(William Nigh, 1940, US, 62 minutes)
In 1940, when he starred in The Ape, Boris Karloff (The Old Dark House) was fresh off a run of William Nigh-directed capers for Monogram in which he played Chinese detective Mr. Wong. What seems culturally insensitive today was common at the time, since other non-Asian actors, like Warner Oland and Peter Lorre, played Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto.
Fortunately, this poverty row picture is unburdened by dubious casting decisions, though it has other problems, owing more to its low budget and quick turnaround time. Karloff, the biggest name in the cast, plays Dr. Bernard Adrian. A loner by nature, he's only close to two people, his silent housekeeper (Gertrude Hoffman) and his "make believe daughter" Frances (Maris Wrixon), a sweet wheelchair user who reminds him of his late daughter. Though the script, loosely adapted by Richard Carroll (Five Came Back) and Curt Siodmak (The Wolf Man) from Adam Shirk's stage play, never uses the word polio, it's clear that Frances suffers from the infliction.
Dr. Adrian is busy working on a cure when the circus comes to Red Creek (actually, Santa Clarita). Its star attraction, surly ape Nabu (B-western star Ray "Crash" Corrigan in fur suit), has just about had enough of his abusive trainer. The minute Nabu gets his paws on the man, he attacks him and makes his escape. Circus workers bring the injured trainer to Dr. Adrian, but the physician prioritizes the extraction of spinal fluid over the saving of his life.
When the ape claims another victim, boorish banker Henry Mason (Philo McCullough, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?), Dr. Adrian adds more spinal fluid to his serum, but it isn't enough. Frances regains feeling in her legs, but she's still unable to walk. At this point, things get murky, because the simian escapee continues to ravage the rural burg, but Carroll's screenplay doesn't reveal the connection between the ape and the doctor until the very end, and even then it doesn't make as much sense as it should.
In an effort to keep down costs, director Nigh incorporated footage from 1938's Under the Big Top for the circus montage in the opening and in an aerial performance that brings several characters together, including Frances, her fiancé Danny (Gene O’Donnell), and Henry and his mistress. Most of the material fits in pretty well, but the underdeveloped scenario makes it feel as if the ink wasn't quite dry on Carroll's pages before Nigh began to shoot.
Fortunately, Karloff convinces as the well-meaning, if mentally unhinged medical researcher and the supporting cast offers solid support, especially Wrixon as a young woman who shows her surrogate father more kindness than her nosy neighbors can muster--before he goes off the rails, that is.
Extra features include trailers for three Karloff films and separate commentary tracks from film historians Tom Weaver and Richard Harland Smith. If neither gent seems wild about the film, they provide a wealth of information about the production and its place in Karloff's long career.
A new 2K Master of The Ape is now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. Images from Vintage Geek Culture, Scifist 2.0, and eBay.
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