MAD
MONSTER (1942)/THE BLACK RAVEN (1943)Director: Sam Newfield
Retromedia
MAD
MONSTER (1942)/THE BLACK RAVEN (1943)"Yes! I know you'd like to
join your brothers outside and howl at the moon!"
-- George Zucco as Dr. Lorenzo Cameron to a Caged Wolf
The double feature disc of THE MAD MONSTER and THE BLACK RAVEN is especially
welcome to this reviewer because of my obsessive devotion to the star of both
films, George Zucco, The Man with the Neon Eyes whose every film appearance,
no matter how brief, is worthy of attention. His career is laden with prestige
productions like THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1939), SARATOGA (1937),
MARIE ANTOINETTE (1938) and THE BLACK SWAN (1942) as well as the Poverty Row
Horrors we are witness to here. I grew up watching him gleefully steal scenes
from Karloff in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) as well as Lugosi in the mind-altering
VOODOO MAN (1944). Zucco as the gas station attendant/high priest to "Ramboona"
is forever etched in my memory. It is with these Poverty Row Horrors that Zucco
shines in a special light. From 1941 until the end of the 40s, his appearances
in potboilers like THE FLYING SERPENT (1946), DEAD MEN WALK (1943) and FOG ISLAND
(1945) made him The Mad Doctor of his generation rivaled only by Lionel Atwill
in 
cornball
dedication.
At Universal both Atwill and Zucco had field days playing mad scientists. Having grown up with MAN MADE MONSTER (1941) and THE MAD GHOUL (1943) it was always a contest as to which doctor was the maddest. This reviewer always leaned toward Zucco's Dr. Morris whose lust for Evelyn Ankers included "knowing the Book of Life and teaching her how to read it" which always won out over Atwill's leering promises of eternal life to Anne Nagel who ironically is Zucco's daughter here in THE MAD MONSTER.
Having said this, caveat emptor! THE MAD MONSTER creaks beyond the usual programmer's endurance level in credibility and production values. Made in five days and believe me, that is not hard to believe, it is similar in its plot and wartime enthusiasm to the superior REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIES. Glenn Strange makes his horror debut as Zucco's handyman-turned-wolf man all in the cause of bringing Hitler to his knees with an army of werewolves. What an image! Even on paper this must have been a mind-boggling read-through for an actor of Zucco's training and ability. He is required to recite pages of dialogue to a non-existent group of scientists and does so with his usual aplomb. Robert Florey unconsciously repeated this sequence in "The Incredible Dr. Markesan" for Karloff's TV series, Thriller.
For fans of Zucco there is much
to relish here. As Dr. Lorenzo Cameron, he is allowed to virtually run amok.
With eyes ablaze he expounds his theories to anyone that will listen. Why he
wasn't put in a straitjacket in the first reel can be blamed on a script relying
too much on well-worn situations, a mansion far from 
town,
surrounded by a fog-shrouded swamp, the hidden lab behind the fake library and
of course, the willing subject, the handyman.
To Glenn Strange's credit, he
is lots of fun in his overalls and werewolf makeover. The similarities to Lon
Chaney, Jr.'s landmark performance in Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN are obvious.
The rest of the cast is typical of PRC and Monogram during the 40s. It is nice
to see Universal regular Anne Nagel as Zucco's daughter. Both of them had been
staples in Universal's horror factory.
If you are not a fan of the Monogram/PRC School of Filmmaking, this is definitely NOT the double bill for you. But if you enjoy authentic camp and circumstance and wonder why all the Ed Wood enthusiasts find NIGHT OF THE GHOULS so fascinating, then this is a welcome addition to your DVD library. In all the years this writer has watched these films on television and fifth-generation dupe videos, I have never seen a decent print of any of them until the DVD explosion of the last few years. You may not find better prints than the ones that Fred Olen Ray has unearthed for awhile. One lives in hope of pristine 35mm prints turning up in some arcane museum or film vault. THE MAD MONSTER print we have here has no real clarity and suffers occasional scratching common with films from Poverty Row where camera negatives are nowhere to be found.
As a special bonus Fred Olen Ray
includes THE BLACK RAVEN (1943), an enjoyable little programmer in the "Old
Dark House" genre with a spooky inn as the centerpiece for murder and mayhem
on a stormy night. Though not a horror film, it has atmosphere and Zucco to
recommend it. THE BLACK RAVEN 
reunites
Glenn Strange and Zucco from the previous film with first names of believe it
or not Amos and Andy!!!
The print is superior to THE MAD
MONSTER and quite watchable. The old chestnut about a group of travelers stranded
in a storm is played with a touch of humor. Zucco is in top form as "The
Raven" an innkeeper with a shady past who plays host to one and all. Byron
Foulger is a standout as a nervous guest trying to conceal a bag of stolen loot.
Glenn Strange is a little more together than in THE MAD MONSTER as Zucco's bellhop
and watchdog. No real surprises here but it is a pleasure to see an old dark
house romp even if it is decidedly poverty row.
The highlight of the disc is definitely the audio interview conducted by Don Glut prior to Glenn Strange's death in 1973. Obviously done for a magazine interview, it is very charming and informative. Strange discusses THE MAD MONSTER and his role as The Frankenstein Monster, a treasured moment in time. The only other supplemental is a 35mm trailer for THE MAD MONSTER.
Retromedia is providing some very entertaining features that would fall through the cracks if not for Fred Olen Ray's affection and devotion to B movies and the people that spent their lives putting them together. (David Del Valle)