“Do they still burn men for heresy?”
Just over a year after the release of the film that made him an icon of horror, Bela Lugosi traded in Dracula‘s cape for the wild eyebrows of Dr. Mirakle in Universal’s Murders In The Rue Morgue. Loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name, the film tells the story of Dr. Mirakle and his attempt at finding a mate for his gorilla, Erik. In order to do this, he captures young women (primarily prostitutes) and injects them with gorilla blood in order to see if they would be a suitable mate for Erik. Those who fail to be successful candidates are murdered and dumped into the river. When Dr. Mirakle sees the lovely Camille (Sidney Fox), he notices that Erik is fascinated by her. Mirakle has Camille kidnapped and attempts to mingle her blood with Erik’s. Can Camille’s pre-med fiancee (who has a passion for forensics) figure out what is happening to the young women of Paris before she becomes Erik and Dr. Mirakle’s next victim? You’ll have to watch Murders In The Rue Morgue to find out!
The film was ripped by contemporary critics for multiple reasons. One of the more justified reasons is the poor editing throughout the film. Many critics also believed that the film exploited the young women in the cast and, in a personal favorite critique, a Variety magazine critic accused the film of being “sexed up to the limit.” As time has passed, the film has become a favorite of both Lugosi and horror fans in general. The film consistently receives praise for the amazing cinematography by Karl W. Freund, who would go on to direct another Universal classic, The Mummy (1932), and invent the unchained camera, a predecessor to numerous camera techniques and designs.
The film’s cast is wonderful in my opinion. Lugosi’s commanding presence stands out from the pack, but Sidney Fox does an excellent job as Camille as well. Camille’s fiancee, Pierre Dupin, is portrayed by Leon Ames. He does a fine job as a man framed for murder and intent on finding the true fiend. His best friend, Paul (Bert Roach) and Paul’s girlfriend, Mignette (Edna Maron), along with some of the townspeople, provide some much needed comedy in an otherwise serious horror film. Other standouts include Noble Johnson as Janos, Dr. Mirakle’s assistant, D’Arcy Corrigan as the Morgue Keeper, and Brandon Hurst as the prefect. Joe Bonomo portrayed Erik the gorilla in closeups and action scenes involving human interaction.
This was a very dark film. Much like 1934’s The Black Cat, another Poe adaptation, Murders In The Rue Morgue pushed the limits with its violence and subject matter. For this reason alone it is an important film. Director Robert Florey (Daughter of Shanghai) does a fine job with the film as a whole, but the film is stilted by some of the jarring edits done my Milton Carruth (Imitation of Life).
With a mad scientist, a woman-hungry gorilla, and a med student turned detective, Murders In The Rue Morgue is a cinematic curiosity. Brilliant cinematography and direction lift the film above its poor editing. Come for the gorillas and the prostitutes, stay for the sickening story and great pacing.
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