Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla * (1952, Bela Lugosi, Duke Mitchell, Sammy Petrillo) – Classic Movie Review 5659

Bela Lugosi stars as tropical island scientist Dr Zabor, who turns the first half of the comedy team Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo into a gorilla, played by Ramona the Chimp, after they have fallen from an aircraft, been discovered by natives and allowed to live by the chief, Rakos (Al Kikume). Gosh, it’s busy in the South Seas!

Director William Beaudine’s ridiculous, weary 1952 horror spoof, with zero production values, demeans the great Lugosi (who looks sick and ancient). In their sole starring roles, comedy team Mitchell and Petrillo (as themselves) reveal themselves to be bargain basement versions of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

But alas for poor Lugosi, though he might have found consolation that his name (for the one and only time) was featured in the title. He was denied even this when it was retitled The Boys from Brooklyn or The Monster Meets the Gorilla (in the UK).

Lugosi thought of himself a serious actor, got typecast in increasingly poor horror movies after Dracula (1931), took to drugs, then ended up making Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire and Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Also in the cast are Charlita, Muriel Landers, Mickey Simpson, Milton Newberger as Bongo the Witch Doctor and Martin Garralaga as Pepe Bordo the waiter.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5659

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com