Year: 1933
Country: U.S.
Subgenre: Art Horror/Gothic Mystery
Runtime: 77 minutes
Director: Michael Curtiz
One of Hungarian born director Michael Curtiz's early 1930's horror films (he directed Atwill & Fay in Doctor X the year prior), this is not only a good horror film, it is a great example of pre-code cinema of any genre. One need only to compare this with the 1953 remake with Vincent Price (which I do love) to see how dumbed down stories like this were after the 1935 codes were put in place. Point by point comparisons sees things like the morphine junkie here is turned into a garden variety drunk in the remake. As much as I love the remake (because who can hate on a Price performance?), this is by far a superior film. It's dark, has sharp edges with top notch cinematography, and a great character in a fast talking/gin drinking female reporter played brilliantly by Glenda Farrell (a character completely omitted in the remake). Curtiz it also a superior director to André De Toth (Curtiz did go on to direct Casablanca for heaven's sake!). It's also a wonderful example of the so-called "2 strip" technicolor process; one of the last big productions to have it. Also one of Fay Wray's great screaming roles as well!
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