Rick wrote:
This is my favorite of the Karloff / Columbia / Mad Doctor films. And, yes, I believe I am totally alone in that opinion.

You are not alone. It is also my favorite. I guess the one I find the weakest is BEFORE I HANG. When I first saw MAN WITH NINE LIVES (I think it was in the second wave of Shock movies), it fascinated me as the science angle made sense. I liked the mood, the rain storm, the flashbacks, the "real" ice and just about everything about it. Seeing it today, it may have a few slow spots, but I think it still remains my favorite Karloff-Columbia-Mad Doctor film.