O Fabricante de Monstros

This is one of those films that's entertaining for its sheer audacity. It also has an unusually interesting cast for a small-studio B-picture. J. Carroll Naish (as the evil Dr. Markoff) and Ralph Morgan (as victim Anthony Lawrence) were veteran character actors who were always worth watching, and Glenn Strange (as Steve, Markoff's giant-size henchman) would be promoted that same year to playing the Frankenstein Monster in the first of three films for Universal.

This professional cast tries to lend believability to several ludicrous situations. At one point Markoff attempts to put his nervous female assistant under a Svengali-like hypnotic influence; when this fails, Markoff turns loose his pet gorilla (!) in the hope that the beast will kill the beauty, though all it does is overturn a table.

Some critics have found this film particularly distasteful since it deals with acromegaly, an actual disfiguring disease (see the bio for actor Rondo Hatton elsewhere on this data base). And the sight of the malformed Mr. Lawrence (when his daughter suddenly enters a darkened room) is certainly an unforgettable jolt.

Considering the pedigree and title, the flick's not all that bad. In fact, it's well-mounted for it's type. There's good attention to set detail though lighting doesn't emphasize the dark mood. Seems poor Dr. Markoff is trying to find a cure for acromegaly which causes head and hand deformities that killed his beloved wife. Trouble is he needs a patient to research on. So he infects concert pianist Lawrence with the disease so he can both experiment with him and get next to the pianist's attractive daughter Patricia who strongly resembles his dead wife. Needless to say, complications ensue.

Except for the hokey gorilla sequences, the storyline manages to be fairly plausible for its kind. After all, Markoff is driven by understandable desires even though he victimizes Lawrence in the process. Naish is quite good as Markoff, along with Birell as his unrequited but loyal nurse Maxine. Together, they, rather than the good guys, establish the story's emotional center. Anyway, it's a better-than-average horror programmer from lowly PRC.

"A scientist has developed a serum which grotesquely distorts the victim's hands and heads. The scientist decides to use his serum on a concert pianist to extort money from him for the cure as well as take the man's daughter for a wife," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis. J. Carrol Naish (as Dr. Igor Markoff) plays "The Monster Maker" in the low budget Bela Lugosi mode...

Mr. Naish's serum causes a real disorder, "acromegaly", which American Heritage defines as, "A chronic disease of adults marked by enlargement of the bones of the extremities, face, and jaw that is caused by overactivity of the pituitary gland." Ralph Morgan (as Anthony Lawrence) plays the afflicted man with some dignity. Pretty blonde Wanda McKay (as Patricia "Pat" Lawrence) is the daughter desired by mad scientist Naish; in early scenes, Ms. McKay and Naish emote hilariously...

Watch for Tala Birell (as Maxine) in a surprisingly good supporting performance; she plays the somewhat Garbo-like, and long suffering, assistant to Naish. Ms. Birell definitely steals the film; and, you've got to question Dr. Markoff's sanity in casting her aside. Glenn Strange (as Steve) and a crazed gorilla (Ray Corrigan) add to the fun. The monster makeup (Maurice Seiderman) is very good.

****** The Monster Maker (4/15/44) Sam Newfield ~ J. Carrol Naish, Ralph Morgan, Tala Birell, Wanda McKay

This is a fairly good entertaining film concerning a conceited mad scientist named Dr. Igor Markoff.

Dr. Igor falls for a woman named Patricia who resembles his dead wife. Patricia rejects the doctor's advances and enlists her father (Anthony) to help stop the doctor from coming on so strong to her. Dr. Igor insists that Patricia marries him and will stop at nothing for her to become his new bride. Surprisingly, the doctor is actually well respected in the medical community and hides his wicked ways well from others. Dr. Igor hides the fact he will inject his enemies with Acromegaly to get what he wants.

The movie is fun, a bit corny and has some fairly good horror moments in it. This is a good afternoon film - it's not the really good creepy horror film that is good for a late night viewing but it's fun to watch.

5/10

"The Monster Maker" was one of the better products produced by poverty row studio PRC in the 1940s. Directed by the "busiest director on poverty row", Sam Newfield, it benefits from the casting of veteran character actors J. Carroll Naish and Ralph Morgan in the leading roles.

Anthony Lawrence (Morgan) is a successful concert pianist whose daughter Patricia (Wanda McKay) just happens to resemble the deceased wife of Dr. Igor Markoff (Naish). Markoff sees Patricia, whom he vows to marry, while attending a Lawrence concert with his assistant Maxine (Tala Birtell), who of course is in love with him. The evil doctor has been working on a cure for the rare disease of acromeglia (I may have the spelling wrong), a dehabilitating disorder which causes extreme swelling of the feet, hands and face.

When Lawrence comes to see Markoff about his advances toward his daughter, Markoff knocks out the pianist and injects him with the aforementioned disease. Lawrence slowly develops the disease and takes on a grotesque appearance. This forces Patricia to come to the mad doctor for help.

Ralph Morgan's make up is very good for a "B" movie, in fact it was done by the same person (whose name escapes me) who "aged" Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane" (1941). Naish plays his mad scientist role with conviction and the under rated Morgan is excellent as the tragic Lawrence. Birell is better than her material as the scorned Maxine. McKay looks lovely as the heroine and Terry Frost has little to do as the token hero Bob Baker. Also in the cast is veteran heavy Glenn Strange as Naish's brutish assistant. There's also a gorilla and a faithful dog in the cast but they have little to do with the story.

One of the better "B" mad doctor films.