Night Monster

(1942)**1/2

It’s another whodunit from Universal’s b-movie golden age. Three doctors are summoned to the mansion of Curt Ingston, an old man who years earlier lost his arm and legs in a surgery performed by said doctors. Apparently they were attempting to cure him of something unspecified when he began experiencing paralysis. Under the guise of a friendly reunion, the group catch up while consuming generous amounts of libations. They are also joined by Ingston’s butler, his womanizing chauffeur, his housekeeper, his possibly mentally-ill sister, Margaret, and a “mystic”, who has the uncanny ability of disassmbling and reassembling matter (think Star Trek transporter). The large gate to the home is guarded by creepy Torque. After we’re introduced to this unusual group, they begin dying. Who is killing off this group and for what possible reason?

Night Monster is yet another paint-by-numbers whodunit. The formula consists of; (1) take a group of people and place them in a large mansion/castle; (2) Kill them off one by one; (3) make everyone a suspect; and (4) make the killer the last person you’d suspect. Sure it’s formulaic but I can’t get enough of them. The climax is somewhat surprising and the ending is unusually bleak by Hollywood standards. This was a fun little movie that you’ll forget as soon as the words “The End” pop up on the screen.