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Night Monster More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 23 reviews in total |
12 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
A CRREPY film!!!!, 31 March 2003
Author:
norm.vogel@verizon.net from S. Bound Brook, NJ.
A wealthy invalid (who has no arms or legs) invites the 3 doctors who
attended him to his eerie, fog-shrouded mansion, where they are
strangled,
one by one....."and on their faces was a look of unspeakable
horror"!
I'm a mystery-film buff, and i can say without a shadow of a doubt that
THIS
films is my All-Time Fave "spooky mystery"......the music, Lugosi, shadows
on the walls, a skeleton materialising in the library, the eerie swamp,
etc
make it EXTREMELY atmospheric and "nightmarish"!
(In case you're wondering, my 2nd fav "Old House" film is "Dr.
X").
I remember watching this film on Sat. nites in the 60's, and having a hard
time going to sleep afterward. And, it's STILL creepy, after all these
years!
"I can see "it" on foggy nights, keeping to the shadows...and even the
frogs
stopped croaking as it passed thru....."
14 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Let's get this straight -, 13 September 2003
Author:
the_mysteriousx
This Universal horror whodunit from 1942 raises one of the top
questions among fans as to how this film should have been casted.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS!
Should Atwill and Lugosi have played Ingston and Agor Singh????? The
answer lies in what we the fans believe. Ford Beebe did an excellent
job in directing this film. Supposedly Alfred Hitchcock thought this an
important film when it was being made. It has terrific atmosphere, and
it is a lot of fun. The actors are all very exciting. In the last half
hour someone gets killed every five minutes too. However, the problem
for fans is Atwill is seen only in the first half hour of the film and
Lugosi's character is so forgotten by the end that we have no idea if
he escaped the house or burned within it! Also, they are top billed. In
fact, it was the only time Lugosi got top billing in a Universal film
other than Dracula!!!
We must consider this - Lugosi would have had less screen time if he
played Agor Singh. However, that was a juicier part and was also more
involved with the horror content than the snotty butler he plays. As
for Atwill, playing Ingston would have been a virtual repeat of his
role as the mad sculptor in Mystery of the Wax Museum. But again, he
would have had basically equal screen time if playing that role. What
is so disappointing is that after the first half hour he is no longer
in the film! If you accept that all actors are equal in this type of
film, then you can enjoy it - It is a good film, and truly an ensemble
piece. If studio marketing and Lugosi and Atwill being denied bringing
forth their full talents bothers you, then you may find this
disappointing. I find myself in both seats when I watch this film. I
want more Lugosi and more Atwill, but it just doesn't happen, but when
I follow the story, it is very enjoyable.
Ultimately, though, this film will never be considered as great as it
could have BECAUSE Atwill and Lugosi are given the non-horror roles.
This film would have a higher status and be considered a greater
classic if it had given those two the meatier parts. Just like
Dracula's Daughter. That would have been considered the best Vampire
movie of all, if only Lugosi got to be in it! Universal, for all it's
greatness in horror, was not perfect. I wish this film had cast Atwill
as Ingston and Lugosi as Agor Singh. I do not collect Ralph Morgan
films nor Nils Asther films and neither does anyone I know. Nothing
against them either. They were both excellent, but what I pay for is
Lugosi and Atwill. And from today's point of view, they are more
important horror stars and should have played the horror roles in this
film. Period.
So enjoy this film for what it is. It is still a whodunit classic (even
though Ralph Morgan ALWAYS is the killer) with great atmosphere. Love
those frogs that stop croaking in a simultaneous halt!
9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Creepy goings on at Ingston Manor, 28 February 2005
Author:
Chris Gaskin from Derby, England
Night Monster is one of those mystery-chillers that Universal made in
the 1940's.
Doctors looking after wheelchair bound Kurt Ingston are murdered but no
body seems close to finding out who the murderer is. Other murders also
take place and several people get blamed for these murders including
the butler and chauffeur. Kingston later discovers he can walk...
This movie has a very creepy atmosphere throughout and instead of the
usual thunderstorm in this one, we get fog.
Now to the cast, which is lead by horror veteran Bela Lugosi (Dracula)
as the butler and he is joined by several stars who have appeared in
sci-fi/horror movies: Lionel Atwill (House of Dracula, The Ghost of
Frankenstein), Leif Erickson (Invaders From Mars) and Frank Reicher
(King Kong). Ingston is played well by Ralph Morgan, brother of The
Wizard of Oz star Frank Morgan.
Night Monster is worth seeing if you get the chance. Very creepy.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Odd-Ball Universal Fare, 15 July 2007
Author:
BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC
During the 1940's decade, Universal Pictures attempted to continue making horror films as they did the previous decade but did try to re-invent and package them a bit differently. Their financial success never mirrored that of its earliest successes, but films like The Night Monster showed that they still had the wherewithal to make classic, good horror yarns. This film is different from most Universal horror films for a number of reasons. Yes, Bela Lugois and Lionel Atwill are in the film. Lugosi is yet again wasted playing a butler - a role I sometimes tire of seeing him relegated to for a man of his considerable talents. Atwill does better as a pompous(can he be any other way?) doctor called with two other doctors to the home of the rich man their medicine was not able to save - he was now paralyzed from the waist down. Ralph Morgan plays the crippled man hosting the doctors, another doctor called in by his sister who believes she is crazy, a hypnotist, and a couple of other servants who act and expect better than their positions might suggest. Swirling around this is a series of murders, secretive looks and discussions, and the sighting by several of a monster that comes out at night. The Night Monster is really more of a mystery than a true horror film though the eerie, foggy atmosphere helps convey significant menace. The story isn't really particularly hard to figure out, but all the actors do a very good job playing their roles. Bela is really wasted unfortunately. He certainly could have been better utilized. Atwill as always is very, very smart and clever as he delivers his dialog. Frank Reicher, of King Kong fame, gives a nice turn as a fellow doctor caught in some terrible plot. While maybe not one of Universal's brightest stars, The Night Monster is a good, entertaining film.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Excellent B horror film from Universal, 13 October 2010
Author:
Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States
Crippled Kurt Ingston (Ralph Morgan) has no arms or legs despite the
fact that three doctors tried to save him (from what is never said). He
invites all three of them to his creepy estate and says there are no
hard feelings...but then the doctors start getting killed and his house
is full of suspicious characters.
I caught this on late night TV when I was a kid and remember being
pleasurably spooked by it. It's nice to see it still holds up all these
years later. First off don't let the top billing of Bela Lugosi and
Lionel Atwill fool you--they're hardly in the movie. Lugosi is totally
wasted as a sinister butler and Atwill chews the scenery but is gone
halfway through the movie. Most of it deals with Morgan and various
supporting characters. The good thing is all the supporting actors are
interesting and well-acted especially by Leif Erickson as a lecherous
chauffeur and Nils Asther as a sinister yogi. The direction is very
good and the movie has a nice dark atmosphere. There's a VERY spooky
scene where one of the doctors is approached by the killer. Another
nice touch is all the frogs and animals in the swamp surrounding the
estate go dead quiet when the killer appears. The sudden dead silence
is more than a little unnerving. The final sequence when you find out
who the killer is doesn't make a lot of sense but the movie is so good
that you let that go. A low-budget horror from Universal that is
exceptionally well-done. I give it an 8.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Best of the "B" Horror Films, 17 October 2002
Author:
lugosi2002us from Pennsylvania, USA
Night Monster is the best Universal Horror film of the 30s and 40s that
was
NOT about one of the Major Monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf-Man or
Mummy). In fact, it may just be the best one ever. I first saw it on TV
in
the 1960s as a pre-teen and have seen it about 10 times since, including
twice in the last year. It is a very successful film in terms of using
atmosphere to communicate a sense of dread. The film effectively used
the
themes of Insanity, Murder, Eastern Mysticism and the properties of
Nature
(crickets and frogs going silent for no reason) to keep the viewer
unhinged
throughout the whole film. The murders are creepy and mysterious. The
actors are top shelf.
I remember being scared, puzzled, mystified and wondering how the
murderer
got around. I remember the scene where Dr. Timmons is murdered. The
actor
really looked frightened. The scene where Leif Erickson's strangled body
is
discovered in the closet was strong stuff in the early
40s.
If you haven't seen this film...SEE IT! Just remember the time in which
it
was made and you will have a 73 minute feast.
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Nightmare Monster, 1 April 2005
Author:
wdbasinger (wdbasinger@hotmail.com) from Beltsville, Maryland
Universal made a great hit with this one due to the way the story is
put together. This had to be one of the best "spooky house" films. The
use of atmosphere in terms of foggy nights, shadows on the wall, creepy
facial expressions (this is why "The Ring" was such a hit), creaky
doors, puddles of blood, a skeleton materializing in a room, Bela
Lugosi looking mysterious, frogs/crickets coming to a sudden silence,
sinister residents of "The Towers" and more, make this one of the best
shockers of the 1940s.
Ever spook yourself in a darkened room ? (Great fun!) Ever get spooked
by inanimate objects in a room based on their shadows on the wall? (I
used to have nightmares as a child (about 5 years of age) due to the
wood patterns on a dresser that looked like ghoulish figures. My mother
told me that I used to run high fevers as a child and this may account
for it.) Not being a psychologist, I am not familiar with a lot of the
theory underlying why this sort of thing happens, perhaps it is based
on subliminal reactions to the unknown, but it is very simple to scare
oneself by associating objects,shapes or shadows with some sort of
subconscious fear. In any case, this movie does the same thing to an
extent by creating an atmosphere of overwhelming dread by tuning to the
subconscious anxieties (such as the proverbial "things that go bump in
the night" ) which exist in all of us.
I am a great Bela Lugosi fan and even though he plays a red herring
butler in this film, through the use of creepy facial expressions, he
adds to the nightmare quality of this film. Some fans think he would
have been better off in the Angar Singh role (as he played in another
great film, "Night of Terror" 1933), but he is fine as the sinister
butler this time. Lionel Atwill is also fun to watch. The ladies Fay
Helm and Irene Harvey are great eye candy. In the last reel of the
film, people are knocked off one by one until the film reaches a
ghoulish climax (I won't give the ending away).
The film is similar to "Night of Terror" (1933) (one of my B-movie
favorites) which is equally creepy and equally fun. The difference is
that in "Night Monster", a supernatural element is added.
10/10.
Dan Basinger
6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Review, 24 May 1999
Author:
Norm Vogel (norm3vog@blast.net) from S. Bound Brook, NJ
This film (& "Dr. X") are my fav 2 films of ALL time!
It's
a marvellously spooky film! Three doctors are invited
to
the home of their patient, Kurt Ingston, and are mysteriously
killed, one-by-one. Everyone suspects Mr. Ingston, but he
is
an amputee.
An excellent cast, creepy atmosphere, great plot & special
effects make this a MUST SEE! Also has a fog-covered mansion
& numerous secret panels. A grotesque figure lurches thru
the
fog, on it's way to kill, and the frogs stop croaking as it passes
thru......
The bloopers: Dick's pipe on the drive to the manor,
someone coughing in the "empty" library when the hero &
heroine
are supposed to be ALONE, and Nils Asther stumbling on
something
as he delivers his final speech at the end of the film.
MUST, MUST SEE!
9 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Chiller Diller Classic!, 22 June 2001
Author:
PrincessAnanka from United States
Forget the much vaunted Val Lewton "Cat People" as a classic horror film from the early 40s. "Night Monster" is a glittering gem of chilling beauty that supplies the juice and frission and performances that make "Cat People" look like "Ishtar." Veteran director Ford Beebe had only two weeks to whip his crew of Grade A technicians and Hollywood's greatest B actors into shape. Cult B-Actress, Fay Helm, is fantastic as the emotionally unstable Margaret Ingstom who claims she sees a hideous night monster creeping around her mansion at night. Irene Hervey is attractive and warm as the psychiatrist. Leif Ericson (former husband of tragic-prone actress Frances Farmer)is hilarious as the lecherous, over-sexed chaffeur. Bela Lugosi is here, too, but he mostly leers and raises his brows. There's plenty of mist, beautifully lit and photographed scenes of fire places and wavering shadows.The great character actress, Doris Lloyd, is wonderfully intense and lethal. She and Helm also starred together in "The Wolf Man." A great Hollywood mystery is whatever happened to Fay Helm? Not even film historians know. Although filmed on a low budget, "Night Monster" shows what can be done with great talent--before and after--the camera, in post-production and editing. H.J. Salter does the music which is mostly the much beloved excerpts from "Son of Frankenstein" in l939. This is a great movie to watch on a wintry night. Now, just to get it on DVD. Come on MCA/Universal Home Video--get with it. Put this one and "Captive Wild Woman" on the same disc and give us all a thrill!
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Unexpectedly original and worth seeing, 10 November 2006
Author:
planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This movie really surprised me. In the 1940s, Bela Lugosi made a huge
number of grade-Z horror films. They might be fun to watch, but all too
often the films have tons of plot holes and they were obviously made
with practically no budget. This film, however, has very good
production values and is quite original--and as a result, I had a very
good time watching it.
Now before I go any further, it's important to note that although
Lugosi got top billing and the videotape cover prominently shows his
face, the film really ISN'T a Bela Lugosi film. His role, unfortunately
for "Lugosi-philes" is amazingly small and ill-defined. He never seems
to be the star nor does he have much to do with all the weird murders
that are occurring in the film. In many ways, this is like the
appearance of Lionel Atwill in the film--he's there but his part is
terribly small.
Despite this, the film is still excellent and most of this is due to
the excellent writing. The story is quite original and although I could
guess early on who was committing all the murders, the way it was
handled was very clever. Probably the best part of the film, though,
was the part played by Robert Homans, as the Constable. He has so many
wonderful and funny lines that I thoroughly loved watching the old
curmudgeon investigate the crimes.
Finally, a bit of trivia. The rich old man in the film is played by
Ralph Morgan. He bears a lot of physical resemblance to Frank Morgan
(the Wizard from the Wizard of Oz) because they were brothers.
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