Phantom of the Rue Morgue *** (1954, Karl Malden, Claude Dauphin, Patricia Medina, Steve Forrest, Anthony Caruso) – Classic Movie Review 2684

Director Roy Del Ruth’s 1954 horror movie stars Karl Malden, who takes on the old Bela Lugosi role in Warner Bros’ engagingly shambolic rejig of the 1932 Murders in the Rue Morgue, based on Edgar Allan Poe’s 1841 short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue. It is important as the first modern detective story, with C Auguste Dupin as the first fictional detective.

Warners were attempting to repeat the success they had with their 3D horror movie House of Wax the previous year, with cinematographer J Peverell Marley shooting in eye-catching WarnerColor. It took $1,450,000 at the box office.

The moment Dupin questions the sailor about the murders. Illustration by Byam Shaw for a London edition dated 1909.

There’s an outbreak of strange murders in the Rue Morgue in 1870s France. So the police approach Professor Paul Dupin (Steve Forrest) to help and some suspects are uncovered, including a sailor named Jacques the One-Eyed (Anthony Caruso) and a professor called Dr Marais (Malden), who is involved in bizarre unauthorised animal experiments.

Malden is deliciously all whooping hysteria as the insane murderer who runs loose with a demented ape on the streets of Paris, but that only helps the camp enjoyment. There is plenty of eerie atmosphere, at any rate lots of things come lurching towards us. It was made and originally shown in 3D, perhaps to inject some depth into the Grand Guignol pantomime-style plot, theatrical performances and cardboard cut-out protagonists.

Illustration by Aubrey Beardsley of The Murders in the Rue Morgue, 1895

Also in the cast are Claude Dauphin, Patricia Medina, Allyn Ann McLerie, Dolores Dorn, Erin O’Brien-Moore, Merv Griffin, Paul Richards, Rolfe Sedan and Veola Vann.

Charles Gemora plays Sultan the Gorilla again as he did in Bela Lugosi’s 1932 Murders in the Rue Morgue. Gemora’s study of real gorillas at the San Diego Zoo and his expertise on makeup gave him an extensive movie career as a gorilla.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2684

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Facsimile of Poe’s original manuscript for The Murders in the Rue Morgue.