Juggernaut

This film is what I call "basic" - meaning not a lot to it. Doctor Sartorius (Karloff) is a "mad doctor" who's lost all his funding, Yvonne Clifford (Mona Goya) is married to a rich man while having an affair with man with not a lot of money. So she enlists the help of Dr. Sartorius to bump off her husband but there is one problem - the nurse.

If you like Boris Karloff then this film is worth watching otherwise you can pass this one by - you are not missing anything. It's not a terrible film but it's not a great film - I put it in the so-so category.

When you read reviews of this film you will find that reviewers talking about Mona Goya's performance being bad - and it's true she is not very good in this movie. Very much over acting in this film but she does not take away from Karloff's performance.

5/10

I adamantly disagree with those claiming this is a really bad film. I suppose they want monsters or vampires or whatever but this isn't about all that. Juggernaut is a very well produced, reasonably well written, and quite well acted feature. My only gripe would be the paradox that the Doctor found himself him wasn't fleshed out as well as it could have been. However, this movie is pretty short so that probably explains the shortcuts. You see, essentially Karloff's character (who has a short time to live) has to make a difficult choice: he can let his life's work come to a screeching halt for the most trivial reason (lack of money) or he can turn to murder for hire and finish his research which may benefit mankind greatly. In my opinion the doctor transitioned a bit to smoothly from dedicated man of science and medicine to homicidal maniac.

Despite this problem I enjoyed the entire film. The actress who played the wicked wife was a bit over the top but the role was over the top so...? Opposite her was the understated performance of the other leading lady who was pretty and quite effective. The gent who played the caddish gambler was perfect for his part. Of course Karloff hogged the spotlight in every scene but how could he not. The little smile there at the end when he was found out was simply genius.

I love these old films because they carry you relatively far back in time. It's like having a little window that allows you to peek into a different time and attitude. I love the cars, the fashions, the slang, the hair, even the furnishings. (In one memorable scene there is a stunning nude statue just behind the action...cool!) It makes me wonder a bit as to why the cameras lingered in that area for such a major part of the film...ha. Thankfully many of these oldies have a bit more than just nostalgia value...they are interesting.

The production values were, for the most part, quite good. I really liked the storyline and Karloff really elevated the cast and the movie with his strong presence. Definitely worth checking out but no monsters or vampires for you kiddies.

Juggernaut (1936)

* (out of 4)

Incredibly bad thriller about a mad scientist (Boris Karloff) who is hired by a millionaire to kill her husband but things take a turn for the worse. This film runs 62 minutes but I could have sworn it was 62 hours. The movie is so incredibly slow, boring and annoying that I kept wishing Karloff would insert me with some poison. The only good thing is Karloff's performance but that too gets lost in all the badness. Mona Goya plays the wife and gives without a doubt one of the worst performances I've ever seen. The most annoying to as she does nothing but shout throughout the film.

Boris Karloff is a research doctor who needs money to complete his research. He's returned to Britain to search for backers, and gets involved in one of those family situations. Old Morton Selten is married to young Mona Goya, and she has a young man on the string. Selten is failing, so Karloff is called in, Meanwhile, Selten has changed his will and given power of attorney to his son, Arthur Margetson; he hates Miss Goya and she him. Suddenly, Margetson is dead, and the nurse, Joan Wyndham suspects foul play.

It's a pretty good murder movie, one of the last that Henry Edwards directed for Julius Hagen. Karloff is, as always, a treat to watch, playing his doctor with intelligence, although he clearly finds the screaming and shouting going on a distraction from his duties; Miss Wyndham is good as the nurse who suspects the worse and finds herself trapped. There's also Nina Boucicault as Selten's sister; she was the daughter of the dramatist Dion Boucicault, and the first women to play Peter Pan.

It's a solid effort, with its only flaw the blaring theme by W. L. Trytel. Karloff had made three films in Great Britain in quick succession. After this, it was back to the US; Charlie Chan needed him.

My Ratings: Story 1.00 : Direction 1.00 : Pace 1.00 : Acting 0.75 : Entertaining 0.75 Total 4.50 out of 10.00.

Sometimes you have to go back to the days of overacting and melodrama. Should you have one of those days then this film is for you.

It's a decent story. A doctor, who has been hampered and hindered by government grants, rather than helped, has to find another way to fund his research. Enter the Clifford family. Papa Clifford is not a well man and his new wife, Yvonne, cannot wait for the inheritance. She hires the good doctor so he can run his experiments and get his much-needed money... just as long as hubby doesn't last too long.

I would have to say I would love to read the novel Alice Campbell wrote, as I don't believe the writers did it justice with the screenplay. Many times there's a disjointedness to the tale. This may be down to the quick cutting editor or director, though I cannot help but think it's the writers. Also, a wee bit more characterisation wouldn't have gone amiss. This would have been a nice way to show motive and motivation. That said, it is watchable, just could have been better.

Which is the same for the direction. Henry Edwards isn't a bad director, however, he is a mite pedestrian in his techniques. He stomps through the story at a brisk pace; sometimes with a heavy foot. The climax is the best example of this. If I'd gone to the picture theatre and paid my hard-earned money to watch this film, I would have felt more than an iota of upset. The ending comes quickly and is over just as fast and credits roll. It would have been nice to have a build-up to the ending. Then a couple of short scenes to tie off all the loose threads; of which there are three major yarns left dangling.

As for the acting, Boris Karloff is okay as the good "Bad" doctor Sartorius. Shame they typecast him as the baddie as you've seen this character before. It would have been nice if he had been the father of the Clifford family. Let him stretch his acting wings a little. The best actor was Arthur Margetson, who played Roger Clifford. He is natural and relaxed. His character is the most realistic and believable. He made this film more watchable for me. Now we come to the great melodramatic overtones... while the lead actresses were good, they must have come from the silent era as they were both superb at the pertinent pause and significant stare. The only thing missing was the orchestration of, "Da Dah DAHHH!"

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. It's not a bad waste of time in this coronavirus void. There's a slight mystery in the story. It's also good to see how things were done in Yesteryear. The way the story is told, and the filmmaking adds an unintentional lightness to the viewing experience... plus it's not that long.

Now briskly stride on over to my The Game Is Afoot list to see where I've ranked this deadly little thriller.

Take Care & Stay Well.