El hombre y el monstruo (1959)

A failed pianist sells his soul to the devil in return for his becoming the greatest musician in the world. The catch: every time he plays he turns into a horrible monster.

Director:

Rafael Baledón

Writers:

Alfredo Salazar (adaptation), Raúl Zenteno (story)

Stars:

Enrique Rambal, Abel Salazar, Martha Roth

Cast

Credited 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	...	Police officer
Maricarmen Vela	...	Blond Motorist (as Mari Carmen Vela)
Carlos Suárez
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anita Blanch

Storyline

A failed pianist sells his soul to the devil in return for his becoming the greatest musician in the world. The catch: every time he plays he turns into a horrible monster.

---

Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | monster | pianist | devil | corpse | 

---

Genres:

Horror

---

Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Man and the Monster

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinematográfica ABSA

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

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.