The other collaboration between Bela Lugosi and Angelo Rossitto (the first being "The Corpse Vanises"), it is either the better or the worse of two depending on your preferences.
The film opens with a woman lying dead in the morgue, and the story then picks up telling the events leading to her death. While this flashback gimmick is a clever idea, it is so poorly executed as to be incredibly annoying and a waste of film. Each flash back to her dead body lasts only a few moments and adds nothing to the story other than to be a constant reminder of her death. A reminder we don't need. Had the film started in the morgue and never returned to it, I would have thought much more of this work.
That complaint aside, the film is not bad. It offers a mystery killer, secret passageways, a dwarf, Lugosi, and some great comedic performances from a maid, an ex-detective and a reporter's girlfriend. The comedy is very simple and also slapstick in nature, but certainly not an unwelcome addition.
I am still not entirely sure what was happening throughout the film, and who was responsible for some of the events that occurred. A second viewing would likely clear this up, though I have little desire to see it again soon and I cannot promise myself I would understand it even then.
In short, a fine film and a worthy contender in Lugosi's career, but the likelihood of repeated viewings is slim. This film's best chance at survival is, sadly, a remake.
The film opens with a woman lying dead in the morgue, and the story then picks up telling the events leading to her death. While this flashback gimmick is a clever idea, it is so poorly executed as to be incredibly annoying and a waste of film. Each flash back to her dead body lasts only a few moments and adds nothing to the story other than to be a constant reminder of her death. A reminder we don't need. Had the film started in the morgue and never returned to it, I would have thought much more of this work.
That complaint aside, the film is not bad. It offers a mystery killer, secret passageways, a dwarf, Lugosi, and some great comedic performances from a maid, an ex-detective and a reporter's girlfriend. The comedy is very simple and also slapstick in nature, but certainly not an unwelcome addition.
I am still not entirely sure what was happening throughout the film, and who was responsible for some of the events that occurred. A second viewing would likely clear this up, though I have little desire to see it again soon and I cannot promise myself I would understand it even then.
In short, a fine film and a worthy contender in Lugosi's career, but the likelihood of repeated viewings is slim. This film's best chance at survival is, sadly, a remake.