Dr. Renault's Secret

I watched this movie on a videotape which was rather dark but I enjoyed the film. I have been watching horror films for 45 years and through the miracle of NTSC imports, I'm trying to catch up with those that I have missed. And I'm seeing some stinkers! This however is a reasonable example of the genre, the standouts being Arthur Sheilds, J.Carrol Naish and Mike Mazurki. Unusually, George Zucco hasn't got much to do in the title role. Noel the ape-man is very fortunate and obviously a skilful driver as he handles the Rolls Phantom II very well and can see round corners (when he avoids the dog). Very useful. Not a film for those who are not connoiseurs. Also not much effort given to the cliche creepy bits, but definitely miles better than a Monogram effort.

Why does the story take place in France?The atmosphere of the inn where Larry enters at the beginning of the film is more that of an English pub : a customer playing darts in a French café?The same goes for the Bastille Day celebration : the dances are closer to American country and western than to French Valses Musette ;and where are the fireworks?the firecrackers?

This is minor quibble;only a French can notice such things.J.Caroll Naish 's part is not unlike Peter Lorre's tormented characters.The script is some cross between "Frankenstein" and "Beauty and the Beast" ,and is thus rather derivative.But as the movie is short (less than an hour ,probably part of a double-feature at the time) ,we are not bored at all.

I don't know if it was the spectacle (for me anyways) of seeing J. Carroll Naish in something that wasn't "Frankenstein vs. Dracula" (my all-time favorite so-bad-its-good film), Naish's decent "pitiable villain" or the rather flimsy "Island of Dr. Moreau" reworking, but somehow this movie really held my intention. It's mercifully short (any longer would've been far too much), and fairly typical of horror films of its day. Definitely takes a page out of Wells' book, although the action this time has been relocated to France. There are definite signs of its era and its budget-very set bound, french accents that come and go, random Euro-sounding accents instead of french accents, the "monster" that redeems himself in the end, the odd (and racist, if we want to get all PC, which I don't usually bother for a film of this era that isn't being deliberate about it's racism) notion that a man from Java and an ape made to look like a man would be indistinguishable. Leaving all of these criticisms aside, if you're a fan of horror films, whose interested in the history of the genre and not just in the latestest "Scream" knock-off or still hoping they'll come out with a tenth Friday the 13th or a similar sequel machine, I say check it out. If you're into B-pictures of the era, check it out. It shows the general qualtity of studio horror films of the era, and its got a little something extra I can't put my finger on.

For a long time this was an overlooked little 'B' picture, but thankfully it's been given new life on the recent FOX HORROR CLASSICS VOL. 2 DVD set. George Zucco is on hand as another mad doctor who experimented on a gorilla, gave him plastic surgery, and then tried to make him into a human. J. Carrol Naish is very good in the part of this man/ape character, and he manages to make him sympathetic and fierce at the same time. This is a brisk and tight film which manages to rise above its 'B' trappings, and the moody shadow photography and capable direction add a lot. Very reminiscent of ISLAND OF LOST SOULS ("The Island of Dr. Moreau"). *** out of ****

I have been watching horror movies for well over forty years but until very recently I had not been aware of this gem of a B-movie. Prolific and versatile actor J Carrol Naish made what I believe to be his horror debut with this, he plays an odd looking man "from Java", in actual fact he was once an ape but has been "humanised" by mad scientist George Zucco. This may sound ridiculous but I am happy to say that they made this concept quite convincing, helped no doubt by Naish giving a truly superb performance. The rest of the cast is also very good but one problem is that the film is set in France yet most of the accents are North American. Would have been more convincing to set it in Canada instead. With a modest 58 minutes running time the movie packs in quite a lot and moves along quickly, the camerawork is very good and the finale, set in a water mill, is excellent. Highly recommended.