Keep ‘Em Flying (1941) – Arthur Lubin and Ralph Ceder

The next title in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies features that great comedic duo, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. They make an appearance in the chapter on Monstrous Apes, as Abbott encounters a gorilla (a man in a suit) partway through this rather patriotic picture. The pair serve as ground crew to Jinx Roberts…

The Chimp (1932) – James Parrott

Dk Canada’s oh so enjoyable Monsters in the Movies dabbles with a bit of comedy as I delve deeper into the chapter on Monstrous Apes. For today’s entry I got to enjoy some comedic gold from Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as they take some work in a circus and find themselves babysitting Ethel the…

Captive Wild Woman (1943) – Edward Dmytryk

John Carradine as a detached, and insane scientist, who somehow still gets work, an animal trainer who wants a shot at the big top, and a gorilla suit that becomes a beautiful women with strange powers over the animals of the circus. It’s all here in the next big title in DK Canada’s Monsters in…

The Ape Man (1943) – William Beaudine

Bela Lugosi headlines another titles in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies as I continue my journey through the chapter on Monstrous Apes. This unusual little film, barely running an hour, tells the tale of Dr. James Brewster (Lugosi), who has a problem. It seems through some study, and research, and experimentation he’s transformed himself,…

The Unholy Three (1930) – Jack Conway

The Unholy Three is an unusual entry in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies for a couple of reasons. It’s Lon Chaney’s only talking film, and the ape featured in the film (we are in the monstrous apes chapter after all) is only seen a couple of times, and isn’t really used for much but…

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) – Robert Florey

Bela Lugosi, with the horrible addition of a unibrow, terrorises unsuspecting Paris in the next stop in the Monstrous Apes chapter of DK Canada’s brilliant Monsters in the Movies book. Based on the classic short story by Edgar Allen Poe, the tale focuses on an evolution obsessed mad scientist, Dr. Mirakle (Lugosi)  and the object…

Gorgo (1961) – Eugene Lourie

What would happen if England got in on the Godzilla craze? Well, I found out as I explored DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book and came across Gorgo as I continue to explore the chapters on dragons and dinosaurs. When a group of sailors capture a strange beast off the coast of Ireland and…

Unknown Island (1948) – Jack Bernhard

Long before Dr. Grant found himself on Isla Nublar, former Navy pilot, Ted Osborne (Phillip Reed) and his wealthy fiancee, Carol Lane (Virginia Grey) set sail from Singapore to investigate a long lost island to see whether Ted’s belief that he saw dinosaurs on the outcropping of land when he flew over it is true….

Goliath and the Dragon (1960) – Vitorrio Cottafavi

I move to Italy for the next film in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book as I explore the chapter on Dragons & Dinosaurs. Dubbed in English to reach the North American audience, this Italian sword and sandal (and sorcery) ‘epic’ follows Goliath (Mark Forest) who has his hands full as we join him…

First Men in the Moon (1964) – Nathan Juran

My time with DK Books’ The Movie Book pays off big time with the What Else to Watch list associated with Melies’ A Trip to the Moon – it brought me this 1964 oddity, which is based on H.G. Wells’ story. A multi-national crew is making the first manned landing on the moon. Imagine the…