- Directed by: William Beaudine
- Written by: Karl Brown, Barney A. Sarecky
- Stars: Bela Lugosi, Louise Currie, Wallace Ford
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 4 Minutes
- Watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONkGcI0pODU
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
A mad scientist falls victim to his own devices and gets stuck somewhere between gorilla and human. They’ve got a real ape in the lab, desperate plans, and police on the trail. How will these hijinx work out? We would say you should see it to find out, but you’d probably be okay if you don’t.
Spoilery Synopsis
A group of reporters talks about how tough their jobs are. The newspaper reports that Dr. James Brewster has gone missing, and it seems suspicious. Dr. Randall is there at the docks to pick up Agatha, the missing doctor’s wife. Carter, one of the reporters, thinks there might be a story in it.
Dr. Randall knows exactly where Brewster is, and he tells Agatha that he’d be better off dead due to their recent discovery. Brewster experimented on himself, and it was so successful that they haven’t been able to reverse it.
The pair drive to the place where Brewster has been hiding, in a secret room in a country house. In a cage is a big ape and also Brewster, Bela Lugosi, who has hair on his face like a gorilla. He’s an ape-man now! He can still talk, but he walks and roars like an ape.
Outside, a weirdo peeks through the window as the altered doctor tells his story. Carter’s photographer friend goes off to the war, and Billie Mason, a young woman, is his replacement.
Back at the lab, Agatha watches as Brewster injects himself with a new serum that doesn’t work. He tells Agatha that there is a serum that would work, but Randall won’t allow it. Randall explains that he’d have to commit cold-blooded murder to get the fluid that Brewster needs.
Billie and Carter arrive at the Brewster house, and they hear ape sounds even from outside. They’ve come to interview Agatha, a famous ghost-hunter. Agatha discusses the ghosts that haunt this house. She plays a recording of a ghost for them.
Hearing again that Randall won’t kill for him, Brewster puts on a coat and hat and goes out, with the gorilla in tow. Detective Brady arrives to question Randall about Brewster’s “disappearance.” Meanwhile, in the next room, Brewster and the ape kill Randall’s butler and take his spinal fluid.
Randall calls the police, who find a clump of hair in the dead butler’s hand. He goes to Brewster, who has made the serum and needs the other doctor to inject it. He refuses, and Agatha forces him to do it… at gunpoint. Zippo, the weird peeping-Tom, continues to watch everything from outside.
Brewster can stand up straight now, but he’s still all furry. Carter comes to the door, and Agatha lets him inside. They talk, and he leaves, but right after, Randall says he’s going too and never coming back.
The formula soon wears off, and Brewster needs more. He and the ape go out again, this time killing the milkman, another man, and a woman, stealing their spinal fluid. He’s got a bunch of it now, but Randall won’t come. “If he won’t come here, I’ll go to him,” threatens Brewster. In a rage, he strangles Agatha.
Brewster shows up at Randall’s house for an injection, but Randall throws the spinal fluid on the floor, ruining it. Brewster kills him. Agatha wakes up, not dead, rushes over there, and runs into the police as they examine the body.
Carter and Billie sneak into Brewster’s house and explore just as he returns home. Carter is knocked out by Billie by mistake, but then Brewster grabs her and runs to the lab. Everyone rushes down to the basement lab and fights. Billie accidentally releases the real ape, who attacks and kills Brewster.
The police arrive just in time to shoot the ape and save Billie. Agatha runs down to find Brewster’s body.
Brian’s Commentary
We get a lot of telling, not showing, in the opening scenes. It was successful enough that “Return of the Ape Man” came out the following year. Lugosi looks more like a Mennonite than an Ape Man, but I guess it’s a little late to complain about that.
We never do find out why Zippo keeps staring in through the window at the lab. Who is he, and why does he keep tipping off the reporters?
I want to know why Brewster, who could still talk and work in the lab, felt the need to sleep in the cage with a real gorilla.
Kevin’s Commentary
It was popular enough to spawn a sequel even though things pretty much wrapped up at the end. It was interesting seeing Bela Lugosi in another role, but I can’t really tout this as a classic or particularly entertaining.