Bowery at Midnight

Pleasant surprises can come in the most unusual of packages. Such is the case with this 1942 Monogram quickie starring the legendary Bela Lugosi, not as a vampire or a mad doctor, but a jewel thief kingpin hiding under two (count 'em, two) secret identities. With a setup like that, you can't very well lose.

Lugosi, as usual, pulls out an engaging performance; this guy is just plain fun to watch in any role. He doesn't get much help from his co-stars (with the possible exception of Lew Kelly, who steals a few scenes as a schizophrenic doctor), but nobody is exceptionally irritating at least. Plot holes abound and at times things get pretty confusing, but if you can overlook the blemishes and try not to take the production values too seriously, it's a nice little picture overall. And at just over an hour long, it won't bog you down. Watch it for Lugosi's performance if nothing else.

Also, keep an eye out for a poster of another of Lugosi's Monogram films, "The Corpse Vanishes," which appears in the background of one of the scenes.