THE APE

US, 1940, 62 minutes, Black-and-white.
Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon, Gene O'Donnell, Dorothy Vaughan, Gertrude Hoffman, Selmer Jackson.
Directed by William Nigh.

This film has been adapted from a play, screenplay by Curt Siodmak, popular with this kind of genre.

It is a star vehicle for Boris Karloff, a much more kindly and sympathetic character, the local doctor who is also conducting experiments to try to cure a young woman suffering from paralysis. However, he is very intense, getting spine serum from those who have died.

In the meantime, a circus come to town, some entertaining acts, especially trapeze, the paralysed young woman being taken by her boyfriend who works in a garage. There is difficulty with the keeper of the ape, cruel towards the ape because he had killed his father. The ape now kills him, escapes, sets the circus a light from an accident with flames.

The ape terrorises the countryside but circles the house of the doctor. So intent is the doctor on curing the young woman that – and this really stretches credulity in terms of realism on the screen – the doctor takes the skin of the ape, no mean feat, and disguises himself so that he can get the serum from the victims of the ape.

His care of the young woman is intense, but she begins to feel pain in her legs, some slight movement, and, when the ape is shot revealed to be the doctor, she begins to walk.

A variation on the mad scientist theme, and a variation on the kinds of roles played by Boris Karloff.