A Brilliant Conflict

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

One of Bela Lugosi's best cheapies. A British-made horror-thriller, originally titled Dark Eyes of London, released in the States by poverty row studio Monogram. Lugosi plays a guy who runs an insurance company and uses a home for the blind as a front, killing people after he's made himself their beneficiary. When he's pretending to be the guy who runs the home, he puts on a disguise (with a voice that is obviously dubbed). Not exactly a well thought-out scheme, but certainly an evil one.Bela turns in one of his more subdued performances here, which works to great effect. I don't think hammy Bela would've fit the tone and might have brought the whole thing down. Wilfred Walter plays his brutish henchman, made up to look really grotesque. The makeup isn't exactly Jack Pierce quality but it's effective. The padded suit gives the impression this guy is a low-budget Frankenstein's monster. The police stuff with Hugh Williams is pretty good too. Usually, in movies like this, when they cut away from the villain to the hero things slow down to a crawl. But there's some good "window into the times" police stuff as well as some enjoyable characters in these scenes.The climax of the film is exciting, with a memorable end for Lugosi's character. Really this is pretty good, considering its obviously shot on a shoestring budget and it's made in England at a time when most lower tier pictures (that I've seen anyway) were dull and forgettable. It's an atmospheric, interesting little B movie that should please most Lugosi fans.

Here, Lugosi plays an insurance underwriter using blind men from a nearby sanitarium to commit murders of the recently insured- with Lugosi the beneficiary and the bodies unceremoniously dumped into the Thames River in attempt make them look like drownings. Scenes of the blind men sulking around the place, effectively filmed in high contrast black-and-white, with only ambient noises are creepy enough, and their subsequent emotionless and remorseless killings are even more chilling. Lugosi is menacing and threatening as ever here, using the blind men as murder weapons (he also has a memorable, and for his character, appropriate, death in the Thames River) Good work also from the surprisingly serious cop on the case who ultimately solves the mystery. The film also benefits from mercifully avoiding the comic relief of having a bumbling nitwit cop/ news reporter, so prevalent in many of these old B-horrors.

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.

"The Dark Eyes of London" (aka "The Human Monster) is a creepy little thriller made in England, based on an Edgar Wallace story. For star Bela Lugosi, it was a cut above the many poverty row "thrillers" that he made during this period. The English, even in a low budget film such as this, really know how to make a mystery.Dr. Fedor Orloff (Lugosi) is running an elaborate insurance fraud scheme wherein he collects on the insurance policies of men, who have no relatives. He lends them money and has them sign over their policies as collateral after which he has them murdered. After Henry Stuart (Gerald Pring) signs over his policy in return for a loan, Orloff learns that he has a long lost daughter Diana (Greta Gynt) which causes him some complications.Orloff uses a home for needy blind men as a front for his murders. The home is run by Professor Dearborn (Lugosi again) a kindly white haired old gentleman. When Stuart's body washes up on the Thames, Diana demands that the police take action. Detective Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is assigned to the case. He is assisted by American Irish Detective O'Reilly (Edmon Ryan) who is in London to learn the ways of Scotland Yard.Orloff has plans for Diana and as Dearborn, hires her as an assistant. Diana soon learns the evil ways of Orloff but is captured and held. Orloff orders the brutish Jake (Wilfred Walker) to do the evil deed but...................................................Lugosi manages to turn in a pretty good performance in his dual role. I guess the idea was not to be able to recognize him as the kindly old Prof. Dearborn but in spite of having his voice dubbed by O.B. Clarence and giving him white hair and a mustache, you can still spot that tell tale dimple on his chin. Orloff's demise is a thrilling finale and is well done.