I Don't Know Any Sane Ghouls. Do You?

 

THE MAD GHOUL-1943-Dr. Alfred Morris (George Zucco), who teaches at a local college recreates a poison gas that an ancient Mayan tribe used to cause “life in death”. He hires a student, Ned Allison (David Bruce), to help him over the summer. Ned is in love with a radio singer named Isabel Lewis (Evelyn Ankers). When Morris says things like “There is no good or evil. Only true and false”, it's obvious he's mad. To top that, he's in love with Isabel too and in order to get Ned out of the way, the deranged doc turns his student into a living dead slave via the ancient concoction. Ned turns into a pasty-faced ghoul who carries out the doc's bidding. 

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Later they visit a cemetery where ghoul-Ned performs a cardiectomy because a human heart is needed to bring Ned back to the land of the living. Police Sgt. Macklin (Miburn Stone) and newspaperman “Scoop” McClure (Robert Armstrong) investigate. It turns out the antidote isn't permanent. Ned goes to another town where Isabel is performing to propose but Isabel doesn't love him anymore. She now prefers her pianist Erik (Turhan Bey). After she spurns him, he turns back into a ghoul and he and the doc visit a cemetery and take the caretaker's heart. When the doc finds out Isabel & Erik are an item, he sends Ned to kill Erik but Isabel's scream saves him. Meanwhile McClure figures out that a new heart stealing murder happens whenever Isabel gives a recital. He sets a trap to catch the deadly duo but he's killed in the process. The Sgt. and his detective Garrity (Charles McGraw) up their game to catch the killer. Later, when things get too hot and Ned suspects he's being used, (“What am I? Alive or Dead?”), the doc sends Ned to kill Erik then himself but Ned tricks the doc into inhaling the gas himself. Ned goes to the recital hall but is killed by the cops before he can carry out the murder. The doc dies at the cemetery unable to procure a human heart. Also with Rose Hobart and Addison Richards. 

This enjoyable, eerie Universal quickie was the last film directed by James P. Hogan (LIFE RETURNS (1934) who died of a heart attack shortly after this was finished. He had also been directed much of the “Ellery Queen” series at the time. The great George Zucco had another banner year in 1943, appearing in SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON, 2 PRC productions: DEAD MEN WALK and THE BLACK RAVEN and The Ritz brothers comedy NEVER A DULL MOMENT. Top billed David Bruce was in the “Inner Sanctum” entry CALLING DR. DEATH the same year as The Mad Ghoul. Leading lady Evelyn Ankers was also in among other things SON OF DRACULA.

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Gorilla Brains

 

 (wikipedia)

THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL-1941-The first half of this horror/sci-fi story is told in flashbacks. During a trial it shows how Scott Webster (Phillip Terry) was convicted for the murder of a guy named Stanton. He was actually framed by a bunch of gangsters lead by Mr. Bruhl (Paul Lukas). Webber's sister Susan (Ellen Drew who also narrates) tells a story about how she unknowingly married gangster Larry Reed (Robert Paige). At a surprise party everyone gets drunk and Reed disappears but it's all a scam to make Susan a call girl. Webber is sentenced to death but at “the big house” he's visited by Dr. Carey (George Zucco), a scientist who wants Webber's brain after he's dead. Meanwhile Sam Daniels (Ron Cameron), a reporter, tries to help Susan. In his rather large lab Carey transplants Webber's brain into that of a gorilla. The operation is a success but the gorilla (George Barrows) has revenge on his mind and breaks out and kills the DA (Onslow Stevens) who convicted Webber. Every bone in his body is broken. Web-grilla visits Susan at night and kills another gang member (Gerald Mohr). When the gang boss Deacon (Joseph Calleia) goes to kill an unreliable thug (Marc Lawrence), it's two for the price of one gorilla killing! Carey tips off a policeman that the gorilla has a human brain but the cop doesn't believe him. Webber/ape kills the last two gang members but is shot and killed by the police while sis watches. 

This kind of crazy Paramount release came under fire from many censor boards and was eventually pulled from release. Director Stuart Heisler also made the seldom scene AMONG THE LIVING the same year. He later directed Gary Cooper in ALONG CAME JONES, Bogart in two features TOKYO JOE and CHAINED LIGHTENING and made I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES, a remake of HIGH SIERRA with Jack Palance and Lon Chaney.

(imdb)

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Mummy Time!

 

(IMDB)

THE MUMMY'S TOMB-1942-Stephan Banning (Dick Foran in old age makeup) relates his tale from 30 years before of the search for Egyptian princess Ananka (events told in the previous THE MUMMY'S HAND). Also present are his son John (John Hubbard), John's girlfriend Isobel (Elyse Knox) and her mother Mrs. Evans (Virginia Brissac). Banning takes satisfaction in knowing he destroyed the mummy, Kharis. 

However in Egypt Prof. Andoheb (George Zucco) did not die and neither did Kharis. Andoheb clues his new discipline Mehenet (Turhan Bey) in on to how to control the mummy with tana leaves. Mehenet and Kharis head to the US for revenge. The bandaged monster's first victim is Banning. The sheriff investigates because strange dust marks are found on his throat. Then Babe (Wallace Ford as an old man) arrives but Kharis comes back and kills Banning's elderly sister (Mary Gordon). Babe is the next victim. John finds a torn bandage and takes it to Prof. Norman (Frank Rei-cher) who confirms it comes from a mummy. Then John gets a draft notice and proposes to Isobel. Mehenet hangs around and clearly de-sires Isobel. He wants to make her his wife and commands Kharis to kidnap her. The mummy is not happy about it but does it anyway. A posse is formed to find her. Mehenet plans to make himself and Isobel im-mortal. The posse con-fronts him and he's shot by the sheriff. Kharis and Isobel are trapped in the burning Banning house but John rescues her (and is almost strangled by Kharis). The poor mummy burns up again and John and Isobel get married.

TOMB is arguably the best of the Lon Chaney Mummy series but did they really have to kill off the characters from the previous entry? 

Director Harold Young had made THE SCARLET PIMP-ERNEL with Leslie Howard in 1934 but later on was mostly a B-movie director. In 1945 he worked with Chaney again on one of the “Inner Sanctum” series, THE FROZEN GHOST and made THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE, the last entry into the “Paula, the Ape Woman” series.

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Zucco & Atwill!

FOG ISLAND-1945-Gail (Sharon Douglas) lives on an isolated island with her step-father Leo (George Zucco), a disgraced financier who blames his former clients for his downfall and the murder of his wife and a jail sentence. To get revenge he invites them to his gloomy old home and also engages the services of his former cellmate Doc Lake (Ian Keith) to help him. The butler Allerton (George Lloyd) spies on them the whole time from behind a suit of armor. Alec Ritchfield (Lionell Atwill), phony psychic Emilline (Jacqueline daWit), John Kavanaugh (Jerome Cowan) and his secretary Sylvia (Veda Ann Borg) are the guests/suspects/victims. 

Also aboard is Jeff Kingsley (John Whitney), the son of a now dead associate who seems to have had a “relationship” with Gail prior to coming to the island. She plays the ice princess (and also an organ) while Jeff tries to break her down. Leo talks very mysteriously and gives each of his guests a small token (a skull, a key, a pen,a  knife) to keep them guessing. Everyone is suspicious of each other and we learn butler Allerton is really an escaped con who Lake kills. Meanwhile a short seance is held and Jeff finds a secret passage. He meets Gail in the fog and once again unsuccessfully tries to woo her. Their scenes together really drag. 

Things pick up a little when Leo accuses Ritchfield of murdering his wife and Ritchfield kills Leo. He disposes of the corpse, putting it in a secret floor space where there's a skeleton. Unknown to Ritchfield, Lake has been watching the whole thing. After Ritchfield kills Emiline, Kavanaugh and Sylvia go looking for him and Jeff and Lake have a fist fight. Lake subdues Jeff and goes after the others who are looking for Leo’s fortune in an underground cave. Gail revives Jeff and they find her mom's jewels hidden in a weird desk. Meanwhile the four greedy survivors meet a watery death in a cave Leo booby trapped. Seems to take place in one night. Everyone talks about going to bed but no one ever takes off their evening clothes! 

Another very low budget but enjoyable mystery from PRC directed by Terry Morse (who was later credited with directing the added US scenes in the original GODZILLA). 

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2016/12/charlie-again.html

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2014/02/pre-super-reeves.html

It's based on a 1937 stage play.

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Just In Time For Halloween

THE MAD MONSTER-1942-Dr. Lorenzo Cameron (the great George Zucco) talks to a caged wolf in his lab then turns a cheerful, dimwitted farm hand named Pedro (Glenn Strange) into a scary snarling wolf-man (in overalls). He then addresses an imaginary panel of doctors who ridiculed him and banished his ass from his chair at a university. They didn't like his idea of creating an army of wolf-men to fight wars. Cameron vows revenges.  Pedro is very friendly especially toward the mad doctor's daughter Lenora (Ann Nagel). "It must be great to be educated", Pedro says to the doc. Cameron later lets Pedro the wolf wander the foggy swamp. Although Cameron wants to use the monster to get revenge on his former colleagues the wolf monster's first victim is a little girl. Cameron gets ready to visit and execute his first victim Prof. Blaine (Robert Strange). Meanwhile Lenora's reporter boyfriend Tom (top billed Johnny Downs) talks to Blaine about the possibility of a giant lizard being the murderer. Later after a long scene leading up to the killing of Blaine, Pedro transforms without the aid of the doctor's formula. Tom comes by looking for a story but the doctor turns him away. Later he tricks another doctor into taking a drive with Pedro just as Tom has organized a small hunting party, Then Lenora snoops around her dad's lab she runs smack into the wolf man. Amid a fire, creation turns against creator and a fire destroys everything.

Despite being made by PRC, the lowest of the low budget studios, THE MAD MONSTER has it's moments. The highlight is George Zucco's performance as the totally rational, totally mad Dr. Cameron. He really loses it at times. Zucco made appearances in many bigger budgeted Hollywood films but spend a lot of time at places like PRC and would go on to make a few more for the company like the vampire tinged DEAD MEN WALK the next year. Glenn Strange is ok as the unwitting pawn in his employer's cruel experiments and as the wolf-man he's downright terrifying! Especially when he's wandering through the foggy swamp. Ann Nagel had previously been a successful contract player at Warner Bros. but her career took a nosedive after her marriage to actor Ross Alexander. She later had un-credited roles in MIGHTY JOE JOE and the excellent low budget film noir ARMORED CAR ROBBERY. Johnny Downs was once a member of "Our Gang". Henry Hall & Mae Busch also have  small roles.

This is by far one of the best made movies by super speedy Sam Newfield who made a staggering 20 movies in 1942 (some times using pseudonyms)!

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Lured

LURED-1947-Interesting overlooked murder mystery directed by Douglas Sirk (later known for his glossy Hollywood tearjerkers).

Lucille Ball stars as an American dancer in London who's recruited by a Scotland Yard inspector (Charles Coburn) to be a decoy to help capture a killer who meets his victims via personal ads. Costar George Sanders is his usual suave self and a chief suspect. George Zucco is great as the crossword puzzle solving detective who helps out. Boris Karloff has a one scene in a stand out role as a crazy dress designer/red herring! Other suspects include Alan Mowbray, Cedric Hardwick and Joseph Calleia. Alan Napier is Coburn's assistant.

It's a remake of a French film "Pieges" (PERSONAL COLUMN; LURED's original working title) made in 1939 by Roberet Siodmak with Erich Von Stroheim in the Karloff role. Earlier Von Stroheim was Karloff's immediate successor for the role of Jonathan Brewster in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE on Broadway.

For some reason LURED was not easy to find for a long time but TCM has showed it several times in recent years and Kino finally released it on DVD.

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