The Monster and the Girl(The Avenging Brain ) (1941)

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(92 ratings)

One of the most schizophrenic films ever to come out of the Paramount "B" mill, The Monster and the Girl starts out as a white-slavery melodrama and ends up as a horror picture! Emerging from the fog, heroine Susan Webster (Ellen Drew) tells her woeful tale to the audience. A young innocent from The… More One of the most schizophrenic films ever to come out of the Paramount "B" mill, The Monster and the Girl starts out as a white-slavery melodrama and ends up as a horror picture! Emerging from the fog, heroine Susan Webster (Ellen Drew) tells her woeful tale to the audience. A young innocent from The Sticks, Susan arrives in New York to seek work as an actress, but instead is tricked into a sham marriage with Larry Reed (Robert Paige). Awakening "the morning after", Susan is informed that her missing husband is not her husband, and that, as a fallen woman, there is only one avenue of livelihood open to her-as one of the "paid hostesses" in the stable of gangster Bruhl (Joseph Calleia). Learning of his sister's plight, church organist Scot Webster (Philip Reed) shows up in town to set things right, only to be framed for murder by Bruhl and his mob. After his execution, Scot's body is appropriated by mad scientist Dr. Parry (George Zucco), who hopes to transplant the dead man's brain into the body of a gorilla. Driven by impulses it can't resist, the big ape escapes from his cage to kill off all those responsible for Susan's ruin and Scot's death. Undeniably fascinating, The Monster and the Girl is also undeniably silly at times, especially in the opening scenes, in which the censor-plagued screenwriters work overtime not to overtly state that Susan Daniels has been forced into prostitution. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 5 min.
Directed By: Stuart Heisler
Genres: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Feb 28, 1941 Wide
On DVD: Aug 3, 1994

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Cast

            Ellen Drew as Susan Webster

            Robert Paige as Larry Reed

            Paul Lukas as W.S. Bruhl

            Joseph Calleia as Deacon

            Onslow Stevens as McMasters

            George Zucco as Dr. Parry

            Phillip Terry as Scott Webster

            Marc Lawrence I as Sleeper

            Gerald Mohr as Munn

            Tom Dugan as Capt. Alton

            Willard Robertson as Lt. Strickland

            Minor Watson as Judge Pulver

            George Meader as Dr. Knight

            Cliff Edwards as Leon Stokes

            John Bleifer as Janitor

            Harry C. Bradley as Rev. Russell

            Rod Cameron as Sam Daniels

            John Dilson as Employment Clerk

            Emma Dunn as Aunt Della

            Fern Emmett as Woman Organizer

            Matty Fain as Wade Stanton

            Charles Gemora as the Ape

            Ruth Gillette as Woman

            Jayne Hazard
            
            Al Hill as Bruhl's Chauffeur

            Maynard Holmes as Tim Harper

            Bud Jamison as Tim the Doorman

            Ethelreda Leopold as Party Girl

            Paul McVey as Monarch Hotel Clerk

            Bert Moorhouse as Henchman

            Anne O'Neal as Miss Julia

            Emory Parnell as Dumb Cop

            Al Seymour
            
            Oscar Smith as Bootblack

            Frank M. Thomas as Jansen

            Edward Van Sloan as Warden

            Emmett Vogan as Apartment Manager

            Eleanor Wesselhoeft as Elderly Housekeeper

            Dave Willock as Charlie the Photographer

            Abner Biberman as Gregory

            Sammy Blum as Popcorn Vendor

            Florence Dudley as Madame

            Corbet Morris as Claude Winters
See full cast

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