Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Richard Chatten 1944 was the year in which a hitherto obscure glandular disorder called acromegaly hit the Hollywood mainstream. In the Sherlock Holmes adventure 'The Pearl of Death' a crowd player named Rondo Hatton (1894-1946) who suffered the affliction was promoted to featured billing as the backbreaking Hoxton Creeper and achieved transitory stardom as the only movie monster who didn't require makeup. And it was also a central plot element in 'The Monster Maker'; stored in a bottle in the drugs cabinet of Dr.Markoff bearing a professionally printed label reading "Acromegaly A.5.B2", as if he'd bought it at his local branch of Boots.It was probably tasteless for a mere horror movie to use the authentic condition which in reality afflicted poor Hatton (a picture of whom will show you what a genuine sufferer actually looks like); but the film is nowhere near as sleazy as authorities like Leonard Maltin and the late Denis Gifford made it sound (and that it's provenance as a production of 'Z' budget studio PRC might lead one to expect). J.Carroll Naish and Ralph Morgan are both urbanely professional as the oily Dr Markoff and the concert pianist whose daughter he covets. The acromegalic makeup by Maurice Seiderman (who worked on 'Citizen Kane') is actually not bad (although is wisely not lingered on for too long by director Sam Newfield); and is more convincing than that later worn by Leo G. Carroll when afflicted with the same condition in 'Tarantula'. Oddly enough, cinematographer Robert Cline's name isn't in the credits (at least in the prints posted on YouTube), but he does a fluid and elegant job; as does editor Holbrook N. Todd.Previous IMDb reviewers have pointed up similarities to 'The Raven' (1935); and schlockmeister Herman Cohen in turn probably drew upon youthful memories of this when he produced the laugh-out-loud funny 'Konga' (1961), with which it shares in common a very mad scientist (hilariously overacted in 'Konga' by Michael Gough) with a fondness for injecting serums, a besotted female assistant frustrated by her boss's infatuation with a younger, cuter and blonder girl on whom he forces his creepy attentions to a predictably unenthusiastic response, and a pet gorilla in a cage (who looks as if he's even wearing the same gorilla suit) who he occasionally lets out at night to deal with people who are making a nuisance of themselves.One of the most improbable elements in the film is also one of its strengths. As played by Tala Birell, Markoff's assistant Maxine is a smart, handsome woman who knows her way around a laboratory. But, knowing what he did to the real Markoff and his wife, why is she so besotted with this jerk in the first place? Happily she avoids the fate suffered by lab assistants in most horror movies and survives until the end, seems to take Markoff's death in her stride and hopefully went on to settle down with someone more worthy of her.

morrison-dylan-fan Taking a look at a box set that a very kind fellow IMDber has given me,I spotted a movie which sounded like a fun "creature feature",which led to me getting ready to seeing the monsters being made.The plot:Attending a performance by composer Anthony Lawrence, Dr. Igor Markoff notices a woman in the audience who looks just like his dead wife. Spotting Markoff's glances,the woman turns away from Markoff's view.Meeting Anthony backstage,Markoff discovers that the mysterious woman is Anthony's daughter Patricia.Since his wife's suicide,Markoff has been working on formula's which give and cure people of illnesses.Setting his sights on Patricia,Markoff decides to compose a special score for her dad.View on the film:Despite having a creature feature-style title,the film actually turns out to be a mad scientist flick,which includes the genres man in a gorilla suit trademark.Whilst the movie does not break away from the genre,the screenplay by Larry Williams/Pierre Gendron & Martin Mooney keep the 62 minutes speeding by,thanks to the writers allowing Markoff to take his time in getting a tight grip on the Lawrence's.Covered in stylish Film Noir lighting from director Sam Newfield, J. Carrol Naish gives a terrific performance as Markoff,with Naish keeping Markoff away from being a simple boo-hiss villain,by showing him to have (some ) determination in actually finding a cure,as Markoff starts to turn Anthony into a monster.

evening1 How can such a stinker of a film remind one of Shakespeare? Indeed, "The Monster Maker" is slightly reminiscent of "Measure for Measure." In both, a powerful man holds the key to another man's life -- and he'll save that life only if a pure and innocent woman accedes to his lust. In neither work does the woman get defiled; both dramas end happily with the villain's comeuppance. But that's where the similarities end.The "problem play" "Measure" ain't half bad; this movie's just plain stupid. J. Carrol Naish is somewhat compelling as the bad guy, but his inamorata, played by Wanda McKay, is a bore. I read on Wikipedia that the actor portraying Lawrence was Ralph Morgan, older brother of the guy who played the Wizard of Oz. (The latter went on to a more stellar career than unfortunate Ralph.)A tremendous flaw in this film is the use of a man in a gorilla suit who is supposed to inspire terror but simply looks ridiculous. The German shepherd in this film was Ace the Wonder Dog, an apparently less-talented competitor to Rin Tin Tin. The dog did so little in this movie I'm surprised he was credited.

sddavis63 It's obvious that there was a fixation in this era with the whole concept of the mad scientist who conducts evil experiments. At its best, this was a genre that produced classics like "Frankenstein" or "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." "The Monster Maker" is not the genre at its best - although admittedly it's also not the genre at its worst.My impression has always been that this was an era of transition in movie-making. Some movies from the era have a very "old" feel, as if they come from a bygone era. Others feel very fresh and modern and stand up well today. This is an example of the former. It would have fit into the early 30's well enough. The performances were passable, as was the story, which revolved around Dr. Markoff (J. Carrol Naish) who injects his hapless victim Anthony Lawrence (Ralph Morgan) with a dreadful disfiguring disease for which only he has the cure, the price for which is that Lawrence has to convince his beautiful daughter (Wanda McKay) to marry Markoff. It's not a very frightening movie; it's not even all that suspenseful. The title overstates Markoff's work. Lawrence is certainly disfigured, with swollen hands and a mis-shaped head, but he's hardly a "monster," so those looking for a monster movie will find this disappointing.It's nothing noteworthy, but it's also not awful. (4/10)