El hombre y el monstruo (1959)

Director:

Rafael Baledón

Writers:

Raúl Zenteno (story)
Alfredo Salazar (adaptation)

Release Date:

1959 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A failed pianist sells his soul to the devil in return for his becoming the greatest musician in the world...

Plot Keywords:

Devil | Piano | Deal With The Devil | Werewolf

Cast

Enrique Rambal	...	Samuel Magno
Abel Salazar	...	Ricardo Souto
Martha Roth	...	Laura / Alejandra
Ofelia Guilmáin	...	Cornelia
Ana Laura Baledon	...	Girl killed by Samuel
José Chávez
Maricarmen Vela	...	Blond Motorist (as Mari Carmen Vela)
Carlos Suárez
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anita Blanch

Directed by
Rafael Baledón

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alfredo Salazar		adaptation
Raúl Zenteno		story

Produced by
Abel Salazar	....	producer

Original Music by
Gustavo César Carrión		(as Gustavo C. Carrion)

Cinematography by
Raúl Martínez Solares

Film Editing by
Carlos Savage

Production Design by
Javier Torres Torija

Makeup Department
Armando Meyer	....	makeup artist (as Armando Mayer)

Production Management
Paul Castelain	....	production chief
Alfredo Salazar	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Felipe Palomino	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Manuel Topete	....	sound

Special Effects by
Juan Muñoz Ravelo	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Mario Diver	....	assistant camera
Carlos Nájera	....	lighting technician
Cirilo Rodríguez	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Sigfrido García	....	assistant editor

Music Department
María Teresa Rodríguez	....	musician: piano

Other crew
Nicolás Rueda hijo	....	titles (as Nicolás Rueda Jr.)
Pablo Álvarez	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Cinematográfica ABSA

Distributors

• Alameda Films (1959) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Clasa-Mohme (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (Spanish language only)
• American-International Television (AIP-TV) (1964) (USA) (TV) (dubbed) (syndication)
• Goldstar Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• CasaNegra Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:78 min

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company:

Cinematográfica ABSA

Another Great Horror Film From South Of The Border

I had greatly admired producer Abel Salazar and director Rafael Baledon's 1961 offering, "The Curse of the Crying Woman" (indeed, I believe it to be a horror masterpiece), and so eagerly looked forward to watching an earlier effort by that same team, "The Man and the Monster" (1958). And while this earlier film turns out to be not quite in the same exalted league as the later effort, it still has much to offer, indeed. Abel Salazar again makes for a sympathetic lead here, playing Ricardo Souto, a Mexican writer for a music journal who travels to an unnamed country to interview the great pianist Samuel Magno. What Souto doesn't realize, however, is that Magno has sold his soul to the Devil to become the greatest pianist in the world. Unfortunately, he is also often compelled to play a certain tune that transforms him into a hairy, fanged, bulbous-nosed monster, with a decidedly nasty temperament! Enrique Rambal does a fine job with this central role, and the actress Martha Roth, playing his disciple, Laura, is quite good, as well; she turns out to be as excellent a screamer as she is lousy at faking piano playing. Gorgeously filmed in B&W and employing superb use of light and shadow, this Mexican winner is a surprising visual treat. As in "Crying Woman," the mummified remains of a dead woman play a central role here, and the two films also have in common a startling flashback sequence that occurs roughly halfway through. Magno, in his Hyde-like monster state, is truly horrifying to behold, and his nighttime pursuit of Laura through a darkened hacienda is extremely suspenseful. So, too, the scene in which the "normal" Magno gives a lesson on Tchaikovsky to a young girl. Culminating at a classical music performance, "The Man and the Monster" is an instructive primer in what a classical monster movie should be, and is here presented on another wonderful DVD from Casa Negra.