The Soul of a Monster

Some reviewers automatically hate on every lower budget B movie.But if you know what you're in for, a slow burning atmospheric Lewtonesque 40s creeper, you'll be delighted. Great acting from the leads, eerie camerawork and music, hypnotic dialogue interrupted by jump scares. This would have fit in perfectly with the Shock TV movie package, and would now be regarded as a classic of the "creepy" genre.

This little-seen Colombia horror film from 1944 is a pretentious, but still interesting film.

It stars George Macready, in one of his first films, as a good doctor who is on his deathbed. His wife, played by a solid Jeanne Bates, wishes at the family fireplace for any force from heaven or hell to save him as she has lost faith with her god. Her wish is instantly granted by an unseen Satan as Rose Hobart plays a sort of 'Soul Master' who coldly arrives on the scene and saves Macready. Her action, of course, has a price.

Without revealing too much, this seems to have tried to copy the Val Lewton formula, which was popular at the time. The film opens and closes with a narrative quote. The direction is adequate. There is a long "chase" scene in the middle that seems to go on forever. The two characters walk as if elderly people on prozac. It is meant to be suspenseful, but it's just too darned long to keep up the suspense.

The film has very few "horror" moments, but some nice cinematic ones. There are shadows aplenty, but the best touch is the arrival and departure of Rose Hobart's character. The film changes to a negative image and then back to positive. I hadn't seen that technique used before in a classic horror film and there were some effective dutch angles that did a good job of building the suspense.

A decent film that unfortunately is just never too interesting, it's worth viewing for hard core classic horror buffs only. 5/10

If I hadn't seen the opening credits, I would have sworn this was a Val Lewton classic. It has all the fascinating earmarks as well as much of the weirdness. The story is simple enough. A doctor about to die is saved by an evil spirit in the guise of a mysterious woman, but as we know, there is always a price to pay for undeserved immortality.

This was, without question, a "B" movie dressed up to be more stylistic than most. As in those Val Lewton movies, all the performances are understated. The principals drift into indecipherable monologues that leave you numb. Many of the scenes are shot in shadow and the whole atmosphere is spooky. There is no bloody violence to speak of, but there is enough heart stopping shock to satisfy the blood-lust in most of us.

George MacReady leads the cast. This should tell us something. He was a fine character actor, but only in a low budget thriller would he ever be given the lead. His evil muse is played by Rose Hobart. I have to admit I never heard of her until I saw this movie, but she did a more than adequate job. In fact, she was downright frightening. The rest of the cast is nameless, although I may have seen one or two of them in an old Dragnet episode, but not one of them let the story down.

This production is well worth watching - if you can find it. My only complaint is that it comes with a prologue and an epilogue. In fact, it comes with a testament to good over evil. I don't know, it was made in 1944. Maybe they had no choice.

To films where the casting director is on crack and is a flaming Misogynist. There is a 19 year age gap between the husband and wife characters in this bloviated farce of a flick.

So I will not torture myself with another zero chemistry debacle made by old white men who view women and pieces of property.

Sorry, but not sorry as I grew up on these movies not realizing how unfairly women and minorities are portrayed in them. So as an African American Veteran who grew up during segregation, I have learned much over the years. As well as seen a lot of these old movies in the truthful ignorance and degradation that spews from them.

Nope, a hard pass for me.

Of all the major studios from Hollywood's Golden Age, Columbia turned out the best "B" pictures. Cheaply made, featuring second tier actors, these flicks were often as entertaining, if not more so, than the quality films they supported.

The Soul of a Monster (1944) may not be the snazziest thing to come off Tinseltown's assembly line but with sinister George Macready starring, it's worth perusing.

He plays altruistic George Winson, a dying surgeon. About to depart for that big operating room in the sky, his wife pleads for help, unmindful of whence it comes. "If there is another power... good or evil... save him". Uh, oh... Enter Rose Hobart as the unholy Lilyan who does just that. But his miraculous recovery comes with a price. Once saintly and self sacrificing, George is now cruel and uncaring. He even kills his faithful German shepherd. Now that's wicked!

The creepy Macready and the diabolical Hobart keep things interesting, and Burnett Guffey (In a Lonely Place) delivers wonderful Val Lewton like B&W cinematography (shadows upon shadows!).

Unfortunately, cursed by a half-baked screenplay and cop-out finish, The Soul of a Monster never reaches the heights of the macabre promised by its spooky opening and demonic duo.

Directed by Will Jason.