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IMDbPro

Murders in the Rue Morgue

  • 19321932
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 1m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
Bela Lugosi in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
A mad scientist seeks to mingle human blood with that of an ape, and resorts to kidnapping women for his experiments.
Play trailer1:32
1 Video
99+ Photos
CrimeHorrorMystery
A mad scientist seeks to mingle human blood with that of an ape, and resorts to kidnapping women for his experiments.A mad scientist seeks to mingle human blood with that of an ape, and resorts to kidnapping women for his experiments.A mad scientist seeks to mingle human blood with that of an ape, and resorts to kidnapping women for his experiments.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Florey
  • Writers
    • Edgar Allan Poe(based on the immortal classic by)
    • Robert Florey(adaptation)
    • Tom Reed(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Bela Lugosi
    • Sidney Fox
    • Leon Ames
  • Director
    • Robert Florey
  • Writers
    • Edgar Allan Poe(based on the immortal classic by)
    • Robert Florey(adaptation)
    • Tom Reed(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Bela Lugosi
    • Sidney Fox
    • Leon Ames
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 81User reviews
    • 63Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:32
    Watch Trailer

    Photos197

    Bela Lugosi, Sidney Fox, Arlene Francis, and Charles Gemora in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Bela Lugosi and Arlene Francis in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Betty Ross Clarke in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Bela Lugosi, Joe Bonomo, and Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Bela Lugosi, Joe Bonomo, and Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Leon Ames and Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Bela Lugosi in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bela Lugosi
    Bela Lugosi
    • Dr. Mirakle
    Sidney Fox
    Sidney Fox
    • Mlle. Camille L'Espanaye
    Leon Ames
    Leon Ames
    • Pierre Dupin
    • (as Leon Waycoff)
    Bert Roach
    Bert Roach
    • Paul
    Betty Ross Clarke
    Betty Ross Clarke
    • Mme. L'Espanaye
    Brandon Hurst
    Brandon Hurst
    • Prefect of Police
    D'Arcy Corrigan
    D'Arcy Corrigan
    • Morgue Keeper
    Noble Johnson
    Noble Johnson
    • Janos The Black One
    Arlene Francis
    Arlene Francis
    • Woman of the Streets
    Ted Billings
    • Sideshow Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Herman Bing
    Herman Bing
    • Franz Odenheimer
    • (uncredited)
    Joe Bonomo
    • Gorilla
    • (uncredited)
    Agostino Borgato
    Agostino Borgato
    • Alberto Montani
    • (uncredited)
    Iron Eyes Cody
    Iron Eyes Cody
    • Indian at Sideshow
    • (uncredited)
    Christian J. Frank
    Christian J. Frank
    • Gendarme Using Snuff
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Gemora
    Charles Gemora
    • Erik, the Gorilla
    • (uncredited)
    Harrison Greene
    • Sideshow Barker
    • (uncredited)
    Charlotte Henry
    Charlotte Henry
    • Blonde Girl in Sideshow Audience
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Florey
    • Writers
      • Edgar Allan Poe(based on the immortal classic by)
      • Robert Florey(adaptation)
      • Tom Reed(screen play)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Many censors cut parts of the death scenes of the woman (Arlene Francis) of the streets, eliminating her stabbing and her being tied to the cross beams.
    • Goofs
      When the ape is carrying the heroine over the rooftops, in one shot a shop sign in the background is reversed, indicating this shot was "flipped" in editing.
    • Quotes

      Prefect of Police: [interviewing the first witness] So, your name is Victor Albert Adolph Jules Hugo Louis Dupont?

      Victor Albert Adolph Jules Hugo Louis Dupont, the Landlord: Yes, sir.

      Prefect of Police: Why did you not investigate when you heard the first scream?

      Victor Albert Adolph Jules Hugo Louis Dupont, the Landlord: I... I was afraid.

      Prefect of Police: Stupid, incredibly stupid.

      Franz Odenheimer: [the next person approaches the Prefect, talking German] Habe die Ehre, Herr Prefekt.

      [It's my honor, Mr. Prefect.]

      Prefect of Police: What is your name and business?

      Franz Odenheimer: I am Franz Odenheimer. I own a restaurant.

      Prefect of Police: Odenheimer, in your own way, tell us what happened.

      Franz Odenheimer: You see, I was just going to bed. Then suddenly, I heard a scream. Right away, I ran across the street. And I was one of the first ones to enter this room. On the way upstairs, I heard a voice. And that voice was speaking Italian.

      Prefect of Police: [doubting his accuracy] Do you speak Italian?

      Franz Odenheimer: No.

      Prefect of Police: Were you ever in Italy?

      Franz Odenheimer: No.

      Prefect of Police: How do you know it was Italian?

      Franz Odenheimer: Because I am sure it was Italian.

      Prefect of Police: [unconvinced] Ah. Danke schön.

      [Thank you.]

      Prefect of Police: [calls on next person] Alberto Montani. What do you know of this affair?

      Alberto Montani: Well, I also heard the voice. But it was not Italian. I am Italian. I speak Italian.

      Alberto Montani: [says something in Italian, then continues in English] When I ran up the stairs with the others, I heard the voice. It's not Italian, no. Definitely, it was Danish.

      Prefect of Police: Do you speak Danish?

      Alberto Montani: No.

      Prefect of Police: Were you ever in Denmark?

      Alberto Montani: No.

      Prefect of Police: How do you know it was Danish?

      Alberto Montani: My intuition.

      The Dane: [to Montani] It was not Danish!

      The Dane: [to Prefect] I beg your pardon, Your Honor. I am a native of Denmark. Danish is my native tongue. I heard the voice, but it was not Danish. It was German.

      Franz Odenheimer: [upset, approaches the Prefect] Italian, not German.

      Alberto Montani: Danish.

      The Dane: German.

      Franz Odenheimer: [in German] Ich lege meine Hand ans Lügners Feuer das es keiner Deutscher war!

      [I put my hand on the Liar's Fire that it wasn't a German!]

      The Dane: [while Montani argues in Italian] I say it was German.

      Prefect of Police: [while all 3 argue loudly in their native languages] Silence!

      Franz Odenheimer: Italian.

      Alberto Montani: Danish.

      The Dane: German.

      Prefect of Police: Silence.

    • Crazy credits
      At the end of the film, the cast list is shown again with the heading, "A GOOD CAST IS WORTH REPEATING...."
    • Alternate versions
      When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'A' rating. All cuts were waived in 2001 when the film was granted a '12' certificate for home video.
    • Connections
      Edited into Mondo Lugosi - A Vampire's Scrapbook (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      Swan Lake Overture
      (uncredited)

      Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Played during the opening credits

    User reviews81

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Definitely worth a look
    I won't go into the plot details as many have done that before me, but "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is worth a look for several reasons.

    The first is the overall look of the film from legendary DP Karl Freund (Dracula, Metropolis, and many others). The sets are outstanding, the lighting is great, and the overall atmosphere is perfect. Everything comes off as some creepy nightmare.

    The second reason to see "Murders" is Bela Lugosi, who owns every scene he is in. He is sufficiently strange and intimidating as the mad doctor.

    The third reason is the overall story line. OK, forget the whole mixing of the ape and human blood thing and this movie is very similar in plot line to "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", just substitute the ape for Cesare the Somnambulist. It also contains some very strong (for its time) scenes involving the doctor "administering" to his patients.

    OK, now some things that aren't so hot.

    First, the cutting between the man in the ape suit and the real ape's face is distracting. The shots don't match and some serious suspension of disbelief is required for this not to be a deal breaker. I've heard that Florey's film was cut against his wishes to add these scenes and remove others. That would explain why these scenes seem out of place.

    Also, as others have referred to, the comic relief is really not very good. At the time, however, this type of thing was common in films that were thought to be very intense. The comedy was used to relieve the tension so the audience could be set up for the next batch of horrors. Most of it doesn't work in this film.

    Overall, I felt this film was well worth a look, and I've watched it several times just to admire the outstanding work of Karl Freund.
    helpful•22
    2
    • kitchent
    • Dec 21, 2004

    FAQ12

    • What is 'Murders in the Rue Morgue' about?
    • Is 'Murders in the Rue Morgue' based on a book?
    • In what year does the story take place?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 21, 1932 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Danish
      • German
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Ubistva u ulici Morg
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $190,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 1 minute
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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