THE APE (1940) Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon & Gene O'Donnell | Horror | B&W

The Ape is a 1940 American horror film directed by William Nigh. The film is based on Adam Hull Shirk's play The Ape, which was previously adapted by Nigh as The House of Mystery (1934).

SYNOPSIS
The Ape was made by Monogram Pictures Corp. after making several Mr. Wong films with both Karloff and Nigh. According to actress Maris Wrixon, it was filmed within a week. The film received mixed reviews from critics on its release, with positive reviews from The Hollywood Reporter, Kinematograph Weekly, and the Los Angeles Times while receiving negative reviews from The New York Times and Variety. Retrospective reviews generally have commented on how ridiculous they had found the film or how a reviewer felt it did not work as a thrilling story.Dr. Bernard Adrian, a compassionate yet eccentric scientist, has been ostracized by the medical community for his unconventional theories and forced to become a small-town physician. Despite this, he continues his groundbreaking research on nerve regeneration, determined to cure local girl Frances Clifford of her polio-induced paralysis so she can marry her sweetheart, Danny Foster.

Desperate to complete his research, Dr. Adrian devises a macabre plan. Disguising himself as the ape by using its skin, he begins murdering townspeople to harvest their spinal fluid, believing the blame will fall on the escaped animal. As he sees his serum show promising results in Frances, his determination only grows. However, during one of his murderous attacks, Dr. Adrian is mortally wounded and collapses on his doorstep. The townspeople, rushing to his aid, uncover the horrifying truth—that the "ape" terrorizing them was Dr. Adrian all along.

As Dr. Adrian dies, he witnesses Frances walk for the first time, her paralysis cured by his serum. He dies with a smile, content that his work has succeeded. The film concludes with Frances and Danny, now able to enjoy life together, looking forward to a brighter future.

CAST & CREW
Boris Karloff as Dr. Bernard Adrian
Maris Wrixon as Frances Clifford
Gene O'Donnell as Danny Foster
Dorothy Vaughan as Mrs. Clifford
Gertrude W. Hoffmann as Jane
Henry Hall as Sheriff Jeff Halliday
Selmer Jackson as Dr. McNulty
Mary Field as Mrs. Mason
Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Nabu, the Ape

Directed by: William Nigh
Screenplay by: Richard Carroll, Curt Siodmak
Based on: The Ape by Adam Hull Shirk
Produced by: Scott R. Dunlap
Starring: Boris Karloff
Cinematography: Harry Neumann
Edited by: Russell Schoengarth
Production company: Monogram Pictures Corp.
Distributed by: Monogram Pictures Corp.
Release date: September 30, 1940
Country: United States

NOTES
Boris Karloff had previously worked at Monogram Pictures playing the role of the detective James Lee Wong, based on Hugh Wiley's stories published in Collier's magazine. Karloff appeared in five films as the character within two years. After the success of the horror film Son of Frankenstein (1939), Keye Luke took over for Karloff as the detective in Phantom of Chinatown (1940) while Karloff was cast in the horror film The Ape. The film's director was William Nigh who had worked with Karloff on the five Mr. Wong films. On July 9, 1940, Curt Siodmak was hired The Ape was based on the play of the same title by Adam Hull Shirk. Along with screenwriter Richard Carroll, the two wrote a story for him similar to the mad doctor films Karloff had made with Columbia Pictures.

Among the cast was Maris Wrixon who was on loan to Monogram from Warner Bros. Pictures. Wrixon recalled that she received the script for the film one or two days before shooting. She declared that she enjoyed working with Karloff and Nigh, but that working for Monogram was like "living in a poor apartment. It was like living in a foxhole." Gene O'Donnell also spoke positively about working with Karloff and Nigh, while echoing that working at Monogram and other poverty row studios were "very frugal and awful careful about what they did."

Production on The Ape started on August 6, 1940. It was filmed in the city of Newhall, Santa Clarita, California. While the film was promoted as being a larger budget production for Monogram, film historian Tom Weaver stated that the circus footage in the film appeared to be taken from another film and some shorts of Karloff's character leaving and entering his house are repeated. According to Wrixon, the film finished filming within a week.

Reception
From contemporary reviews, The New York Times gave a dismissive review, declaring that "Perhaps if you are under 12 or just like to be frightened and try very hard, "The Ape," now at the Rialto, will scare daylights out of you." and that Karloff "is properly baleful" while the rest of the cast displayed "dark looks about in the best 1912 style of acting." A reviewer in Variety also gave the film a negative review, declaring that "ultimate weight of the flick as a suspenser is nil, and most of the footage is extremely boring."