Director-Dwain Esper
Starring- William Woods, Horace Carpenter, Phyllis Diller
An ex-vaudeville actor, Don Maxwell (Woods) plays assistant to the mad doctor Meirschultz (Carpenter). Dr. Meirschultz asks too much when he wants Maxwell to commit suicide that he may test a reanimation serum on him. Maxwell is resistant to the idea and ends up killing the doctor in the ensuing altercation. Fearing repercussions from the police, he assumes the doctor's identity and goes on for some time in the ruse, coming into contact with a few patients suffering different types of mental illnesses as illustrated by title cards placed on the screen at appropriate times. He's eventually found out by the police whe search his office and discover the real doctor's corpse hidden in a wall (just like Poe's The Black Cat).
Considered one of the earliest "slasher" flicks ever made (mainly because no one can find the 1926 version of Sweeney Todd?), this movie represents the apex of Esper's amateur filmmaking career. The plot isn't very clear at times, copies Poe at other times, but is overall a very entertaining movie.
The acting is stiff, especially from the morgue employees (no pun intended), one of whom reminded me a little of Karl Childers (you know, from Sling Blade?).
The demonic dream sequences/hallucinations mark perhaps one of the most visually effective parts of the movie, as well as the most memorable, though it sometimes felt like I was watching a play within the movie. A very cool film for 1934!
Rating: 4/5 Bonedaddies.
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