The Undying Monster (1942)

Director:

John Brahm

Writers:

Lillie Hayward (writer)
Michael Jacoby (writer)

Release Date:

27 November 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

HORROR to make you GASP!

Plot:

Surviving members of an aristocratic Welsh family are threatened by a legendary monster when they venture out on chilly, foggy nights.

Plot Keywords:

Wales | Fall Off Cliff | Doctor | Spaniel | Red Herring

Cast

James Ellison	...	Robert 'Bob' Curtis
Heather Angel	...	Helga Hammond
John Howard	...	Oliver Hammond
Bramwell Fletcher	...	Dr. Jeff Colbert
Heather Thatcher	...	Cornelia 'Christy' Christopher
Aubrey Mather	...	Insp. Craig
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Walton, the butler

Also Known As:

The Hammond Mystery (UK)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #8730)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Film debut of American tough guy Charles McGraw who ironically plays a British horse groom here.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the werewolf is carrying the unconscious Helga along the rocky coastline, at one point she bends her legs to avoid hitting the rocks.

Quotes:

Walton, the butler: But, Miss Hammond... Helga! No Hammond ever ventures into the rocky lane on a foggy night!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Creature Features: The Undying Monster/The Human Monster (#1.44)" (1971)

Great sets and atmosphere

Story about a monster going after the Hammond family who live in Hammond Hall--a huge castle in the middle of nowhere. It seems that one of the Hammonds, centuries ago, sold his soul to the Devil for eternal life. Every few years he has to kill one of the Hammonds (always a man) as a sacrifice to the Devil and to keep him living. Helga Hammond (Heather Angel) thinks that's ridiculous and it's all a silly legend--but her brother Oliver (John Howard) has been attacked and the monster may not stop at him...

This was made quickly to cash in on "The Wolf Man" which had been a huge hit for Universal the year before. It has all the markings of a B movie--a pretty silly (and illogical) script, an unknown director and a cast of actors on their way up (or down). It also has some extremely annoying "comic" relief in the form of Cornelia Christopher (Heather Thatcher) a helper of Robert Curtis (James Ellison) who is assigned by Scotland Yard to solve the case. Still this is worth catching at least once.

The sets are quite impressive (I'm assuming they were made for another film) and there's tons of atmosphere (lots of fog on the moors outside). The howls we hear during the night are pretty spooky too. Also there's a creepy little saying--"When stars are bright on a frosty night, Beware thy being on the rocky lane". The last reel appearance of the monster is a disappointment unfortunately. Also the acting isn't that great with the sole exception of Angel. Thatcher especially gets annoying with her stupid jokes--I spent most of the movie hoping the monster would get her! Still worth seeing for sets and atmosphere alone. A 7.