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The Dark Eyes of London
The Human Monster / Dead Eyes of London
UK 1940
produced by John Argyle
directed by Walter Summers
starring Bela Lugosi, Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Edmon Ryan, Wilfred Walter, Alexander Field, O.B. Clarence, May Hallatt, Bryan Herbert, Arthur E. Owen, Charles Penrose, Gerald Pring, Julie Suedo
screenplay by John Argyle, Patrick Kirwan, Walter Summers, based on the novel by Edgar Wallace, music by Guy Jones
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
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Scotland Yard
inspector Holt (Hugh Williams) is investigating the deaths of several
people found in the mudflats of River Thames, and his clues all lead to
insurance agent Orloff (Bela Lugosi), a benign and benevolent man who
makes many a donation to Professor Dearborn’s home of the blind. And he
takes care of Diana Stuart (Greta Gynt), the sister of one of the deceased
who is trying to find her brother’s murderer, getting her a job at
above-mentioned home of the blind.
Thing is, with
several of the victims, notes in braille are found, and they all were
insured at Orloff’s company – and of course, Orloff really is the
killer, preferably throwing his victims right out of a window into the
mudflats himself … but when the police get a conclusive lead on him, he
simply disappears. Diana meanwhile finds evidence that the home of the
blind is somehow connected to the murders – when she has to find out
that benign Dearborn is not only not blind but also Orloff himself in
disguise, and he plans for her to be his next victim … enter Jake
(Wilfred Walter), Orloff’s hunchbacked and malformed assistant, who
finally starts to rebel against his master after realizing that Orloff has
killed many a friend of his, and in the finale he throws the villain out
of a window into the Thames’ mudflats, just like Orloff liked to dispose
of his victims. When the police arrives, they are already too late to
interfere, but still, Holt gets Diana in the end.
Edmon Ryan
provides some comic relief as Holt’s American sidekick.
Mediocre British Edgar Wallace adaptation that suffers from the
weaknesses of its source material (like why would Orloff try to attract
the attention of Diana knowing that she’s out to find the killer of her
brother) and from a cast of very flat characters, but at least Lugosi in
one of his better villain roles is rather amusing, even if too much
emphasis is put on him being a mad scientist, which doesn’t make much
sense concerning the movie’s plot.
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