The Ape

The Ape (1940)

  • 40% of critics liked it
    (5 reviews)

  • 17% of users liked it
    (463 ratings)

This painfully-bad Monogram feature wastes the talents of two of horrordom's finest -- star Boris Karloff and co-writer Curt Siodmak (who would write the horror classic The Wolf Man for Universal the same year). The goofy plot involves the efforts of one Dr. Adrian (Karloff) to procure human spinal… More

Unrated, 1 hr. 2 min.
Directed By
William Nigh
Genres
Drama, Horror, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy
In Theaters
Sep 30, 1940 Wide

Critic Reviews

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    Silly as all the other Boris Karloff mad scientist pics, but just as entertaining.

  • Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com

    Click to read the article.

  • Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    Great silly premise with Karloff skinning an ape and wearing the suit, but boring.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Greg S


    Boris Karloff is a kindhearted but unethical doctor trying to cure paralysis, and there's also an escaped circus ape running around killing people, and the two plotlines collide in a stupid way. Karloff can't save this ridiculous yet dull film, as the part makes him so… More

  • Anthony L


    The Ape isn't just silly, it's down right ridiculous. Everything is dodgy apart from the great Boris Karloff, but for all its faults, I could watch early B-Movies like this all day long. Awful but wonderful at the same time.

  • Eduardo C


    Karloff is his usual standout but despite certain interesting touches the film is quite bad. It's interesting how much it mirrors the far, far superior "The Body Snatcher", however, which features my favorite of Mr. Pratt's performances.

Cast

See full cast

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