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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
A double dose of Karloff and Lugosi, 6 November 2006

Author: marquisdeposa from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE DVD Invisible Menace/Night of Terror)

This DVD presents Karloff and Lugosi, each in a film that is not part of their usual fare seen in other collections.

THE INVISIBLE MENACE is a Warner Brother's quickie (clocking in at under 60 minutes) that shows that Boris Karloff could do far more than play monsters. Most reviews of this film right it off as a poor example of his talents. I disagree. In it's 54 minute running time it manages to combine murder, red herrings, and an extremely quick paced mystery. The comedic antics of Marie Wilson and Eddie Craven may be a bit trying at times for those looking for pure mystery, but they are far less intrusive than many other mystery films where comedy is injected at random. At least their situation is part of the plot. As to Boris's role being beneath him, I tend to look at as an extension of his abilities to create a character. His gray hair, glasses and quiet manner (except when he is gesturing wildly pleading for justice) are a precursor to his role as Professor Linden in The Linden Tree, which he would play on the New York stage in the late 1940's. Overall it is an enjoyable little film.

The second feature, with the generic title NIGHT OF TERROR, comes as a welcome surprise. I had only seen it listed on Bela Lugosi film bibliographies. It is a variation on the old dark house thriller, with moving panels, tunnels, a gathering of heirs for the reading of the will, etc. This film has the advantage of Lugosi's performance. Reading other reviews of the film led me to believe that he was "wasted" in the part of Degar. Once again I tend to disagree. Bela is in almost every scene of the picture. His mysterious delivery of his dialogue is perfectly in line with the film's eerie atmosphere. As for him being "wasted" he turns out to be the most intelligent person of the lot-including the police and a wise cracking newspaper reporter. Being a B picture, and over the years being subject to scrutiny, the plot discrepancies are pretty evident, but overall it is an entertaining film. As to the peculiar ending, it is no more quirky that Edward Van Sloan's prologue to FRANKENSTEIN or his epilogue to Dracula (cut from most prints of the film)

4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Night of Terror (1933) **, 19 October 2005

Author: JoeKarlosi from U.S.A.

I'm sorry I waited so long to see this film; for years I'd heard how poor it allegedly was, so I made the mistake of steering clear of it for far too long. It's nothing 'great,' but it certainly was fair enough and hit the spot with me for Halloween-time viewing.

It's a murder mystery set in a creepy house with a decent share of horrific elements: a Mr. Hyde-like goon with a knife in top hat and cape called The Maniac stalks the grounds; a scientist experiments with suspended animation and getting himself buried alive; the otherworldly Bela Lugosi headlines as a peculiar household servant in a turban who's married to his eerily mystical wife. Add to the mix Wallace Ford (THE MUMMY'S HAND, THE MUMMY'S TOMB, THE APE MAN) and some occasional dashes of humor, and there are far worse ways to spend just over an hour. The wrap-up of this whodunit is satisfying, and there is a secret 'gag' ending that really delivers.

4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Great Late Night Thriller, 3 November 2004
Author: wdbasinger (wdbasinger@hotmail.com) from Beltsville, Maryland

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If I were going to list the ten best films Bela Lugosi appeared in, this would be one of them. This film has everything, including sliding panels, secret tunnels, mysterious visitors, sudden and horrifying killings, a seance where a murder occurs, bizarre characters, bizarre behavior such as the clipping of newspapers on the bodies of victims, and a rampaging misanthrope called The Maniac with a distorted, hair-raising face that would frighten the proverbial "boogieman". The bizarre ending in which the true murderer is revealed is a delight. (I won't reveal it here). Also the last scene in which The Maniac comes back to life is classic.

10 out of 10.

Dan Basinger

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A GREAT "Old House" film!, 6 February 2001

Author: Norm-30 from S. Bound Brook, NJ

As usual, i must disagree with the other reviewer. All that cliche-ic stuff (secret panels, the "maniac", seances, etc) is what makes this film a GREAT "Old House" film! Granted, Lugosi is wasted in this role, but the entire film builds up a creepy, sinister "atmosphere".

Both Maltin and the other reviewer dismiss the end of the film, where the maniac speaks to the audience but, I first saw this when I was about 6 years old, and it scared the bejesus out of me for several nights!

Don't analyzse this film....just WATCH it....and ENJOY!

Norm

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Good Bela Mystery, 8 September 2009

Author: nova-63 from Canada

This is a classic murder mystery set at a spooky old mansion. Wealthy Richard Rinehart is murdered at his posh estate. There are plenty of kooky and creepy people about who frequent the manor. Bela plays a household servant, a mystic who believes in his wife's ability to foretell the future.

Wallace Ford plays the wise cracking reporter who seems one step ahead of the police. While the police believe an escaped maniac is the killer, Ford probes to learn who will benefit from Rinehart's murder.

One problem I have with the film is the escaped maniac who is about and who is killing people in the area. We are told that he has already murdered 12 people. The police then announce he was last seen around the Rinehart estate. He murders a yard worker at the estate early on and then spends the rest of the film peering in windows and skulking about the estate. It is beyond reason that the maniac is not captured or that the police are not hunting madly for a man who has murdered 13 people. That said, I understand he is present as a red herring and the murderer has used the maniac's present to commit the murder.

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
NIGHT OF TERROR (Ben Stoloff, 1933) **, 8 March 2007

Author: MARIO GAUCI (marrod@melita.com) from Naxxar, Malta

This Columbia "B" thriller features many of the typical 'old dark house' trappings (which proliferated throughout the late 20s up till the mid-30s) and is therefore quite predictable; still, the denouement is rather effective – and it's all capped by an amusing (if hammy) interpolation by the maniac killer of the main narrative, which sees him coming back to life to warn cinema patrons not to reveal the twist ending!

A mere two years after his runaway success with Dracula (1931), the film already sees Bela Lugosi reduced to playing thankless roles because, even though he receives sole above-the-title billing here, the horror icon's presence constitutes a red herring and nothing more (the way he's made to intimidate his spiritualist wife during a séance proves especially pointless) and is further hindered by the unflattering Hindu attire (turban, gypsy earrings) he is saddled with throughout. Frankly, after having seen several films of Lugosi's (and with a handful more coming up), I still can't make up my mind whether his unique (i.e. sluggish and heavily-accented) delivery of lines is an asset or a liability!

To get back to the 'monster' of the film, again, his involvement results to be irrelevant to the central mystery (with an inheritance at stake, members of a wealthy family are getting bumped off one by one): familiar heavy-set character actor Edwin Maxwell is credited with playing the role, but he was unrecognizable behind the make-up. Lovely Sally Blane (who happens to be Loretta Young's sister!) and Wallace Ford (insufferable as the fast-talking reporter hero, a role he virtually reprised in a later Lugosi cheapie – THE APE MAN [1943]) provide the obligatory romantic interest; another requisite – and equally resistible – is the politically incorrect comedy relief supplied by the household's 'scaredy cat' black chauffeur.

Given a somewhat harsh BOMB rating by Leonard Maltin, I knew not to expect much from the film – but, ultimately, it's a harmless way to kill 60 minutes or so…and, in any case, the script does come up with a handful of undeniably hilarious lines: when a delegation of scientists arrives at the mansion to assist to a dangerous experiment, the chauffeur remarks that they look like undertakers – later, when he sees these same men transport a coffin in which his current master is about to be buried alive, he observes that he had been right all along!; driven as much by jealousy as the promise of a scoop, Ford bursts into the household to see Blane – noticing four other hats in the parlor (belonging to the illustrious guests), he asks her whether she had been entertaining the Marx Bros.; when the bodies start piling up and the police is called on the scene, Ford offers his help but is told off by the investigating officer – however, on asking for the generalities of all the persons in the room, the response of one of the scientists comes in the form of an unpronounceable foreign name and, so, the befuddled cop gladly relinquishes the writing duties to the newspaperman!; still, my favorite bit is when a hand-cuffed Lugosi asks the detective guarding him if he can smoke, and the latter – with quite unwarranted hostility – snaps back "I don't care if you burn!"

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Good but odds are you've seen this before, 18 January 2009

Author: dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Top billed Bela Lugosi has a minor role in this tale of a maniac on the loose. It seems a maniac is going around killing people (I think the count given at the start is 11 people)while at the same time a group of people gather at the family estate to hear the reading of a will and a séance...and people begin dropping like flies. This is a buy the numbers old dark house released by Columbia that suffers because there have been so many other similar films. To be certain the film has a higher budget thanks to the big studio infusion of funds, but its probably nothing you haven't seen before. As for Lugosi, he's good, but this was around the start of his march through the wilderness where he was hired purely for his name and given nothing to do. The film is good but not anything you haven't seen before.

B Horror classic, so bad it it is good, 2 November 2011
Author: clementj from United States

This film has a special interest to me because it was the only one with my grandmother, Mary Frey, on screen. It has all of the usual old spooky house elements with lots of screams and surprises. Along with this there are the stock incompetent police, and elements of classic farce. But I think the director had some fun with these elements. Check out the scenes with the grinning skeleton. With all of the special effects now available we can't take this film seriously, but we can laugh at the clichés. One notable flaw is the music which does not go well with some of the scenes. It is way too upbeat when it should be communicating mystery. However, it is very soft so it is not obtrusive.

The séance scene has a little history. According to my father it was filmed during an aftershock of the Long Beach earthquake. But the actors were stage professionals and kept going despite the heavy lights swaying over their heads. The director was so impressed by the intent expressions that he said it was perfect with no retakes needed.

OK, the characters are one dimensional, but that is common in this genre. Lugosi has ample opportunity to use dramatic facial expressions and outbursts. Very small children may find this movie frightening. The only available copy from Sinister Cinema is a fairly good, but soft focus print.

1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Everything but the kitchen sink in this 1933 cult classic, 30 March 2009

Author: mlraymond from Durham NC

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is by no means a great film, but it's awfully entertaining. An isolated old mansion is the scene of a strange experiment, with a scientist preparing to test a secret formula by having himself buried alive. At the same time, a madman with snaggle teeth and wild eyes is on the prowl, stabbing a lengthy list of victims, and leaving a newspaper clipping about himself pinned to the corpse's clothing each time.

Throw in Wallace Ford as a fast talking reporter who's investigating the murders, and romancing the pretty niece of one of the victims, a mysterious servant played by Bela Lugosi, Tully Marshall as a rich man who gets killed off, leading to a classic reading of the will sequence, and a black chauffeur who asks to be disinherited when he hears that he is to be paid a pension " for as long as (he) live(s)". Add some dislikable relatives plotting to cut the servants out of the will, a grumpy police detective getting fed up with unsolved murders and the reporter's jibes, various hapless victims of " The Maniac", vintage cars, clothing and telephones, along with the basic collection of sliding panels, secret tunnels, clutching hands, etc.

Result: one very entertaining old movie, with more action crammed into an hour than ten other movies put together. There's a slightly tongue in cheek quality reminiscent of Doctor X, though not as openly satirical. Anyone who enjoys old dark house mysteries and Thirties horror movies should get a kick out of this.

1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Awesome proto slasher dark house movie, 5 January 2008

Author: cabbageboy316 from Louisville, KY

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I've read all sorts of comments about this film saying Lugosi doesn't do much in it and has a thankless role as a servant. Personally I don't think this is true. Lugosi is in fact a servant, and also a red herring of sorts, but unlike a lot of these roles he actually IS integral to the plot here and in fact pretty much solves the case! Critics like Maltin who attacked this film (Maltin gave it a BOMB) are way too harsh. Bear in mind Maltin gives nearly all of Lugosi's actually awful Monogram movies ** or so and none of those are even remotely as entertaining as Night of Terror.

I really, really like this movie a lot. It has all sorts of things to recommend it if you are into the old dark house genre. Lugosi delivers a fun, trashed out of his mind performance. Wallace Ford is a really hilarious (and uncaring) reporter who dishes out the best wisecracks this side of Lee Tracy. It also has some truly insane things going on in the plot, from a guy burying himself alive in the backyard to a crazy maniac killing everyone in the neighborhood for no good reason.

That's why I mentioned this as a proto slasher film, since The Maniac finishes with quite the body count for a 1933 film. The hilarious brilliance of it (which apparently eluded some critics) is that The Maniac is a killer but he's not even THE killer of the actual characters in the film. He's not a red herring since we see him kill a bunch of random people who aren't per se characters. In that respect it almost reminds me of something like Scary Movie, with the real killer here copying a serial killer that already exists.

By all means check this film out on that Invisible Menace/Night of Terror double feature DVD. Forget about Menace since that is a really crappy and uninteresting Karloff movie (why the DVD is hyped around it instead of the vastly more amusing Night of Terror I have no idea). But Night of Terror is a must for Lugosi fans.

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