Early Color Horror

 

 (tcm.com)

DOCTOR X-1932-Reporter Lee Taylor (Lee Tracy) investigates cannibalistic murders (The Moon Killer) that seemed tied to the medical research facility run by Dr. Jerry Xavier (Lionel Atwill). A few of his eccentric suspicious staff have had brushes with cannibalism. After he meets Xavier's daughter Joanne (Fay Wray), Taylor's almost done in by a cloaked monster but a trick cigar saves him. To avoid a scandal, Xavier asks the police to give him 48 hours to discover if the killer is on his staff. He sets up an elaborate machine that measures subjects' blood while recreating the murders. 

This early two-tone technicolor horror has great direction (from Michael Curtiz, who made MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM the next year), is very creepy in spots, has lots of suspects and some weird sfx but is brought down a bit by a static screenplay and an annoying wisecracking performance by Tracy.

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Atwill In Wax

MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM-1933-Eccentric and brilliant Ivan Igor (Lionel Atwill) owns a wax museum. His greedy partner burns the place down (with Igor in it) to collect the insurance money. A year later Igor is hiding out, a cripple. A disfigured guy in a long coat and top hat steals a dead female body from the morgue. Florence (Glenda Farrell) a wise talking reporter is practically fired from her job by her boss (Frank McHugh) unless she gets a story. 

Meanwhile Ralph (Allen Vincent), a sculptor who works for Igor introduces his girlfriend Charlotte (Fay Wray; the same year as KING KONG) to his boss. Igor believes she will be a perfect model for his Marie Antoinette figure. When she goes to visit Ralph at the museum at night Igor puts the moves on his “Marie”. She discovers his secrets. He can walk and has a wax mask covering his deformed face. Oh yeah, he's also mad (well, I wouldn't be happy about it myself). Fortunately, the police break in, Igor falls into a vat of wax and Charlotte is saved. Florence gets a great story and marries her boss. 

This classic horror tale from Warner Bros. was filmed in an early type of two tone Technicolor by director Michael Curtiz. Though the process was unpopular and costly it gives the film an eerie quality. Curtiz's other horror film from the year previous DOCTOR X was also filmed in the two tone process (with Atwill and Wray). MYSTERY was the last to use it.

Of course this was remade as HOUSE OF WAX IN 1953 with Vincent Price!

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2008/07/this-price-is-right.html

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Early Voodoo

BLACK MOON-1934-A woman (Dorothy Burgess) raised on a tropical island where she became involved with voodoo rituals decides to go back for a visit despite being happily married. Her husband (Jack Holt) can't go with her because of business (bad move) so he sends his secretary (Fay Wray, a year after KING KONG), who's secretly in love with her boss, to accompany her and their young daughter. Arriving on the island she's treated almost like a goddess by the natives and refuses to leave. When hubby arrives to take them all back things get worse. It appears the daughter is to become a human sacrifice!

Clarence Muse is also featured as a boat operator and although it's his usual racial stereotypical role his character does do a little more than just stand around taking orders.
T
his early pre-code voodoo film (Burgess wears a very revealing night gown in one scene) was directed by the underrated Roy William Neill who made THE BLACK ROOM with Karloff the next year.

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Bats and Rains

VAMPIRE BAT-1933-is a creaky low budget horror film from the early 30's but despite it's obvious restrictions and drawbacks it's fairly entertaining.

The great Lionel Atwill stars as Dr. Von Neimann, the local doctor in a village where vampire like murders are taking place. Whenever giant bats appear at night, some unfortunate local dies, the body drained of blood. Melvyn Douglas (who was in James Whale's THE OLD DARK HOUSE the year before) is the investigating police constable. Fay Wray (the same year as KING KONG) is his love interest.

The best performence though is by Dwight Frye, essaying another village idiot role (it would type-cast his career) as Herman, a bat loving red herring (who meets his demise at the famous Bronson Canyon).

Familiar '30's character actor Lionel Belmore (2 Lionels for the price of one! What a movie!) also appears. The photography is a little too dark at times and there's a lot of talk but it's short running time makes it enjoyable.

Screenwriter Edward T. Lowe had been writing movies since the '20's (including HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME with Lon Chaney). He later penned HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF DRACULA, several Charlie Chan and Bulldog Drummond mysteries and other stuff.

Director Frank Strayer made several unusual movies in the '30's (THE MONSTER WALKS, THE GHOST WALKS and CONDEMNED TO LIVE) before devoting most of his time to the movie series based on the "Blondie" comic strip in the '40's.



I also recently saw THE CLAIRVOYANT (aka THE EVIL MIND)-1934-made one year later and also featuring Fay Wray.

The always entertaining Claude Rains (one year after his film debut in THE INVISIBLE MAN) stars as a phony mind reader named Maximus who's predictions start to come true whenever he's around a certain woman (English actress Jane Baxter). Wray is his assistant-wife who fears his new power. Rains' trance states are very eerie (especially his last!). It's ok and probably influenced a few future films.

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