The Monster Maker (1944)

Rating: **
Review Date: 12/26/15
Cast: J. Carrol Naish, Ralph Morgan, Wanda McKay, Ace The Wonder Dog

Love can make you do terrible things... A mad scientist named Igor Markoff (J. Carrol Naish) becomes obsessed with the daughter of a famous concert pianist, who bears a striking resemblance to his deceased wife. When Dr. Markoff's amorous advances are rejected, he infects Patricia's father (Ralph Morgan) with acromegaly, a rare glandular disorder that only he knows how to cure. He then uses his medical knowledge to blackmail Patricia (luscious Wanda McKay) into marrying him, but he unwittingly sets himself up for betrayal by his jilted assistant.

It's a fun low budget horror film featuring a capable and attractive cast. J. Carrol Naish is delightfully sinister as the mad doctor and Wanda McKay is beautiful to behold. The film features a hilariously out of place scene with a gorilla that Dr. Markoff uses to attack his disgruntled assistant, but a loyal German Shepherd named Ace (Ace The Wonder Dog) manages to chase it back to its cage and we never see it again. Wacky.