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Forget all those naysayers that talk about Bela Lugosi's inability to act, or that he was only good in Dracula and hammed it up in everything else, or that all his Poverty Row films are cheaply made, thin pieces of poor excuses for celluloid. The Human Monster, also known as Dark Eyes of London, is cheaply made and does star Bela, but it is a wonderful film. It tells the story of Bela the insurance broker who loans money to people and signs them up for an insurance policy, only later to kill them for the money. Bela uses a home for the blind as a cover-up for his operation. Lugosi is simply wonderful in his dual roles, and is as menacing as ever playing both the brokering fiend and the head of the Blind Home. This film is low on set and costume design, and has some pretty average performers, but make no mistake that it is an average horror thriller. It simply is a sight to behold!

In London, five bodies have washed ashore on the Thames. Scotland Yard is baffled.

Simultaneously, Dr. Feodor Orloff (Bela Lugosi) is closing a sale on his latest life insurance policy. Orloff, a pillar of the community, also operates a home for the "destitute blind", overseen by the kindly Mr. Dearborn. We learn rather quickly that Orloff might not be as "compassionate" as he appears to be.

When the Yard comes calling, Orloff is all too happy to help. It seems that his customers are "coincidentally" the poor souls that have been found so waterlogged, lately! Can the police connect the dots before more deaths occur?

THE HUMAN MONSTER is the perfect Lugosi vehicle. It's a very dark crime drama, with mystery and a heavy dose of horror. Bela really plays up the sheer sadism of his part, coming off as utterly devoid of mercy or human feeling. Greed drives him, and any means is justified in securing what Orloff wants.

Special mention is due for Orloff's hulking, blind henchman, Jake (Wilfred Walter), who dominates every scene he's in. Orloff's creepy, zombie-like secretary (Julie Suedo) is also worth mentioning, as she stares impassively ahead, never saying a word.

Co-stars Hugh Williams as the intrepid D.I. Larry Holt, and Greta Gynt as the inquisitive Diana Stuart...

In London, the Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is assigned to investigate a serious of deaths apparently in accidents. However, a further inquiry shows that all the victims are men without family and insurance policy released by the insurance agent Dr. Feodor Orloff (Bela Lugosi) and the beneficiary is a home for blind administrated by Prof. John Dearborn (Bela Lugosi). When Henry Stuart is found drowned, his daughter Diana (Greta Gynt) comes to London and helps Holt and his American partner Lieutenant O'Reilly (Edmon Ryan) in their investigation.

"The Dark Eyes of London" is an interesting B-movie with a good dark story and a great performance of Bela Lugosi. Unfortunately the quality of the VHS released in Brazil impairs the cinematography of the film. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Monstro Humano" ("The Human Monster")

Instead of repeating all the details others have, I'll just say the film really gave me the creeps the first time I saw it. Sometimes when you see an old movie like this from the 20s or 30s, it's tempting to think nothing in it can shock you, because movies are not as "sophisticated" as the things you see today. I saw it on television many years back, way before home video, and was delighted to find it in a grocery store's previously viewed tape bin. It hasn't lost any of it's punch. To see how cruelly Lugosi dealt with his very helpless victims chilled me to the bone. The Uday of his time. It has a Hitchcock-type of human horror that is more effective than any rubber suited monster. Not too badly paced, and is still one I get out when in the mood for something dark.

Bela Lugosi made a lot of schlocky films during his career. While DARK EYES OF London is definitely a low budget film, thanks to decent writing and a very creepy style it manages to entertain even after almost 70 years.

Bela plays a totally amoral criminal who runs an insurance company. He insures people and makes himself the beneficiary after making these people loans. But instead of waiting to collect the money, he drowns them and throws their body in the Thames. While an interesting scheme, he oddly does it repeatedly--naturally arousing the suspicions of the police.

In addition to being an insurance man, Lugosi also is a benefactor to a home for indigent blind men. However, this act of kindness is a front, as this home is where Bela commits his murders with the help of a truly horrifying looking blind assistant. Near the very end, you actually get to see him kill one of his innocent victims and toss him in the river in a very graphic way--hence deservedly earning its special horror rating in the UK.

The film earns some points for an unusual plot and its graphic scenes--it really is a pretty scary film for 1940. However, there are a few lulls, some overacting by the idiot playing the cop from Chicago and the irrationality of Lugosi committing so many murders yet hoping to get away with it when he's the only rational suspect. By the way, speaking of the Chicago cop, do all Brits see us Americans as THAT brash and annoying?! I sure hope not! You also wonder why they even bothered including this character, as he was rather distracting and unnecessary.