The Mad Monster (1942)

A mad scientist changes his simple-minded handyman into a werewolf in order to prove his supposedly crazy scientific theories - and exact revenge.

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writer:

Fred Myton (original screenplay)

Stars:

Johnny Downs, George Zucco, Anne Nagel

Cast

Cast overview:
Johnny Downs	...	Tom Gregory
George Zucco	...	Dr. Lorenzo Cameron
Anne Nagel	...	Lenora Cameron
Glenn Strange	...	Petro
Sarah Padden	...	Grandmother
Gordon De Main	...	Prof. Fitzgerald (as Gordon DeMain)
Mae Busch	...	Susan
Reginald Barlow	...	Professor Warwick
Robert Strange	...	Professor Blaine
Henry Hall	...	Country Doctor
Ed Cassidy	...	Father (as Edward Cassidy)
Eddie Holden	...	Jed Harper
John Elliott	...	Prof. Hatfield
Slim Whitaker	...	Officer Dugan (as Charles Whitaker)
Gil Patric	...	Detective Lieutenant

Storyline

Dr. Cameron has succeeded in his experiments with a serum which will turn a man into a wolf-like monster, and is ready to avenge himself on the men who caused his professional failure. He uses it on his gardener Petro and one after the other is killed by his creation. His daughter, Lenora, grows suspicious and confides with newspaper reporter Tom Gregory.

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Plot Keywords:

serum | werewolf | handyman | mad scientist | reporter | 

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Taglines:

The blood of a wolf he placed in the veins of a man... and created a monster such as the world has never known!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Mad Monsters

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Sigmund Neufeld and director Sam Newfield were brothers. Sam "Anglicized" the family name and Sigmund didn't.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Lorenzo Cameron: Yes, I know. You'd like to join your brothers outside and howl at the moon. But you're serving a much better purpose. Yes, you're serving science through me.

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Mad Doctors (1996)

User Reviews

Poverty Row Werewolf Thriller!

"The Mad Monster" is another of the low budget little horror movies turned out by poverty row studio PRC in the early 1940s. In spite of some of the comments that I've read on this picture, I rather enjoyed it.

Basically the plot involves mad scientist Dr. Lorenzo Cameron (George Zucco) experimenting on his dim-witted assistant Petro (Glenn Strange), turning him into a werewolf. It's the old story of a scientist trying to create a super race in order to build an invincible army and you guessed it, take over the world. At the same time Cameron seeks revenge on those who had publicly humiliated him when he first presented his ideas, by turning his mad monster upon them.

Director Sam Newfield gives us an entertaining little movie. In spite of its limited budget, it provides a creepy mist filled atmosphere, as the monster stalks its victims. It also aided by the casting of Zucco and Strange as the two principal characters.

Strange plays Petro not unlike "Lenny" as played by Lon Chaney Jr. in "Of Mice and Men" (1939). He also does a creditable job as the werewolf of the piece, again not unlike Chaney in the Universal series. Zucco was PRC's resident horror actor, a sort of a poor man's Karloff, and was always excellent in these roles. Strange usually played the Chaney like parts for PRC.

The standard hero Tom Gregory (Johnny Downs) and heroine Lenora Cameron (Anna Nagle) round out the cast.

If you are a fan of the old B & W "B" horror flicks of the 40s, then I'm sure you'll like this one.