Review: THE APE (1940)

Starring: Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon
Director: William Nigh
Writers: Adam Shirk (play), Kurt Siodmak, Richard Carroll
Genre: Horror
Year: 1940
My rating: 3 out of 5

THE APE is a badly made and badly written film, but one which I am happy to report is actually entertaining. Its badness makes it fun, which — despite the existence of the phrase “so bad it’s good” — is actually a rare phenomenon in my experience.

To begin with, this is the first horror movie I’ve ever encountered that displayed the opening credits accompanied by happy, cheerful circus clown music. Forget dark, ominous, atmospheric orchestration which can set the mood immediately. Disregard all attempts to initially set the viewer in mind of deep hopelessness, imminent despair and slow lingering death. Play clown music! You’re trying to scare me, but all I can think about are guys with big shiny pants jumping through rings of fire.

Anyway, the movie is about Boris Karloff as a mad scientist (he wears a white coat, has loads of test tubes and kills in the name of science), and his desperate search to find a cure for polio, the affliction which has prematurely ended the lives of his wife and daughter. He’s working feverishly to cure the paralyzed eighteen-year-old…