When Stephen Orlac's hands are destroyed in a train accident, Yvonne brings them to Gogol, who claims to be able to repair them.

As Gogol becomes obsessed to the point that he will do anything to have Yvonne, Stephen finds that his new hands have made him into an expert knife thrower.

Mad Love's reputation has grown over the years, and it is viewed in a more positive light by modern film critics, gaining the status of a cult classic.

[2] Actress Yvonne Orlac rests after her final performance at the "Théâtre des Horreurs" (styled after the Grand Guignol) in Paris, France.

Gogol leaves the theater heartbroken, buys the wax figure of Yvonne's character, refers to it as Galatea (from the Greek myth), and arranges that it be delivered to his home the following day.

Stephen Orlac is on a train journey from Fontainebleau to Paris, where he sees murderer Rollo the Knife Thrower, who is on the way to his execution by guillotine.

The Orlacs are forced to sell many of their possessions to pay for the surgery, while Stephen finds he is unable to play the piano with his new hands.

When a creditor comes to claim the Orlacs' piano, Stephen throws a fountain pen that barely misses his head.

Henry Orlac is murdered, and Stephen receives a note that promises that he will learn the truth about his hands if he goes to a specific address that night.

There, a man with metallic hands and dark glasses claims to be Rollo, brought back to life by Gogol.

He also claims that Gogol transplanted his (Rollo's) head back onto his body flashing a leather-and-metal neck brace as "proof!"

[11][12] Official reaction in the UK was mixed with Edward Shortt of the BBFC initially declaring his intention to ban the film.

The New York Times said that "Ted Healy, a highly amusing comedian, has gotten into the wrong picture",[14] and The Hollywood Reporter said that Colin Clive "jitters his way through".

[9] The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film was "neither important or particularly compelling ... falls right in the middle between Art and Box Office".

[20] Mad Love was preceded by the 1924 Austrian silent film The Hands of Orlac, directed by Robert Wiene and starring Conrad Veidt.

The Quinn Martin anthology TV series, Tales of the Unexpected includes the episode "A Hand for Sonny Blue", rehashing the theme once again.