Story: Kurt Ingston (Ralph Morgan) is a man of immense wealth, but he would trade all of his riches if he could once again walk under his own power. Kurt suffered a catastrophic complication during a medical procedure and as a result, he is unable to walk. He hasn’t given up hope however, as he has even reached out to a mystic for help and he believes modern medicine could learn from these old ways. To that point, he summons the doctors who worked on his surgery and plans to show them the mystic’s methods, while Dr. Harper (Irene Hervey) is also on the grounds, to evaluate Kurt’s daughter’s mental state. Soon people start turning up dead, even after the police have arrived, but who is behind these grisly murders?

Entertainment Value: Night Monster is a mostly run of the mill, forgettable mystery yarn, but it does have some fun, oddball moments. The story didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, but how the mystery unravels is quite memorable and the finale is off the wall. The road to the finale is a rough one however, with slow sequences that don’t offer much entertainment. The cast has some good names involved, though the main star power actors tend to be relegated to smaller roles here. The atmosphere is also solid, as you’d expect from a Universal production from this era, very moody and visually dynamic. I also appreciated how the movie comes a little unhinged at the end, from the finale to the hilarious (to my anyway) scene about the safety of croaking frogs. So I do think there is some entertainment to be mined in Night Monster, especially for fans of these shadowy Universal old school mysteries, just don’t expect the world from this one.

I checked into Night Monster to see Bela Lugosi in action, but he has limited screen time here and isn’t given much to do overall. He has more than a cameo size role at least, with several scenes involved, I just wish he was a little more central to the plot. Even so, he delivers in what time he is given to work with and as always, it is just nice to see the legend showcase his talents. Lionel Atwill also has a small, but enjoyable role, so fans of classic Univeral mysteries should appreciate that as well. The cast also includes Ralph Morgan, Irene Hervey, Don Porter, Doris Lloyd, and Janet Shaw.

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