Before I Hang is a 1940 American horror film released by Columbia Pictures, starring Boris Karloff. The film was directed by Nick Grinde.
Doctor John Garth, a physician on death row for a mercy killing, is allowed to continue his experiments to develop a serum to cure aging using the blood of a recently executed criminals, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll & Hyde.
Tropes:
- Cloth Fu: When suffering from his murderous impulses, Dr. Garth uses cloth to strangle his victims. He uses a towel to strangle Dr. Howard, and a handkerchief to strangle Victor and George.
- Clothing Combat: Garth uses his handkerchief to strangle Victor and George.
- Fountain of Youth: Dr. Garth and Dr. Howard succeed in developing a serum that will reverse the effects of aging and decide to test it on Dr. Garth immediately prior to his execution. The serum's effect on his body causes Dr. Garth to collapse. When Dr. Garth awakens in the prison medical ward, he discovers that the serum has reversed some of the effects of aging on his body, including the graying of his hair, the appearance of his face, and his physical fitness.
- Immortality Immorality: a physician on death row for a mercy killing is allowed to experiment on a cure for aging using a criminals' blood, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll-&-Hyde murderer.
- Jekyll & Hyde: After taking the serum, Garth is occasionally overcome by a sudden urge to kill induced by the presence of an executed murderer's blood in his system. Garth does not remember committing these murders under the influence of the serum.
- The Killer in Me:Dr. Garth develops a serum to reverse the effects of aging and tests it on himself. However, he uses the blood of an executed murderer to develop the serum, which becomes a Psycho Serum as a result. He becomes a Jekyll & Hyde, driven by sudden overwhelming urges to kill, but then not remembering committing the murders afterwards.
- Mercy Kill: Dr. John Garth is on trial for murder after performing a mercy killing on an elderly friend.
- Professor Guinea Pig: Using the blood of a recently executed prisoner, Garth and Howard succeed in developing a serum that will reverse the effects of aging and decide to test it on Dr. Garth immediately prior to his execution.
- Psycho Serum: Dr. Garth's anti-aging serum was developed using the blood of an executed triple murderer. After her tests it on himself, Dr. Garth is overcome by a sudden urge to kill induced by the presence of an executed murderer's blood in his system.
- Suicide by Cop: At the climax of the film, Dr. Garth, now being pursued by the police, approaches the prison where he had been incarcerated. The warden admits him, but Garth immediately makes aggressive movements toward the armed guard at the gate. The guard shoots him, and as he is dying the doctor admits that he committed suicide in order to prevent himself from killing anyone else.
