Son of Ingagi

The first half of this movie belongs to Laura Bowman. I was interested in her reclusive Dr Helen Jackson character who lives in a house of secrets. On the one hand she is a severe grim-faced Judith Furse type who begrudges the humanity she is hiding from. On discovering a formula to benefit humanity she mutters to herself "Why should I worry about humanity?" But then there is the glimmer of the maternal Jane Darwell type in her character at times. If you like indomitable old ladies and creepy old houses then this could be your type of film. Dr Jackson is able to summon an ape man from a hidden room by striking a gong behind her desk. I reckon this would make a good 1940s horror double bill with 'The Ape Man' from 1943 on a horror hosted show. 'The Ape Man' has Bela Lugosi and Minerva Urecal in it. The second half of 'Son of Ingagi' is more humorous as the ape man and a detective go into a lengthy comic routine involving disappearing sandwiches etc. The story also involves a stash of gold from Africa and a newly-wedded couple who Dr Jackson takes a shine to.

A newlywed couple is visited by a strange old woman who harbors a secret about the young girl's father.

"Son of Ingagi" is allegedly the first science fiction-horror film to feature an all-black cast. Even if the film had no merit (which it does), this alone would make it worthwhile as a historic film.

This is really the brainchild of Spencer Williams (1893-1969), who wrote, acted and helped behind the camera. While today perhaps best remembered as the latter half of Amos and Andy, he was a true talent and a pioneer in the category of "race films".

I would love to see this film properly released. Maybe it has been, but the public domain copy I saw was pretty unbearable and ruined what should have been a lost classic.

Wow! When they set out to make a bad movie in the golden days, they sure knew how to do it! This film is bad, no qualms, questions about it. The story essentially tells a story about a young couple just getting married who are visited by a wealthy doctor known to everyone else for her miserly ways, yet in secret a very giving woman. We learn that this woman is attached somehow to the wife, and then we discover that she has been in Africa and loved her father. The film is intriguing with its all black cast(save the doctor and her brother), but ultimately fails as the moment the monster(an ape-like man living in the doctor's office) is revealed destroys any credibility the movie might have had. This monster looks so silly with its black wire hairs(mop-like)hanging over its face which has sunken eyes. It moves around in a pitiful way, and in no way is scary. The film also does not know exactly what it is trying to be. Is it a horror film or a comedy? The ape kills on two occasions with no comedy implied, and then later we see it eat two sandwiches from a scared policeman desperately trying to imitate Mantan Moreland. I also forgot to mention the lovely music sung as the wedded couple spend their honeymoon in their house and are visited by all their "singing" friends and family. The film sports few great moments. It has poor, inferior direction, sets, script, and acting. The best part for me was the woman who played the doctor. She was quite atmospheric in her black dress and her portly figure. That, however, is not enough to recommend this exercise in will...making you sit through it.

SON OF INGAGI is about a man and his new bride trying to enjoy their wedding night. Instead, a series of disasters -an explosion at the groom's workplace, a mad scientist and her go-rilla henchman on a rampage- threatens to derail the honeymoon.

A fun movie featuring an all-African American cast...

SON OF INGAGI (1940) is a rare horror film. One of the films by Zack Williams, a black film artist who made films with an all black cast, for the black audiences. (This was in the days before Denzel washington, Sidney Portier, James Earl Jones, the days you never saw a black man in the heroic lead in a film.) The real treat of the movie is the nasty old witch that lives in a little house. All she has to do is bang a low-toned gong and the big giant, who sleeps on hay, wakes up and beats the old woman's enemies to a frazzle. A rare piece of film history, and a lot of fun.