The Gorilla

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Alex K I can't help but like this movie, I know that a lot of people don't but the humour just hits for me. A lot of it is the silly, borderline stupid kind of comedy that so often appeals to me. Yes the Ritz Brothers aren't as good as The Three Stooges or Abbott and Costello but they're still quite funny in this film and it's honestly quite quotable. The film is about a mysterious serial killer known as The Gorilla who sends letters to his victims 24hrs before murdering them. This time he sends a note to a rich man, played by Lionel Atwill. Filling out the cast are Bela Lugosi as a the butler, Anita Louise as Atwill's niece and Patsy Kelly as his long suffering maid. The film is based on a play, how loosely or faithfully I can't say but I can see its stage origins. Atwill eventually hires the Ritz Bros. who play a trio of bumbling detectives. Produced by 20th Century Fox the film has since fallen into the public domain but this isn't a poverty row picture. The production design is good and the Gorilla costume is effective. Directed by Allan Dwan who helmed SO many movies the film has swift and fluid cinematography and a solid pace throughout. Dwan keeps things light and spooky just as any self respecting horror comedy of the 1930s should be. There is so much fun to be had with this film, i'm very glad to have discovered it. The cast is solid, it's nice to see Atwill and Lugosi who usually play horror villains get a chance to have fun here and they clearly are, both very talented actors. Anita Louise is lovely, she was usually a supporting player in the studios bigger pictures but here gets to be a lead, However, it's Patsy Kelly who steals the show, she's hilarious as Kitty, the fearful maid, her performance won't be for everyone as it's over the top and shrill but personally I thought she was perfect, she's my favourite part of the movie. This little seen film deserves to be rediscovered Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/25 Full Review dave s The Gorilla is a disaster from the start, thanks, for the most part, to the bug-eyed Ritz Brothers, never to be confused with the far superior Marx Brothers and Three Stooges. The plot is incomprehensible, the acting is ridiculous, the intended scares fall flat, and none of the jokes work. Clearly, not funny and not scary is a deadly combination for a film that is presumably meant to be a horror comedy. After watching, it is hard to believe that the running time on this was only 66 minutes. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I Love this movie...campy horror ...well is it really a horror...more suspense! The Ritz Brothers are a HoOT...very popular at the time ...Please remember this movie was released in 1939... Ahhh what a time that must of been...lastly...the Real Dracula stars also...well not as Dracula .... ?? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member A wealthy man hires three cowardly detectives (the Ritz Brothers) to protect him from a killer known as the Gorilla (who may be an actual gorilla). The Ritz Brothers are a second-rate comedy team, but this old dark house comedy is light and busy enough to provide some small entertainment. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Enjoyable Enough Romp--A great little slapstick knock about!! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A wealthy insurance broker is threatened and hires a trio of whacky private detectives to protect him. A weak early spoof with some curious casting choices but some elements that qualify The Gorilla as an early guilty pleasure. However, the comedy of The Ritz Brothers remains highly outdated and dull. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Gorilla

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