A Face in the Fog

A Face in the Fog (1936)

** (out of 4)

A masked killer known as The Fiend uses a special bullet that is guaranteed to kill his victim as well as leave his mark. Frank (Lloyd Hughes) and Jean (June Collyer) take an interest in the mystery and decide to track The Fiend down but soon they become a target.

A FACE IN THE FOG is an early producer credit for Sam Katzman who would become one of the most prolific producers in Hollywood. This Poverty Row film is certainly far from bad but at the same time there's really nothing here that sets it apart from the dozens of other "old dark house" type thrillers that were released throughout the decade. While there are a few interesting things here in the end it's pretty forgettable.

Both Collyer and Hughes are decent in their roles and they at least keep the film entertaining. Al St. John, former co-star of Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, is the comic relief friend but takes away more than he adds. At just a hour the film moves fairly quickly and as I said it's interesting enough to hold your attention. I will say that I liked the look of the killer and the opening sequence is also quite good. Still, A FACE IN THE FOG really doesn't stand out in a crowded field so it's only for die-hards of the genre.

I've always been a fan of films where the killer is disguised in some way.....usually hunchbacked, a long cloak, a hat pulled down over his face, and a decided limp. That's why i LOVE this film! :)

(Other films with "disfigured murderers" are The Bat Whispers, Miss Pinkerton & the Cat & the Canary).

This film also uses a stock music track that was most noticeably used in "The Clutching Hand" serial...........viewing this film, it's difficult to believe that this film is a LATE 30's entry!!!

A weird-looking killer, known as "The Fiend" is out to murder the members of a Broadway show, with a most unusual weapon (no spoiler here!).

The lites go out, and the person is dead....they've been poisoned, but without a mark on them!

Two newpaper employees try to track 'em down (to get the scoop and the reward money for their honeymoon----they do, of course!).

Despite what the "trivia" says, this film IS NOT "LOST" !!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a copy of it, and i imagine that there are others out there somewhere.

This is a MUST SEE........IF you're lucky enuff to find it!

Norm

A mysterious murderer known as The Fiend is targeting the people of a theatre. To draw the killer into the open, newspaper reporter Jean Monroe (June Collyer) writes an article claiming that she saw his face and can identify him; naturally that makes her a target. Sure enough, the killer strikes but isn't successful. Jean's love interest Frank Gordon (Lloyd Hughes) tries to protect her while playwright Peter Fortune (Lawrence Gray) assists the police in apprehending the villain.

This poverty row effort is so cheap that it doesn't even deliver on the fog promised in the title (or sound effects for a gun firing, for that matter).

Sloppily written and directed, with no notable performances (unless you count Al St. John as comic relief photographer Elmer, who is only notable for being so thoroughly irritating), the film lurches awkwardly from scene to scene. There's a modicum of fun to be had from the ridiculous idea of a gun (silently) firing frozen poison into the victims and leaving no marks, and the hunchbacked killer in black cloak and hat is suitably menacing, but the film is too slapdash and laboriously talky to be an effective thriller.

3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for the entertaining acrobatic dance rehearsal at the theatre.

My copy of this film is very difficult to watch (lots of vertical wavy lines), so it was tough to stick with this film, but it was an interesting 1930s murder mystery. It was fun to see lots of old cars with running boards all over the street scenes. The acting was competent, & the plot involved a novel idea (of "frozen" bullets). You have to forget about the fact that the killer carried these "frozen" bullets around for hours in his pocket, but that's a mere insignificant detail in a "Poverty Row" film such as this one. I rate it 5/10.

A bizarre killer called "The Fiend" is holding the city in a grip of fear. No one has seen his face and lived to describe it. He kills with a diabolical poison but there is never a wound on the body. Who is he? How does he commit his crimes? Is he a madman or is he dangerously sane?

This thriller from 1936 came very late into the genre. In fact this was the year the first great cycle of terror films ended due to the British market drying up. Still it is a fun film that mixes suspense with comedy.

Frank Gordon and Jean Monroe (Lloyd Hughes and June Collier) are reporters for the "Daily Journal". Jean prints an article that she has seen the face of The Fiend which gets her marked as a victim. With Frank helping the cops in tracking down clues they track the seemingly crippled, hunchbacked killer to a theatre where a musical show is going on. Hardly have they arrived when the shows lead dancer becomes the next victim. With the producers worried the bad publicity will wreck the show and the playwright playing amateur detective it'll be a miracle if Frank and the cops can get anything done.

If this movie had been made 6 years earlier I would have expected Sheldon Lewis to be in the cast. Whoever dreamed up the character of The Fiend seems to have borrowed a few pages out of Mr. Lewis' acting manual though because our villain reminded me a lot of The Clutching Hand. Of course the idea of a caped, limping hunchback goes back to the 1926 serial OFFICER 444 and maybe even further than that. usually the villain turns out to be an ordinary person in makeup but knowing Who does not always mean knowing Why and that is what keeps us guessing throughout many of the movies in this genre. A FACE IN THE FOG is no exception to that rule.

Acting is fairly competent all around. Lloyd Hughes is best remembered (by me anyway) as the brave reporter who goes with Wallace Beery and Bessie Love to THE LOST WORLD in 1925. Watch for Al St. John as Elmer, the photographer who is scared of his own shadow and keeps tripping over his own feet. Al got started with Mack Sennett and appeared with people like Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle. In the 40's he grew a beard and became "Fuzzy" St. John and acted in dozens of B western with Buster Crabbe, Eddie Dean and any other sagebrush hero who needed a sidekick.

Okay so the comedy relief gets a little strained at times. At one point Frank gets Elmer on the phone and tells him to call the cops because The Fiend is close by. Elmer faints on the spot and when he comes to an hour later the police already have a suspect in custody. The one musical number we get to see is . . .well . . .okay, but it is obvious producer Sam Katzman was no Busby Berkley. As for suspense, expect plenty!

Give this one a chance. You will not be disappointed.