The Gorilla (1939)

Best movie of this year hands down!

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

With having heard about his work with Abbott and Costello,I was surprised to find a Bela Lugosi that I've never seen mentioned,which led to me getting ready to go in search of the Gorilla.The plot:Receiving a note that serial killer The Gorilla is to kill him at midnight, Walter Stevens decides to hire 3 detectives to unmask the Gorilla before he strikes.Joining Stevens and his family,the detectives decide to keep them all in one room until the time has pass.Just as everyone breaths a sigh of relief over the clock going pass midnight,the lights are turned off.Turning the lights back on,the detectives are shocked to find that Stevens has been kidnapped,which leads to them deciding that they must monkey around the hidden corridors of Stevens mansion.View on the film:Made shortly after the death of their dad,Jimmy,Al and Harry Ritz each give delightful performances as the 3 detectives,with the Ritz giving the title a super-quick,fast pace,as the mansion setting gives them the change to fire sweet one liners whilst taking on a murderous gorilla.Whilst he is sadly pushed to the sidelines, Bela Lugosi still gives a very good performance as Stevens butler Peters,with Lugosi's dry sense of humour giving the title a darkly comedic atmosphere.Based on Ralph Spence's play,the screenplay by Rian James & Sid Silvers impressively make sure that the one building setting does not stop the movie in its tracks,thanks to the writers packing the building with everything from mad-cap detectives and hidden corridors to a sly thief and a killer gorilla.Giving the film an eerie atmosphere,director Allan Dwan splashes the mansion with sharp dashes of rain,as the gorilla sets its sight on the Ritz.

First thing I noticed about this movie is it's similar to another Bela Lugosi picture, the Ape-Man, but Lugosi starred in that versus being a supporting actor in what looks like from my perspective a rip-off of the Marx Brothers Routine. Second thing I noticed was how much better the production quality is going from a low budget second hand production studio to a major studio like 20th Century Fox. Although Ape-Man came out after this one so Bela had to decide weather to be a small fish in a big pond or the big fish in a small pond. Seems easier today to fake quality, but not back then. It's a three stooges style comedy as Three private dicks (from the ACME detective agency) played by a comedy act called the Ritz brothers who I never herd of until this movie. They are hired to investigate a murderer called the Gorilla who is extorting money from a wealthy family.For 1939, I was impressed with the production quality, the film stock was crisp and the sets where nice. Bela Lugosi was so so in the film, my favorite supporting actor was actually Kitty-The maid. She stood out for me.Though the Ritz brothers did produce a few laughs, if I had to judge them just from this movie, I can see how they did not become cultural icons like the Stooges of the Marx.

Lame old dark house comedy about a rich man (Lionel Atwill) threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla. So he hires private detectives (The Ritz Brothers) to investigate. Bela Lugosi plays the butler. Patsy Kelly the loud-mouthed maid. Anita Louise plays Atwill's niece. The old dark house elements were OK but the comedy was like having your toenails ripped off one by one. The Ritz Brothers were so painfully untalented I have to wonder how they ever became even moderately successful. It was sad to see Atwill and Lugosi playing in something like this. Fans of Bela Lugosi will be particularly disappointed. The movie is often advertised today as a Bela Lugosi movie but his part is minor and he has nothing to do. He's literally the butler, opening doors and the like. There's no twist to it. The most he gets to do is be straight man to the annoying Patsy Kelly, whose voice knows two levels: loud and louder. Avoid this unless you're a Lugosi completist and need to see all of his movies.

This film would have worked a lot better if they had played it straight and taken out the Ritz Brothers. There's a serial killer called The Gorrila who sends people threatening letters and then kills them within twenty-four hours of sending the message. Some rich insurer's just received such a message, so he's hired the Ritz Brothers to find out what's going on. They all meet at the rich guy's house. Also present is his daughter and her fiancé, butler Bela Legosi, and a maid who's voice could strip paint. There also does seem to be a gorilla present, plus a mysterious man who likes to hide in the secret passageways of the house.I'd read bad reviews of this one, but luckily it's not quite as painful as people make out. The Ritz Brothers, however, are pretty bad, although I've never been a big fan of The Three Stooges either. The actress who plays the maid is even worse, just screaming at the top of her voice until you'll be wanting to shove your feet inside your ears. Or her mouth.Terrible comedy aside, a film with a gorilla in it, set on a stormy night in a house full of secret passages, with Bela Legosi in it as a creepy butler, isn't a total failure. There's plenty of mystery, double crosses, and gorilla action that I couldn't but enjoy it. I just wish they had played it straight.