#The Undying Monster (1942)

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The Undying Monster (1942)

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John Howard as The Undying Monster (1942)

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"When stars are bright on a frosty night, beware thy bane on the rocky lane." The Undying Monster (1942) dir. John Brahm My Ko-Fi

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the UNDYING MONSTER (1942)

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the UNDYING MONSTER (1942)

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Eily Maylon-Bramwell Fletcher "The undying monster" 1942, de John Brahm.

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The Undying Monster (1942)

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Strange Bargain

Will Price’s STRANGE BARGAIN (1949, RKO) is now best known as the inspiration for an episode of MURDER, SHE WROTE that cast stars Martha Scott, Jeffrey Lynn and Harry Morgan as older versions of their characters and used footage from the earlier film as flashbacks. That bit of cleverness also corrected the original’s chief flaw, an overly pat ending I won’t reveal here, though it may have you groaning. Yet the film is also worth a look for some fine performances, with Scott working wonders with her stock supportive spouse role and a few interesting details inserted either by Price or screenwriter Lillie Hayward, who worked on everything from THE UNDYING MONSTER (1942) to THE SHAGGY DOG (1959).

Lynn is a bookkeeper having trouble making ends meet when his boss (Richard Gaines) offers him a way to make a quick ten grand. All he has to do is help Gaines, who’s broke, make his suicide look like murder so his wife (Katherine Emery) can collect on his life insurance. Morgan is the police detective who thinks there’s something fishy going on and Scott Lynn’s wife, who has some suspicions of her own.

Even though the film reflects traditional family structures, with Scott running the home and Lynn giving the orders, she manages to turn a character that could easily be a mere figurehead into a real person. Her responses as she begins to suspect her husband’s been up to something never go over the top. There’s none of the nostril flaring or eye bulging to which a lesser actress would resort. She registers surprise and wonder simply before developing any emotional expression. She also gives the woman a level of wit (her defense against the patriarchy?), some in the script, but some also in her choices. When she and her husband are discussing his need for a raise, she suggests he tell the boss how hard it is to raise two children on his current salary. He responds that the company didn’t make them have children. “No, I guess not,” she says as she turns to take a sip of coffee, but just before she does, she flashes a wicked smile, as if thinking of how they produced those two children.

Price’s direction is rather flat and one scene in Morgan’s office is ineptly staged, so I’m tempted to credit any clever touches to Hayward. At one point, Lynn races past an oceanside nightclub where people are dancing outside with carefree abandon, a stark contrast to his tortured state. Later, when the police inform Gaines’ snooty secretary (Betty Underwood) she’ll be the first to be fingerprinted, the co-workers behind her smirk surreptitiously, just enough for the camera to notice their enjoyment of this tiny threat to her presumptions of dignity. Little touches like that make even the film’s unrealistic ending a lot more bearable.

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Cosmo

Qualcosa di interessante nell’aria.. Film su Youtube: ‘Undying monster’ – anno 1942 -. Se lo guardate vi si palesa la risposta alla domanda ‘Dove hanno preso l’idea di Scooby Doo, Welma and company?’. E’ in lingua originale, ma vale la pena vederlo per chi è amante del genere horror dei bei tempi che furono “It when stars are bright on a frosty night be wear thy Bane in the rocky lane” Ho…

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Undying Monster 1942 horror

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On November 27, 1942, The Undying Monster debuted in the United States.

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The Undying Monster (1942)

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Dread by the Decade: The Undying Monster

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★★★

Plot: After two people are found brutalized, a powerful family's history of murder and suicide comes back to haunt them.

Review: Wonderful cinematography and sets, coupled with a unique approach to the genre, outweigh some weaker ideas and pacing.

Source Material: The Undying Monster by Jessie Douglas Kerruish Year: 1942 Genre: Werewolves, Mystery Country: United States Language: English Runtime: 1 hour 3 minutes

Director: John Brahm Writers: Lillie Hayward, Michel Jacoby Cinematographer: Lucien Ballard Editor: Harry Reynolds Composer: David Raksin Cast: James Ellison, Heather Angel, Heather Thatcher, John Howard, Bramwell Fletcher, Halliwell Hobbes, Aubrey Mather

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Story: 2.5/5 - Despite its brevity, it loses some steam in the middle. Still, its approach to the genre is refreshing.

Performances: 3.5/5 - Solid, save for Thatcher, whose comedy sometimes misses the mark.

Cinematography: 4.5/5 - Gorgeous and expressionistic. Striking camera angles and use of light.

Editing: 4/5

Music: 2.5/5 - Unmemorable.

Effects & Props: 2.5/5

Stunts & Choreography: 3/5 - The fights use space well, though they're a bit stage play-esque at points.

Sets: 4/5 - Diverse, well-dressed, and largely realistic.

Costumes, Hair, & Make-Up: 2.5/5 - Somewhat middling creature make-up.

Trigger Warnings:

Very mild violence

Misogyny (not critiqued by the film)

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the UNDYING MONSTER (1942)

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the UNDYING MONSTER (1942)

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The Undying Monster (1942)

Director: John Brahm Starring: James Ellison, Heather Angel, and John Howard.

Surviving members of an aristocratic English family are threatened by a legendary monster when they venture out on chilly, foggy nights.