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Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) - Bela Lugosi, Sidney Fox

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Offline metaldams

 

    For Universal Horror fans, the story of MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE star Bela Lugosi and director Robert Florey at this point is pretty well known.  Lugosi had a chance to star in FRANKENSTEIN and turned it down.  Robert Florey was set to direct FRANKENSTEIN and even had some say in the script, only to be overtaken by James Whale.  FRANKENSTEIN becomes a major success and both men’s careers missed a big opportunity as a result.  The consolation prize they both received is the topic of this review, MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE.  Nowhere near the box office success of DRACULA or FRANKENSTEIN, MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE is one of those films the term “flawed masterpiece” was made for.

      Let’s start with the flaws and build our way to the good stuff.  Leon Ames plays leading man Pierre Dupin and top billed Sidney Fox plays leading lady Camille.  The romantic stuff is beyond sappy, especially that long, drawn out “May Day” spiel that works as unintentional comedy, funnier than some of the intended comedy in the film.  Another case of my words don’t do justice to how sappy this is, but I promise you David Manners and John Boles, as their DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN characters respectively, would go up to Pierre and say, “What the Hell is wrong with you, man?  Show some dignity.”  There is also the unnecessary scene with all the lovers in the springtime of nineteenth century Gay Paree leading to the infamous swing shot.  Along with the mini musical number Camille gets, it really clashes with the wonderfully macabre tone of the rest of the film.  Ames, very early in a long and distinguished career, is mostly fine but does overact in parts, namely after the ape breaks into Camille’s house.  Sidney Fox, one of those tragic Hollywood stories, plays really innocent here.  It was a performance that I was critical of for years, but like the performances of David Manners and Helen Chandler in DRACULA, one I’ve eased up on because the innocence is really a necessary part of the story.  For Stooge fans, her look, if not on screen persona, is similar to Dorothy Appleby.  As far as Bert Roach’s comedy relief when making lunch, the less said, the better.

      So yes, we’ve established MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE is not a perfect film.  That being said, this is a 1932 Universal Horror film with art direction by Charles Hall and starring Bela Lugosi.  Quite obviously, those credentials should mean the good far outweighs the bad and indeed, it does.  This film looks incredible.  Charles Hall, once again, painted an amazing atmosphere.  1845 Paris, with it’s cobblestone streets, gaslit foggy nights, stone and brick buildings with German expressionistic angular roofs and that wonderful looking carnival in the intro really are a feast for the eyes.  Universal Horror, especially 1931 - 1936, is my favorite era of horror and the atmosphere has so much to do with it.  The atmospheric tour de force of MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE is the knife fight scene.  The foggy atmosphere by that bridge is amazing, as are the close ups of Lugosi’s face as he approaches the lady in distress.  Brrr, just a gloriously chilling scene.

      Then there are the story elements themselves.  Anybody who thinks 1930’s horror is tame stuff really should watch films like this.  Lugosi plays Dr. Mirakle, a side show carnival man who brings an ape named Erik along with him.  While offending half the nineteenth century population speaking of Darwinian evolution, his goal is to prove apes and humans are the same.  He does this by mixing ape blood with female human blood.  Once the blood proves compatible, then they can mate.  Yes folks, there’s a bestiality theme going on here and to think, this is not the only 1932 film that deals with this subject.  Like other films of the era, virginal purity is also important.  Virginal Camille did just fine having her blood mixed, but non pure women, like the girl off the streets Mirakle found, die when having their blood mixed with an ape’s.  Hey, sometimes you just have to roll with the plot, but yes, chastity, even in films as late as the 80’s, can increase your chances of survival in horror films. 

      Gotta mention Bela Lugosi himself.  Prime Bela here.  Curly hair, bushy eyebrows, a cape, a cool hat, Bela looks quite cool here and his acting is in top form.  The carnival scene where he’s on stage is definitely one of his longest speeches he ever gives, speaking of science and evolution, accenting words and punctuating by hitting his cane to the ground.  Great shots of the camera looking up at a shadowy Lugosi and Lugosi’s shadow  overtaking the back of the tent as he speaks is very effective,  When the prostitute he murders after injecting her with ape blood, she in a Christ like  crucifixion position, he kneeling before her, Lugosi is fantastic, showing intense remorse for a moment like only Lugosi can, he then quickly becomes indifferent, having his sidekick, Janos (played by the wonderfully made up horror legend Noble Johnson), dump her body in the river below by hitting a lever and opening a hole in the ground below her.  A really memorable Lugosi performance here, Dr. Mirakle is one of his great roles.

      MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, while not a place to start, is a great film for established fans of old horror films.  It’s really a shame Lugosi wasn’t allowed to carry more classy productions like this one.  After this, WHITE ZOMBIE and CHANDU THE MAGICIAN, it was either poverty row, teaming with Karloff, or being part of an ensemble.  But yeah, I’m a fan boy of this stuff so any flaw I mentioned is just my logical side talking, I can easily overlook that stuff.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline metaldams

Forgot to mention how Pierre mentions Lugosi’s unusual accent in the beginning of the film, not knowing where he’s from.  Universal adding to mystique of the Lugosi persona at this point,
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Dr. Mabuse

Nice review.  Regardless of its flaws, "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a must for Bela Lugosi fans.

This very loose Edgar Allan Poe adaptation leans toward Caligari-styled expressionism, but gets bogged down in needless romantic and comic relief. Except for Lugosi's bravura performance as Dr. Mirakle, the acting is terribly weak for a Universal chiller. However, there is a memorable appearance by Arlene Francis as one of Bela's victims. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" would have been stronger without the post-production tampering and cries for a major re-edit (Florey's original cut started with the knife fight).

6.5/10
« Last Edit: August 02, 2020, 07:48:55 PM by Dr. Mabuse »


Offline metaldams

Nice review.  Regardless of its flaws, "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a must for Lugosi fans.

This very loose Edgar Allan Poe adaptation leans toward Caligari-styled expressionism, but gets bogged down in needless romantic and comic relief. Except for Lugosi's bravura performance as Dr. Mirakle, the acting is terribly weak for a Universal chiller. However, there is a memorable appearance by Arlene Francis as one of Bela's victims. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" would have been stronger without the post-production tampering and cries for a major re-edit (Florey's original cut started with the knife fight).

I just downloaded the Weaver/Brunas Brothers Universal Horrors book this weekend, I should read the chapter on this film.  Not surprised about editing because the film is barely over an hour.  I can imagine the knife scene being a very effective opening.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Shemp_Diesel

Apparently this movie was considered a type of "punishment" for Lugosi and Florey in light of every thing that went on with Frankenstein and Jimmy Whale taking over that little project. And part of that punishment also was Sidney Fox being top-billed over Lugosi because Laemmle Jr. was sweet on Fox. In any event, I think Karloff walked away from Universal not long after the Mummy, so the Laemmles had difficulty hanging on to top talent.


As for Rue Morgue, I haven't watched it recently, but my memories of it are pretty good. Maybe Robert Florey wasn't the genius he thought he was as a director, but I wouldn't call him a hack, either. Apparently censorship also had something to do with the troubles and re-edits this film was subjected to (sounds like Lon Chaney in the Phantom).

I always thought it was a little odd too how Erik the gorilla was a man in a suit obviously, but footage of a real gorilla was cut in at random. Static is another word I've heard for a lot of early talkies & it may apply here. Of course, I'm guessing most folks watching bought their ticket for Bela "Dracula" Lugosi & he doesn't disappoint. If this is a good movie, then Bela brought the majority of the bacon...

7/10...
Talbot's body is the perfect home for the Monster's brain, which I will add to and subtract from in my experiments.


Offline metaldams

Apparently this movie was considered a type of "punishment" for Lugosi and Florey in light of every thing that went on with Frankenstein and Jimmy Whale taking over that little project. And part of that punishment also was Sidney Fox being top-billed over Lugosi because Laemmle Jr. was sweet on Fox. In any event, I think Karloff walked away from Universal not long after the Mummy, so the Laemmles had difficulty hanging on to top talent.


As for Rue Morgue, I haven't watched it recently, but my memories of it are pretty good. Maybe Robert Florey wasn't the genius he thought he was as a director, but I wouldn't call him a hack, either. Apparently censorship also had something to do with the troubles and re-edits this film was subjected to (sounds like Lon Chaney in the Phantom).

I always thought it was a little odd too how Erik the gorilla was a man in a suit obviously, but footage of a real gorilla was cut in at random. Static is another word I've heard for a lot of early talkies & it may apply here. Of course, I'm guessing most folks watching bought their ticket for Bela "Dracula" Lugosi & he doesn't disappoint. If this is a good movie, then Bela brought the majority of the bacon...

7/10...

Yeah, I heard that story about why Ms. Fox got top billing as well.  Bela needed a better agent!

Robert Florey is one of those names I need to explore more.  He has his fans and detractors, but from what I can gather, has an interesting career.  He directed THE COCOANUTS before this, of all things!  As far as horror, I’ve seen THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS, which is pretty good.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Shemp_Diesel

I completely forgot about Florey being involved with the Marx Bros., but yeah, I don't dislike him, it's just fortunate that Frankenstein went to James Whale instead of him & how that turned out. Btw, Bela needed a better agent or Bela himself being the consumate pro he was almost always never met a script he couldn't turn down.

I guess I could conjecture that Bela should have held out for more money after "Dracula," but maybe still being new to Hollywood at that time he wasn't used to the sharks running the business. Btw, while typing this, I'm thinking about Bela in The Black Sleep. That's a movie that sucks for the Bela and Chaney Jr. contingent--but on the flipside--I still found it to be a good movie for Rathbone and the rest of the role players...
Talbot's body is the perfect home for the Monster's brain, which I will add to and subtract from in my experiments.


Offline metaldams

I completely forgot about Florey being involved with the Marx Bros., but yeah, I don't dislike him, it's just fortunate that Frankenstein went to James Whale instead of him & how that turned out. Btw, Bela needed a better agent or Bela himself being the consumate pro he was almost always never met a script he couldn't turn down.

I guess I could conjecture that Bela should have held out for more money after "Dracula," but maybe still being new to Hollywood at that time he wasn't used to the sharks running the business. Btw, while typing this, I'm thinking about Bela in The Black Sleep. That's a movie that sucks for the Bela and Chaney Jr. contingent--but on the flipside--I still found it to be a good movie for Rathbone and the rest of the role players...

The Black Sleep!  That would be a great one to review.

Bela should have turned down a few scripts, but my understanding is he was such a big spender he needed the work.  He filed for bankruptcy in 1932.  I can watch the vast majority of his work - I enjoy the Monograms, for example, but he sometimes appeared in films so beneath him.  Murder By Television is just about the worst movie I’ve ever seen - unbelievable he’d stoop so low in 1935.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Dr. Mabuse

Other Robert Florey films worth tracking down:

Daughter of Shanghai (1937)
https://vimeo.com/306049983

God Is My Co-Pilot (1945)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2a4wi9

Bedside (1934)

Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948)

The Face Behind the Mask (1941)



Offline metaldams

Other Robert Florey films worth tracking down:

Daughter of Shanghai (1937)
https://vimeo.com/306049983

God Is My Co-Pilot (1945)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2a4wi9

Bedside (1934)

Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948)

The Face Behind the Mask (1941)



Thanks!  THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK I’ve seen, the others I have not.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Dr. Mabuse

Robert Florey co-directed "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947), but Chaplin relegated him to "Associate Director" in the credits — thus ending their 25-year friendship.  Florey wanted to make the black comedy more cinematic, which stagebound Chaplin angrily resisted. The avant-garde montage at the 1:39:17 mark was obviously Florey's work.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2024, 01:46:21 PM by Dr. Mabuse »


Offline metaldams

Robert Florey co-directed "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947), but Chaplin had him relegated to "Associate Director" in the credits — thus ending their 20-year friendship.  Florey wanted to make the black comedy more cinematic, which stagebound Chaplin angrily resisted. The avant-garde montage at the 1:39:17 mark was obviously Florey's work.



That’s right!  I forgot about Florey’s involvement in MONSIEUR VERDOUX - my favorite Chaplin talkie.  Gotta review that one someday when I get back in the comedy itch, which should be soon.  Orson Welles had some story idea involvement in the beginning as well.

....and yeah, gotta read up on Florey for sure.  Seems to be a character who, for whatever reason, got passed aside in some should have been big moments.
- Doug Sarnecky