Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
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82% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
43% want to see it
(689 ratings)
Having missed the opportunity to direct Frankenstein for Universal, Robert Florey was offered Murders in the Rue Morgue as a consolation, whereupon he transformed a pedestrian property into a minor classic. Owing more to Cabinet of Dr. Caligari than to Edgar Allen Poe, the film stars Bela Lugosi as… More Having missed the opportunity to direct Frankenstein for Universal, Robert Florey was offered Murders in the Rue Morgue as a consolation, whereupon he transformed a pedestrian property into a minor classic. Owing more to Cabinet of Dr. Caligari than to Edgar Allen Poe, the film stars Bela Lugosi as Doctor Mirakle (accent on the second syllable), a carnival sideshow entertainer who doubles as a mad scientist. Kidnapping prostitutes off the Paris streets, Mirakle endeavors to mix their blood with that of his pet gorilla. His experiments will forever be doomed to failure, however, until he is able to obtain the blood of a virgin -- and that's where Camille L'Espanye (Sidney Fox) comes into the picture. When Mirakle's monkey kidnaps Camille and murders her mother, suspicion immediately falls upon the girl's sweetheart, starving artist Pierre Dupin (Leon Waycoff, later known as Leon Ames). But by using the deductive skills displayed in the original story by Poe's master detective C. Auguste Dupin, our hero not only proves his innocence, but rescues the helpless heroine from Mirakle's clutches. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Robert Florey
- Written By
- Robert Florey, John Huston, Tom Reed, Dale Van Every
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
- Studio
- Passport
Critic Reviews
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Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
Rue Morgue disappoints because it gives us too little of Lugosi's hijinks, but its best scenes are nearly as memorable as anything that Universal produced during the era.
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Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
It crams into its first ten minutes as much bestial subtext as King Kong
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
A flawed, but absolutely fascinating film.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Robert Florey's atmospheric horror tale, starring Bela Lugosi.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It has style.
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Cast
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Bela Lugosi
as Dr. Mirakle
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Leon Waycoff [Ames]
as Pierre Dupin
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Sydney Fox
as Mlle. Camille L'Esponage
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Bert Roach
as Paul
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Brandon Hurst
as Prefect of Police
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Noble Johnson
as Janos the Black One
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D'Arcy Corrigan
as Morgue Keeper
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Betty Ross Clarke
as Mme. L'Esponage The Mother
- Herman Bing
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Arlene Francis
as Monette the Lady of the Streets
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Charles Gemora
as Erik the Ape
- Sidney Fox
