Dr Renault’s Secret **½ (1942, J Carrol Naish, John Shepperd, George Zucco, Lynne Roberts) – Classic Movie Review 5074

‘HALF-MAN…HALF-MONSTER!…A strange tale torn out of the depths of terror! His animal instinct cannot be tamed!’ George Zucco stars as the creepy Doctor Robert Renault, who has invented a technique mixing a secret serum with brain surgery that has allowed him to turn a monkey into a part-human, Renault’s mysterious assistant Noel (J Carrol Naish).

John Shepperd [aka Shepperd Strudwick] co-stars as Dr Larry Forbes, who visits the remote French château of Dr Renault, uncle of his fiancée Madelon (Lynne Roberts). Noel, who is introduced as an émigré from Java and is fascinated by Madelon, eventually in best time-honoured tradition goes ape and embarks on a killing-spree rampage.

The luscious turns from Zucco and, particularly, Naish distinguish director Harry Lachman’s so-so 58-minute 1942 little horror movie, while Virgil Miller’s black and white cinematography and Nathan Duran’s art direction give it a stylish look.

Also in the cast are Bert Roach, Eugene Borden and Jack Norton.

The screenplay is by William Bruckner and Robert F Metzler, the producer is Sol M Wurtzel and the score is by David Raksin and Emil Newman. It is a 20th Century Fox support feature, running only 58 minutes.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5074

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