Astonishingly occasionally like THE WIZARD OF OZ , this is a haunted fun-house comedy, like a hair raising wander through a creaky old seaside fun pier with a lighthouse ghost/train ride. Hugh Herbert is his usual bumbling chatterbox self, and abrasive Allen Jenkins ( from Footlight Parade) is the wisecracking pal. There is a great haunted lighthouse, sea caves and all sort of fake but fun spookiness. There is a genuinely astonishing and very clever scary moment with 'The Octopus" but mostly bumbling and running about in and out of caves, fogs and boats. Hugh Herbert plays his style of comedy a lot like Ed Wynn who you might remember most famously in MARY POPPINS when they had tea on this floating table. SH! THE OCTOPUS has a wonderful atmosphere, and not unlike the Columbia serial of 1937 THE SECRET OF TREASURE ISLAND or the finale of the Republic serial SOS COASTGUARD. This is a good Warner Bros programmer and if you have seen 1929 version of THE CAT AND THE CANARY or THE BAT WHISPERS it fits into the 'old dark house' - in this case a lighthouse, theme of scary comedies popular in the early 30s. I love the title! Imagine putting that up in lights on the marquee.
Review of Sh! The Octopus
