Son of Dracula (1943)

"D - r - a - c ... ", 8 October 2007

Even though I consider myself a classic horror fan (and a fan of the classic Universal horror movies in particular), I readily admit that Dracula (1931) is not among my favorites. In fact, I prefer almost all of the Dracula sequels to the original. And, I consider Son of Dracula the best of the bunch. Why? I'm prepared to write about three areas in Son of Dracula that work almost perfectly for me: the atmosphere, the mix of genres/styles, and the cast.

- Atmosphere – Son of Dracula positively drips with atmosphere. The misty swamps, the expertly lit interiors, the luscious sets, the eerie music, and Robert Siodmak's direction all contribute to the richness and underlying sense of taboo and dread. One scene that perfectly demonstrates the film's atmosphere is the rise of Dracula from the swamps. The coffin rises from the swamp floor, a vaporous mist comes forth eventually changing into Dracula's solid form, he glides effortlessly across the swamp to meet his mortal love and future wife – man, you could bath in the atmosphere.

- Mix of genres/styles – Throughout its history, horror has often been combined with other genres or styles of movies. Most obvious are the great number of horror/comedies or horror/sci-fi films you can find. Sometimes, horror is mixed in more unusual ways. For example, there are horror/Westerns and even horror/romance films. Son of Dracula is one of the very few movies that I would call a horror/film noir (I know that film noir isn't necessarily a genre, but humor me here). All the film noir trappings are here. To begin with, Son of Dracula has that look generally associated with film noir. Just take a look at the use of shadows and you'll see what I mean. But a better example is Kay Caldwell as the femme fatal and Dracula, of all people, as her dupe. The way Kay uses Dracula to do what she wants would have made even Phyllis Dietrichson proud. Kay uses Dracula to kill her father so she can get the estate and then tricks him into marriage to gain immortality. Finished with Dracula, he becomes disposable. She turns to old flame Frank Stanley to help her destroy Dracula. In the end, all three – Kay, Dracula, and Frank – are either dead or damaged beyond repair. Take away the supernatural elements of the story and you've got a typical 1940s film noir.

- The cast – A lot of people tend to focus on Lon Chaney, Jr., suitability for the role of Dracula. The criticism is almost always related to Chaney's physical appearance. I'm convinced that some of these people can't get past his size long enough to take a look at his performance. And I've always thought of it as a rock solid performance. Equally mysterious is Louise Allbritton in role of the manipulative Kay. She's fantastic as she winds both Dracula and Frank around her finger. As for Robert Paige as the doomed Frank, he's perfect. He plays the tragic figure so well. Beyond these three, the film also features solid supporting performances from Evelyn Ankers, J. Edward Bromberg, and Frank Craven. All are terrific. Everyone involved in the cast really comes out of Son of Dracula looking good.

In the end, I do not hesitate to rate Son of Dracula a 9/10. Other than some minor quibbles I have with how quickly Dr. Brewster comes to believe in and accept that Dracula is in their presence, the film is near flawless to me. And it gets better with each successive viewing. Watching tonight, I realized I was enjoying it even more now than ever before. It's a great movie!

9/10

Captive Wild Woman (1943)

One of Universal's poorer efforts, 5 October 2007

Captive Wild Woman is proof that not all of the Universal horror movies of the 30s and 40s should be considered "classics". I've seen worse movies, but this is certainly one of the poorer Universal efforts I've thus far run across. The plot description on IMDb ("A mad scientist transplants human glands into a gorilla, turning the ape into a beautiful young woman (Acquanetta). However, a severe emotional jolt soon reverts her back into her primitive self with disastrous consequences.") only describes about half the movie. Seriously, the story of the gorilla turned to woman and back again doesn't take up half the movie's already short 61 minute runtime. The other half is made up of scene after seemingly endless scene of lion taming. It gets dull pretty quickly and zaps whatever energy the movie might have otherwise had going for it. Ape-turned-woman Acquanetta doesn't do much of anything other than stand mutely outside the cage and stare at the lions. How exciting is that? But if you've seen any of her other movies, having her stand like a statue is probably the extent of her acting ability. Milburn Stone is alright as the lion tamer. He also has the enviable task of man-handling Evelyn Ankers at every opportunity. Speaking of Ankers, she's wasted in a "do nothing" role. Finally, there's John Carradine. While he's actually very good, his screen time is too limited what with all the lion taming going on.

More rampaging gorilla, someone other than Acquanetta playing the gorilla woman, more Carradine, something for Ankers to do, and less lion taming – that's what Captive Wild Woman needed.

4/10

Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)

"It's clear as mud to me.", 4 May 2007

A British secret agent is assigned the task of taking some secret documents to Washington, D.C. It's wartime in Europe and enemy agents would be only too happy to get their hands on these papers. When the British agent does make it off the train from New York, things look bleak. Enter Sherlock Holmes and his trusty, ever faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson. The British government entrusts locating the missing agent, the secret papers he carried, and, ultimately, the success of the Allied war effort to Holmes.

I've never been much of a fan of the modern day, WWII set Sherlock Holmes films. I wholeheartedly prefer the Victorian Holmes thrillers like The Scarlet Claw and The Hound of the Baskervilles to something like The Voice of Terror. Too much flag waving, blindly chasing Nazis, and gun-play for my liking. I prefer the more sedate, cerebral Holmes who analyzes clues and outsmarts the baddies. And that's probably why I found Sherlock Holmes in Washington so appealing. The movie allows Holmes to use his intellect to solve the case. Holmes analyzes a sliver of wood having to do with the case and quickly comes up with the most amazing pronouncement regarding its origin. Pure Holmes! In addition, Sherlock Holmes in Washington benefits from having some above average supporting players (George Zucco and Henry Daniell) and from having Roy William Neill in the director's chair. Altogether, it's a good show and a nice installment in the series.

7/10

Lady of Burlesque (1943)

A different sort of Stanwyck, 1 July 2006

I love the alternate title for Lady of Burlesque. Just imagine seeing The G-String Murders on a marquee in 1943! How incredible would that have been? While the movie isn't as lurid as either title might suggest, it's a very enjoyable little film. Lady of Burlesque is the story of the murder of a dancer backstage at a burlesque show. Dixie Daisy (Barbara Stanwyck) is immediately the prime suspect, but there is no shortage of people who didn't care for the victim and wanted her out of the way.

There was a time, actually quite recently, when I didn't think I cared much for Barbara Stanwyck. Growing up, I had seen her in the television show The Big Valley and as I didn't like it, I thought I didn't care for Barbara Stanwyck. I have completely changed that opinion. Stanwyck could play the tough-as-nails woman with the best of them. In many of her movies, she comes across as a woman who won't take anything from anybody. She plays a similar character in Lady of Burlesque. Sure, it's a little softer character and less of a man-eater than I'm accustomed to, but Dixie Daisy can hold her own. You're not going to push her around. And I give Stanwyck credit for attempting something different in Lady of Burlesque. Singing and dancing do not appear to have been her forte, but she gives it a try.

Beyond Stanwyck, the two things I enjoyed most in Lady of Burlesque are the mystery elements of the story and the dialogue. I'm a sucker for a good 40s style mystery and this movie comes through. The backstage set with the various dark passageways, dressing rooms, and stairs provides a great set-up for a mystery. It's a fun one to play along with and the final reveal really caught me off guard. The pacing of the film is good with the character dialogue being the driving force. I was reminded on more than one of occasion of the Howard Hawks' films I enjoy so much. The characters in Lady of Burlesque speak in that same snappy, witty manner I associate with Hawks. It's nicely done.

The weakest part of Lady of Burlesque are the on-stage song and dance numbers. These scenes really drag things down. I have trouble believing anyone ever actually found this type of entertainment scandalous. To me, it's rather dull, unfunny, and not very entertaining.

7/10

The Ghost Ship (1943)

A "lesser" Lewton is still a solid movie, 13 February 2006

Tom Merriman (Russell Wade) is the new 3rd Officer on a ship headed down the coast of Mexico. Merriman meets and, at first, likes his new skipper, Captain Wade Stone (Richard Dix). However, a series of unfortunately events has Merriman questioning his first impression of Captain Stone. Merriman believes the Captain is going mad and must report him to a company representative. But at what price? Won't Merriman's life be in danger if her reports the Captain?

I suppose I would consider The Ghost Ship a "lesser" Lewton film. When compared with some of the Lewton classics like The Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and The Body Snatcher, it doesn't come out looking too good. On its own, The Ghost Ship is a slow moving story with a nice payoff in the end. Those desiring a quick, thrill-a-minute had best find another movie. This one takes its sweet time building to the conclusion.

Like all Lewton films, given the budgetary constraints Lewton worked within, it's amazing how technically sound these movie are and how good they look. Lightening, cinematography, and sets are as good as any you'll find in a film from the 40s. Take the sets as an example. The outdoor locations of San Sebastian were obviously shot on a back lot and made for some other movie. But with the expert way these sets were shot, to me at least, makes them look authentic.

Of note in the acting department is Richard Dix as the Captain. He has a way of speaking that, while at first off-putting, later becomes genuinely creepy. In addition to the voice, you can actually see the madness evident in Dix's eyes. The rest of the cast is solid at worst.

Overall, while I'll never consider The Ghost Ship one of Lewton's best films, I enjoy it each time I get the opportunity for a revisit.

7/10

The Leopard Man (1943)

Very nice low-budget chiller from Val Lewton, 29 October 2005

Kiki and Clo-Clo (I just love these names.) are rivals in a nightclub act. To upstage Clo-Clo, Kiki's boyfriend arranges for her to enter the club with a black leopard on a leash while Clo-Clo is performing. But things don't go as planned and the leopard escapes. Later that night, a young woman is killed outside her home by a leopard. More deaths of women are blamed on the leopard. But is it really the leopard that's responsible for the deaths or is a maniac using the leopard as a cover to commit murder?

The Leopard Man has an unusual story structure that I find very appealing. Most of the events in the movie and most of the people (or victims) we meet occur through the movements of Clo-Clo. As she walks through the streets, she runs into or passes seemingly random persons. We are immediately taken into their world for a brief glimpse of their lives before the inevitable occurs. It's the realization that these people are unknowingly in danger because of a chance meeting with Clo-Clo and they can do nothing about it that creates much of the suspense in The Leopard Man.

The Leopard Man features some of the best set-pieces and scenes Val Lewton ever put together. The death of the first girl, Teresa, is the most obvious example. To get home, Teresa must go through a tunnel knowing full well that a leopard has escaped and may be inside ready to pounce. This scene is nothing short of scary. It's one of the most frightening moments from a Lewton movie. Teresa finally reaches home but is unable to get inside the house. Before her mother and brother can get the door open, Teresa is attacked. The camera pans to the floor to show the blood running into the house. It's a very chilling moment and one of the best that Lewton ever made.

Most of Lewton's films have a "look" to them that I find very pleasing. In this department, The Leopard Man doesn't disappoint. Everything from the "noirish" look of the city streets to the use of shadows to create atmosphere gives these movies part of their distinctiveness. Lewton couldn't afford fancy special effects or high-priced actors, so he made up for this by creating some of the most visually stunning movies I've seen. In short, The Leopard Man is a real treat to the eye.

8/10

The Black Raven (1943)

It might be good, 4 February 2005

The Black Raven is another movie that IMDb has incorrectly listed as a "Horror/Mystery". "Mystery" - I'll give you. "Horror" - None that I saw.

The basic story: Several varied travelers are forced to stay at an inn by a thunderstorm that has washed out the roads and bridges. One of the guests has $50,000 that he stole from the bank where he worked. When one of the guests is murdered, it seems that everybody had a motive. And to complicate matters, the $50,000 is missing. Who did it? You'll have to watch to find out.

The movie stars George Zucco and Glenn Strange. Both were veterans of both B-pictures and mainstream horror. The performances of Zucco and Strange, as well as most of the rest of the cast, is superior to what you normally find in a PRC production.

The film has tons of atmosphere. The big, dark inn, the thunderstorm, the hiding places, and the characters' motivations create a terrific atmosphere for a mystery thriller. The inn, with it's many guest rooms and cellar makes a great setting for a murder.

The problem I had while watching The Black Raven wasn't so much with the movie, but with the DVD I have. The Alpha DVD is VERY dark in some places. It's all but impossible to tell what is going on. The worst is that one of the dark spots occurs during the final events of the movie leading up to the killer being revealed. What a shame, because otherwise this would have been a highly enjoyable little murder mystery.

For what it's worth, I'll give the movie a 5/10. It would probably be a point higher if I had been able to see exactly what was happening. Also, I'll give the Alpha DVD a 2/10. I know this is an old film that has probably been given very little care, but the transfer was unacceptable even by Alpha's standards.

5/10

The Ape Man (1943)

Lugosi Grows a Beard, 4 February 2005

The basic story of the Ape Man is straight forward. Lugosi plays a scientist messing around with nature (these guys never learn). Through some experimentation he has turned himself into a half-ape (he had a heavy beard and walked stooped over). He, along with his gorilla assistant, must kill to get the spinal fluid he needs to reverse his previous experiment.

The Ape Man can be fairly entertaining if you don't take it too seriously. Lugosi is fine as the scientist - sometimes funny (as when trying to subdue his gorilla) and sometimes menacing (as when threatening the doctor who has been helping him). Henry Hall as the doctor and Minerva Urecal as Lugosi's sister are also worth mentioning. Typical of comedy/horror films from this period, some of the jokes work while some fall flat. Most of the jokes are delivered by Wallace Ford (Ford was also the comic relief in The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's Tomb). The movie was made by Monogram and is a typical Monogram cheap-B-quickie.

5/10