Sh! The Octopus

... if you don't' watch to the last scene, in which he inanity of everything that preceded it is clearly explained. Walk away with five minutes or more of the film to spare, and you'll most likely agree with the current low rating this film has.

It is true that almost from the first scene of what appears to be a comedy/thriller nothing makes sense, but please stick around and just go with it. I won't even begin to try to explain the plot, but be prepared for people that have first one identity and then are all revealed to be federal law enforcement agents of one type or another, a human criminal mastermind that is called "the octopus" whose actual identity is unknown that they all are seeking, and an actual octopus whose tentacles are repeatedly reaching out from the walls of the old abandoned lighthouse into which everyone is congregated in order to grab someone. Warner contract players Allen Jenkins and Hugh Herbert as two local cops are probably the best known actors here, and they provide the outright comedy to counterbalance the ham served up by the dramatic overacting of the rest of the cast. After you've seen the whole thing you'll have to marvel at how this film comes together. It's hard to overact in such a way that the audience gets that this is all tongue-in-cheek versus believing that you're simply giving a poor dramatic performance.

The final scene has what could almost be considered a precode moment, but it is quickly explained that what is being implied is not at all the case. I'm being intentionally vague here because I don't want to spoil it for you. If you like older cult comedy films, I believe you'll really like this one. Since Jack Warner generally didn't like to take chances, I don't know how he ever let this one slip by.

A mad scramble of haunted (light)house, mad scientist, monster movie, and buddy-cop story elements; usually I hate this type of ending, but in this case it might have been the only one that makes some sense. The film's stage origins are all-too-obvious, but there is an impressively well-done "transformation" scene. Hugh Herbert and Allen Jenkins, in rare leading roles, have some terrific moments together; still, you can sort of see why they connected more with the public in supporting parts. ** out of 4.

Astonishingly occasionally like THE WIZARD OF OZ , this is a haunted fun-house comedy, like a hair raising wander through a creaky old seaside fun pier with a lighthouse ghost/train ride. Hugh Herbert is his usual bumbling chatterbox self, and abrasive Allen Jenkins ( from Footlight Parade) is the wisecracking pal. There is a great haunted lighthouse, sea caves and all sort of fake but fun spookiness. There is a genuinely astonishing and very clever scary moment with 'The Octopus" but mostly bumbling and running about in and out of caves, fogs and boats. Hugh Herbert plays his style of comedy a lot like Ed Wynn who you might remember most famously in MARY POPPINS when they had tea on this floating table. SH! THE OCTOPUS has a wonderful atmosphere, and not unlike the Columbia serial of 1937 THE SECRET OF TREASURE ISLAND or the finale of the Republic serial SOS COASTGUARD. This is a good Warner Bros programmer and if you have seen 1929 version of THE CAT AND THE CANARY or THE BAT WHISPERS it fits into the 'old dark house' - in this case a lighthouse, theme of scary comedies popular in the early 30s. I love the title! Imagine putting that up in lights on the marquee.

Sh! The Octopus (1937)

** (out of 4)

Another version of The Gorilla but this time the old dark house is replaced with a lighttower and the gorilla is replaced with an octopus. Veteran character actors Hugh Herbert and Allen Jenkins play wannabe detectives trapped inside a lighttower with several others who are being attacked by the octopus. This version pretty much stays in tact with other versions and the other remake, which followed two years later with The Ritz Brothers and Bela Lugosi. Herbert and Jenkins aren't nearly as obnoxious and they do manage to get some good laughs. The octopus looks very nice and the scene where the killer "transforms" is quite memorable. The film moves at a lightening pace yet for some reason, one I don't know, the 56-minute running time felt overly long. This certainly isn't a bad movie but it's not a good one either.

This picture was made in 1937.I think I saw it when it was first released.I must have been 8 years old. I remember I thought it was both scary and hilarious.I thought Hugh Herbert's "woo,woo,woo" comic trademark was a hoot. Now that I am no longer 8 years old,I'd like to see it again to see how my tastes have matured(if at all).