Bela Lugosi

Chick Young [Bud Abbott] and Wilbur Grey [Lou Costello] are working for a package delivery company when Wilbur gets a call from Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) who is in London and tells Wilbur of two large packages bound for Dr McDougol's House of Horrors. One is a coffin containing the remains of Dr Latos/Dracula [Bela Lugosi]; the other is a box with the dormant Frankenstein monster [Glenn Strange]. He tells him not to deliver the crates until he arrives but before they finish their conversation, the moon rises and he transforms into the wolf man and tears up his apartment. Wilbur hangs up the phone just as McDougall arrives about his crates. At his house of Horrors, Wilbur witnesses Dracula and the monster revive but Chick doesn't. Dr. Sandra Mornay (Lenore Auburn) invites Dracula and the monster to her castle home on an island, and tells him she has found the perfect body for the monster's brain - Wilbur. After being bailed from jail, Wilbur and Chick are visited by Talbot, who tells them he is on their trail and has been following them all over Europe. They don't believe him and he insists on being locked in his room out of fear of transforming. The next morning, they discover it was Joan Raymond who bailed them out. She's an insurance investigator pretending to like Wilbur in order to get McDougall's exhibits back for him. They arrange to go together to a masquerade ball and go off to pick up Sandra. Talbot phones the house, and tells Wilbur that he believes they are in the house where Dracula is. Chick with a reluctant Wilbur searches the place but once again, Wilbur sees the monsters but Chick doesn't and still doesn't believe him. While this is going on, Sandra discovers that Joan is an insurance investigator and decides to not go through with Dracula's plan but Dracula bites her and possesses her. At the masquerade ball, Dracula hides in plain sight as himself, while Talbot changes into the wolf man and tries to attack Wilbur. He ends up attacking McDougall, who believes it was Chick because he has a wolf's mask. Chick runs and hides from the mob while Dracula takes off with Joan and a hypnotized Wilbur but not before Chick finally sees him himself. The next morning, Talbot realises it was he who attacked McDougall and plans to turn himself in but Chick asks him to help him rescue Wilbur from the castle. Dracula and Sandra knock out the professor after he realises their plan and proceed with the operation. Fortunately, Chick and Talbot arrive in time to save Wilbur. At the end, the Wolfman and Dracula fight, and as Dracula tries to escape in bat form, the Wolfman grabs him and jumps into a raging river. The monster pursues Chick and Wilbur but the professor uses fuel to set fire to the pier which attracts the monster and he walks into it and burns to death, leaving only the Invisible Man sitting in a boat with Wilbur and Chick.

On October 15, 1918, the Wolfman [Matt Willis] awakens vampire Armand Tesla [Bela Lugosi] from his grave in Priory Cemetery on the outskirts of London. Meanwhile, at Ainsley Sanitarium, Dr Jane Ainsley [Frieda Inescort] and an associate from Oxford, Professor Walter Saunders [Gilbert Emery] , tend to a patient whom they suspect was bitten by a vampire. The patient dies, and the vampire drinks from Saunders' granddaughter Nicki instead. Saunders saves her by transfusion, then sets out with Lady Ainsley to find the vampire's resting spot and drive a stake through his heart. As they do, the Wolfman is released. It is now 23 years later. Saunders has died in a plane crash, Dr Ainsley is aiding the antiNazi Underground, Andreas Orby [the Wolfman] has become her technician, Nicki [Nina Foch] remembers nothing about the vampire incident and is engaged to John Ainsley [Roland Varno], and Dr Ainsley has presented Sir Frederick Fleet [Miles Mander] of Scotland Yard with Saunders' notes detailing the 1918 death of Armand Tesla, the vampire. Of course, Fleet doesn't really believe her and, as he and Lady Ainsley prepare to visit Tesla's gravesite, an air raid occurs. Tesla's grave is overturned by a bomb; two cemetery employees find his body, remove the stake from his heart, and rebury him. On his way to aid German escapee Dr Hugo Bruckner, Andreas is reunited against his will with the re-awakened Tesla. As the Wolfman, Andreas finds a new resting place for Tesla, kills the real Dr Bruckner, and gives Bruckner's identity to Tesla. At Nicki and John's engagement party, Bruckner/Tesla is introduced to Lady Ainsley, and she gives him free run of her laboratory and hospital. The next evening, Saunders' manuscript is subsequently stolen and turns up in Nicki's bedroom. Nicki reads it and remembers. When Tesla summons her telephathically, she goes to him. The next morning she is found drained of blood, and she is transfused. That night, Nicki forbids the maid to close the blackout curtains. Nicki is again contacted telephathically by Tesla. She goes to John's room; the next morning John is found drained of blood and is transfused. Fleet and Lady Ainsley visit Bruckner's bedroom and find that all the mirrors have been turned to the wall. They also find a ring which belonged to Armand Tesla, and Lady Ainsley concludes for certain that Bruckner is Tesla. She devises a plan. When Tesla summons Nicki telephathically, Fleet and Lady Ainsley attempt to follow her into a cemetery. An air raid interrupts their pursuit, although Fleet manages to shoot the Wolfman in the shoulder. When Andreas begs Tesla to save his life, Tesla refuses. Andreas remembers Lady Ainsley's words about goodness being stronger than evil. He grabs a crucifix and holds it between Tesla and Nicki. At that moment, a bomb hits. Andreas carries Tesla's body outside into the morning sun and drives a stake through his heart, releasing Nicki. Of course, Andreas dies but "he found his soul after all." [Original synopsis by bj_kuehl.]

The movie opens with the view of a full moon in a graveyard. As a rave squawks two grave robbers break into Larry Talbot's (aka The Wolfman- Lon Chaney Jr.) mausoleum. even though Larry has been dead for four years, his body is fully preserved. As the moon light hits the body, Larry comes to life and transforms. He kills the closer grave robber and the second one escapes. Later, Larry finds himself in a hospital with a big wound on his forehead. Dr. Mannering talks with him and Larry talks about his curse. Inspector Owen (from the police department) thinks Larry is crazy and the Dr. thinks that Larry believes that he is a murdering wolf, because of his head injury. Next night the Wolfman is seen in a nearby town and is confronted by a police officer. The beast runs down an ally and the officer meets his demise. As Larry insists on the truth, the Dr. and the inspector go to Larry's hometown to prove that the real Larry Talbot is dead. However, they see that the body is gone and a picture of Larry looks exactly like the man in the hospital. Dr. Mannering then calls the hospital to check on Larry, only to find that he bit through his straight jacket and escaped through the window. The wolf kills again and then finds Maleva, the old gypsy woman from The Woflman (1941). They start on an adventure to Vasaria to seek the help of Dr. Frankenstein. Larry wants only to break the curse and die. On the way, Larry turns again and runs from the carriage so Maleva will not be attacked. After turning, he kills yet again and then passes out in the frozen ruins of Frankenstein's Castle. There he finds the infamous Monster and revives him. Larry, in his human form befriends the monster. Together they search the castle for Frankenstein's records and writings about the undead. They don't find what they need. Later, Larry meets with the Baroness, Dr. Frankenstein's daughter to ask her for the doctor's diary. The Baroness declines but Larry agrees to meet her again at the festival of the new wine, the town's biggest event. At the event Dr. Mannering appears and confronts Larry. Larry is using an alias and refuses to go with the Dr. to get help. Then Larry explodes in anger and causes a scene. Just then, the town's attention turns to the arrival of the other undead visitor, The Monster. The villagers try to attack the monster and Larry helps him escape. They return to the castle and are soon joined by the baroness and the Dr. The Dr. promises to help both "men" as the Baroness finds her father's book. The villagers take Maleva as a prisoner and question her about what is going on. They figure it out and Vazec decides to go against the level-headed Mayor and take matters into his own hands. Vazec leaves his bar and disappears. Meanwhile Dr. Mannering has both the Monster and Larry strapped to two separate slabs. He has promised to drain both of their energy and destroy both Monsters. Then the Dr. changes his mind and becomes obsessed with Dr. Frankenstein's dreams and reverses the energy and powers up the Monster. Larry looks up at the full moon as the Monster breaks out of his straps. The Monster immediately sees the Baroness and grabs her. Larry transforms again and breaks out of his straps. He attacks the Monster who drops the Baroness. Finally Vazec blows up the dam above the castle as the two titans battle. The monster throws a heavy piece of equipment at the Wolfman and the two spar back and forth. Then, just before the water bursts through the castle walls, the Wolfman climbs to a ledge to jump on the Monster and gain the upper hand. The Dr. grabs the Baroness and both flee before the flood wipes out the castle and take the two legends of horror with it.

During nights in a Bowery food shelter Karl Wagner (Bela Lugosi) takes in men who are hungry a cares for them by having his nurse assistant Judy Malvern (Wanda McKay) tend to their medical needs. Wagner uses this as a front for an organized recruiting location for criminals whom he uses for robberies and dispatches them, and allows his in-house doctor flunky to treat some with a drug that converts them into zombies whereupon he keeps locked up in a basement prison. During the day Wagner takes on the identity of New York University psychology professor Frederick Brenner who keeps his students riveted with his knowledge of human nature. Inspired student Richard Dennison (John Archer) decides to do some research for his term paper and goes to the soup kitchen where his girl friend Judy works, which happens to be where Brenner/ Wagner runs his criminal zombie activities. Wagner takes Richard in and turns him into an un-dead follower, and Judy gets suspicious of Richards absence and calls the police. Wagner attempts to escape when he takes a wrong step to avoid being arrested and some serious events take place.

The 1941 version of the Wolf Man opens with the Universal Picture airplane and globe logo and theme, followed by title and credits. The featured players are shown with the actor's name and character's name. We zoom in on a shelf of books. An encyclopedia is opened to the article on Lycanthropy. Talbot Castle is mentioned in the old legend. The chauffeur (an uncredited Eric Wilton) drives Lawrence Stewart Talbot, known affectionately, as Larry (Lon Chaney, Jr.) to the family home, Talbot Castle. He is greeted, very formally, by his father, Sir John Talbot (Claude Rains). They enter a large room and Larry is introduced to Captain Paul Montford (Ralph Bellamy), the chief constable of the district. Larry expresses his sorrow over the death of his older brother, and heir to the family estate, John. Sir John apologizes for being so distant. Larry has been away for eighteen years. Two butlers enter the room carrying a large crate: a part for the telescope. Sir John and Larry walk up to the attic, now serving as an observatory. Larry works on the telescope, having worked for an optical company in California. He proudly explains one job was on the Mt. Wilson observatory. Larry trains his telescope on the town below and spots Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers) in her room putting on earrings. He takes a trip to Conliffe's antique shop hoping to meet Gwen in person. He does and asks for earrings as a gift. Larry asks for a very specific pair, then tells Gwen she has a pair up in her room. He decides to buy a cane. Larry grabs one with a silver wolf's head and jokes that it would make a good golf putter. Larry is trying to be charming, but balks at paying three pounds until Gwen explains, "Well, that's a very rare piece. It shows the wolf and the pentagram, the sign of the werewolf." She tells him a bit of the legend. She recites the old poem, "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright." A noise outside draws Gwen to the street outside. An old gypsy woman, Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) and her son Bela (Bela Lugosi) are riding into town with their cart and wagon. Larry returns to the house and asks his father about the legend. Sir John repeats the poem which leads the conversation to Gwen. Sir John encourages Larry to get to know the townsfolk. Gwen exits the shop that evening, and at the appointed time, Larry arrives. Gwen introduces Jenny Williams (Fay Helm). So Larry is resigned to a three-person date. Jenny sees wolfbane blooming and gathers some, reciting the poem. The three enter the gypsy camp. Bela greets them. They've come to have their fortunes told. Jenny insists on having her fortune told first. Maleva stares at Gwen and Larry, and then enters her tent. Bela tells Jenny to cut the cards. Larry and Gwen go off for a walk. Larry admits he watched her through his telescope. Gwen has an admission of her own, she's engaged to be married soon. Bela arranges the cards and stares at the flowers. Annoyed, Bela throws the flowers off the table and brushes his hair aside. There is a pentagram star on his forehead. Jenny demands to know what Bela saw in the cards. Bela asks for her hands, the left shows the past and the right shows the future. Bela sees the pentagram in a circle on her right hand: the next victim of the werewolf. Bela is now in a panic and demands Jenny leave, and quickly. Jenny runs through the woods, Larry and Gwen hear a wolf howl. Jenny screams and Larry runs off to help her. He sees a wolf attacking Jenny. The wolf turns on Larry and they struggle. He beats the animal with his cane, using the silver wolf's head to kill the beast. Larry was bitten in the struggle and staggers away. Gwen finds Larry and calls for help from Maleva who is passing in her cart. Maleva agrees to help and take him home to the castle. The butler, Kendall (an uncredited Leyland Hodgson), goes to the door and admits Larry, Gwen and Maleva. Gwen and the butler help Larry to an entry table. Maleva makes a quiet exit. A villager reports the death of Jenny, and Montford leaves with the man to investigate. Sir John and the butler take Larry upstairs to his room. A doctor is called. Twiddle (Forrester Harvey) takes notes as Montford dictates. Dr. Lloyd (Warren William) examines Jenny's remains and his observations are added to the notes. Frank Andrews (Patric Knowles) finds the body of Bela near Jenny. Larry's cane is found next to Bela's body. Larry wakes in his bedroom in Talbot Castle. Sir John, Dr. Lloyd and Montford enter the room. Montford asks Larry if the cane his is holding belongs to Larry. Larry says, "Why, of course. That's the one I killed the wolf with." Sir John tells his son that Bela the gypsy was killed and his cane was found near the body. The bite marks are gone. Sir John has an explanation for the scene of the crime and the doctor agrees, but Montford is not satisfied. In town, Larry is present when Bela's casket is brought into the church for services. Larry enters the church. Before he can open the lid and examine the body, the minister and Maleva enter the church. The minister is upset at the pending pagan celebration for Bela. Maleva opens the casket and recites, "The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own. But as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to a predestined end. Your suffering is over, Bela, my son. Now you will find peace." Charles Conliffe (J.M. Kerrigan) reassures his daughter, Gwen, that there is nothing the authorities can accuse her of. Gwen is still upset over Jenny's death. Jenny's mother, Mrs. Williams (an uncredited Doris Lloyd), along with other women of the village, confront Mr. Conliffe over Gwen's involvement in her daughter's death. Things escalate and Conliffe demands they all leave. Larry enters the shop and confronts the women. They exit in a hurry. Larry enters the parlor to talk to Gwen. She wants to know exactly what happened. Frank Andrews enters the shop with his dog. He walks to the parlor to talk to Gwen and Larry. The dog begins to bark at Larry. Gwen suggests her fiancé take the dog outside. Gwen and Larry discuss Frank while he is attending to his dog. Gwen explains that Frank is the gamekeeper on Sir John's estate. Larry extends his hand to Andrews, but Frank just stares at his hand, but does not shake it. Larry excuses himself. Gwen asks, "Frank, why were you so rude?" He explains he was mesmerized by the walking stick, and adds, "Well, there's something very tragic about that man. I'm sure that nothing but harm will come to you through him." Gwen and Frank attend the gypsy carnival and celebration for Bela. Larry shows up to watch the dancing. The three walk over to the target shooting booth. Larry does well with the rifle until a wolf figure pops up on the board. Larry walks over to the encampment. Maleva is there and wants to talk. She tells him she expected him sooner. Larry and Maleva enter the tent. She tells Larry that the wolf was Bela. She explains, "Bela became a wolf, and you killed him. A werewolf can be killed only with a silver bullet, or a silver knife, or a stick with a silver handle." Larry insists he killed an ordinary wolf. Maleva gives him a charm with a pentagram on it. She tells him, "It can break the evil spell." Maleva recites another section of the legend, "Whoever is bitten by a werewolf and lives, becomes a werewolf himself." Larry admits the wolf bit him. Maleva places the charm around Larry's neck and tells him to keep it on and over his heart, always. She asks to see the wound. Larry runs off, and Montford sees Maleva exit her tent. The word is spread amongst the gypsies and they break camp and prepare to leave the area. Larry bumps into Gwen. She and Frank had a quarrel so Larry volunteers to walk her home. She asks about the curious charm. He divulges that he is now a werewolf and gives Gwen the charm for her protection. Larry steals a kiss, but the noise of the gypsies scares Gwen off. One gypsy tells Larry they are frightened because there is a werewolf in camp. Larry reflects on the events of the past and runs home. In his room, Larry checks himself for any physical changes. He removes his shoes and one sock. To his horror his leg and foot are covered with tufts of hair. He removes the other sock and both feet and legs are now covered with a thick matting of long hair. The feet transform to animal paws. Larry stands and walks on his toes. He finds himself outside, prowling around the cemetery. His hands are now claws, and his face is dark and hairy. He sports sharp, long, canine teeth. Richardson, the gravedigger (an uncredited Tom Stevenson) is finishing up Jenny Williams grave and spots the Wolf Man. It growls at the gravedigger, then attacks and kills him. The howling wakes the townsfolk. Montford and Twiddle are joined by three other men by the body of the gravedigger. A severed jugular is the cause of death--the same as Jenny Williams. They spot wolf tracks in the dirt. The next morning an open window with wolf prints on the windowsill are seen. They lead to Larry Talbot's bed and a fully dressed Larry just waking up. On his chest is the mark of the five pointed star. He tries to wipe away the footprints, and then sees Montford investigating the garden below his window. Sir John informs his son that Richardson, the gravedigger, was killed and that the tracks lead up to the castle. Father and son discuss the legend until the church bell rings for morning services. The chauffeur drops the pair off at church. They greet the Conliffes outside then enter the church. Larry is uneasy and holds back. Everyone turns around to stare at the heir apparent to the Talbot estate. Larry quickly departs as the services begin. Sir John, Montford and Dr. Lloyd discuss the next steps needed in the main room of the castle. Larry enters the room and the discussion. Larry explains what they seek is a werewolf. Dr. Lloyd tells Larry it is a mental disorder. Andrews and Montford leave to set traps to catch the beast. After Larry leaves, Dr. Lloyd tells Sir John, "Your son is a sick man. He's received a shock that has caused definite psychic maladjustment. You must send him out of this village." Sir John accuses Lloyd of talking like a witch doctor, and believes that Larry staying in town is the best for his cure. Traps are set and covered with leaves. That night Larry is back out on the prowl and is snared in one of the traps. He growls and pants, dragging the trap around the woods. Men with dogs approach. The Wolf Man is frantic to escape. The dogs have lost the scent. Maleva rides up in her cart. She finds the Wolf Man and sees the trap on his leg. She repeats the chant, "The way you walk is thorny," speech, the same as she delivered for Bela. The Wolf Man changes back to Larry. She explains she is there to help. Larry removes the trap and runs off, but is stopped by two villagers on the hunt for the wolf. They recognize Master Larry and talk. Larry limps off and Montford follows. Larry goes into town and wakes Gwen. She lets him into the shop. He tells her he must go away. She agrees to accompany him, but he admits to killing Bela and Richardson. He is afraid he may hurt Gwen. He recoils when he sees the sign of the pentagram in her palm. Larry rushes home. He tells his father he killed Bela and that he will kill Gwen next. Sir John now sees that Maleva is the cause of Larry's delusions. Sir John ties Larry to a chair to humor him. Sir John leaves to join the hunt. Larry convinces his father to take the cane with the silver wolf's head handle. Sir John joins the hunt and explains his rationale to Dr. Lloyd. Maleva confronts Sir John. She assures him he should not fear the night as he has the silver cane for protection. As Sir John and Maleva discuss events gunshots are heard. Sir John runs off. The Wolf Man is back on the prowl. Gwen runs up to Maleva and inquires about Larry. Maleva warns her, "Don't go through the woods." Maleva begs Gwen to accompany her, but Gwen runs off. The Wolf Man spots Gwen and stalks her in the woods. It closes in and she freezes. It attacks Gwen and she screams. Sir John is attacked and he strikes at the beast. They struggle, but Sir John gets a very good look at the mythical creature. Sir John knocks the Wolf Man to the ground, then beats it to death. Maleva drives up, gets out of her cart, and crouches down by the body of the Wolf Man. She repeats her, "The way you walked was thorny," speech and to the astonished look of Sir John, it transforms back into his son, Larry. Sir John looks at the cane and realizes he killed his son and heir. He drops the cane and walks over and looks down on Larry's lifeless body. The posse runs towards the scene. Montford concludes, "The wolf must have attacked her, and Larry came to the rescue. I'm sorry, Sir John." We close with Gwen in Andrews arms. She says, Larry!

A stern Soviet woman sent to Paris to supervise the sale of jewels seized from Russian nobles finds herself attracted to a man who represents everything she is supposed to detest. Only the royal suite at the grandest hotel in Paris has a safe large enough for the jewels of the Grand Duchess Swana. So the three Russians who have come to sell the jewels settle into the suite until a higher ranking official is dispatched to find out what is delaying the sale. She is Ninotchka, a no-nonsense woman who fascinates Count Leon who had been the faithful retainer of the Grand Duchess. The Grand Duchess will give up all claim to the jewels if Ninotchka will fly away from the count. —Dale O'Connor <daleoc@interaccess.com> Three Russian officials arrive in 1930s Paris to sell the jewels that were once the property of the Grand Duchess Swana. The Duchess wants to reclaim her property and her friend, Leon, manages to stop the sale at least temporarily. With the time dragging on, a new no-nonsense Russian envoy, Ninotchka, arrives to take over the negotiations. She chastises her three colleagues for their obvious enjoyment of capitalistic society but soon finds herself charmed by Leon, at first not realizing he is involved with the jewels. They fall in love but it's unclear if there is any chance of their relationship ever becoming permanent. Leon sets out to ensure they do. —garykmcd Soviet emissaries Buljanoff, Iranoff, and Kopalski no sooner arrive in Paris to sell some jewelry for the government than soft capitalist ways begin to corrupt them. Grand Duchess Swana, former owner of the jewels but now exiled in Paris, sends her very good friend, playboy Leon d'Algout, to interfere with the sale. When sly Leon meets stern Comrade Nina Ivanovna, sent to take over from the hapless emissaries, east-west romance results; but major complications intervene. —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

The movie opens with the Universal Pictures globe and star logo and theme song; Title and credits follow. The scene opens with a view of the small village of Frankenstein and the castle high on a hill in the background. An "Eingang Verboten" sign warns all to stay away from the castle, but Ygor (Bela Lugosi) stares out from a second story window. The village council meets to discuss a matter regarding the Frankenstein heir. While Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill) looks on, the Burgomaster (Lawrence Grant) informs the assembled, "The old Baron Frankenstein gave me this chest of papers to deliver to his son, and deliver it I shall." The other Burghers (Gustav von Seyfferitz, Lorimer Johnston, and Tom Ricketts) express their opposition to any further association with the Frankensteins who have brought death and disrepute to the village. The Burgomaster assures his colleagues he agrees with their sentiments, but he intends to meet with the Baron's son at the train station and give him his father's papers, as promised. Elsa von Frankenstein (Josephine Hutchinson) tucks her young son's blanket around him on the train. Young Peter (Donnie Dunagan) is anxious to see his nanny, Amelia, again. Elsa joins her husband, Wolf (Basil Rathbone) in the adjoining railway compartment. She notes, as she looks out the window, "What a strange-looking country." Wolf replies, "Not much like America, is it?" It is a dark scene of dead trees. The pair are excited about their new life, joking about what the castle is like. Elsa speculates about a haunted room, and Wolf assures her, "Yes, there's sure to be a haunted room. The castle itself is supposed to be haunted...because of the things my father did there." The tone turns somber as Wolf recounts the story of the creation of the creature and the death and destruction that followed, all as the result of the blunder by his assistant, Ygor. It is pouring rain when the train pulls into Frankenstein. Wolf is greeted by the Burgomeister, the members of the council, and most of the inhabitants of the village. When Wolf tries to explain that his father was a great man and that he is sorry for the tragedy that followed, the villagers wander away. A car takes the family to the castle. The servants assist the family inside. Peter runs to see his nanny, Amelia (Emma Dunn). Benson (Edgar Norton) takes the Baron's coat. Amelia takes Peter upstairs to bed. Elsa expresses her mixed emotions about the castle then walks upstairs to join Amelia in putting Peter to bed. Wolf asks about the new servants. Benson tells the Baron that the servants are Tyrolean, "None of the people of the province would serve here, no matter what I offered to pay them." Wolf walks into the library with Benson. He sees a portrait of his father on the wall. The Baron opens the box of papers and reads the note his father left for him, "Herein you will find my faiths, my beliefs, and my unfoldments. A complete diary of my experiments, charts and secret formulas. In short, the sum total of my knowledge, such as it is. Perhaps you will regard my work with ridicule or even with distaste. If so, destroy these records. But if you, like me, burn with the irresistible desire to penetrate the unknown, carry on, even though the path is cruel and tortuous, carry on. Like every seeker after truth, you will be hated, blasphemed and condemned." Out in the rain, Ygor stares in at the Baron in the library. Up in Peter's room, the little boy says his prayers as Amelia and his mother look on. Elsa goes to her room and prepares for bed. In the village the wagon with the Baron's crated goods is stoned by the villagers. Inspector Krogh pays a visit to the castle. He meets with the Baron. [Note: The manipulation of his wooden arm was beautifully parodied by Kenneth Mars in Young Frankenstein.] Krogh tells the Baron he will be protected while in the castle, "As long as you continue to live in this place, you're in danger." The Baron demands proof of the monster's reign of destruction. He is unaware of Krogh's encounter, but is told by the Inspector himself. While cleaning his monocle, Krogh recounts his childhood encounter with the monster and the loss of his arm, "One does not easily forget, Herr Baron, an arm torn out by the roots." Krogh explains that there have been six mysterious deaths in the village and all are unsolved. Despite the Baron's insistence he needs no protection, Krogh assures him he will respond to any call for assistance. Upon his exit, Krogh is introduced to Elsa who invites him to dinner. Up in his room, young Peter sleeps through the thunder and lightning. Ygor spies on the boy from a hidden room behind a wooden panel. The next morning, Peter joins his parents at breakfast. Wolf walks over to the remains of the laboratory to explore it. The lab is a shambles of broken equipment. He peers down into a bubbling lake of sulphur-laden mud. Ygor pushes a stone down towards the Baron, but it misses its mark. Wolf orders Ygor down at the point of his rifle. When Wolf threatens to turn Ygor over to Krogh, Ygor explains he is already dead. He tells the Baron he was hanged once, which left him with a broken neck and he was declared dead. Ygor opens a door of stones and takes the Baron down into the bowels of the lab into the family crypt. To his amazement, the Baron sees the monster (Boris Karloff) lying on a slab. He thinks it is just the dead body of the creature and touches its hand. When the hand moves, the Baron recoils and exclaims, "He's alive!" Ygor explains the creature is sick, struck earlier by lightning. Ygor explains that the creature is, in a way, the Baron's brother and he wants him cured. Wolf is intrigued by the challenge. The village council demands to know what is going on at the castle. Krogh tries to reassure the council and agrees to bring in Ygor to explain his role at the castle. The Baron has rebuilt the lab with his own and repaired equipment left by his father. He hauls the monster up to the lab and places it on the table. Later, the Baron and Benson arrive at the lab to begin work. The Baron carries his father's notes in the case, but Ygor refuses to let Benson into the lab. The Baron assures Ygor that his help is required and vouches for his servant's discretion. The Baron examines the creature while Benson records the notes. Wolf is amazed by what he discovers, especially that two bullets are lodged in the creatures heart, yet it still lives. Ygor is questioned by the village council and the Burgomaster. Ewald Neumuller (Michael Mark) asks Ygor, "Has he asked you to rob and graves? To get him a body?" The council threatens Ygor to cooperate or they will see a better job of executing him for his crimes. Lang (Lionel Belmore) served on the first jury and with Neumuller found Ygor guilty and sentenced him to death. Ygor is dismissed and returns to the castle. The Baron and Benson discuss the process that gave the creature life--namely cosmic rays, "These rays are actually the source of life itself." Returning to the lab, the Baron is torn between his impulse to destroy the monster and his scientific quest to restore it back to conscious life. The Baron fires up the electrical equipment and restores the creature for a few seconds, but it lapses back into coma. Krogh stops by the castle and enjoys tea with the Baroness. She explains that her husband is engaged with an experiment, but she has no details. The Baron, back from a walk, joins the pair for tea. Peter joins the family and asks about Krogh's arm. He mentions being awakened from a nap by a giant. His mother and Amelia attribute it to an active imagination, but the Baron and Krogh register surprise and concern on their faces--one knows and the other suspects this is not the imagination of a child, but reality. The Baron carries his son back to his room and asks about the giant. His son's description of the giant so alarms the Baron that he bolts from the room. Krogh confronts the Baron on his way back to the lab. Wolf discovers the lab table empty, the monster gone, and searches for it calling for Ygor the whole time. Up from the sulphur pit the creature crawls and grabs the Baron. It reacts to its own reflection in a mirror. Ygor finally joins the pair and explains, "You make him well with your lightning. After you go, he get up and walk. Now he's all right again." Ygor reassures the creature that the Baron is a good man, and instructs the Baron never to touch him again. Upon his return to the residence, the Baron informs Benson that the creature is alive and admits to a cold fear of it. Ygor spies on the Baron and overhears the Baron's plan to continue his experimental work and send his family away for their own safety. Ygor plans to use the monster to extract a little personal revenge. He sends the creature after Herr Neumuller. The creature follows his wagon and waylays the man. It stages a wagon accident while Ygor plays a mournful tune on his flute. The Inspector joins the Baron and Baroness for dinner. Fritz (Perry Ivins) serves dinner in Benson's absence. A caller, one of the Inspector's men, tells Fritz that there has been an accident in the village. Krogh departs and Wolf goes to find Benson. Ygor tells the Baron that Benson came to see the creature then ran away. Krogh attends a coroner's inquest. The doctor explains that Neumuller must have fallen asleep and fallen off his wagon. The wheels crushed his legs and chest. The widow, Frau Neumuller (Caroline Francis Cooke) is present and distraught. Krogh dismisses the council of Burghers and tells them he will make out the death certificate with Dr. Burgher (an uncredited Clarence Wilson). Krogh suggests the neck and heart be examined. Ygor is waiting outside the shop of Emil Lang, he is the town apothecary. Back at the castle, Wolf and his wife retire for the night. Elsa asks about Benson, and then admits to being afraid. Ygor plays his flute while the creature walks to Lang's shop. In shadow we see the creature kill Lang. The next morning the angry villagers assemble and then walk to the castle. Krogh stops at the castle to inquire on the whereabouts of Benson. Wolf explains that his wife and son will be leaving for, "a slight holiday." Krogh explains that another mysterious death has occurred and that the Baron and his family should stay put at the castle. The mob arrives at the castle gate. As the crowd mills about outside, the Inspector and the Baron go inside to talk. Krogh goes up to see Peter in his room and asks about the giant. Peter shows Krogh a watch the giant gave him. It is Benson's engraved pocket watch. When Amelia returns the three walk downstairs for some hot chocolate. Elsa starts to suspect strange goings on. Krogh is called away and Wolf returns to the lab. He discovers the cave just off the sulphur pit and finds the sleeping monster. He picks up a rock and attempts to dispatch the creature but is stopped by Ygor. Ygor admits to having Neumuller and Lang disposed of by the creature. Meanwhile the ugly crowd outside the castle gate gets more unruly. Krogh returns to the castle. He finds the Baron in the Library playing darts. He explains, "My business tonight is official, not social." The Baron continues to throw darts at the board while the Inspector tells of another death--this time it is Lang. Wolf sarcastically asks if it was his father's creation, or perhaps one he whipped up. Finally, Krogh admits, "I promised your arrest to the villagers to keep them quiet...for the moment." He also admits searching the laboratory, but found nothing incriminating. He suspects Benson is dead and plans to hold the Baron as responsible. The Baron departs to remove Ygor from the estate and Krogh goes up to Peter's room. The Baron confronts Ygor with a gun and shoots and kills the man in self-defense. Krogh finds the switch that opens the wall. He enters the passage and finds Benson's dead body. In the lab, the creature finds Ygor's dead body and mourns. Krogh returns to the library. The Baron admits to killing Ygor, "He tried to murder me with his hammer, so I shot him. What are you gonna do about it?" Krogh demands to know where the monster is located. The monster carries Ygor's body to the crypt, then departs looking for revenge. He destroys the lab then seeks out the boy via the secret passage to Peter's room. The monster attacks Amelia while Krogh and the Baron play darts. It is Krogh's turn and he pokes his darts into his wooden arm, then throws the darts one at a time at the board. Elsa discovers Amelia and that her son is missing. The creature escorts Peter to the pit. He picks the child up and holds him over the pit. Peter is unafraid. For some unknown reason the creature places Peter on the ladder, and the two climb up to the lab. Krogh climbs up the ladder and confronts the creature. It pulls Krogh's wooden arm off and brandishes same. Krogh empties his service revolver into the monster, but with no effect. The monster steps on Peter while the Baron enters the lab from above. The Baron swings down on a rope and kicks the monster into the bubbling pit. The Baron picks up his son and they look down into the bubbling and flaming pit below. At the train station the next day, the Baron and his family prepare to depart. Wolf tells the crowd, "Herewith I deed to you the castle and the estate of Frankenstein. Do with them what you will. And may happiness and peace of mind be restored to you all. Good bye." We close with the family on the train car as it pulls away from the station and the cast credits.

A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiancé, but instead turns her into a zombie slave. Young couple Madeleine and Neil are coaxed by acquaintance Monsieur Beaumont to get married on his Haitian plantation. Beaumont's motives are purely selfish as he makes every attempt to convince the beautiful young girl to run away with him. For help Beaumont turns to the devious Legendre, a man who runs his mill by mind controlling people he has turned into zombies. After Beaumont uses Legendre's zombie potion on Madeleine, he is dissatisfied with her emotionless being and wants her to be changed back. Legendre has no intention of doing this and he drugs Beaumont as well to add to his zombie collection. Meanwhile, grieving 'widower' Neil is convinced by a local priest that Madeleine may still be alive and he seeks her out. —Gary Jackson <garyjack5@cogeco.ca> While traveling to New York, the young couple Madeleine Short Parker (Madge Bellamy) and her fiancé Neil Parker (John Harron) are convinced by their new acquaintance Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer) to stay in Port Prince and get married in his mansion. However, Beaumont felt in love for Madeleine and his real intention is to convince her to call off the wedding. When he realizes that the time is too short to seduce her, he visits the local witch Legendre (Bela Lugosi) , who gives him a drug to transform Madeleine into a zombie. She dies immediately after the wedding, and her corpse is disputed by Beaumont and his sick love for her; Legendre, that wants her for his team of zombies; and Neil, who is convinced by the local missionary Dr. Bruner (Joseph Cawthorn) that she might be alive. In the end, true love wins. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night. After a harrowing ride through the Carpathian mountains in eastern Europe, Renfield enters castle Dracula to finalize the transferral of Carfax Abbey in London to Count Dracula, who is in actuality a vampire. Renfield is drugged by the eerily hypnotic count, and turned into one of his thralls, protecting him during his sea voyage to London. After sucking the blood and turning the young Lucy Weston into a vampire, Dracula turns his attention to her friend Mina Seward, daughter of Dr. Seward who then calls in a specialist, Dr. Van Helsing, to diagnose the sudden deterioration of Mina's health. Van Helsing, realizing that Dracula is indeed a vampire, tries to prepare Mina's fiance, John Harker, and Dr. Seward for what is to come and the measures that will have to be taken to prevent Mina from becoming one of the undead. —Doug Sederberg <vornoff@sonic.net> An estate agent, Renfield, travels to Transylvania to complete a real estate transaction with Count Dracula. Unbeknown to Renfield however - despite warnings of evil by some of the locals - Dracula is a vampire and the visitor is soon his unwilling servant. They travel by ship to England but by the time it makes port, an insane Renfield is the only living passenger. Count Dracula moves into Carfax Abbey and immediately sets out to possess the beautiful Mina, who lives next door. It's left Professor Van Helsing - who knows exactly what Dracula is - to stop the spread of his evil. —garykmcd A man goes on a business trip to Transylvania where he visits a man called Count Dracula. The townspeople of the near by suburbs believe he is a vampire and warn the man but that does not stop him. Van Helsing, a doctor is studying the existence of vampires and swears to protect a young girl, Mina, who is being possessed slowly by the vampires existence. Van Helsing swears to kill him and will find out how from the help of his mental patients. One in particular which is a henchman for the infamous Count Dracula. —jke_wl A young man in a real estate business acquaints with the infamous Count Dracula the townspeople of the nearby suburbs warned the man of. After being captured by the Count he becomes his servant. Dracula soon tackles a girl named Mina and her friend. When Mina's friend is found dead a doctor swears to kill him. To fulfill his promise he gets evidence against The Count and his murder while planning his murder and tackling a harsh mental patient who was framed for the murder of Mina's friend. The mental patient being the same one from the beginning.