Murders in the Zoo

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Alex K Pre-code horror films are quite a thing. Made in 1933 by Paramount as a response the growing popularity of horror films started with Universal. Whereas Universal was making gothic horror films and works based on classic literature. Paramount decided to tell a twisted tale of deadly jealousy set in the modern day. Now before I get into what I love about this film, the big negative is Charlie Ruggles in the comedic relief role, while I understand the belief that the film needed it given how horrifying it gets. However, in this case Ruggles holds up the momentum of the film and it often causes some tonal inconsistency with the film. That said, the film is still very very good. Helmed by A. Edward Sutherland who for the most part directs a brisk and suspenseful horror thriller. The film centers on a man who is so wickedly jealous of the men attracted to his younger wife he is willing to resort to murder in various gruesome ways to do away with them. Given the title, Murders at the Zoo, the death scenes are all animal related. The cast in the film other than Ruggles is solid with Lionel Atwill again showcasing why he was so successful in horror in the early 30s, he's excellently sinister and creepy. Atwill commands the screen with a solid performance. What really sets this film apart from many films at the time is how gruesome and violent it is. Surprisingly so for 1933. The murders are either very violent or in some cases built around some incredibly suspenseful moments. It's a fun underseen thriller Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/25 Full Review Alec B Grisly, even for a pre-code movie but other than that it's a little too goofy. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/28/24 Full Review Audience Member The best parts of this movie would be Lionel Atwill's over-the-top evil performance and the fairly clever method he uses. There is some genuine abuse of animals which is a little tough for the modern viewer so be forewarned. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Grisly pre-code tale of a jealous and murderous husband that uses mambas, alligators, lions, etc. to do his dirty work-though he isn't afraid to get his own hands involved in "sewing" more evil. Of course he eventually must be victim of poetic justice. Atwill often played evil characters effectively. There is also a bit of screwball comedy to mix in with the unexpectedly graphic scenes for 1933. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member While you might be ethically disrupted by the grand finale wherein real lions savagely attack real leopards and cougars, you'll still thrill when Lionel Atwill's Pepe-le-Pew-esque borderline rapist character gets what's coming to him. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member A completely over-the-top, zany horror comedy about a jealous zoologist who murders anybody who gets too close to his wife. Famous now only for the insane visual near the start of a man with his mouth sown shut (and showing how much you could get away with in pre-code Hollywood) and some rather disturbing scenes later on involving big cats, this isn't up there with the greats, but it is certainly very enjoyable. Of note is Randolph Scott's solid performance and Charlie Ruggles' comedic performance. It's good to see Kathleen Burke as well, in just her second role, following The Island of Lost Souls. She plays it straight - none of the loopiness of the Lota, the Panther Woman here - but proves admirable enough. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Murders in the Zoo

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