Hunchback of the Morgue (1973)

You idiot, change the music!
We are getting bored!
Leave him alone, Udo.
He doesn't know anything else.
Bravo, Udo! Listen up!
Would you confront beer
like you confront women?
You don't think I'm scared
of a schoolboy like you, do you?
Waitress, bring us four big beers!
I'm paying!
Come on, man,
let's have the second one, huh?
Look at that!
And he keeps drinking!
- Good for Udo! Hooray!
- Don't leave, Udo!
I'm sorry, but I have to go.
- Stay with us!
- Come, you can still drink more beer!
- I'm very tired.
- Don't leave!
- Goodbye, mate!
- Leave him alone!
Udo!
Bloody hunchback! Are you trying to rob me
because I'm drunk?
Get out of here, you Satan's monster!
Your toad-like face makes me sick!
"With all my love, to Udo.
Ilse."
Your skin looks very white now, Udo.
It doesn't have that brown tone that women
used to love anymore.
You were very proud of your beauty.
You used to laugh a lot
about my hunchback.
You didn't think you'd end up...
being a pile of carrion
in the hands of useless students, did you?
Do you like how I'm cutting you now?
The dead
Never
Get up
The dead
Sing
And sing
And that bitch wanted us to get married!
Hey, gorilla! Leave that rubbish there.
We'll take it inside.
I told you Professor Orla doesn't want
to see you in the dissecting room. Leave!
You know students love your monkey face!
Leave!
Please.
Professor, I've also written down
the last test results.
Doctor Tauchner,
please go to the director's office.
Don't worry, Ilse. You'll be able
to go back to the countryside soon.
Continue with the same medication.
And add liver extract.
- All right.
- Cheer up!
Her temperature won't go down,
and she won't stop coughing.
It's obvious.
Her lungs are practically destroyed.
- She's very ill, right, doctor?
- There's no solution.
These will probably be her last days.
- Thank you, Gotho.
- Why are you crying?
- I'm not.
- Yes, you are. You're crying for Udo.
But he died thinking about you.
I know he had your picture in his wallet.
You're very kind.
You do everything you can to comfort me.
I'm so lonely...
that I don't know what I'd do
without your visits.
Do you really want me to come and see you?
Yes, Gotho. You are the only one
that remembers me.
The only one I can talk to.
From now on, I will come every single day.
I will bring you flowers.
You like them, don't you?
Yes, very much. It's been a long time
since I saw the countryside.
Come here. Sit by my side and talk to me.
I will close my eyes and I will see
the things you're talking about.
Everything that I use to like
and have lost forever.
Don't say that.
- Hunchback!
- Monkey face!
Hunchback!
Hunchback!
Stand up.
Come with me.
I'll cure you at home.
I am fine. You should not worry.
No, you're not. That wound is quite deep.
But don't worry,
I'm a doctor and I'll cure you.
No, it is fine.
And I have to go back to the hospital.
I didn't know you were in a hurry.
Are you going to visit someone?
Yes, I am visiting a young girl who is
very sick. But I know she will get well.
I would very much like that.
Do you like that girl?
I don't know. She used to play with me
as a child. The others were scared of me.
Time went by,
and when I found out she was
in the hospital, I went to see her.
But I imagine she has family
or someone taking care of her.
No, her parents are dead. I am
the only one who remembers her.
You're very kind, Gotho.
I'm sure she'll be very grateful.
- So what's her name?
- Ilse.
Ilse... that's a very beautiful name.
All right, that's it.
It was nothing. You'll be better tomorrow.
If not, come and see me.
You have been very kind to me.
I...
- This way you won't be cold.
- Take me to the rose bushes, Gotho.
I'm very happy.
I wouldn't mind
if these were my last moments.
You shouldn't say that.
I think you're fine.
If the Professor let you go out,
you must be getting better.
Let's be honest.
I know I'm dying.
The Professor knows
that coming to the garden
can't harm me.
You shouldn't have done that.
- It's forbidden.
- I don't care.
Everything is forbidden for me.
Don't think like that, Gotho.
Lots of people appreciate you.
And I am one of them.
These roses are
my last moment of happiness.
If I could have a bouquet every day...
You will.
Stop it! I will have to separate you both
and inform Doctor Meyer of this situation.
Come with me, Marlene.
You can assure your boss
that the revision of the brain's anatomy
will be finished tomorrow.
He's very impatient.
I've never seen him like this.
By the way, you still haven't told me
what kind of project you are working on.
It's no surprise.
Orla doesn't want his colleagues
to find out about it.
I don't know.
There is something about Orla...
that scares me.
Doctor Meyer...
Eva and Marlene have...
well, I separated them again.
I'm sure you'll remember Elke.
She was your student.
Now she's my assistant.
She's too kind with the inmates.
But she's exceptionally talented
in psychiatry.
This is Professor Tauchner, my fianc.
- Nice to meet you.
- Likewise.
Oh, sweet monkey princess!
Gotho, your servant,
the most handsome hunchbacked gorilla
pays honor to your beauty
and hopes that your disgusting lips
impregnate with the smell of these roses.
You will not make fun of her,
because I will kill you!
Stop! Stop it!
You should be ashamed.
You almost killed him.
Luckily, he's coming around.
Help me lift him up, Tauchner.
Gotho...
I can see flowers.
Lots of flowers.
You shouldn't have brought me
so many flowers, Gotho.
She has just died.
If you had arrived earlier,
you would have seen her alive.
You can stay here for a bit if you want.
I must call the Doctor.
Here's your Ilse. Prepare her
for the dissecting room.
Look, Eludui! A golden necklace!
This corpse doesn't need it anymore.
With the money we'll get from it,
we'll have a few drinks in her honor!
Sleep, my dear.
Rest. Gotho will protect you.
But now I have to leave you for a moment.
I need to deliver a bouquet of roses
to someone...
that questioned your beauty.
Now it's his turn!
Hey! Bring more beer! Our throats are dry!
What's the matter?
The face at the window!
You're dreaming, there's no one there!
Come on. Stop this nonsense.
Bravo, Hans!
Well, goodbye everyone! I'm off to bed.
Be careful, Hans! You might bump
into the devil on your way home!
Smell it well, because it will be
the last thing you ever smell!
You cannot imagine. It's terrible.
Both corpses are absolutely destroyed.
Any clue of who the murderer could be?
The person in charge of the morgue,
a hunchback named Wolfgang Gotho,
has vanished.
But according to our investigation,
he is mentally disabled.
Everyone agrees that he is harmless.
And no one knows where he is?
No. But there's an important detail.
One of the corpses
from the dissecting room
has also disappeared.
It's the body of a young woman
who died recently.
The hunchback cared a lot for her.
A new crime has taken place.
A student named Hans Burguer
- has been found strangled in his room.
- Hans Burguer.
He had a very intense altercation
with Gotho this morning.
Raise a general alarm. We must find
the hunchback as soon as possible.
Sleep, my dear.
I should never have left you alone.
But no one will bother you here.
They won't be able to hurt you.
Come in.
Excuse me, sir,
but two gentlemen would like to see you.
They are policemen.
- Tell them to come in.
- Yes, sir.
- Good evening.
- Good evening.
Good evening. May I ask why you are here?
I guess you know about last night's
three murders?
Sure. Of course. It is horrifying.
But please, have a seat.
We think you might be able to give us
some information.
Specifically, we need information
about that hunchback
that works at the morgue.
Gotho? That's not possible.
He would not kill a fly.
However, he has disappeared.
If he is innocent,
there is no reason to hide.
Do you know where he is?
Absolutely not.
Ilse's death,
that girl he cared so much about,
might have driven him crazy.
I hope he shows up again
and everything is cleared up.
Now gentlemen, if you do not mind,
we will continue this conversation
on our way to the hospital.
I am sorry, but duty calls.
Hello, Gotho.
I need your help.
I would have never imagined
a place like this.
- No one will be able to find us.
- Is there only one entrance?
No, there is another one
that leads to the abbey's ruins.
Are you really
going to help me, Professor?
That depends on you, Gotho.
You'll have to do everything I say.
It is here, Professor.
I had read some stories
about the Inquisition's activities
in places like this,
but I would have never imagined
they still existed. Especially not here.
Professor, Ilse is asleep.
I know only you can wake her up.
I promise I will, Gotho.
But you'll have to help me.
I'll have to move my laboratory here.
It's not easy to do what you ask.
I need some resources.
I know you will do it, Professor.
I know you will.
Trust me, Gotho. Oh, and don't go out.
The police are looking for you.
How could I think
they would approve the project?
They are nothing but old scientists,
and anything innovative
or that is true science scares them.
So then we have a final decision?
Yes, a firm one. Here, read this!
As you can see,
the university's staff has agreed
to cancel the investigation.
And they also asked us to stop using
the hospital facilities!
It's a shame, but we have no other option
than giving up.
Giving up? Now that we are
so close to reaching our goal?
What kind of scientist are you?
For the first time in history, we have
the chance to create artificial life,
and you are talking about giving up?
I understand your reasons, Doctor Orla,
but we do not have a choice.
There is one. I am going to move
my laboratory to a secret place.
I have one person,
who, in spite of being insignificant,
can be of great help.
A secret place? What do you mean?
You will see it tonight.
And since you will find out
sooner or later, that person
is Gotho.
The hunchback of the morgue.
Gotho? I thought he had vanished.
He is in a secret place
where no one will find him.
Nor us.
I guess you know
he has been charged with three murders.
And it is almost impossible
he committed them.
Besides, it doesn't matter.
We are already outside the law
by continuing with our experiments.
I do not agree with you.
Joining with a murderer disgusts me,
and it may cause us problems.
Gotho is not a murderer.
He is a poor idiot
that only attacks when he's hurt.
Maybe you are right.
But there is something
that tells me
that we should not continue with this.
Come on, Tauchner, don't be afraid.
Tonight we will go to the chosen place,
and you will agree with me.
And now, let's go through
those amino acid chromatograms.
I am very interested in the development
of the metabolism in those organs.
As you can see,
the protein structure has not changed.
I still do not understand
where we are going.
Well, we are just above the place.
- An underground room?
- Exactly.
The most impenetrable
underground labyrinth.
We must be 25 meters below the ground.
Yes.
That is approximately the average depth
of the underground room.
It was built as part of the fortifications
of the Teutonic Knights
during the Crusades.
Later, it became an Inquisition jail
and torture chambers.
It is amazing.
And it's not the first time
it's been used since the Inquisition.
During the war, some people, mostly Jews,
used it as a shelter.
Jesus Christ, Orla!
You didn't tell me she was here!
It's Ilse, Gotho's friend.
She died a few days ago.
And I promised... I would wake her up.
When will you wake her up, Professor?
Soon, Gotho. Very soon.
Professor, I cannot believe
you promised Gotho that...
you would bring that girl back to life.
You know that's impossible.
"Impossible" is a word
that you should forget
as a scientist.
However, I agree with you.
But I don't think
we should care about that.
But that fool trusts you!
If he has killed three times,
he might do it again!
What will you do to break your promise?
Everything will be all right.
Leave that poor monster to me.
I know how to handle him.
Let's be honest, Tauchner. Science
sometimes has to follow difficult paths.
The end here is so important
that it justifies the means.
- I really don't know what to think.
- Come on, Tauchner!
Don't be scared! Glory awaits!
And sooner or later, the human race
will appreciate our work
and will be thankful for it.
Well, we'll go ahead then.
But I'm worried about Maria.
She hasn't agreed with this investigation
from the very beginning.
Talk to her.
No one else can make her understand.
Understand... Moving to the underground
room was the only solution.
You don't have to explain anything.
You already know what I think.
If I keep helping you both,
it's because of you.
You shouldn't do it for me,
but for our career, our future!
Orla's experiences can have
hundreds of applications!
They are useful and important.
Important? What's not important?
But this scares me!
I'm scared of that investigation
and its consequences.
And I'm especially scared of Orla.
I can't help it.
He has... flaws. I admit it.
But no one can deny his talent.
Yes, he is a great scientist
that won't let anything get in his way.
We have everything we need.
And I'm amazed
you were able to do it by yourself.
Look at this.
Be careful!
I don't understand. Sulfuric acid?
Exactly.
We will use it to destroy
the useless body parts.
And any organic waste.
Come on, we have to bring two more boxes.
All of this is because of you, Gotho.
You'll be famous one day.
When will Ilse wake up? Professor...
Soon, Gotho. Very soon.
This is not my lucky night.
Bloody queen of hearts!
Come on, man, you haven't lost that much!
It's just that disgusting smell of death.
It's making me sick!
That corpse has been rotting
for two weeks.
It's almost rubbish!
- And we can't do anything.
- Of course we can!
We can put her in the acid!
But we should tell the Professor.
We would be doing the Professor a favor.
- He even hinted to it.
- Let's not think about it too much.
You two go and get her.
Ilse! Your flowers...
I brought some flowers for you.
You killed her. You killed her! Murderers!
You're crazy!
She's been dead for two weeks!
She was the only thing I had!
Damn you!
No, Gotho! I'm begging you! No!
It was them! No! Gotho! No!
I'm exhausted. It's been a terrible day.
Yes, but we are about to do it.
I've observed a sample on the microscope
and something worries me...
The fact that it's only one big cell.
I know. It is only one plasmodial cell.
All the nuclei are floating aimlessly
in the protoplasm.
And yet it's starting
to differentiate organs.
If it continues on like this,
the artificial pregnancy
will last for one more week.
Yes.
It is obvious we've reached
the most important point.
Undoubtedly.
I'm worried about Albert
and the other two's disappearance.
The police have interrogated Maria and me.
They think it was Gotho.
I don't know what to think.
We shouldn't care about them.
We don't need them any more.
The less witnesses, the better.
Our science is too complex
to care about other problems.
Maria's delay worries me.
She should be here already.
Gotho!
You shouldn't be scared, Doctor Meyer.
I will take you to the laboratory.
Please, follow me.
Do you see how stupid your doubts were?
We are just about to achieve
the biggest victory in history!
It's true. All the nuclei
are reproducing very fast.
The protoplasm is growing.
And the differentiation continues.
By my reckoning, the accelerated embryonic
process in the artificial system
will only last for two more days.
Soon it will have a defined shape.
Maybe... human.
So you mean you don't know
the final result of the experiment?
Then anything can be possible!
Even the most hideous thing.
Every scientific investigation
is unpredictable.
Don't be scared, Doctor Meyer.
Everything will be all right.
I don't know.
The soluble protein and carbohydrate
levels won't decrease.
If the creature rejects this food,
we will have to use something else
so that the cell growth won't stop.
We will use organic natural food, then.
We can try it right now.
What's the matter, Gotho?
I have been looking for you!
We have a lot of work, you know that!
Professor... I'm thankful for everything
you've done for me. But...
- But what? I don't understand you.
- Well...
- I don't want to be here.
- But you promised to help me.
It was for Ilse, Professor.
Only for her. And now...
she's dead.
You can't do this. The investigation
has progressed too much!
Gotho. Gotho, I can still help you!
I don't need it any more.
Thank you, Professor.
I've decided to turn myself in
to the police.
They will kill you, Gotho!
They're accusing you of the murders
of the porters!
So what?
Without Ilse, I don't care about anything.
You shouldn't be sad, Gotho.
You'll have a new Ilse.
I will make her for you.
Really, Professor? Will she look the same?
Of course, Gotho! Do you doubt me?
No. What should I do?
Trust me and help me.
Tonight you'll go to the morgue.
There's a fresh corpse.
I need its head.
Stop!
Stop!
What's going on?
Gotho, do you think it's OK
to come here at this hour?
Miss, I...
Police, open please!
Come on, get inside there and be quiet.
And close the door!
Open up!
- Good evening.
- Good evening.
I'm sorry to bother you.
We're after a dangerous murderer
that has escaped just outside here.
- Have you seen or heard anything?
- Nothing at all.
Close your windows.
The murderer can't be far.
I will. Anything else?
No, Miss. Just be careful.
Sure, don't worry.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Good night.
I don't know why you are helping me.
I'm a murderer. You heard them.
I know more things about you
than you can imagine.
And I know why you killed those men.
But I don't think you are a murderer.
If anyone loved me as you loved Ilse,
it would be wonderful.
You shouldn't say that. You shouldn't make
fun of a man like me.
No one can love me. Everyone laughs at me.
At my hunchback, at my ruined face!
I only scare people. Or disgust them.
No one, not even Ilse,
would have been happy by my side.
You're wrong, Gotho.
Sometimes kindness and love
mean more than beauty.
You are very kind to me, Miss Elke.
You did a good job, Gotho.
I should take out the brain, and then...
But I can't wait.
Will you need more corpses, Professor?
They almost caught me today.
Next time, we will be able
to get materials in an easier way.
I don't want you to take risks.
You're too important.
See, Gotho? See how the most
insignificant person
can be useful to science and humanity?
He just has to be directed
by a true leader.
Tauchner mustn't know about this.
He won't agree.
But you need a new Ilse.
And that requires fresh bodies.
Professor, I've finished.
Stop! Who's there? Professor Orla!
- You?
- Get him, don't let him leave!
I've killed him. He's dead!
I didn't want to do it! I didn't want to!
Yes, you've killed him.
There's nothing we can do. Hurry!
We'll take both corpses.
Cover the grave again
as if nothing had happened. Come on!
I didn't want to! I didn't want to! No!
No! The cell proliferation
has stopped again!
The creature is rejecting
all the dead cells.
We need to feed her living material.
Do you understand, Gotho? Living material.
Come in, please. Sit down.
The Professor will be here shortly.
I'm afraid this visit is useless.
I don't think so.
Doctor Orla was
the closest person to Gotho.
If we find him, we'll solve this mess.
I don't think the last disappearances
or the theft of those corpses
were the hunchback's idea.
I'm not so sure about that.
Perhaps it was only thieves
looking for jewelry.
But there's something that doesn't fit.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Sorry I have made you wait.
May I ask why you are here?
Strange events keep happening, Professor.
Someone recently opened some graves.
My colleague thinks that it's just
some thieves looking for jewelry.
But the bodies are gone, too.
Has anyone offered you corpses
for your dissections?
Of course not.
The university wouldn't agree to it.
Our supply comes from the hospital.
A trade like that is illegal, isn't it?
Sometimes, and my apologies, Doctor Orla,
scientists do not follow the law.
By the way,
how are your investigations going?
They are stopped at the moment.
Quickly, Gotho. It's about to transform.
We need to lock it up immediately.
Hurry up!
Get out, quickly!
It's broken the tray, Gotho!
It's broken it into pieces!
We have the creature, Gotho.
And I, Orla, am its creator.
Maria, you must understand it.
The experiment has been a success!
For the first time in the history
of biology, Doctor Orla
has created artificial life!
Yes, it's been a success.
A victory for science.
I've never denied Orla's scientific value.
- But at what expense?
- I don't understand you.
What do you mean by that?
You're a scientist and you know it.
At the expense of sacrifices,
sleepless nights, work!
And something else, Fred.
Human lives. How many have died
to fulfill Orla's dream?
But he hasn't done it.
It's been a fool's idea.
Yes, Gotho's, who's protected by Orla and
is lied to so that his plans can continue.
Believe me. Orla is not trying to save
humanity or anything but his pride.
Or maybe it's something else.
It's his ambition. His ambition for power
is what moves him.
But he says that thanks to his discoveries
many lives will be saved.
That's not true.
And even if it was, you can't save a life
by destroying others.
No. Ethics are above science.
That's true. But what can we do?
Quit the investigation.
I'm begging you, Fred.
We can't keep doing this!
All the hunchback's alleged crimes
are actually Orla's!
He's the one responsible for them!
That's true. He fooled me for some time.
But we can't continue with him.
We would become accomplices
of this horror he has created.
I'm glad you finally understand.
Calm down, Tauchner.
The experiment was a success.
Don't quit what could be
the victory of a lifetime!
- A blood-stained victory!
- And what else could we do?
How many bodies have ended up in that tray
to serve your conceited mind?
Gotho! Get him!
No, Gotho! I need him.
Come on.
You shouldn't have come, Gotho.
It's too dangerous.
And I don't want you to get hurt
because of me.
I... had to see you again.
But if you want, I'll leave.
It's not that, Gotho.
I'm scared the police might find you.
They are looking for you everywhere.
I don't understand you.
No one has ever cared about me.
If it wasn't for what you've done, I would
think you're making fun of me.
And what would I make fun of?
Of your physical flaws?
Everyone does.
Only Ilse would let me be
by her side. But...
she never loved me.
Do you still love her?
I do. I'm scared that by being with you
right now
I would be betraying her.
I'm sure that if she could see us
she wouldn't be angry.
Doctor Meyer, Marlene is gone.
Her bed is empty. Her roommates say
they haven't seen or heard anything.
Maybe it's the latest crime
by that hunchback the police are hunting.
Gotho? That's not possible.
- Why are you so sure?
- I don't know.
I'm convinced that all of this
is being done
by someone hiding behind that poor man.
Maybe you're right.
Well, I have to leave now.
If Marlene isn't here when I'm back,
we'll call the police.
Where is Tauchner?
I'll tell you he's near,
if it makes you feel better.
And in perfect condition.
One of my inmates is gone.
I know it's your fault,
and I'm going to call the police.
Considering how far we've come,
I wouldn't recommend that.
Unless you're willing to support
my plans, you cannot leave.
What kind of plans?
Very simple.
It is very important
that I have living human tissue,
and for that,
I chose your reformatory.
The girls there are rubbish,
and no one will miss them.
Also, as the principal, you'll be able
to explain their disappearances.
If you agree, Tauchner's life
will not be at risk. If you don't...
But... why do you need those girls?
It's better if you see it. Come with me.
It's horrible! It ate her!
There's an explanation.
I soon discovered that the creature
was prone to look like
the beings she would eat.
In the beginning, I tried to feed her
corpses, but she would reject them.
I wanted to synthesize a humanoid.
That's why I asked Gotho
to kidnap the girls.
Fred! Where are you?
Fred! Answer, please! Fred!
Fred!
Fred?
Gotho!
First Marlene,
now Doctor Meyer and her fianc
have also vanished.
That's why I called you.
But I don't understand why you didn't call
us when that girl disappeared!
Marlene, right?
Yes. The reason why I didn't call you was
because of Doctor Meyer's disappearance.
She was supposed
to write a report for you.
Maybe that girl just decided to leave.
We'll talk with Doctor Orla
about Meyer and Tauchner's
disappearance.
He was his assistant,
so he might know something.
As you can see, I also had problems.
Some strangers mugged me.
But I didn't have a chance to report it.
So do you know
anything about your assistant?
Yes... I think he told me something about
a trip to take care of some family issues.
I haven't heard from him since.
Do you think Doctor Meyer went with him?
Possibly.
But I can't really talk about her
because I barely know her.
I saw your body today. It was like Ilse's.
And soon you'll be like her.
And Gotho will love you forever. Forever.
It's the most incredible thing
anyone has ever imagined. And it's there!
And it keeps growing and growing!
But she needs more food.
Do you understand, Gotho?
More. More, lots more!
Go to the reformatory, Gotho!
Run. Run!
Gotho, you need to help me.
You need to help me
and Doctor Tauchner escape.
I can't. The Professor would get angry.
He has been very kind to me.
He'll make a woman like Ilse for me.
But, Gotho, how can you...
How can you believe that?
Orla can't do such a thing.
Gotho, listen! Don't leave, please! Gotho!
Listen, Tauchner.
For the last time, listen! We are about
to make the biggest discovery in history!
There's more than biology at stake here.
The creature is a primordial.
One of the beings that inhabited Earth
before the human race!
Her race is the oldest!
Books like the Necronomicon,
and the old treaties of magic and alchemy,
are full of references
concerning this entity. And I...
I have given her the chance to have a body
in her artificial life!
A very interesting story,
but I don't care any more!
That creature holds the secrets
of every ancient civilization,
and she will share them with us, Tauchner!
She will share them with us.
The world will kneel before us.
Neither Maria nor I will collaborate
with you, Doctor Orla.
It would mean adding even more crimes
to the existing ones.
All right. Then you are making me do this.
You'll become food for the creature.
She's uneasy. She needs food, Gotho.
She needs food!
That scream... it's from here,
it's a woman!
Go after her, Gotho. Go after her!
Gotho, damn you!
Where is that disgusting ape?
The creature is hungry, and if we
don't feed her, she will destroy us all!
Hurry up! The primordial needs more food!
No. Not her. She was kind to me.
And she won't die!
All right.
Go for the others!
No. Not them. You are the guilty one here!
You fooled me!
I will kill you!
Maria!
Please, Elke... we need to save her!
Let's go!
Take Elke, hurry up!
The door is about to break!
We won't be able to beat him.
He will kill us both!
Gotho, where is Gotho?
Gotho!