The Monster Walks

Rating:
Summary: Monster of Comedy
Review: In 1931, Universal Pictures released "Frankenstein", starring Boris Karloff. Instead of joining Paramount Pictures, and other studios on the brink of Depression Era receivership, Universal thrived! Americans flocked to see the Monster. Poverty Row studios tried to cash in with their own "Monster" flicks. Thus was born "The Monster Walks", released in 1932. The story involves people in an old dark house on a stormy night menaced by a killer ape(see short man in gorilla costume). If extremely poor filmaking intrigues you, pick up this lemon. Otherwise, save your dollar. The sets are so cheap they waver, and threaten to collapse at any time.One bright spot is the performance of Mischa Auer, a Russian actor emmigrant in a small part as Hanns. One year later, he'd shine working for Howard Hawks in the classic "Viva Villa". "The Monster Walks" plods forward at a pace a snail could challenge. In fact, the Monster doesnt't walk, it crawls.

Rating:
Summary: Monster of Comedy
Review: In 1931, Universal Pictures released "Frankenstein", starring Boris Karloff. Instead of joining Paramount Pictures, and other studios on the brink of Depression Era receivership, Universal thrived! Americans flocked to see the Monster. Poverty Row studios tried to cash in with their own "Monster" flicks. Thus was born "The Monster Walks", released in 1932. The story involves people in an old dark house on a stormy night menaced by a killer ape(see short man in gorilla costume). If extremely poor filmaking intrigues you, pick up this lemon. Otherwise, save your dollar. The sets are so cheap they waver, and threaten to collapse at any time.One bright spot is the performance of Mischa Auer, a Russian actor emmigrant in a small part as Hanns. One year later, he'd shine working for Howard Hawks in the classic "Viva Villa". "The Monster Walks" plods forward at a pace a snail could challenge. In fact, the Monster doesnt't walk, it crawls.

Rating:
Summary: Not As Bad As You Might Think
Review: Not a horror picture, despite the title, but an Old-fashioned Dark House mystery where the murders are blamed on the late owner's ape (actually a chimp). The real murderer is Mischa Auer in an early role, far removed from the snobbish and refined characters he would later play. Rex Lease, a survivor of the silent era, is the nominal star (he would go on to appear in over 200 films, mostly westerns, and sometimes uncredited), along with Vera Reynolds, another silent film star who career ended shortly thereafter. The direction is static and the acting sometimes laughable, except for Willie Best, who plays the driver, Exodus. Best (here billed as Sleep `n' Eat, a name he frequently worked under in the early 30s) is again playing the cowardly stereotype, but his acting is heads and tails above the others, even Mischa Auer, who here appears as if he will never work again. A good example of early 30s low-budget film making and recommended for all film buffs.

Rating:
Summary: Not really a monster movie, but tolerably good
Review: The Earlton household is a rather strange one, particularly now that the head of the family has died suddenly. The Earltons have something that most families don't-a savage ape caged up in the basement (apparently, the late Mr. Earlton was some type of scientist). Yogi the ape detests Ruth Earlton for some unexplained reason, and he has a restless, sometimes rather raucous night once daughter Ruth returns to her old home for the reading of her father's will. Her uncle Robert, an invalid, welcomes her home alongside the family attorney and long-time servants Mrs. Krug and her son Hanss. Even though Ruth brings along her fiancé, she is in for a restless night, one punctuated by murder. When Ruth is first awakened during the night by a hairy arm coming from out of nowhere to try and strangle her, suspicion falls on the ape, but there seems to be no way the ape could have escaped his cage. Unsurprisingly, there are dark secrets in the house, ones which the audience has a good handle on from the start (which, unfortunately, takes away from some of the potential suspense). Nonetheless, there is one aspect of the full story that I did see coming.

Filmed in 1931, this movie does feature some comic relief in the form of Exodus (played by Willie Best, who is identified in the cast list by the name of "Sleep N' Eat"), a stereotypical black auto driver who conveys Ruth back to her family home. If you try to look past the racist element of the role, the character does provide some welcome humor in an otherwise bland, plodding film. In point of fact, Exodus is really the only character with enough sense to be afraid of whatever is going on in the weird house.

Basically, there is really nothing special about this early film to make it stand out, but it is a tolerably good mystery-horror story.

Rating:
Summary: Not really a monster movie, but tolerably good
Review: The Earlton household is a rather strange one, particularly now that the head of the family has died suddenly. The Earltons have something that most families don't-a savage ape caged up in the basement (apparently, the late Mr. Earlton was some type of scientist). Yogi the ape detests Ruth Earlton for some unexplained reason, and he has a restless, sometimes rather raucous night once daughter Ruth returns to her old home for the reading of her father's will. Her uncle Robert, an invalid, welcomes her home alongside the family attorney and long-time servants Mrs. Krug and her son Hanss. Even though Ruth brings along her fiancé, she is in for a restless night, one punctuated by murder. When Ruth is first awakened during the night by a hairy arm coming from out of nowhere to try and strangle her, suspicion falls on the ape, but there seems to be no way the ape could have escaped his cage. Unsurprisingly, there are dark secrets in the house, ones which the audience has a good handle on from the start (which, unfortunately, takes away from some of the potential suspense). Nonetheless, there is one aspect of the full story that I did see coming.

Filmed in 1931, this movie does feature some comic relief in the form of Exodus (played by Willie Best, who is identified in the cast list by the name of "Sleep N' Eat"), a stereotypical black auto driver who conveys Ruth back to her family home. If you try to look past the racist element of the role, the character does provide some welcome humor in an otherwise bland, plodding film. In point of fact, Exodus is really the only character with enough sense to be afraid of whatever is going on in the weird house.

Basically, there is really nothing special about this early film to make it stand out, but it is a tolerably good mystery-horror story.