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The Ape (1940) - William Nigh

I really dislike monkeys as antagonists in movies, its bizarre I know, and I can't exactly tell you why I dislike bad monkeys. I just can't ever get into that storyline. Well I couldn't until now. The Ape from 1940 happens to be the ONE ape movie that I can really enjoy. This is in no way a good movie I am just a fan of the story here. It was really good.

Bela Lugosi stars as Dr. Bernard Adrian; a mad scientist who has vowed to save the life of a young woman struggling against polio. Meanwhile there is an escaped gorilla terrorizing the country side. Long story short the doctor ends up in a gorilla suit. Sorry for spoiling that for you. Just take it. Bela's acting is nothing short of amazing here and he really carries the entire film. It looks like it was really low budget and the whole idea behind the movie is ridiculous to the point that it is amazing.

The movie has very little in the way of violence or anything very scary; most, if anything happens off camera. Also the camera work is pretty raw, but that adds to the feel of the film. If you are a film buff like me and you like experiencing really rare pieces of film then I fully recommend this classic to you. This movie would make a great addition to any Boris Karloff collection.

The movie is also interesting to me because it is the first horror movie I have ever seen from the 1940's. This feels like progress. I am going to give The Ape a 6 out of 10. Check it out.

These cold eyes have watched a thousand men die screaming!


  • The film is based on a play 
  • This was the final film that Boris Karloff was under contract for with Monogram pictures. 
  • Film is also known as Gorilla 









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