A slickly produced thriller, Night Monster serves up a familiar revenge premise seasoned with East Indian mysticism and an impressive death toll. The identity of the homicidal culprit is telegraphed early on while the emphasis is placed on how his/her evil deeds are accomplished. Some Universal fans have dinged the movie for promoting Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill as the stars when in actuality they are red herrings; it is certainly disappointing that they aren't more involved but the focus on an ensemble makes for a compelling narrative. Producer and Director Ford Beebe deploys a talented cast and repurposes some familiar-looking sets to deliver his tale while promoting a remarkably creepy atmosphere. Easily one of the more underrated studio horror films from the era.
The film commences with Agor Singh (Nils Asther) strolling through the gates of Ingston Manor to visit its crippled namesake Kurt (Ralph Morgan). Seems the estate is enveloped in all kinds of mystery and weird goings on including the murder of a physician in the nearby Pollard Slough. Ingston's sister Margaret (Fay Helm), feeling she is losing her grip on reality amidst bizarre occurrences like random blood splotches on the carpet, has summoned renowned psychiatrist Dr. Harper (Irene Hervey) to make sense of her neuroses. Housekeeper Millie (Janet Shaw) is fed up with the spooky shenanigans, too, and quits much to the displeasure of Rolf (Bela Lugosi) the butler who warns her against spreading gossip. Meanwhile Ingston has sent for his mystery novelist friend Dick Baldwin (Don Porter) and the 3 doctors who attended him during his illness and left him crippled: the haughty King (Lionel Atwill), guilt-ridden Timmons (Frank Reicher), and Phipps (Francis Pierlot). Pretty soon everyone is assembled in the creepy mansion and folks start getting knocked off one by one.
The screenplay by Clarence Upson Young grafts elements of mysticism and astral projection onto the standard themes of revenge and drawing room intrigue. While masquerading as a mystery the identity of the killer is tipped pretty early for savvy viewers and the lack of motivation for other potential suspects undermines the "who-done-it?" angle. In fact, the identity is definitively dropped about 15 minutes before the end which leaves the question of how the murders are being accomplished as the ultimate riddle. It seems everyone in the household knows what's going on from the start but no one is willing to fess up to the outside parties which wears a little thin at times. Frankly I've never grasped the mystical concepts Agor Singh promotes but it provides a unique method for the killer to operate with. Fortunately Singh is there to wrap everything up with a bow for any confused spectators before the fade out. The script unfortunately runs into considerable trouble with the depiction of Laurie (Leif Erickson), the Ingston chauffeur. Most likely intended as a glib skirt-chaser Laurie emerges today as a thwarted rapist and may temper a modern viewer's assessment of the overall film. Another issue comes with the character of Agor Singh who knows who the killer is from the second he sashays through the gates but prefers to wait for 5 more murders to occur before acting on this knowledge.
Director Beebe does a stellar job concocting the look of his film with abundant use of shadows, low lighting, and endless fog. He does go a bit overboard with the bombastic musical cues that emphasize every dramatic moment but the familiar strains from The Wolf Man, Ghost of Frankenstein, and others are always a welcome auditory experience. Beebe goes a step further in the sound department by employing croaking frogs during the nighttime scenes whose utterances stop on a dime whenever the killer is lurking about. A very nice touch. The film is also a treasure trove of backlot locations that have graced the screen in many a Universal thriller; notably the Ingston main gate, the main foyer of the Ingston home, the mansion hallways, and the train station.
Remarkably this is only the second (and last) time Bela Lugosi would be top billed in a Universal feature film and quite a shame it didn't result in a better role. Rolf the butler exists mainly as a diversion and possible culprit; Lugosi endows the underwritten character with a haughty quality that spices up his rather nondescript part. He's also a bit on the squeamish side when it comes to blood which is also a nice subversive touch Thoroughly wasted on the other hand is Lionel Atwill as Doctor King which is puzzling to say the least. He's even the first to get bumped off and is gone from the story after 29 minutes. Atwill gives one of his stock, pompous performances that is so unique to the performer. Inhabiting the most mysterious role of Agor Singh is Nils Asther who is convincing enough but it is impossible not to contemplate why Lugosi wasn't given this role. Cast as the ostensible romantic leads are Don Porter and Irene Hervey; two thespians who aren't required to do much and are up to the task.
The rest of the ensemble is peppered with many familiar Universal faces. Frank Morgan cops the pivotal role of Kurt Ingston and imbues minimal subtlety into the part while embracing his opportunities to inject a touch of the ominous with many of his line readings (as with Lugosi we are left to ponder the possibilities of Atwill being cast as Ingston). Selected rather improbably to portray his sister is Fay Helm who flexes her underrated acting muscles to give arguably the movie's best performance. After portraying Miss Helm's grieving mother in The Wolf Man Doris Lloyd transitions into her oppressor as the Mrs Danvers-style housekeeper Miss Judd. Fresh off terrorizing Lou Costello in Pardon My Sarong (and being hysterically funny doing it) is Leif Erickson as the degenerate Laurie. He seems determined to sexually assault every female cast member in a role that has aged horribly. Frank Reicher does a swell job as the contrite Dr. Timmons; a man full of regret and in direct contrast to his imperious colleague Dr. King. One breath of fresh air in a moldy premise is the spunky Janet Shaw who was famously pursued by Alfred Hitchcock during the making of this film for a role in the Master's current project, Shadow of a Doubt. Miss Shaw and Reicher share the distinction of appearing in both this and The Mummy's Tomb which shared a double bill with Night Monster.
With an impressive death toll, a few well-staged murder scenes, and an eerie atmosphere Night Monster emerges as a surprisingly compelling thriller. Certainly more care and attention to detail are present in this endeavor than most of the assembly line chillers being turned out by Universal at this time. The studio's decision to promote Lugosi and Atwill as the stars while shunning them into the backround is confounding; why they weren't given better roles is anyone's guess. However, it is a testament to how good the film is that one can get over the big guns being sidelined and enjoy the ride.
The film commences with Agor Singh (Nils Asther) strolling through the gates of Ingston Manor to visit its crippled namesake Kurt (Ralph Morgan). Seems the estate is enveloped in all kinds of mystery and weird goings on including the murder of a physician in the nearby Pollard Slough. Ingston's sister Margaret (Fay Helm), feeling she is losing her grip on reality amidst bizarre occurrences like random blood splotches on the carpet, has summoned renowned psychiatrist Dr. Harper (Irene Hervey) to make sense of her neuroses. Housekeeper Millie (Janet Shaw) is fed up with the spooky shenanigans, too, and quits much to the displeasure of Rolf (Bela Lugosi) the butler who warns her against spreading gossip. Meanwhile Ingston has sent for his mystery novelist friend Dick Baldwin (Don Porter) and the 3 doctors who attended him during his illness and left him crippled: the haughty King (Lionel Atwill), guilt-ridden Timmons (Frank Reicher), and Phipps (Francis Pierlot). Pretty soon everyone is assembled in the creepy mansion and folks start getting knocked off one by one.
The screenplay by Clarence Upson Young grafts elements of mysticism and astral projection onto the standard themes of revenge and drawing room intrigue. While masquerading as a mystery the identity of the killer is tipped pretty early for savvy viewers and the lack of motivation for other potential suspects undermines the "who-done-it?" angle. In fact, the identity is definitively dropped about 15 minutes before the end which leaves the question of how the murders are being accomplished as the ultimate riddle. It seems everyone in the household knows what's going on from the start but no one is willing to fess up to the outside parties which wears a little thin at times. Frankly I've never grasped the mystical concepts Agor Singh promotes but it provides a unique method for the killer to operate with. Fortunately Singh is there to wrap everything up with a bow for any confused spectators before the fade out. The script unfortunately runs into considerable trouble with the depiction of Laurie (Leif Erickson), the Ingston chauffeur. Most likely intended as a glib skirt-chaser Laurie emerges today as a thwarted rapist and may temper a modern viewer's assessment of the overall film. Another issue comes with the character of Agor Singh who knows who the killer is from the second he sashays through the gates but prefers to wait for 5 more murders to occur before acting on this knowledge.
Director Beebe does a stellar job concocting the look of his film with abundant use of shadows, low lighting, and endless fog. He does go a bit overboard with the bombastic musical cues that emphasize every dramatic moment but the familiar strains from The Wolf Man, Ghost of Frankenstein, and others are always a welcome auditory experience. Beebe goes a step further in the sound department by employing croaking frogs during the nighttime scenes whose utterances stop on a dime whenever the killer is lurking about. A very nice touch. The film is also a treasure trove of backlot locations that have graced the screen in many a Universal thriller; notably the Ingston main gate, the main foyer of the Ingston home, the mansion hallways, and the train station.
Remarkably this is only the second (and last) time Bela Lugosi would be top billed in a Universal feature film and quite a shame it didn't result in a better role. Rolf the butler exists mainly as a diversion and possible culprit; Lugosi endows the underwritten character with a haughty quality that spices up his rather nondescript part. He's also a bit on the squeamish side when it comes to blood which is also a nice subversive touch Thoroughly wasted on the other hand is Lionel Atwill as Doctor King which is puzzling to say the least. He's even the first to get bumped off and is gone from the story after 29 minutes. Atwill gives one of his stock, pompous performances that is so unique to the performer. Inhabiting the most mysterious role of Agor Singh is Nils Asther who is convincing enough but it is impossible not to contemplate why Lugosi wasn't given this role. Cast as the ostensible romantic leads are Don Porter and Irene Hervey; two thespians who aren't required to do much and are up to the task.
The rest of the ensemble is peppered with many familiar Universal faces. Frank Morgan cops the pivotal role of Kurt Ingston and imbues minimal subtlety into the part while embracing his opportunities to inject a touch of the ominous with many of his line readings (as with Lugosi we are left to ponder the possibilities of Atwill being cast as Ingston). Selected rather improbably to portray his sister is Fay Helm who flexes her underrated acting muscles to give arguably the movie's best performance. After portraying Miss Helm's grieving mother in The Wolf Man Doris Lloyd transitions into her oppressor as the Mrs Danvers-style housekeeper Miss Judd. Fresh off terrorizing Lou Costello in Pardon My Sarong (and being hysterically funny doing it) is Leif Erickson as the degenerate Laurie. He seems determined to sexually assault every female cast member in a role that has aged horribly. Frank Reicher does a swell job as the contrite Dr. Timmons; a man full of regret and in direct contrast to his imperious colleague Dr. King. One breath of fresh air in a moldy premise is the spunky Janet Shaw who was famously pursued by Alfred Hitchcock during the making of this film for a role in the Master's current project, Shadow of a Doubt. Miss Shaw and Reicher share the distinction of appearing in both this and The Mummy's Tomb which shared a double bill with Night Monster.
With an impressive death toll, a few well-staged murder scenes, and an eerie atmosphere Night Monster emerges as a surprisingly compelling thriller. Certainly more care and attention to detail are present in this endeavor than most of the assembly line chillers being turned out by Universal at this time. The studio's decision to promote Lugosi and Atwill as the stars while shunning them into the backround is confounding; why they weren't given better roles is anyone's guess. However, it is a testament to how good the film is that one can get over the big guns being sidelined and enjoy the ride.