NIGHT MONSTER (Universal, 1942), produced and directed by Ford Beebe, starring Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill, is more murder mystery than horror film regardless of what the title depicts and its leading players. Lugosi and Atwill, resident horror stars for the studio, interestingly don't play mad scientists reviving the dead nor creating monsters, or pit against each other, but are actually its individual supporting players to the leading supporting actors. Taken from an original screenplay by Clarence Upson-Young, the plot itself may have been an original idea according to the opening credits, but actually a recycled story with creative new ideas that makes this one of the better mysteries to come out for this second feature "B" unit.
The story takes place at an estate known as Ingston Towers located in a secluded location surrounded by marshlands. The house of mystery contains residents as Rolf (Bela Lugosi), the butler; Laurie (Leif Erickson), the chauffeur; Margaret Ingston (Fay Helm) a young heiress led to believed to be insane by its domineering housekeeper, Miss Sarah Judd (Doris Lloyd), who cleans off blood stains off the carpet; Torgue (Cyril Delevanti), the gate keeper; Millie Carson (Janet Shaw), a maid who quits due to strange occurrences; Curt Ingston (Ralph Morgan), the owner and old man whose paralyzed condition from an operation by several doctors has led him to become a helpless recluse. Ingston hires Agor Singh (Nils Asther), a turpin-wearing man with mystic powers, to help him out spiritually. Because of mysterious circumstances that have been occurring, Millie informs Constable Cap Beggs (Robert Homans) in town, but he's unable to assist her accusations without any proof of evidence. After Millie returns to the estate to pick up for her personal belongings, she leaves the home to is later found dead in the marshes. Arriving at the estate are Lynne Harper (Irene Hervey), a psychiatrist sent for by Margaret to prove to others that she is not insane; Dick Baldwin (Don Porter), a mystery writer; and doctors King (LIonel Atwill), Timmons (Frank Reicher) and Phipps (Francis Pierlot), the men responsible for Ingston's bed-ridden condition, also enter the scene. Eventually a series of one-by-one murders take place, having Beggs to come and do some investigation. Also in the cast is Eddy Waller playing Jeb Harmon.
Regardless of Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill receiving star billing, the film basically belongs to others in the cast, especially Ralph Morgan. Lugosi plays the butler with little to do. Considering its present casting, Lugosi and Nils Asther (as the medium), it might have been more effective had Lugosi and Asther switched roles, as with the switch casting of both Lionel Atwill and Ralph Morgan as well. Atwill, surprisingly has even less to do here, and is sadly wasted. While Fay Helm and Doris Lloyd, heiress and housekeeper who hate each other, get meatier roles, there's Janet Shaw (best known for her small role as the waitress in Alfred Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1942), with her distinctive throaty voice and personality, who gathers enough attention. Don Porter and Irene Hervey typically support as the couple who meet and become romantically involved. Another familiar pattern is the background underscoring used in many Universal thrillers of the day. For a Bela Lugosi movie, NIGHT MONSTER is definitely better structured than those cheaply made productions he did at the same time over at Monogram Studio (1941-1944)s. At least budget and production values by Universal standards are much higher than Monogram's.
Commonly shown on television in the 1960s and 70s as part of the horror movie package that often aired Saturday nights, NIGHT MONSTER has become forgotten over the years due to lack of revivals. Eventually NIGHT MONSTER did get resurrected again on video cassette in the mid 1990s and DVD a decade later. Revivals on cable television notably on ME-TV playing part of Saturday evening's "Svengoolie," and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: October 24, 2018), assuring modern-day interest and rediscovery to a new generation of viewers interested in mystery-horror tales such as this. (**1/2).
The story takes place at an estate known as Ingston Towers located in a secluded location surrounded by marshlands. The house of mystery contains residents as Rolf (Bela Lugosi), the butler; Laurie (Leif Erickson), the chauffeur; Margaret Ingston (Fay Helm) a young heiress led to believed to be insane by its domineering housekeeper, Miss Sarah Judd (Doris Lloyd), who cleans off blood stains off the carpet; Torgue (Cyril Delevanti), the gate keeper; Millie Carson (Janet Shaw), a maid who quits due to strange occurrences; Curt Ingston (Ralph Morgan), the owner and old man whose paralyzed condition from an operation by several doctors has led him to become a helpless recluse. Ingston hires Agor Singh (Nils Asther), a turpin-wearing man with mystic powers, to help him out spiritually. Because of mysterious circumstances that have been occurring, Millie informs Constable Cap Beggs (Robert Homans) in town, but he's unable to assist her accusations without any proof of evidence. After Millie returns to the estate to pick up for her personal belongings, she leaves the home to is later found dead in the marshes. Arriving at the estate are Lynne Harper (Irene Hervey), a psychiatrist sent for by Margaret to prove to others that she is not insane; Dick Baldwin (Don Porter), a mystery writer; and doctors King (LIonel Atwill), Timmons (Frank Reicher) and Phipps (Francis Pierlot), the men responsible for Ingston's bed-ridden condition, also enter the scene. Eventually a series of one-by-one murders take place, having Beggs to come and do some investigation. Also in the cast is Eddy Waller playing Jeb Harmon.
Regardless of Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill receiving star billing, the film basically belongs to others in the cast, especially Ralph Morgan. Lugosi plays the butler with little to do. Considering its present casting, Lugosi and Nils Asther (as the medium), it might have been more effective had Lugosi and Asther switched roles, as with the switch casting of both Lionel Atwill and Ralph Morgan as well. Atwill, surprisingly has even less to do here, and is sadly wasted. While Fay Helm and Doris Lloyd, heiress and housekeeper who hate each other, get meatier roles, there's Janet Shaw (best known for her small role as the waitress in Alfred Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1942), with her distinctive throaty voice and personality, who gathers enough attention. Don Porter and Irene Hervey typically support as the couple who meet and become romantically involved. Another familiar pattern is the background underscoring used in many Universal thrillers of the day. For a Bela Lugosi movie, NIGHT MONSTER is definitely better structured than those cheaply made productions he did at the same time over at Monogram Studio (1941-1944)s. At least budget and production values by Universal standards are much higher than Monogram's.
Commonly shown on television in the 1960s and 70s as part of the horror movie package that often aired Saturday nights, NIGHT MONSTER has become forgotten over the years due to lack of revivals. Eventually NIGHT MONSTER did get resurrected again on video cassette in the mid 1990s and DVD a decade later. Revivals on cable television notably on ME-TV playing part of Saturday evening's "Svengoolie," and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: October 24, 2018), assuring modern-day interest and rediscovery to a new generation of viewers interested in mystery-horror tales such as this. (**1/2).