What have they done with the rip-roaring scream-squeezing digestion-turning horrors of old? Where is the stupendous fantasy of King Kong, the revolting blackness of The Mystery of the Wax Museum, Zombie, The Cat and the Canary, Frankenstein? It seems that Hollywood first tried to give son-and-daughter sequels to these original blood-curdlers. And when that didn't work, they turned away from blackness for blackness' sake, and took refuge in the arms of Morality.
It was one of the these morality scripts that Peter Lorre was given to work on. He plays harmless immigrant who gets face burned in rooming house fire; turns brilliant criminal; falls in love with blind girl; gracefully reforms; gets double crossed and winds up hero. Lorre makes the best out of a second rate picture. But oh, for the days when movies had to be barred to children under twelve!
Read more in News
THE VAGABOND
