QUICKIE: There's a giant ape killing people, but surprise! it's the local Dr. again.
PLOT: Dr. Bernard Adrian (Boris Karloff) is a kindly mad scientist who seeks to cure a young woman's (Maris Wrixon) polio. He needs spinal fluid from a human to complete the formula for his experimental serum. Meanwhile, a vicious circus ape has broken out of its cage, and is terrorizing towns people.
SUMMARY: Yes, yes, it's the local Dr./scientist who's killing people again! But this time he's fooled us all by wearing a giant monkey suit. So the town hunts an ape this time. Apparently the Dr. has created a cure for paralysis and needs spinal fluid to make the serum. He's testing it out on our heroine who's been paralyzed for 10 years. But, never fear, there's always a happy ending as our crazed Dr. lies dying (as the hunted ape) our heroine stands up from her wheelchair and walks! Proving the Dr.'s formula works. Yay, now she can walk down the isle like a real bride. dabs tears away.
The Ape ~ 1940 -BW
The Fatal Hour ~ 1940 -BW
QUICKIE: Mr. Wong returns to investigate a cops murder and Chinese smuggling ring.
PLOT: The 4th film in the line of Mr. Wong features. Police Captain Street (Grant Withers) enlists the help of Mr. Wong (Karloff) to investigate the murder. Mr. Wong discovers a smuggling ring operating on the San Fransico waterfront. After 3 more murders Wong finally breaks the case open.
SUMMARY: Holy Moly! If you blink in the last minute of the movie you'll totally miss who did it! And what? WHO did it? and why? Sometimes these endings are pulled out of nowhere. I had to watch the end twice to understand it. It wasn't what I expected and left me confused. But after thinking it through it seemed buyable enough. Except that a man could be shot twice in the head in the middle of a police station with no one seeing who did it. Especially the sargent sitting at his desk right in front of the murdered man. hmmm. ok. All in all a good story with molls, smugglers, police, the innocent youth and family conflicts. Typical good stuff.
The Terror ~ 1963 -colour
QUICKIE: Soldier hunts for a hot chick he meets on the beach and finds out she's a ghost haunting a Baron's cool castle. Jack Nicholson & Boris Karloff!
PLOT: France, 18th century. Lieutenant Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson) has been accidentally separated from his regiment. He is wandering near the coast when he sees a young woman. Eventually she takes him to the sea, where she disappears in rough water. Andre loses consciousness when he is trying to follow her and is attacked by a bird.
He awakes in a house with an old witch woman and a dumb man. She claims their is no woman. After he leaves, he sees the young woman again and when trying to follow her is saved by the dumb man from certain death. He learns that to help the girl, he must go to castle of Baron Van Leppe and find Eric. When the Lieutenant arrives he sees the woman looking from a window. Baron Van Leppe (Boris Karloff) is old and claims there's no woman in the castle, but shows Lt. Duvalier a painting which does indeed portray her. Lt. Duvalier learns that she is the baroness, who died twenty years ago at the Baron's hand when he returned from the war and found her in bed with Eric.
Eventually we learn the "ghost" is a girl who is being controlled by the witch woman who saved Lieutenant Duvalier earlier. The witch woman turns out to be seeking revenge against the Baron for killing her son Eric who was the Baroness' lover.
SUMMARY: A very good story line with great actors (of course!). The second time through it's a great movie to fall asleep to. I just love those old castles with HUGE ballrooms. WOW.
