Inner Sanctum #2

 

 (imdb)

WEIRD WOMAN-1944-Dr. Norman Reed (Lon Chaney), a skeptic of the supernatural, brings his new wife Paula (Anne Gwynne) home from her South Seas native island. His former fling, Ilona (Chaney's THE WOLFMAN co-star Evelyn Ankers) is jealous and starts trouble. One night Reed follows Paula and discovers she's still doing her pagan rituals. She says she's doing it to protect Reed from his enemies. He doesn't believe it and burns all her equipment. No sooner does this happen when Prof. Sawtelle (Ralph Morgan) kills himself. His shrewish wife Evelyn (Elizabeth Russell) blames Reed. 

When he rejects the come-ons of his young secretary Margaret (Lois Collier), her suitor, David (Phil Brown) tries to punch Reed. Then Paula hears a death chant. Then Reed suspects he's losing his mind (a typical topic in the Inner Sanctum series). David tries to shoot Reed but someone else gets shot instead. Everyone teams up to trick Ilona into confessing. It works too well. She winds up dead! 

Second in the series of 6 “Inner Sanctum” features. It was directed by Reginald Le Borg and based the story “Conjure Wife” by Fritz Lieber, Jr.

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RX

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. RX-1942-Universal quickie with private investigator Jerry Church (Patric Knowles) getting involved in a rash of murders by a mysterious killer known only RX. He just wants to move to Boston and work in the family business but a famous attorney (Samuel S. Hinds) hires him to investigate the murders since all 5 victims were clients of his. Church also agrees to help a police captain (Edmund MacDonald) who's dopey assistant is played by Shemp Howard! Add in Church's man servant played by the great Mantan Moreland and you have at least two reasons to watch this minor whodunit. Need another? The equally great Lionel Atwill hangs around wearing thick glasses but only gets to show his stuff at the climax. Church's ex-flame Kit Logan (Anne Gwynne) is also a reporter who marries Church half way through the story. Near the end the masked killer uses a gorilla and the threat of a brain transplant to intimidate his victims. There's also a brief reflection of studio lights in a windshield. 

This seldom seen quickie was one of seven low budget films directed by the fast but competent William Nigh who also made BLACK DRAGONS with Lugosi the same year.

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