Night Monster

NIGHT MONSTER-1942-Ingston Towers is full of strangeness. It's guarded by an ominous caretaker (Cyril Delevanti) and his dogs. The place is run by Mr. Ingston (Ralph Morgan; later in THE MONSTER MAKER), a rich reclusive deformed cripple with a lecherous chauffeur (Lief Erickson; in PARDON MY SARONG with Abbott & Costello the same year), a swami named Singh (Nils Ashter), a grouchy housemaid Sarah (Doris Floyd) and smarmy seemingly sinister butler Rolf (Bela Lugosi). Guests for a dinner party Kingston is throwing include psychiatrist Dr. Harper (Irene Hervey), horror author Dick Baldwin (Don Porter; also in WHO DONE IT? with Abbott & Costello the same year) and the three doctors who left Kingston in his sorry state (Lionel Atwill, Frank Reicher and Francis Pierlot). Also thrown in is Kingston's sister (Fay Helm) who every believes is insane. The swami goes into a trance and materializes a skeleton that bleeds. Later the three doctors are murdered and it turns out Ingerston is using the swami's power to give himself new limbs and seek revenge. The estate burns at the end but Rolf's fate is never determined (I assume he died in the fire).

NIGHT MONSTER isn't a bad film by any means. It's well directed by Ford Beebe who keeps it mysterious and creepy up until its strange ending. It's usually thrown aside because neither Atwill or Lugosi have primary roles in it (top billed Bela, a red herring; Atwill, a victim). It does seem a little strange though to have these two guys in it and waste them in co-starring roles (though Bela is suspiciously sinister in several scenes). 

Lugosi reprised his role as Ygor in GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN the same year.

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Bomba

BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY-1949-A photographer Charles Harland (Onslow Stevens) and his daughter Patricia (Peggy Ann Garner) come to “the jungle” to get some photos. After showing some footage to Andy (Charles Erwin), “a glorified game warden” and his servant Eli (Smoki Whitfield) they set off on safari and see lots of animal stock footage. Patricia is saved from a leopard attack by Bomba (Johnny Sheffield), a white curly haired jungle boy. He wants to be nice but she pulls a gun on him so he walks away. Later she asks for his help but he wants none of her (“You try hurt me”). He cools to her and she tries to explain what a family is. He tells her about an old guy who taught him English. He gets shot for his efforts but later shows her around the jungle and his cave home (and animal friends). She dons a cave dress and they even go swimming together. When danger threatens in the form of some hunters Bomba saves everyone by starting a fire. There's also some talk of Bomba being left alone after his father (?), a misanthrope named Cody died.

 It's based on a series of books by Roy Rockwood (probably not a real person)and often sighted for it's racist overtones. The prolific Ford Beebe directed it and a number of others in the series (there were 12 entries in all). DC even published a few comics based on the character in the 1960's.  

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