The Monster Maker ** (1944, J Carrol Naish, Ralph Morgan, Tala Birell, Wanda McKay, Glenn Strange) – Classic Movie Review 5584

The twisted 1944 B-movie horror thriller The Monster Maker stars J Carrol Naish as Dr Igor Markoff, who turns crazed scientist and injects his unsuspecting victims with an acromegaly virus disease.

Director Sam Newfield’s 1944 B-movie horror thriller The Monster Maker stars J Carrol Naish as Dr Igor Markoff, a doctor who turns crazed scientist and injects his unsuspecting victims with an acromegaly virus disease that horribly distorts their bodies as they become hideously deformed.

Ralph Morgan also stars as Anthony Lawrence, the hated father of heroine Maxine (Tala Birell), the woman Markoff loves, who gets the acromegaly virus treatment.

Based on a fairly twisted premise, this shocker succeeds in creating a disturbing vision of inhumanity with the help of intense direction and a focused performance by Naish. The movie is especially interesting for the extremeness of its plot for its day. It helps that poverty row film-makers Producers Releasing Corporation [PRC] had a very slightly bigger budget than usual, so the production is a tiny bit better. Given its interesting themes and characters, and general tone of dark chiller fun, it has a shockingly low Internet vote.

Also in the cast are Wanda McKay, Glenn Strange, Terry Frost, Sam Flint and Alex Pollard [Alexander Pollard].

Albert Glasser was paid $250 for his first film score.

PRC had a film production hiatus while spending most of 1943 developing their studio by buying $305,000 the bankrupt Chadwick Studio.

The working title was The Devil’s Apprentice.

The Monster Maker is directed by Sam Newfield, runs 63 minutes, is made and released by Producers Releasing Corporation [PRC], is written by Pierre Gendron and Martin Mooney from an original story by Lawrence [Larry] Williams, is shot in black and white by Robert E Cline, is produced by Sigmund Neufeld, is scored by Albert Glasser, and is designed by Paul Palmentola.

It was released on 15 April 1944.

Director Sam Newfield [Samuel Neufeld] also made The Mad Monster (1942) in similar vein.

The cast are J Carrol Naish as Dr Igor Markoff, Ralph Morgan as Anthony Lawrence, Tala Birell as Maxine, Wanda McKay as Patricia Lawrence, Terry Frost as Bob Blake, Glenn Strange as Giant / Steve, Alex Pollard [Alexander Pollard] as Butler / Stack, Sam Flint as Dr Adams, and Ace the Wonder Dog as Ace.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5584

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