The Human Monster (1940)

'The Dark Eyes of London' AKA The Human Monster (1939) Bela Lugosi is kindly and gentle Professor Dearborn and the devilishly evil Dr. Feodor Orloff. Lugosi plays duel roles in this frightfully delightful production. Dearborn's voice is overdubbed by another uncredited actor at the while Lugosi does the acting.This is a story of a man, Dr. Orloff, that is an insurance agent & physician, he gets people to sign up for his life insurance then bumps them off sometime later for money with the help of Jake, Orloff's henchmen. His physician for the blind career is a cover-up for his more sinister career as an thieving, murdering insurance agent.This is Lugosi in one of his most wicked roles - and he's good in this film. If you like Lugosi in "Murder in the Rue Morgue" then you might like "The Human Monster".7.5/10

Over in the United Kingdom what we call B Pictures, they call quota quickies and this film The Human Monster was such a film. It even got its American release from Monogram Pictures which did nothing else.This should have been better being based on a story by the great British pulp fiction writer Edgar Wallace who was their Mickey Spillane. Bela Lugosi plays a man with two identities, insurance writer who writes policies for men without families and then has them killed with himself as beneficiary. Who's doing the killing is some hideous disfigured man who resides in a home for the blind and who does the bidding of the head of the home who happens to be Bela Lugosi in his other identity.Bela slips up because one of his insureds turns out to have a daughter played by Greta Gynt who wants answers. Scotland Yard Inspector Hugh Williams is on the case and he has an American partner Edmon Ryan over here on exchange from the Chicago PD.That theme has been used many times, coming to mind is John Wayne in one of his later films Brannigan and the TV series Dempsey&Makepeace from the 80s. Williams disdains the third degree methods used in America and tells Ryan in no uncertain terms. Actually the British police methods can get physical at times.Better production values would have made this a better film.

As if the English didn't have enough on their plates in 1939 what with war breaking out and all they had to sit through this piece of cheese which gives the word 'dire' a whole new dimension. It boasts a minor distinction in being the first film to be awarded the brand new certificate 'H' (for Horror) which lasted a tad over ten years when it was replaced by 'X' which took in more territory. Bela Lugosi was imported from Hollywood at great expense - a pack of gum rather than a single stick - and he plays ALL of Dr Orloff and not just his hands, a scammer who loans money to single men with no dependents who then take out life insurance making him the beneficiary. Attenpting to catch him is intrepid detective Larry Holt of 'the yard', played by Hugh Williams and within minutes we have our love interest in the shape of Greta Gynt, daughter of Orloff's latest victim who has conveniently been in the USA and just as conveniently returned in time to identify the body. It's one of those movies where everything is telegraphed five minutes before it happens. You want my advice: Check out The Hands of Orloff instead.

In London, the Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is assigned to investigate a serious of deaths apparently in accidents. However, a further inquiry shows that all the victims are men without family and insurance policy released by the insurance agent Dr. Feodor Orloff (Bela Lugosi) and the beneficiary is a home for blind administrated by Prof. John Dearborn (Bela Lugosi). When Henry Stuart is found drowned, his daughter Diana (Greta Gynt) comes to London and helps Holt and his American partner Lieutenant O'Reilly (Edmon Ryan) in their investigation."The Dark Eyes of London" is an interesting B-movie with a good dark story and a great performance of Bela Lugosi. Unfortunately the quality of the VHS released in Brazil impairs the cinematography of the film. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Monstro Humano" ("The Human Monster")