P. Breakston as Danny Kendrick
Lois Wilson as Dr. Louise Stone
Valerie Hobson as Mrs. Kendrick
Stanley Fields as Dog Catcher
Frank Reicher as Dr. James
Richard Carle as A.K. Arnold
Dean Benton as Interne
Lois January as Nurse
Richard Quine as Mickey
Maidel Turner as Mrs. Vandergriff
George MacQuarrie as Judge
Otis Harlan as Dr. Henderson
Robert E. Cornish as Himself
Mario Margutti as Cornish's staff
William Black as Cornish's staff
Ralph Colmar as Cornish's staff
Roderic Krider as Cornish's staff

Directed by Eugene Frenke
Screenplay by Arthur Horman, John F. Goodrich, Mary Eunice McCarthy (additional dialogue; as Mary McCarthy), L. Wolfe Gilbert (additional dialogue)
Story by Eugene Frenke, James Hogan
Produced by Lou Ostrow
Cinematography Robert H. Planck
Edited by Harry Marker
Music by Oliver Wallace, Clifford Vaughan
Production companies Scienart Pictures, Universal Pictures
Running time 60 minutes
Country United States
Language English

NOTES
Following a preview screening of the film, Universal pulled the film from a general release after declared the film to be a "freak picture, not suitable for the regular Universal program". The film was pulled from any general release but appears to have received a roadshow release. In 1937, Frenke brought a $145,424 lawsuit against Universal, charging that the studio had not released Life Returns through regular channels. It was re-released theatrically by Scienart Pictures in 1938.

Production
On May 22, 1934 at the University of Southern California, the scientist Robert E. Cornish succeeded in surgically and chemically restoring life to a dead dog. Eugene Frenke created a film record of the operation and developed a film that would incorporate the footage. Frenke contacting Universal Studios to split costs and profits on the film.

Release
The specific release date of Life Returns is unknown. Universal released the film for a special road show run and following a preview screening, Universal pulled the film from a general release and declared the it to be a "freak picture, not suitable for the regular Universal program" Reviews for the film were published between 1934 and 1935, no release date from these years has been confirmed.

Reception
From contemporary reviews, The Film Daily reviewed the film on January 2, 1935 and stated that the direction on the film was "excellent" and that Onslow Stevens and George Breakston "give fine performances" and the film has "been delicately handled and is not offensive or gruesome." "Barn." of Variety found the film "tedious" and that "every performance is plodding, colorless, and it's a pic much longer to the audience than its accredited running time would indicate." A review in Harrison's Reports stated the film's story was "simple" "and "should appeal more to juveniles than adults" and that "the fault lies with the director; it is slow and stilted."