The Ape
El gorila
1940 · United States · 62 min
- Director
- William Nigh
- Screenplay
- Curt Siodmak
- Producer
- William Nigh
- Music
- Edward J. Kay
- Cinematography
- Harry Neumann
Cast
What it is about
Dr. Bernard Adrian, played by Boris Karloff, is a scientist working on a cure for the polio that has left a young local woman, Frances Clifford, paralyzed. His formula seems close to completion, but it requires human spinal fluid. The arrival of a wild gorilla that has escaped from a circus unsettles the quiet town and opens an unsettling opportunity for the doctor. The film mixes medical drama with monster story in a brief running time of barely an hour.
How it was made
The project grew out of the working relationship between Karloff and director William Nigh at Monogram, following several Mr. Wong films they had made together. Curt Siodmak, who joined in July 1940, wrote the screenplay, and he later said he never used the original material from Adam Hull Shirk's stage play on which it is based. Shooting began on August 6, 1940, in Newhall, California, and, according to actress Maris Wrixon, wrapped within a week. The budget was modest, and historian Tom Weaver notes that some of the circus footage seems to have been taken from another film.
Reception and legacy
Contemporary reviews at its September 1940 release were divided. The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Times praised Karloff's performance, while The New York Times and Variety found it dull and ineffective as a thriller. Later assessments have often focused on how far-fetched the story feels. Today it is remembered mainly as an example of low-budget B-movie horror and of Karloff's work for poverty row studios.
Stills
Trailer
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Trivia
Express shoot
According to Maris Wrixon, filming was completed in barely a week, typical of low-budget studios of the period.
Reused footage
Historian Tom Weaver argues that the circus images appear to come from another film, and that some shots of Karloff entering and leaving his house are repeated.
More films by William Nigh
Across to Singapore
Mr. Wu
Thunder
Four Walls
Salomy Jane
The Law of the RangeOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.