Weird Woman

Professor Lon Chaney Jnr (Norman) returns from the jungle with his new wife Anne Gwynne (Paula). He slips back into life at the college but his wife has brought with her a multitude of voodoo trinkets. Two other women at the college, Elizabeth Russell (Evelyn) and Evelyn Ankers (Ilona), don't take kindly to Paula and her jungle ways. Two deaths follow and the guilty party must be brought to justice. Will superstition win the day and dish out some justice?

It's a well-paced film that has good performances from all, especially Elizabeth Russell. She is both funny and scary and has a very direct, no-nonsense approach which gives her the best lines. Evelyn Ankers is also good as Ilona. We know who the guilty party is as the film unfolds but this does not take any mystery away from the proceedings as we are never quite sure what to expect next. There is something lacking with the lead female role, though.

"Weird Woman" was the second of six "Inner Sanctum" mysteries adapted from the popular radio series of the day produced in 1943-45 by Universal and starring Lon Chaney Jr.

In this installment we begin with the young wife, Paula Reed (Anne Gwynne) of College Professor Norman Ried (Chaney), returning home in the middle of the night from an unknown destination. Reed is concerned about her irrational behavior. We then flashback to their initial meeting on an unnamed tropical island. It seems that Paula had been raised by a group that were involved in some sort of witchcraft and voodoo.

Norman and Paula marry and return to Norman's home in the US. They attend a welcome home party where Norman introduces the people to his new bride. Totally surprised is Ilona Carr (Evelyn Ankers) who thought that she had been the apple of Norman's eye. Others at the party who welcome Norman's new bride are Professor Millard Sawtelle (Ralph Morgan) and his wife Evelyn (Elizabeth Russell), the Dean of Reed's college, Septimus Carr (Harry Hayden), Ilona's brother and Norman's ally, Women's Dean, Grace Gunnison (Elisabeth Risdon).

Scorned by Reed's rejection of her, Ilona begins to lay a plan for his destruction. Meanwhile, Reed has become a successful author and scholar. Ilona meanwhile convinces the wimpish Professor Sawtelle that Reed is planning to expose him for plagiarizing a thesis in order to write his own successful book. Sawtelle becomes despondent and commits suicide. His wife blames Reed for causing her husband's suicide.

A young hero worshiping student Margaret Mercer (Lois Collier) goes to work for Reed and develops a crush on him. Her boyfriend David Jennings (Phil Brown) becomes insanely jealous and Ilona uses this to her advantage.

Reed follows his wife on one of her late night outings to find out where she is going. What he finds out changes the whole course of the story and results in further tragedy.

Chaney as always is excellent. He made even a low budget feature such as this better just by his presence. Anne Gwynne is lovely as Chaney's mysterious wife. Evelyn Ankers, Universal's Queen of the "B" horror movies stands out as the scheming Ilona. And yes you do get to hear her trademark blood curdling scream over the course of the film. Ralph Morgan has little to do and is killed off far too early in the story. The under appreciated Elizabeth Russell (who had appeared in several Val Lewton films of the same period) with her scary eye piercing stare also stands out in the supporting cast.

Pretty good little mystery.

A professor (Lon Chaney Jr.) at a college returns from a visit to a South Seas island with his native wife (Anne Gwynne). His ex girlfriend (Evelyn Ankers) is not pleased. Chaney makes his wife burn all her superstitous, good luck charms. Then everything in his life goes horribly wrong.

Fun movie. It's fast-moving and very interesting. Chaney is just so-so but Gwynne is beautiful and very good as his wife. The best performance is by Ankers--she was usually playing the "good girl" in pictures--here she plays the villain and she's just great! This is one of the few times she was allowed to show her acting ability.

This was remade as "Burn Witch Burn" in the 1960s. That was a better movie but this still is a neat little film. Recommended.

"The Inner Sanctum" films usually failed to live up to anyone's expectations. Out of the six movies made from this series, only two are worth bothering with. "Weird Woman" is a pretty good one. Once again, Lon Chaney Jnr is the leading man as he plays a college professor who is the subject and target for petty jealousy and bigotry from his colleagues and students. As a result of this, his wife employs Witchcraft so as to protect her husband.

Evelyn Ankers is completely cast against type as the main villain of the piece. She plays her role well.

Universal's Inner Sanctum mystery series gets a lift with not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE horror queens from this genre: Evelyn Ankers, Anne Gwynne, Lois Collier, newcomer Kay (Jackie Lou)Harding, and borrowed from Val Lewton's RKO unit, Elizabeth Russell. Ankers, Gwynne and Collier all privately joked about the script which had them all competing for Chaney's affections, when in 'real life' Chaney was not any of the girls' favorite leading man; Ankers and Gwynne, being best friends, would constantly break up laughing during filming because the script had Ankers being so mean to Gwynne. The end result of filming shows none of the comedic goings-on and the mystery-chiller is a high camp surprise that only Universal could produce. Reginald LeBorg directed and according to Gwynne was a good sport dealing with the 'break-ups' between her and Ankers during filming. Flavorful music, very familiar to Universal horror fans, and spooky autumn-like surroundings on a dark college campus add to the suspense. Definitely the BEST of the Inner Sanctum series from Universal.