The Monster Walks (1932)
29On a dark and stormy night, following her father's sudden death, Ruth Earlton (Vera Reynolds) and her fiancé, Dr. Ted Clayton (Rex Lease) arrive at her family's ancestral mansion. She is returning to find out what will be done with the estate. They are greeted by her invalid uncle Robert Eaton (Sheldon Lewis), the housekeeper Mrs. Krug (Martha Mattox) and the housekeeper's son Hanns Krug (Mischa Auer).
While exploring the mansion, Ruth is dismayed to find the large ape which her Darwinist father used to conduct experiments is still kept in the basement, where it shrieks because it dislikes her presence. Ruth has always been petrified by her father's pet-ape, although safely caged in the basement.
She and the others then gather to learn how the Earlton estate will be divided. Earlton has left his entire estate to Ruth, but in the event of her death, it will go to her invalid uncle Robert. A very small monthly sum is also left to the housekeeper Mrs. Krug, and her son Hanns, and these two are outraged about the small amount of the allowance, having expected a far larger sum.
After Ruth goes to bed that night, a huge, hairy hand reaches through the headboard and tries to strangle her. When she screams, the hand withdraws, and disappears. Her fiancé and Mrs. Krug arrive at her room, and attempt to comfort her. To ease Ruth's nerves, Ted fixes her a sleeping potion, and she falls asleep in a chair in her bedroom, while Mrs. Krug, who has stayed to comfort her, sleeps in the bed.
Once again the hairy hand reappears, reaching through the headboard, and strangles Mrs. Krug this time, killing her. Ruth awakens and, horrified, alerts the rest of the household to what has happened.
Afterward, Hanns Krug meets with Robert Earlton in secret, and Hanns tells Robert that their plan to kill Ruth Earlton has failed and Hanns has accidentally murdered his own mother. Hanns blames Robert for his mother's death, and deploring him for not openly admitting that he is Hanns' father, Hanns strangles him as well, leaving him for dead, and plans to kill Ruth.
Dr. Clayton visits Robert's room, to check in on Robert, and Robert regains consciousness. He admits to Clayton the plan that he and Hanns had to murder Ruth, so he could gain the inheritance, and the estate would go to them instead. Aware that Ruth is in danger, Dr. Clayton rushes out to find Ruth and warn her.
Meanwhile, Ruth has already been taken by Hanns to the basement, where he is whipping the huge and surly ape into a frenzy, in an attempt to force the ape to kill her. Instead, the ape turns on him, grabs the whip and strangles Hanns to death. Clayton arrives to find Ruth alive and well. With the menace to the woman In jeopardy gone, Ted and Ruth embrace.
A 1932 American Pre-Code Black-and-White horror B-Movie directed by Frank R. Strayer, produced by Cliff P. Broughton and Ralph M. Like, written by Robert Ellis, cinematography by Jules Cronjager, starring Rex Lease, Vera Reynolds, Sheldon Lewis, Mischa Auer, Martha Mattox, Sidney Bracey, and Sleep n' Eat.
Willie Best was regrettably billed with the insulting epithet “Sleep ‘n’ Eat” at this point in his career. He spent most of his career playing frightened Negroes. His character Exodus is not the worst of the lot, at least he speaks relatively well and he briefly carries a gun to defend himself against the ape.
Frank Raymond Strayer (1891–1964) was an actor, film writer, director and producer. He was active from the mid-1920s until the early 1950s. His handful of horror films remain his claim to fame, particularly the Lionel Atwill film, The Vampire Bat" (1933). He directed a series of 14 Blondie! (1938) movies as well.
Originally distributed by Mayfair Pictures. It was re-released in 1938 by Astor Pictures and once more in 1948 by Commonwealth Pictures. In the original release Rex Lease and Vera Reynolds were billed 1-2, but in later post-"King Kong" (1933) re-releases Mischa Auer and Martha Mattox replaced them as top-billed, and instead of a lone gorilla as in 1932, the ape carried a half-clothed woman in the '38 release.
This film features the word "Damn", 7 years before Gone with the Wind (1939). At 23:49 seconds, the phrase "Damned Old Hypocrite" is used.
The film was originally refused a UK cinema certificate in 1932, and released uncut and PG rated in 2010.
Music Soundtrack: Wiegenlied (Lullaby) Op. 49 No. 4, Composed by Johannes Brahms
Played on the violin by Hanns. Mischa Auer was a trained violinist.
Today, the closing lines about "The Darwinian Theory" are offensive to modern sensibilities on all sides of the political fence.
There's a lot of charm and goodwill in this fun, creepy, programmer, featuring mysterious and strange servants, a wild ape and hidden passages, with a couple decent suspense-moments. A little slow, but never boring, all the lovely clichés of 30's horror cinema are here. Not scary enough to give you nightmares, but campy enough for an hour's worth of entertainment.