The Monster (1925)

It is a little hard to believe that the original play on which this film is based had over 100 performance. The story is silly and not very believable nor plausible. Johnny Arthur does well in spite of the lame script and is the lead actor in this comedy. Gertrude Olmstead didn't impress me very much as the love interest. She has a rather homely appearance. Lon Chaney seems also like a secondary character actor in this film. The special effects are poor and in a few cases laughably poor and unconvincing. Not one of Lon Chaney's best. Poor comedy and unbelievable story line.

Lon Chaney is known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces," and known for make-up magic and for playing monster parts, but too little is he recognized as a actor -- at least too little in my opinion.In "The Monster," he is frequently understated and even almost charming, considering the part.Johnny Arthur, this time, is a star!This must be his best part and he too showed he is by gosh an actor.His character changes, with a little chemical help, but he comes across as believable in every characterization. His face, his gestures, his bodily movement are all just perfect.Turner Classic Movies showed "The Monster" as part of its Halloween line-up in 2016 and as its Sunday night silent on 30 October, although in the Eastern time zone I guess it was actually Monday, 31 October.It is a treat, at least once, with some funny situations and funny characters, and some generally excellent acting.There are some directing or at least editing problems, and you can't take the story too seriously, but mostly it is a lot of fun.

A meek store clerk (and aspiring detective) investigating a man's disappearance winds up at a creepy old sanitarium with the girl he loves and his rival. They find the supposedly abandoned place is inhabited by weird Dr. Ziska (Lon Chaney) and his cronies. After the strong opening, I was really expecting this to be a great one. While it is good and I did like it, I couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed by it. For starters, it's part horror-mystery and part comedy. The horror-mystery parts are good; a precursor to the many mad scientist and old dark house movies to come. But the comedy is pretty weak. The lead character appears to be a rip-off of Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr, which was released a year prior. Still, the comedy is the minor part of the movie. Most of it is old dark house/mad scientist craziness with Lon Chaney. That's pretty cool, no matter how you slice it. Also love the sets, gadgets, and special effects.

The Monster is one of the great Lon Chaney's less memorable ventures. It's neither bad nor good, though it does have its moments. The only reason it doesn't get a lower rating is because it doesn't take itself too seriously and Chaney is somewhat entertaining as a mad scientist.The story involves three young adults (Johnny Arthur, Gertrude Olmstead, Hallam Cooley) trapped in a creepy asylum under the "hospitality" of a mad doctor (Lon Chaney) whose intentions seem quite malicious. Arthur's character is a less funny version of Buster Keaton's character in Sherlock Jr., but he's not bad and certainly the most memorable of the trio. Chaney is entertaining as the mad doctor, but it is far from being one of his better parts. The "haunted house" plot feels very dated and some of the jokes really aren't all too funny.Though mostly forgettable, The Monster is essential for huge Chaney fans like myself and if you're really bored, then you might like to waste some time with this one.