| A Look At Some Bela Lugosi Films I think it would be safe to say that for the most part Bela Lugosi didn't get to star in too many "major" productions thanks to the Hollywood mentality at the time.Lugosi starred in a lot of low budget films, especially in the 1940's.Some of them are quite bad and some are rather fun.No matter how bad the film, Bela Lugosi gave it everything he had.I've had the pleasure to watch several lately and decided to offer some mini reviews. White Zombie(1932)was an independant production by the Halperin brothers.Lugosi played voodoo master Murder Legendre.Lugosi comes across quite slimy and evil;totally unsympathetic.The film suffers from the silent era acting style of the juvenile leads.There are some striking images in the film and the zombies are convincing.High on atmosphere but slow moving even at 70 minutes. The Phantom Creeps(1939) is a fun serial that has Lugosi playing a mad scientist.He wants to rule the world with his invisibilty belt, his big goofy robot and a mysterious meteorite.The good guys, spies and Lugosi keep playing hot potato with the source of his powers as it changes hands every chapter.The other leads are forgettable but Lugosi has a ball as he is in almost every scene.Worth seeking out. Invisible Ghost (1941) has Lugosi as a wonderful man mourning the disappearance of his wife.In the meantime gruesome stranglings have been happening in his home.It seems that his wife is not dead and whenever she appears Lugosi goes into a trance and starts killing anyone in sight.Why?Hey, it's a Monogram so nothing is ever explained.Clarence Muse as the butler has some wonderful lines. The Corpse Vanishes (1942) is a sick little number.Brides seemingly die in the middle of their wedding ceremony and their bodies are stolen.Lugosi is putting the ladies into a death like coma to steal their glandular fluid.He uses the fluid to restore the youthful beauty of his nasty 80 year old wife.His helpers include a mute moron that likes to fondle the hair of the comatose women, a dwarf and a looney woman. The Ape Man(1943)has Lugosi walking and looking like a simian due to injections of spinal fluid from apes.Why this is done we're never informed (a common failing in Monogram pictures).Injections of human spinal fluid may help the problem but the donors die.There is a really stupid character in this film and he nearly kills this film.Still worth watching to see Lugosi jabbering at an ape and lending whatever dignity he can to this. Bowery At Midnight (1942)has Lugosi playing Professor Brenner who leads a double life as Karl Wagner, soup kitchen host and master criminal.Wagner has a high turnover rate in his gangster racket as he always kills a member at the scene of the crime.He also has a junkie doctor named "Doc" who does some weird experimenting with Wagner's murder victims.He restores them to life and keeps them in a sub-sub basement.Why and how?Again, it's a Monogram!Lugosi has fun and so will you. Black Dragons(1942)is a wild, weird flick that is a lot of fun.Several prominent American businessman are really Japanese fifth columnists!They have been converted via plastic surgery by Lugosi, on loan to the Japanese from the Nazis!After he's double crossed, Lugosi performs plastic surgery on himself(ouch!) to escape.He tracks down the Japanese and kills them all off.He also can enter and vanish from taxi cabs without being noticed or paying the fares!Again don't ask how.I love this one. Return Of The Ape Man (1943) is almost beyond words.Lugosi & John Carradine find a prehistoric caveman and thaw him out.Lugosi wants to transplant part of a modern brain into the caveman to better communicate with him."Some people's brains wouldn't be missed" he muses.Lugosi removes Carradine's brain and puts it in the cave man.The caveman goes on a murderous rampage when he isn't playing tunes on the piano.You also discover that 4 million year old cavemen wear BVD's as you get a great shot of them as he climbs out a window!Ooohh dat's scary! Bride Of The Monster (1955)has become the litmus test for me when it comes to terrible films.This is Lugosi and amateur night as the rest of the cast can't stand in Lugosi's drug ravaged shadow.Plan 9 looks like high art compared to this mess. All but Black Dragons and Return Of The Ape Man are available on dvd.Black Dragons is available on vhs and Return via bootleg/grey market tapes.No doubt some of these will make your head hurt and some may make you glad you picked it up. |
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