The Gorilla

Dir. Allan Dwan

66 Minutes

USA

1939

Starring: The Ritz Brothers, Anita Louise, Patsy Kelly, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Joseph Calleia

*1/2/*****

First film I've ever seen featuring the stage comedy trope The Ritz Brothers, who apparently made a handful of films for Fox (with The Gorilla being the last of the bunch). Here they are placed in an "old dark house" setting as a trio of detectives who are investigating a threat against the wealthy Walter Stevens, played by Lionel Atwell, by the mysterious killer known as The Gorilla. Also stuck in the house overnight is an eerie butler, played by Bela Lugosi (oddly enough in such a low picture the same year as his best performance in Son of Frankenstein), and a wise-cracking and paranoid maid played by Patsy Kelly. The Ritz Brothers aren't particularly funny (perhaps their schtick worked better on the stage), and nearly every joke in this film is tired and predictable. Players like Lugosi and Atwell are reliable and enjoyable even when they are going through the motions, but Kelly may actually be the high point despite a few groaners scattered throughout (though "Are you telling me you're going?" "No, I'm telling you I left" exchange is a real winner). The film putters about for a little over an hour before an unremarkable solution, and we all go on to see another day.

August 2nd, 2019