#Murders in the Zoo (1933)

[thewarmestplacetohide]

Dread by the Decade: Murders in the Zoo

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★★½

Plot: An abusive husband uses the animals he donates to a zoo to commit murder.

Review: While its fun premise is squandered, its realistic portrayal of domestic abuse and Atwill's ominous performance save it from total irrelevance.

Year: 1933 Genre: Psychological Horror Country: United States Language: English Runtime: 1 hour 2 minutes

Director: A. Edward Sutherland Writers: Philip Wylie, Seton I. Miller Cinematographer: Ernest Haller Cast: Lionel Atwill, Gail Patrick, Randolph Scott, Kathleen Burke, Charlie Ruggles

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Story: 3/5 - A bizarre amount of time is dedicated to Ruggles' inessential comedic relief character instead of mystery and kills. Its strongest plot point is the relationship between Eric and Evelyn.

Performances: 3/5 - Atwill is great as the cruel Eric, but Ruggles is often grating and Burke is sometimes stiff.

Cinematography: 3/5 - Serviceable.

Editing: 2.5/5 - Scenes sometimes end too abruptly.

Effects: 4/5

Sets: 3/5 - Realistic and well constructed but, like everything else, there is a distinct absence of creativity.

Costumes, Hair, & Make-Up: 4.5/5 - The prosthetics for the sewn mouth are quite shocking for the time.

Trigger Warnings:

Real animal abuse (elephant hooks, improper habitats, animal fighting, etc.)

Very brief, moderate violence

Animal death (fake)

Domestic abuse

Brief marital assault

Brief racist discussion of Asia

Brief discussion of alcoholism

[mariocki]

Murders in the Zoo (1933)

"Mr. Yates, never be afraid of a wild animal. Let it alone and it will leave you alone. That's more than you can say of most humans."

"You don't mean to say you really like these beasts?"

"I love them. Their honesty, their simplicity, their primitive emotions: they love, they hate, they kill."

[moviesandmania]

MURDERS IN THE ZOO Lionel Atwill! - reviews

Murders in the Zoo is a 1933 horror film about a monomaniacal zoologist who is pathologically jealous of his beautiful but unfaithful wife Evelyn and will murder other men to keep her. The movie was directed by A. Edward Sutherland (The Invisible Woman) from a screenplay by Philip Wylie and Seton I. Miller for Paramount Pictures. The movie stars Charles Ruggles (Bewitched, The Munsters), Lionel…

[ploridafanthers]

in the 1930s they could get away with "milking" a python in a movie as a stand-in for a mamba

[nitrateglow]

Spooky Season 2024: 6-11

Targets (dir. Peter Bogdanovich, 1968)

Targets follows two parallel stories that eventually intertwine. The first involves elderly horror star Byron Orlock (Boris Karloff), disillusioned with his professsion and the real-world violence around him, and intent on retiring from film. The second involves Bobby (Tim O'Kelly), a disturbed young man obsessed with guns who goes on a murder spree. Both points converge at the drive-in premiere of Orlock's newest film.

Targets caught me offguard. The violence in the story involves a mass shooter and so it has a lot of real-world parallels. The killings are presented in a matter of fact way, without spectacle or blood geysers. It makes all of it feel more real and upsetting, especially since we've seen our share of Bobby-like killers over the decades.

My youngest sister watched this one with me and kept calling Karloff's character "Babygirl" and that isn't wrong. Though crabby and cynical, Byron is really charming and likeable. The arc he undergoes is really powerful, particularly as it pertains to his relationship with his secretary Jenny (Nancy Hsueh).

Though the tensions of the late '60s are a major part of Targets, it also deals with the gulf between the old school horror movies represented by Orlock and the more violent fare of the dawning New Hollywood era. I feel like there are just so many layers here. I really need to rewatch it. It's a fascinating movie and I would highly recommend it.

The Phantom of the Opera (dir. Dwight H. Little, 1989)

Modern singer Christine Day (Jill Schoelen) is sent back in time to a previous life as an aspiring opera singer in 1880s London. Her mentor is Erik Destler (Robert Englund), a disfigured composer who made a deal with the devil that left him immortal and embittered. He also has a habit of skinning people and then stitching the flesh on his ugly ass face. The opera management wants to build up another diva's career at the expense of Christine's. Erik doesn't like this. People start getting killed.

The 1989 The Phantom of the Opera is such a mixed bag, but I enjoy it anyway. The script is a mess. It frames the story with this weird time travel/reincarnation/isekai plot that doesn't add up to anything. It introduces interesting concepts-- like the relationship between Christine and Erik reflecting Erik's own deal with the devil-- without fleshing them out. Also-- and if Letterboxd is anything to go by, I'm in the minority-- I'm not crazy about Jill Schoelen's Christine, though I think that's more due to the way Christine is written than how she plays the role.

But then you have the glorious production design, stagebound but dripping in gothic candlelight and late Victorian grime. Best of all, you get Robert Englund's Erik Destler, one of the best onscreen Phantoms of all time.

I love how Englund's Erik is both an excitable schoolboy, almost squealing with delight while Christine kills it at Faust, and a violent, vengeful monster who doesn't take his will being defied lightly. I like the skin-grafting angle for the mask and that Erik ventures out into the London underworld at night. These are all fresh elements and I wish they could have been combined with a tighter, more focused script.

Still, this is a fun movie.

Murders in the Zoo (dir. A. Edward Sutherland, 1933)

A zoologist (Lionel Atwill) is pathologically jealous of his younger wife (Kathleen Burke), and so starts killing any perceived rival to his possession of her. Very pre-code violence ensues.

I'm going to be blunt: this movie did not live up to the hype. A lot of pre-code fans vouch for it as the nastiest horror film of the era. That is likely true. The first thing we see is a man getting his mouth sewed shut, a bit of nastiness that would shock in a recent film, let alone one from 1933. There are some gruesome killings throughout.

Too bad the story is sluggish and dull. There's a lot of corny comic relief that stops the action dead. The direction is flat. It's definitely not a movie I can see myself revisiting. There's barely anything there to sustain interest beyond the occasional creative murder-- no atmosphere, no anything.

Other than the murders, the only thing that stood out to me was Kathleen Burke as the tragic wife of the crazy zoologist. Burke is best remembered as Lota the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls. Her career fizzled out quickly, which is a shame because she has great presence and no shortage of talent.

The Black Room (dir. Roy William Neill, 1935)

In a Tyrolean town, an ancient prophecy swears that the ruling house will be destroyed when twins are born and the younger brother kills the older. So when the baron is presented with twin sons, he does everything he can to prevent the prophecy, such as sealing up the Black Room where the murder is supposed to occur. The boys grow up different as can be: the older brother Gregor (Boris Karloff) is cruel and sensual, abusing the locals and his own power, while the younger Anton (also Karloff) is gentle and kind. Despite his twin's sweet nature, Gregor is still concerned for his life and his continued domination of the town. He hatches a devious plan to cheat fate, but can he?

For some reason, I thought I had seen this movie long ago, but apparently not. What a delightful gothic story this is! It's filled with all the old school tropes played straight: an ancient prophecy, a lecherous nobleman preying on innocent maidens, a torture chamber filed with corpses, a dark and gloomy castle. There is a subtle sense of grim humor throughout, but it never descends into parody when it easily could have.

If you've ever doubted Karloff's capabilities as an actor, this movie should remedy that opinion. He plays two distinct characters, and at one point, gives a performance within a performance. All three performances feature their own unique body language, line delivery, and business. It's astonishing throughout.

Equally impressive is the direction from Roy William Neill. Best known for helming the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies, his direction here is so dynamic and impressive, not in the least stagey or inert.

One last thing: for a post-Production Code movie, it has a surprising amount of violence and sexuality. Gregor is clearly using the local women for his sexual gratification before murdering them, and his interest in Marian Marsh's lovely aristocratic girl is 100% carnal. There's a pit full of corpses and we get to look into it rather than have its presence alluded to offscreen. It's all nasty stuff. It really feels like the filmmakers got away with a lot, even if it seems tame by modern standards!

The Bells (dir. James Young, 1926)

Innkeeper Mathias (Lionel Barrymore) hopes to become burgomaster of his village. He hopes endless credit and free drinks will sway the populace to support him, but this comes close to killing his business and destroying his family. Desperate, he murders a wealthy guest, destroys the body, and uses his pilfered gold to pay off all debts and influence his way to power. However, both the crushing guilt and a mesmerist (Boris Karloff) with mind-reading powers threaten to expose him.

This is one of those movies that has a great premise, but the execution is very underwhelming. The filmmakers waste a lot of time on the romantic antics of Mathias' pretty daughter and goofy comedy. It's like they were timid about leaning more into the gothic, distressing elements of this dark story and it makes the film drag.

Still, Barrymore is good, especially once he commits the murder and starts going all Telltale Heart. But the best thing in the movie is definitely Boris Karloff. He had been in movies since 1919 and it wouldn't be until Frankenstein in 1931 that he became a star. But it's safe to say, The Bells gives Karloff his first standout role.

Karloff's character doesn't show up a lot, but he is the biggest threat to Mathias' power. Though his Caligari cosplay is hilarious (for real, the filmmakers didn't even TRY to hide the Caligari influence), he has this creepy shit-eating grin that really leaves an impression.

Is Karloff enough to make this worth watching? Eh, I don't think so. There are far better silent thrillers you could be watching.

The Sorcerers (dir. Michael Reeves, 1967)

Elderly Professor Montserratt (Boris Karloff) and his wife Estelle (Catherine Lacey) use a mind control procedure on young stud Mike Roscoe (Ian Ogilvy). Able to experience everything he feels and to control his behavior if they wish, the two vicariously experience the thrills of Swinging London through their test subject. However, Estelle gets drunk on power and starts using Mike to engage in multiple crimes, including murder.

This movie was hyped to me, so maybe it's partially my fault I was so disappointed by the end result. With the exception of Estelle, the story lacks compelling characters. There's no sense of pathos to Mike's victimization and downfall because he's bland as hell and passive, a deadly combination if you want me to give a damn about your narrative.

Everything about this movie feels drab, both the visuals and the filmmaking itself. Big setpieces like the hypnotism scene or the telepathic motorcycle ride are supposed to be kinetic and exciting, but they just feel like the product of an enthusiastic amateur. I've seen low budget movies that have real personality and verve despite their lack of resources (see Blast of Silence), but The Sorcerers just feels cheap and uninspired in every way. I struggled to finish it even though it wasn't even an hour and a half long.

It's a shame because I like the central premise: two elderly people use this device to vicariously experience the fast life of swinging London. But it's done so poorly. It's hard to believe director Michael Reeves' next film would be the masterful Witchfinder General.

[sesiondemadrugada]

Murders in the Zoo (A. Edward Sutherland, 1933).

[pandoramsbox]

Chronological Horror Watch Rankings from 2023

Life continues to be busy, and Sci-Fi Saturdays are basically on hold until I have the time and mental bandwidth to engage in unpaid cinema musing. (Especially because I want to write stuff that's actually thoughtful and interesting.)

However, if you follow me on Twitter or BlueSky, then you know I have been commenting on the horror films I have been watching to mark Spooky Season.

I watch and read about horror all year long, but Halloween is an excuse to mainline them. Last year I sk/tweeted my way through a chronological watch of Pre-Code/1930s horror cinema.

Here's how I ranked the 25 films I watched, from worst to best, with my sk/tweet commentary:

25. Murders in the Zoo (Dir. A. Edward Sutherland, 1933): The premise is good, but the film is either a delight or dud, depending on how funny you find Charles Ruggles' character, and how much you know about eating patterns of large reptiles.

24. Thirteen Women (Dir. George Archainbaud, 1932): I want to like this Bechdel Test passing tale of a mixed-race woman killing off the white women who bullied her as a child, but the yellow face, Orientalism and racism present disgusts me too much.

23. Murders in the Rue Morgue (Dir. Robert Florey, 1932): Bela Lugosi's screen presence and Karl Freund's cinematography keep this Edgar Allen Poe adaptation from true mediocrity. For a better 1930s movie with a killer ape watch "King Kong."

22. Svengali (Dir. Archie Mayo, 1931): Is this truly a horror movie? Film scholar William K. Everson thought so. Svengali is a hypnotic, abuser of young women, like Dracula. The actual horror is that manipulative abusers are so prevalent in real life.

21. Werewolf of London (Dir. Stuart Walker, 1935): Werewolf of London plays like a variant on The Invisible Man minus James Whale's artistry. The seed of a good concept is in this film, however, and would eventually inspire better werewolf films.

20. The Invisible Ray (Dir. Lambert Hillyer, 1936): Boris Karloff's antisocial scientist pursues Radium "X" research to the point of self destruction, but makes the mess he made of his reputation and relationships everyone else's problem.

19. Dracula's Daughter (Dir. Lambert Hillyer, 1936): For happening moments after Dracula ends, it's odd that the Sewards are never mentioned in Dracula's Daughter. At least Countess Zakeska being outright bisexual diverts from this plothole.

18. Dracula (Dir. Tod Browning, 1931): Is it a good adaptation of the source novel? Not really. Did Tod Browning really leave most of the direction to cinematographer Karl Freund? Probably. Is Bela Lugosi nevertheless charismatic and iconic as Dracula? YES!

17. Freaks (Dir. Tod Browning, 1932): Given how some of the performers were exploited, I feel a bit guilty for how much I enjoy Freaks. I love stories of outsiders creating found family (as well as revenge narratives), so I keep coming back to this unique film.

16. Drácula (Dir. George Medford, 1931): A Spanish language version of Dracula exists because reshooting the main scenes in a different language was easier than dubbing or subtitling films in 1930. The resulting film is overall better than Tod Browning's.

15. White Zombie (Dir. Victor Halperin, 1932): Part of the "Bela Lugosi Has Weird Makeup" and "A Woman Being Hypnotized is A Man's Problem Actually" Pre-Code subgenres. Of greater note, this film says a lot more about colonialism than probably intended.

14. The Black Cat (Dir. Edgar G. Ulmer, 1934): The Black Cat is a film where aesthetics and shock value are the attraction over story. Bela Lugosi gets to be handsome, Boris Karloff gets to be stylishly sinister, and the two pair well together.

13. The Raven (Dir. Louis Friedlander, 1935): Bela Lugosi's Edgar Allen Poe obsessed neurosurgeon seems to be taking revenge on Boris Karloff for his character's sins against Lugosi's in The Black Cat. Granted, his character is also a sadist.

12. The Most Dangerous Game (Dir. Irving Pichel and Earnest B. Schoedsack, 1932): Shot on many of the same sets as King Kong (1933) and featuring 2 of its stars, The Most Dangerous Game looks like an adventure story and plays out as suspenseful horror.

11. Island of Lost Souls (Dir. Erle C. Kenton, 1932): The compulsion to include love interests in adaptations of literary sci-fi/horror like Island of Lost Souls, adds interesting dimension to their themes, even as they remain narratives centering men.

10. The Mummy (Dir. Karl Freund, 1932) The plot is mostly a rehash of Dracula (1931), but its heroine has more agency. Jack Pierce's makeup and Boris Karloff's performance are equal to, if not better than, their work in Frankenstein.

9. Doctor X (Dir. Michael Curtiz, 1932): Shot in expressive two-color Technicolor and featuring pre-Code scream queen Fay Wray, Doctor X packs an amazing amount of horror, sci-fi, comedy, and mystery elements into 76 minutes.

8. The Bride of Frankenstein (Dir. James Whale, 1935): Despite being made after the Production Code went into effect, the body count is higher in this film than Frankenstein. The Bride herself, meanwhile, only appears on screen for less than 5 minutes.

7. Mystery of the Wax Museum (Dir. Michael Curtiz, 1933): Michael Curtiz, Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray and Technicolor teamed up a second time for Mystery of the Wax Museum. But it's fast talking, reporter Glenda Farrell who keeps the plot moving and together.

6. Mad Love (Dir. Karl Freund, 1935): Maybe it's the presence of fellow expatriate Karl Freund behind the camera, but Peter Lorre's performance in Mad Love is nuanced, captivating, and one of his best. The film is otherwise middle of the road for the era.

5. The Old Dark House (Dir. James Whale, 1932): Need a Gothic meditation on the Lost Generation but with black humor and queerness? James Whale is your director! The film is a fairly accurate adaptation of its source novel, Benighted by J.B. Priestley, too.

4. The Invisible Man (Dir. James Whale, 1933): James Whale's horror films, including The Invisible Man, have more character than their contemporaries. Claude Rains' manic, darkly comic performance is as strong as the visual effects.

3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Dir. Rouben Mamoulian, 1931): Karl Struss' dynamic, creative cinematography makes this adaptation of the oft filmed Robert Louis Stevenson novella stand out. Unfortunately, Hyde's abuse of Ivy is trigger warning warranting disturbing.

2. Vampyr (Dir. Carl Th. Dreyer, 1932, France/Germany) It's not a Hollywood film, so Vampyr probably shouldn't be on this list, but this trippy, technically sound but aesthetically silent, art film fits the timeline, so I used that as an excuse to watch it.

1. Frankenstein (Dir. James Whale, 1931): Like Dracula, Frankenstein is a loose adaptation of its source novel, but has defined the iconography of its central monster. It's also a damn great film, period. Its influence on horror and sci-fi is justified.

[ronnymerchant]

MURDERS IN THE ZOO (1933)

[thealmightyemprex]

Halloweenathon : Murders In the Zoo

SO the Criterion Channel has a Precode Horror playlist here in 2023 .Most of the films on the playlist I had seen ,but this one stood out cause I had never heard of it ......And turns out it is really good

In this 1933 film Eric Gorman(Lionel Atwil) is a wealthy big game hunter/zooologist who happens to be extremely posessive of his wife Evelyn(Kathleen Burke),setting up a publicity dinner at the zoo he works at ,to plan a murder

Man you can tell its pre code because this movie opens with a man getting his MOUTH SEWN SHUT ! I bring this up to say this movie can get kind of grizzly,I love that .DEaths arent gory but they are harrowing for a 30's film.I will say the highlight of the film is underrated Horror actor Lionel Atwill (Who was in a bunch of classic horror films like Mystery of the Wax Museum and Son of Frankenstein ),who is a talent even if he isnt remembered as highly as his contempraries Lugosi and Karloff .He really nails the mix of refined gentleman and jealous deranged villain .Supporting cast is solid (Highlight being Charles Ruggles as arecovering alcoholic publicity man who provides the films comic relief ) and there are some really good set pieces

Now being the 30's I dont know how well treated the animals were(The scene where animals ar attacking each other seemed a little too real ) so keep that in mind when watching and will confess I kept getting the two main couples in this (Villains wife and her lover anjd the heroic couple ) kind of confused,even though one of the heroes is Randolf SCott

....Not a real fan of him but wanted to use that refrence

Overaall I love this movie ,thought it was interesting and fun

@filmcityworld1 @marquisedemasque @the-blue-fairie @ariel-seagull-wings @makingboneboy @themousefromfantasyland @amalthea9 @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @angelixgutz @princesssarisa

[ronmerchant]

MURDERS IN THE ZOO (1933)

[thewarmestplacetohide]

Dread by the Decade: 1930s Horror (Pt. II)

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White Zombie (1932 | USA): a man has the woman he loves turned into a zombie. ★½

Doctor X (1932 | USA): a doctor tries to catch a serial killer. ★★★

The Monster Walks (1932 | USA): an heiress fears her father’s chimp. ½

Unheimliche Geschichten (1932 | Germany): an inventor hides in a mental health facility after killing his wife. ★½

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932 | USA): a mad scientist kidnaps women for experiments. ★★½

La Llorona (1933 | Mexico): a man fears ghosts have cursed his family. ★★★½

King Kong (1933 | USA): an actress is abducted by a giant ape. ★★★

The Ghoul (1933 | UK): an Egyptologist returns from the dead for revenge. ★½

The Invisible Man (1933 | USA): a scientist's experiment turns him invisible. ★★★★

Murders in the Zoo (1933 | USA): an abusive husband uses zoo animals to kill. ★★½

[cultfaction]

Preview: Creeping Horror (Eureka Classics 2-Disc Bluray)

Four more tales of terror from the vaults of Universal Pictures, starring Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, and Rondo Hatton. A maniacal hunter and collector of wild animals uses them to dispose of rivals and enemies in the shockingly violent Murders in the Zoo (dir. A. Edward Sutherland, 1933). Bela Lugosi stars in a creepy tale of strange characters, secret passages and a murderer who masters the art…

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spanish dracula kongo most dangerous game murders zoo murders rue morgue mummy wolf man invisible man vampyr unheimliche geschichten 1919 1932 la llorona 1933 phantom of the monastery the ghoul supernatural cat & the canary monkeys paw night of terror vampire bat black moon maniac 1934 black room the cat creeps crime of doctor crespi ouanga student of prague house of usher werewolf of london black lagoon son of dracula frankenstein meets the wolf man invisible man returns king kong vs godzilla king kong escapes the fly invisible man 1954 invisible man vs human fly ten little indians tod browning ferryman maria le golem invisible ray man who changed his mind things to come lost horizon death takes a holiday i married a witch portrait of jennie the uninvited the innocents demon barber of fleet street lewton tourneur dark eyes of london face at the window man they could not hang the bat whispers the mad genius murder by the clock hunchback of notre dame 1939 secret of the blue room 9th guest ghost goes west james whale dr cyclops devil commands night has eyes undying monster la main du diable return of the vampire the lodger dorian gray ulmer la torre de los siete jorobados house of fear spiral staircase strangler of the swamp queen of spades yotsuya kaidan the rainbow man mysterious doctor gaslight song at midnight warning shadows phantom chariot orlacs hande waxworks the last warning dantes inferno 1911 1924 maciste all'inferno secrets of a soul the lost world the bat 1926 seven footprints to satan alraune genuine the bells the monster 1925 the magician destiny dr mabuse the haunted castle keaton fleischer mccay the penalty feuillade jekyll & hyde 1920 der golem the avenging conscience the sealed room telltale heart 1928 noidan kirot the stone rider a fool there was he who gets slapped the last performance frankenstein 1910 melies de chomon danse macabre 1922 prelude 1927 joseph cornell dreams money can buy rene clair aelita queen of mars salome lev kuleshov

[onenakedfarmer]

Currently Watching

MURDERS IN THE ZOO Edward Sutherland USA,1933

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Murders in the Zoo (1933) dir. A. Edward Sutherland

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Murders in the Zoo (1933)