Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
The set designs provide the real atmosphere in this film based on Edgar Allan Poe's "Murders In The Rue Morgue" as a series of beautiful women are brutally murdered and the suspect is chased through the gas lighted streets and rooftops of turn-of-the-century Paris after each killing. You can imagine this film tried to catch the feel of 1953's HOUSE OF WAX. Both films were made in 3-D. However, PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE lacks the intensity and absorbing morbidity of that film. Composer David Buttolph scored both films but his brilliant score for HOUSE OF WAX is unfortunately unequaled here lacking a certain fear factor that this film terribly needed. PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE has certain campiness about it bolstered by the performances of Karl Malden's exaggerated sociopathic zoologist and Claude Dauphin's perfunctory and languorous police inspector. On the other hand, Steve Forrest performance as a dedicated and resourceful psychology professor is very energetic and charismatic and really gives this film much needed vivacity. Steve Forrest is the main suspect of the murders under Dauphin's inept investigation and this is the catalyst that moves the story as we once again have "the wrong man" accused of these crimes and the audience clearly knows better. Steve Forrest is probably one of Hollywood's biggest failures. When an actor possessing such charm, charisma and screen presence fails to go on to greater things one questions the overall system. But that is another issue. Here, Steve Forrest saves this film along with Bernard Tuttle's atmospheric art designs. Roy Del Ruth's directing is somewhat pedestrian with the exception of the knife throwing sequence at the beginning of the film. The images of an intensely unhinged looking Paul Richards, the knife thrower, tossing those blades towards his female partner on stage are brilliantly filmed and very suspenseful. This scene immediately captures the interest of the viewer. Richards has the look of a man on the verge of insanity and that foreboding look will usher in the killings that will follow. Juxtaposed to this are Steve Forest and his students out on the town in the audience watching the act and enjoying the gaiety of the surroundings unknowingly innocent to the fact that they will be drawn into the vortex of these murders. Remarkably this film works well and never fails to entertain. I like it.Best Deals for Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954)
This has always been one of my favorites, though some of the acting is a bit hammy. It's atmospheric, with lush color and probably one of the best gorilla suits ever seen. I was finally able to see it in the original polarized 3-D version last year at the World 3-D Expo in Hollywood, which was a real treat. Star Steve Forrest attended the screening! The film isn't nearly as interesting when robbed of the stereoscopic aspect; but the price is right. If you have the chance, try to catch one of the rare 3-D screenings..Honest reviews on Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954)
Warner Brothers historically was uncomfortable using real monsters or supernatural elements in their films. As opposed to Universal, WB horror outings are more in the vein of noir procedurals or mysteries, and involve human villains, with any fantastic bits being disproved at the end. Some of these films work, and manage an offbeat air of gruesomeness that makes them memorable. Vincent Price's House of Wax and The Mad Magician are a couple of better-than-average examples of this style, and they made the studio lots of money.Phantom of the Rue Morgue is another Warner Brothers attempt at the horror genre, made in the wake of the 3-D craze and of Price's WB contributions. Only this is not in 3-D, it stars Karl Malden in the Price role, and it fails to achieve any real thrills.
Malden is not bad, he's just... Karl Malden. He plays a kindly researcher in Paris working in a kind of Pavlovian hypnosis. But he's really not all that kindly, as we learn, and goes around using an ape to murder all the women he feels have done him wrong. Some pretty boy from central casting plays the hero, but the actor is uninvolving, and the hero is only sometimes meaningfully involved in the story.
About the story: it is of course, nominally based on Poe. But that aspect seems clumsily inserted; the "locked-room" aspect is solved in about 15 seconds. We are left with a plot seemingly divided into sections; it�s not even episodic, just fitful and piecemeal. Sometimes this works, even surprises, as we are introduced to two people at some length, only to have them become victims. Other times it doesn't work, as during a technically necessary but less than gripping tangent with circus acrobats.
There is quite a bit of the red stuff for 1954, the ape is more convincing than some you�ll see, the method to control him is cool, and the actual scenes of attacks are fine, but most of the "good stuff" takes a while to occur. The director, Roy Del Ruth, did much better, and faster, especially in other genres. (Three on a Match, for example.)
PRM does build to a nice climax in a zoo, which in its much smaller way "apes" the ending of King Kong, although the whole affair is too obviously studio-bound. This movie possesses a relatively literate, even slightly subversive (in Malden's eloquently psychotic dismissal of traditional right and wrong) script, but who watches horror films for talk? We want some mayhem! And unfortunately, there is just not enough of it to make this anything more than an mediocre chiller from the era. Fans of horror with more of a mystery angle (are there really any of those?) may rate it higher.
The Lugosi version of this story, despite its own problems, is far creepier and atmospheric. Being made before the Hays Production Code took effect helped in that case.
By the way, there�s no "Phantom," and no one is ever called that name. But it must have looked very promising on the marquee.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954)
One of my favorite movies. Karl Malden is awesom as thecrazed doctor and Steve Forrest as the handsome hero.
The story is changed but this one has mystery and horror
with great acting and directing. The color is pretty cool
for a 50's movie. One of the overlooked movies from 50's!
Highly recommended for any fan of classic mystery and horro.
No comments:
Post a Comment