The Monster and the Girl

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Ted B. @Movieaddicted Nov 5 2.5 stars; Even though he was always stereotypically cast, George Zucco found a home in the mad scientist role. Whoever acted in the gorilla suit also did a fine job. The revenge plot was compelling; however, I felt Boris Karloff did a much better job two years earlier in "The Man They Couldn't Hang." It was also a little disconcerting seeing Rod Cameron in a non-cowboy role. See more Steve D 04/12/2023 It isn't in on the joke, and the joke is hilarious. See more 12/19/2015 The Monster and the Girl is basically a film noir that they stuck a tiny amount of science fiction into. You could easily make the same movie with the brother somehow escaping the hangman and coming back to exact revenge in a more conventional way. The plot is very straightforward, although a bit seedier than most movies of the era, and takes a long time to really get going. And just when it's starting to get interesting, it's over. On the plus side, the gorilla suit is excellent. It helps that he's always lurking in the shadows but, still, it's an outstanding gorilla suit. Also there are some very good performances, especially the comic relief characters. See more 09/28/2014 George Zucco is typically good as the maddish scientist, and the villains, especially Paul Lukas, are appropriately villainous. What is truly surprising is how good Charles Gemora is as the ape; though obviously limited by the monkey suit he wears, he makes for a most convincing and expressive simian. Stuart Heisler's direction is lively and totally committed; his work gives no sign that he is not approaching this story with total seriousness, and he's aided by good atmospheric contributions from Victor Milner. See more 10/14/2013 Certainly not the signature achievement of early 1940s horror films, this is still a fun offering with a great sense of mood and an oddball plotline that stands out amongst the more rote stories that populate much of the genre movies of this era. See more 04/20/2011 Checked this out after hearing Joe Dante talk about it on Rupert Pupkin's interview for the GGTMC podcast. The other stuff on his list is well worth seeing as well: http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/10/10-of-joe-dantes-favorite-underrated.html This begins promisingly with a portentous, third-person monologue by Ellen Drew, straight into camera among a misty backdrop reminiscent of the afterlife. She calls herself a "bad luck penny" and vaguely refers to her fall from grace, fun stuff. What follows is a mix of courtroom drama comedy and sub-Hitch wrong man scenario, involving some forced vaudevillean jokes and minor characters of indeterminately ethnic hilarity. George Zucco (Voodoo Man, Having Wonderful Crime) is well typecast in the mad doc role, and when he transplants the brain of Ellen's beau into an ape - this is where the mild noir tone shifts a little more towards the weird, as he returns to her bedside. There he is met by a dutiful pooch who not only wants to return his hat, but ends up assisting his at first haphazard revenge. The high-angle pursuit scenes, cutting between the eager pup and giant ape are pretty entertaining, especially after all of the previous filler. You probably shouldn't go to lengths in tracking this down or make it a top priority. It's not worth an over-priced VHS purchase from Amazon, especially since they nearly removed their 'VHS' search tab. But it is good fun, and after it gets going, makes for an enjoyable time. See more Read all reviews

The Monster and the Girl

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