IT HAS LONG been said that, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" Additionally in Hollywood they have added the notion that "the great ones (Directors) borrow, the good ones steal!" We have some pretty good examples of both such behaviours here in MASTER MINDS.
TO BEGIN WITH, the movie came on the heels of 1949's ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (Universal, 1949). Much of the basic premise is grounded in the central theme of this Bowery Boys installment. And that would be the long popular horror movie plot device of seeking the right brain for the "Mad Scientist's" artificially created humanoid creature.*
AS FAR FETCHED and complicated a plot and the multifaceted locales visited are, the production team does manage to keep it all cohesive as possible; especially considering its fantasy based scenario. All works out and is accepted by we, the audience, mainly because we want to.
ADDED TO THE usual line-up of players (Leo, Dave & Bernard Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabe Dell, Billy Benedict and Bennie Bartlett) is a well chosen Horror Movie "B" Team. We have Alan Napier as the Scientist, Skelton Knaggs as assistant and Jane Adams as assistant.
ALTHOUGH THE HUMOR of this Bowery episode is surely of what we can quite safely refer to as being of the 'obvious' variety, it still works very well. Audiences of 1949 were well acquainted with and used to the antics and interplay of "Slip", "Sach", the Boys and Louie; they never seemed to tire of it. This movie does the regular routines very well, while at the same time explores new ground (for the B.Boys).
THE BEST ELEMENT (in our opinion)is the personality exchange that occurred between "Sach" and the Monster 'Atlas' (Glenn Strange**). It could have flopped miserably, but was instead most satisfying a bit of funny business. Huntz Hall's growling and mugging in a monstrous manner is equaled by Glenn Strange's mimicry of the usual Sach mannerisms. Of course the voices were reversely dubbed to complete the bit.
IN ADDITION TO the resemblance it bears to the ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN romp, we find a curious link and relationship to yet another movie. It was only at the end of the Laurel & Hardy THICKER THAN WATER that the personality and mannerism switch was used. It was indeed the wind-up and fade-out gag. it was much shorter in duration, but jut as effective.
BEFORE WE CLOSE, let us offer our congrats to both Mr. Huntz Hall and Mr. Glenn Strange for pulling it off. It was seriously a tribute to their rather under-appreciated abilities as actors.
NOTE: * The transfer of intellect here is one of the Mind, rather than that of the physical & surgically transplanted Brain. With the Mind being more of an abstract or spiritual 'entity', its transplant would be less offensive in a non-physical, necessarily bloody procedure. And this is not to mention the expensive and extended camera shots avoided; an additional bonus for a poverty row studio such as Monogram Pictures!
NOTE: ** Whether it was by chance or intended to be so, Glenn Strange had portrayed the Frankenstein monster in the last three films of the series, including ABBOTT & COSTELLLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN!
TO BEGIN WITH, the movie came on the heels of 1949's ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (Universal, 1949). Much of the basic premise is grounded in the central theme of this Bowery Boys installment. And that would be the long popular horror movie plot device of seeking the right brain for the "Mad Scientist's" artificially created humanoid creature.*
AS FAR FETCHED and complicated a plot and the multifaceted locales visited are, the production team does manage to keep it all cohesive as possible; especially considering its fantasy based scenario. All works out and is accepted by we, the audience, mainly because we want to.
ADDED TO THE usual line-up of players (Leo, Dave & Bernard Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabe Dell, Billy Benedict and Bennie Bartlett) is a well chosen Horror Movie "B" Team. We have Alan Napier as the Scientist, Skelton Knaggs as assistant and Jane Adams as assistant.
ALTHOUGH THE HUMOR of this Bowery episode is surely of what we can quite safely refer to as being of the 'obvious' variety, it still works very well. Audiences of 1949 were well acquainted with and used to the antics and interplay of "Slip", "Sach", the Boys and Louie; they never seemed to tire of it. This movie does the regular routines very well, while at the same time explores new ground (for the B.Boys).
THE BEST ELEMENT (in our opinion)is the personality exchange that occurred between "Sach" and the Monster 'Atlas' (Glenn Strange**). It could have flopped miserably, but was instead most satisfying a bit of funny business. Huntz Hall's growling and mugging in a monstrous manner is equaled by Glenn Strange's mimicry of the usual Sach mannerisms. Of course the voices were reversely dubbed to complete the bit.
IN ADDITION TO the resemblance it bears to the ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN romp, we find a curious link and relationship to yet another movie. It was only at the end of the Laurel & Hardy THICKER THAN WATER that the personality and mannerism switch was used. It was indeed the wind-up and fade-out gag. it was much shorter in duration, but jut as effective.
BEFORE WE CLOSE, let us offer our congrats to both Mr. Huntz Hall and Mr. Glenn Strange for pulling it off. It was seriously a tribute to their rather under-appreciated abilities as actors.
NOTE: * The transfer of intellect here is one of the Mind, rather than that of the physical & surgically transplanted Brain. With the Mind being more of an abstract or spiritual 'entity', its transplant would be less offensive in a non-physical, necessarily bloody procedure. And this is not to mention the expensive and extended camera shots avoided; an additional bonus for a poverty row studio such as Monogram Pictures!
NOTE: ** Whether it was by chance or intended to be so, Glenn Strange had portrayed the Frankenstein monster in the last three films of the series, including ABBOTT & COSTELLLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN!