Bela Lugosi is the brilliant but deranged surgeon who becomes obssessed with a beautiful dancer after saving her life. He must have her but first must deal with her fiance and father and plans to take care of them in his chamber of Edgar Allen Poe-inspired torture devices. To do the dirty work he enlists the aid of a wanted criminal (Karloff) whom he disfigures with the promise of restoring his features when the job is done.