A Monogram film directed by William Nigh (known mainly, I suppose, for directing several of the Mr. Wong films, but also for the little-known, little-discussed, Dr. Rx, and Lugosi's Black Dragons). Screenplay by Curt/Kurt Siodmak and two others (does anyone know the respective roles here?).
Viewed on an exceptionally clean Alpha Video DVD, which really helped my positive reaction to this little film.
Karloff gets a lot of screen time as Dr. Bernard Adrian, one of what seem to be several doctors in a very small, rural American town. He's the "bad doctor," a reclusive experimenter who's reputation has suffered from association with the lack of dogs and cats in the neighborhood. The local pharmacist seems to know and understand what he's doing, but the rest of the townsfolk are driven to high anxiety by rumor and innuendo. Viewers recognize that Dr. Adrian a decent chap, intently focused on doing science (perhaps a relative of Dr. Paul Armstrong?), in this case working on a cure for paralysis. His principal subject is young Frances Clifford (played by the beautiful Maris Wrixon, another prolific B-film femme who's yet to be discussed on this board). Frances has been paralyzed from the waist down for ten years or so. The doctor is trying to effect a cure through development of "serums" apparently derived from dogs and cats.
As these relationships are set up, a circus comes to town, complete with gorilla and sadistic gorilla keeper. Imdb says "The Ape," named Naboo, is an uncredited appearance by Ray "Crash" Corrigan several years prior to his "breakout" role as Thor in The Monster and the Ape (1945). Naboo escapes, mauling his keeper and accidentally setting the circus on fire. The local sheriff and his posse chase the gorilla around the area; the keeper goes to Dr. Adrian who, when he finds the man to be dying, decides to uplift his experiments to a higher level. Adrian extracts something from the keeper; the keeper dies (it wasn't quite clear to me whether or not Adrian actually killed him or whether he died from injuries sustained by Naboo's attack, but nevertheless, viewers see that the good doctor has effectively compromised his ethics in order to advance science). Dr. Adrian promptly whips up a "serum" and uses it on Frances, who begins to experience feeling in the form of pain in her legs -- "a breakthrough" according to Dr. Adrian. Unfortunately, he's run out of bodies.
Then Naboo, maddened by the smell of the keeper's uniform still in Dr. Adrian's home, crashes through a window and attacks the uniform (and the doctor). Naboo is a pretty wimpy ape for all his size (perhaps he was wounded in the breakout; perhaps he's dying of hunger), and Dr. Adrian is able to dispatch him with a knife. The lightbulb click on -- Dr. Adrian skins the gorilla (we never do find out what he did with the body), and proceeds to wear it in order to traipse around the area looking for new victims. Blame the gorilla! It's an interesting and disgusting twist on the gorilla-with-a-human-brain motif. I personally found it amusing, and completely logical.
A couple of deaths ensue. The sheriff begins to wonder why all the gorilla spoor centers on the doctor's house. France's legs seem to be getting better. The doctor needs more -- MORE, I TELL YOU! -- whatever extract comes from human. He makes one last journey into the night, gets shot by some dumb kids with a .22, knifed by a potential victim, and collapses on his front porch as the sheriff's posse crowds around. Frances comes wheeling up, sees that it's the doctor underneath all that hair, stands up, and walks. Dr. Adrian lives long enough to see that his "serum" has worked, then dies. Thus, the film carries a very strange moral -- it actually seems to justify the doctor's actions by virtue of its scientific success. That conclusion is completely opposite the usual "he delved into areas that Man was not meant to know" mad scientist/science runs amok philosophy that has permeated sf/horror screenplays from that day to this.
Karloff is very good in this little film; and while he is consistently on-screen, there is some development given to the supporting players as well. I was very taken with Maris Wrixon's acting in this -- not the standard throw-up-your-hands-in-mock-terror kind of performance. Henry Hall performs solidly as the sheriff; and Selmer Jackson puts in a fine performance as an avaricious colleague of Karloff; even Gertrude Hoffman's mostly mute housekeeper carries a seriousness that is not found in most of these Poverty Row pictures.
Short and to the point at 61 minutes, I very much enjoyed this little film. It's totally unpretentious, moves quickly, and is well-acted. A real treat for me. How is this film regarded by the rest of the board members?
Viewed on an exceptionally clean Alpha Video DVD, which really helped my positive reaction to this little film.
Karloff gets a lot of screen time as Dr. Bernard Adrian, one of what seem to be several doctors in a very small, rural American town. He's the "bad doctor," a reclusive experimenter who's reputation has suffered from association with the lack of dogs and cats in the neighborhood. The local pharmacist seems to know and understand what he's doing, but the rest of the townsfolk are driven to high anxiety by rumor and innuendo. Viewers recognize that Dr. Adrian a decent chap, intently focused on doing science (perhaps a relative of Dr. Paul Armstrong?), in this case working on a cure for paralysis. His principal subject is young Frances Clifford (played by the beautiful Maris Wrixon, another prolific B-film femme who's yet to be discussed on this board). Frances has been paralyzed from the waist down for ten years or so. The doctor is trying to effect a cure through development of "serums" apparently derived from dogs and cats.
As these relationships are set up, a circus comes to town, complete with gorilla and sadistic gorilla keeper. Imdb says "The Ape," named Naboo, is an uncredited appearance by Ray "Crash" Corrigan several years prior to his "breakout" role as Thor in The Monster and the Ape (1945). Naboo escapes, mauling his keeper and accidentally setting the circus on fire. The local sheriff and his posse chase the gorilla around the area; the keeper goes to Dr. Adrian who, when he finds the man to be dying, decides to uplift his experiments to a higher level. Adrian extracts something from the keeper; the keeper dies (it wasn't quite clear to me whether or not Adrian actually killed him or whether he died from injuries sustained by Naboo's attack, but nevertheless, viewers see that the good doctor has effectively compromised his ethics in order to advance science). Dr. Adrian promptly whips up a "serum" and uses it on Frances, who begins to experience feeling in the form of pain in her legs -- "a breakthrough" according to Dr. Adrian. Unfortunately, he's run out of bodies.
Then Naboo, maddened by the smell of the keeper's uniform still in Dr. Adrian's home, crashes through a window and attacks the uniform (and the doctor). Naboo is a pretty wimpy ape for all his size (perhaps he was wounded in the breakout; perhaps he's dying of hunger), and Dr. Adrian is able to dispatch him with a knife. The lightbulb click on -- Dr. Adrian skins the gorilla (we never do find out what he did with the body), and proceeds to wear it in order to traipse around the area looking for new victims. Blame the gorilla! It's an interesting and disgusting twist on the gorilla-with-a-human-brain motif. I personally found it amusing, and completely logical.
A couple of deaths ensue. The sheriff begins to wonder why all the gorilla spoor centers on the doctor's house. France's legs seem to be getting better. The doctor needs more -- MORE, I TELL YOU! -- whatever extract comes from human. He makes one last journey into the night, gets shot by some dumb kids with a .22, knifed by a potential victim, and collapses on his front porch as the sheriff's posse crowds around. Frances comes wheeling up, sees that it's the doctor underneath all that hair, stands up, and walks. Dr. Adrian lives long enough to see that his "serum" has worked, then dies. Thus, the film carries a very strange moral -- it actually seems to justify the doctor's actions by virtue of its scientific success. That conclusion is completely opposite the usual "he delved into areas that Man was not meant to know" mad scientist/science runs amok philosophy that has permeated sf/horror screenplays from that day to this.
Karloff is very good in this little film; and while he is consistently on-screen, there is some development given to the supporting players as well. I was very taken with Maris Wrixon's acting in this -- not the standard throw-up-your-hands-in-mock-terror kind of performance. Henry Hall performs solidly as the sheriff; and Selmer Jackson puts in a fine performance as an avaricious colleague of Karloff; even Gertrude Hoffman's mostly mute housekeeper carries a seriousness that is not found in most of these Poverty Row pictures.
Short and to the point at 61 minutes, I very much enjoyed this little film. It's totally unpretentious, moves quickly, and is well-acted. A real treat for me. How is this film regarded by the rest of the board members?
