The Uninvited (1944)

"Mists gather here... and sea fog... and eerie stories...", 4 August 2009

I've watched at least three movies recently that, for whatever ridiculous reason, cannot be purchased on a R1 DVD. Two Hammer films, Twins of Evil and Vampire Circus, and The Uninvited. Okay, maybe I can in some twisted way understand the fate of the two Hammer films, but why oh why isn't The Uninvited available in the U.S. on DVD? Makes no sense at all. The Uninvited is a true classic in every respect. The plot involves a brother and sister, Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey), who buy an abandoned, but remarkably well preserved, house on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The seller has a granddaughter, Stella Meredith (Gail Russell), who is totally against the sale of the house because it was her mothers. Shortly after moving in, strange noises and loud crying can be heard all through the house at night. Neither the dog nor the cat will venture upstairs – too frightened to take the first step. And there's a locked studio upstairs that always feels cold regardless of the temperature. If you can't guess already, the house is haunted (I know, a real shocker). The haunting seems to be that of the ghost of the Stella's mother, who Roderick is falling in love with (Stella that is, not the ghost of her mother). But why is she haunting the house? And why does Stella's life seem to be put in danger every time she visits? It's a mystery that demands to be solved.

I just love discovering a classic like The Uninvited that I've never taken the time to watch. Every thing about the film is spot on perfect. While I could go on and on extolling the movie's virtues, I'll try to limit this to just a couple of real highlights. First, the movie's got a boatload of atmosphere. It's so thick you feel like you can cut it with a knife. It gives you that kind of eerie feeling that doesn't leave once the lights go on. But The Uninvited is more than just a horror movie. Director Lewis Allen flawlessly mixes in romance, comedy, mystery, and drama. And the amazing part is that it all works – especially the mystery elements of the story. Even without the ghosts, the mystery of the house and Stella and her mother would have been enough to keep me interested. The special effects are another area that deserves mention. I've often argued in the past that some of the best ghost stories are those that don't really show anything. You know, the less is more argument. Well, in The Uninvited, we actually get to see what's causing all the problem. And to my astonishment, this also works. I was expecting something cheesy, but instead saw an image that looked like what a ghost might look like. Finally, it's impossible to discuss The Uninvited without mentioning the acting. This is probably the best performance I've ever seen from Ray Milland. He's amiable, care-free manner fits nicely into the film. I also enjoyed Ruth Hussey. She has a Myrna Loy quality to her that I liked. The others, including Gail Russell, Donald Crisp, and the scene stealing Dorothy Stickney, hold their own.

If you're a fan of classic horror (or even just a fan of classic films) do yourself a favor and seek out The Uninvited. You'll kick yourself for not doing it earlier.

9/10

Return of the Ape Man (1944)

Talk about false advertising - What happened to George Zucco?, 31 May 2009

Two scientists, Prof. Dexter and Prof. Gilmore (played by horror legends Bela Lugosi and John Carradine), have developed a method of reanimating a frozen body with no adverse affects. They decide to test their discovery on a primitive man frozen in ice for thousands of years. Again, they find success. Still not satisfied, Prof. Dexter wants to place half of a modern brain into his primitive guinea pig. But where to find a brain? Prof Dexter's not above murder if it will advance his theories.

I'm usually willing to cut these Poverty Row films a break, but Return of the Ape Man features the worst of what these movies had to offer. First off, there's the incredibly misleading credit sequence that promises George Zucco. I'm a huge fan of Zucco. I was actually more interested in watching him than either Bela Lugosi or John Carradine. And even though his name appears twice in the opening credits, he's nowhere to be found. What's up with that! Next, the overall acting is absolutely terrible. Carradine has so little to do that he's hardly in the movie – and acts it. You can usually count on Lugosi for a fun performance, but even he appears to be going through the motions. The rest of the unknown cast is abysmal, except for Teala Loring. She provides the one lone spark Return of the Ape Man has to offer. Thirdly, the titular Ape Man is hardly an Ape Man at all. He looks more like a guy with long hair and a beard. It's a hoot to listen to character after character describe the hippy looking dude as more ape-like than man. My guess is that Monogram came up with a title and had a script before they checked their budget for the special effects necessary to create an Ape Man. Finally, even by Monogram standards, Return of the Ape Man is cheap looking. Often, the sets look like they might have fallen over had someone breathed too heavily in the wrong direction. And the Arctic expedition scenes are laugh out loud funny in how cheap they are. A few seconds of stock footage followed by Carradine and Lugosi standing around talking while wearing the most ridiculous fur coats and hats does not make for a very authentic looking scene. Return of the Ape Man might be the bottom of the proverbial barrel as far as Poverty Row thrillers goes. I'm being generous with my 3/10.

3/10

Weird Woman (1944)

Lon Chaney, Jr. - The Love God, 15 October 2007

While doing field research, Professor Norman Reed (Lon Chaney, Jr.) meets and falls in love with a beautiful, exotic woman. He marries her and brings her home. Things couldn't be any better for the Professor. That is, until he discovers his wife is still practicing the voodoo type ceremonies of her homeland. He forbids her from carrying on with the superstitious mumbo-jumbo. But at what price? Professor Reed's life is suddenly turned upside-down and he faces the ultimate – a charge of murder. Is it the voodoo or something more close to home but equally sinister that threatens Professor Reed's future?

Of the six Inner Sanctum mysteries, Weird Woman is one of my favorites (Pillow of Death being the other). I suppose some who've seen the movie might think I've overrated it, but these kinds of movies work for me. Weird Woman is a quick-paced mystery that, at just over 60 minutes, never outstays its welcome. The "mystery" isn't really hard to figure out, but the all the back-stabbing and other trickery is a lot of fun. The cast is a blast. Besides Chaney, Weird Woman features some of the best females working in B-films of the 40s – Anne Gwynne, Evelyn Ankers, Lois Collier, and Elizabeth Russell. Overall, I've go very few complaints.

One thing that really puzzles me every time I've seen Weird Woman is the way the script has almost every female in the cast react to Chaney. Watching beautiful women like Gwynne, Ankers, and Collier swoon after Chaney is a hoot!

7/10

One Body Too Many (1944)

Fairly standard 1940s comedy/horror/mystery/thriller, 9 October 2007

One Body Too Many is a fairly enjoyable The Cat and the Canary style film. It's not great, but it's certainly not the worst piece of trash to come down the pike. As I alluded, those familiar with The Cat and the Canary aren't going to find the plot groundbreaking with its originality – an old dark house with secret passages, greedy family members gathered for the reading of the will of an eccentric and rich patriarch, the will includes all sorts of unusual stipulations, and at least one person in the party proves to be a killer and begins bumping off other family members. It's nothing new. This basic plot structure was fairly common in the 40s and One Body Too Many is a typical example.

As I've learned to expect from a comedy/horror/mystery/thriller from the 40s, some of the movie will work and some won't. Going in, I always hope that what works is more than what doesn't work. One of the things that worked well for me in One Body Too Many was Bela Lugosi. Playing what is essentially the supporting role of butler, Lugosi steals scene after scene. The running gag involving Lugosi and the coffee is very nearly laugh-out-loud funny. Jack Haley (who generally gets on my nerves) also has his moments that really work. He has at least one scene where he ends up naked in a clothes hamper that I found hysterical. But even with these great moments, overall the good and the bad in One Body Too Many pretty much balanced out, resulting in what I'll call an average way to spend 75 minutes.

5/10

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944)

An average Chan - and I'm being generous calling it that, 13 August 2006


I've been a Charlie Chan fan as long as I remember. Some of my earliest memories involve watching Chan late at night on television. But Charlie Chan in the Secret Service doesn't work for me the way most Chan films do. Sure, it has its moments (like introducing Birmingham Brown), but there are too many problems I have with the movie for me to call it anything other than average.

What are the problems with Charlie Chan in the Secret Service? Glad you asked. Two areas where I have real issues with the movie are the means of murder and the padding. First, Charlie Chan in the Secret Service features a couple of fairly elaborate murder weapons that would have taken some time to set up. But the killer was just a guest in the house. So when did the murderer get inside and re-do the electrical wiring to be able to commit murder? Second, Charlie Chan in the Secret Service has a runtime of only 63 minutes. But if you were to take out the numerous instances of padding, you might end up with a movie less than 45 minutes in length. The most egregious example is the scene where Chan leaves the Secret Service building. We see Chan walk down the hall, through the doorway, down the steps, wait for a cab, get in the cab, ride to his destination, exit the cab, and finally get inside the house. Alone, these scenes take a good two or more minutes and add absolutely nothing to the film other than stretching its runtime.

I realize that most of the Monogram Chan films can't compare with what came before. But Charlie Chan in the Secret Service is weak even by Monogram standards.

5/10

The Spider Woman (1944)

"Feline, not canine.", 7 July 2006

The Spider Woman is another fun and enjoyable outing for Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson. In this one, Holmes investigates a series of murders that the police have labeled suicides. He quickly determines the connection the men have with one another and surmises the murders are being committed by an unknown woman that he calls a Female Moriarty. But she's ready for Holmes and has a number of tricks up her sleeve. Can Holmes escape her multitude of traps and bring this feminine menace to justice?

It's always a joy to watch Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce do their thing. They seemed to work off of each other so effortlessly and do so in The Spider Woman. Gale Sondergaard is excellent as the film's title character. She proves to be quite the match for Holmes. The verbal sparring match the pair has in a couple of scenes as each line and look has a double and deep meaning is perfect. The dialogue in these scenes is as well written as any I've yet run across in a Sherlock Holmes film. Bruce gets a chance to shine as well in a couple of scenes in The Spider Woman. Watching Watson pull on the beard of a postman while calling him names because he thinks its Holmes in disguise is very funny and very well done. But the best may be the scene where Watson very nearly kills Holmes with a rifle at a carnival game. It's a moment that stands out to me as a highlight of the entire series.

Overall, The Spider Woman is a nice entry in the Sherlock Holmes' series. I'm glad I finally had the chance to check it out.

7/10

The Pearl of Death (1944)

"I don't like the smell of you - an underground smell, the sick sweetness of decay.", 26 May 2006

The Pearl of Death is about average for the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films I've seen so far. It's not as good as something like The Scarlet Claw, but I thought it was better than some of the others I've seen. Rathbone and Nigel Bruce give their usual solid performances. However, I found that a little bit too much of the focus was on Bruce. That's not always a bad thing, but here he really didn't have much to do. Watching him paste clippings in a book for several minutes isn't the most entertaining thing in the world. My only complaint with the supporting cast is I would have liked more Evelyn Ankers. Other than that, they're fine. The story is good and it's nice to see Holmes fail on occasion as he does in the beginning of The Pearl of Death. In fact it's an incredible change of pace to see Holmes make such a gargantuan mistake that ends up costing several people their lives.

7/10

Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944)

"Pop, I've got a case that will knock your hat off!", 10 December 2005

A man is shot in a locked room. The police are completely stumped and cannot solve the case. When a book is written that insinuates the wife was the murderer, the man's stepdaughter enlists the help of Charlie Chan to find the real killer. Chan is only in town for 48 hours, so he's got to be quick if he's to solve a six-month old murder.

The Chinese Cat is one of the better of the Monogram Chan films. Sure, it's far from perfect, but I enjoy it each time I get the opportunity to watch. It's always fun to watch Chan investigate a crime scene while spitting out a few of the Chan style proverbs. Mantan Moreland is back as Birminham Brown and he has more than a few moments that bring at least a smile to my face. A few other things The Chinese Cat has in its favor include: a well paced plot, some trickery involving twins, and the fact that Number 3 son isn't as annoying as he is in some of the other Chan films. While I doubt the average movie fan would enjoy The Chinese Cat very much, fans of Chan will find something to enjoy.

But, as with the other Monogram films, there are problems in The Chinese Cat that are hard to overlook. Monogram made these films with very little in the way of a budget and it shows. The sets look cheap, some of the acting is stilted, and action scenes have taken the place of Chan questioning suspects. The Fun House scenes are the perfect example of the budgetary limitations as characters walk past the same three sets over and over and over...

6/10

The Mummy's Ghost (1944)

Continuity? What's that?, 18 October 2005

In this installment of Universal's Kharis mummy series, George Zucco is back as Andoheb, High Priest of Arkan. He sends his loyal servant Yousef Bey (John Carradine) to America to reunite Kharis with his love Ananka (to have been dead for thousands of years, this woman is a lot of trouble). Tana leaves are brewed, the mummy comes back to life, and Ananka's spirit is transferred into the body of another woman. Will Kharis find his true love before the storyline changes?

Attempting to keep up with the ever-changing storyline in Universal's Kharis mummy series can be a daunting challenge but part of the fun of these movies. Some of the obvious examples in The Mummy's Ghost include:

1. How is Andoheb back again? He was apparently killed in both of the previous two mummy movies.

2. Arkan? It was Karnak in the first two Kharis movies.

3. In the previous movies, Kharis' purpose was to protect Ananka's tomb and seek revenge on anyone who dared to defile it. All of a sudden, the mission changes to reuniting Kharis with Ananka so they can return to their tombs in Egypt.

4. Kharis has been burned twice yet there doesn't appear to be so much as a singe on any of his wrappings.

5. How many Tana leaves does it take to bring Kharis back to life? The number changes from movie to movie.

If all this sounds confusing, just watch what happens in the next sequel. Continuity doesn't appear to have been very high on the priority list.

With the exception of The Mummy's Hand, the Kharis films have fairly interchangeable parts. One is not much better or worse than the others. And while there are moments in each I enjoy, it's difficult to call any of the last three Kharis films "good". At best, The Mummy's Ghost is a harmless, sometimes entertaining way to spend an hour or so. I watch these movies over and over because I'm a sucker for mummy movies and mummy lore. The whole concept of a mummy coming back to life fascinates me like few other movie monsters.

5/10

Laura (1944)

I can't believe it took me 41 years to see this movie, 19 March 2005

Considering all of the movies I've watched in my life, it's amazing I had never seen Laura. The film mixes an interesting story, excellent cinematography, solid acting, and characters you're not likely to forget to create a bona fide classic. I'm not an expert, but Laura is certainly one of the best examples of the film noir that I've thus far seen. Most every character in the movie has some tragic flaw. As for the story, I found the mystery of who killed Laura to be secondary to the interaction between the characters. They speak to each other in that wonderful way that only characters in a film noir speak. This is a definite must see that I look forward to revisiting time and time again.

While I previously praised the characters in Laura, they also represent the only real weakness I see in the film that keeps me from rating it a 10/10. The characters are a little too exaggerated. Det. Lt. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) is a little to solemn and non-feeling. The gold-digging, but penniless, playboy Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price) is a little too conniving. And, although certainly one of the most memorable characters I've ever seen, Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb) is a little too flamboyant (for lack of a better word). I don't know, but it's possible that these exaggerated characters were part of Preminger's plan. Regardless, the over-the-top characterizations can be a bit distracting.

9/10