The Gorilla (1939)

Please don't spend money on this.

How sad is this?

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

First thing I noticed about this movie is it's similar to another Bela Lugosi picture, the Ape-Man, but Lugosi starred in that versus being a supporting actor in what looks like from my perspective a rip-off of the Marx Brothers Routine. Second thing I noticed was how much better the production quality is going from a low budget second hand production studio to a major studio like 20th Century Fox. Although Ape-Man came out after this one so Bela had to decide weather to be a small fish in a big pond or the big fish in a small pond. Seems easier today to fake quality, but not back then. It's a three stooges style comedy as Three private dicks (from the ACME detective agency) played by a comedy act called the Ritz brothers who I never herd of until this movie. They are hired to investigate a murderer called the Gorilla who is extorting money from a wealthy family.For 1939, I was impressed with the production quality, the film stock was crisp and the sets where nice. Bela Lugosi was so so in the film, my favorite supporting actor was actually Kitty-The maid. She stood out for me.Though the Ritz brothers did produce a few laughs, if I had to judge them just from this movie, I can see how they did not become cultural icons like the Stooges of the Marx.

Lame old dark house comedy about a rich man (Lionel Atwill) threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla. So he hires private detectives (The Ritz Brothers) to investigate. Bela Lugosi plays the butler. Patsy Kelly the loud-mouthed maid. Anita Louise plays Atwill's niece. The old dark house elements were OK but the comedy was like having your toenails ripped off one by one. The Ritz Brothers were so painfully untalented I have to wonder how they ever became even moderately successful. It was sad to see Atwill and Lugosi playing in something like this. Fans of Bela Lugosi will be particularly disappointed. The movie is often advertised today as a Bela Lugosi movie but his part is minor and he has nothing to do. He's literally the butler, opening doors and the like. There's no twist to it. The most he gets to do is be straight man to the annoying Patsy Kelly, whose voice knows two levels: loud and louder. Avoid this unless you're a Lugosi completist and need to see all of his movies.

This slice of late 1930s Hollywood caper plays upon the much over used idea of a haunted house, a murderous who done it and a whole bunch of suspects who are as off the wall as the dodgy props, trap doors and eerie light effects. But, this film does the whole thing rather well, aided along by Bela Lugosi, The Ritz Brothers and Patsy Kelly (of the Todd and Pitts Roach shorts fame). If you love any of these actors then its worth a pop because really its not that bad, fast moving and well paced considering the budget. At times the film is quite surreal and for the age the gags although a little trite are very sharp. Kelly sadly seems a little out of place as she tends to in films that deny her of other strong female leads to spark of but she plays a great part and leaves one in little doubt that she can work this film with ease. I like this film and will watch it again so it cant be as bad as the original reviews of the movie from back in the day... Enjoy

"This Ritz Brothers vehicle features them as detectives hired to protect lawyer Walter Stevens (Lionel Atwell) from 'The Gorilla', a killer working under the guise of an escaped circus animal. Garrity, Harrigan, and Mullivan (Jimmy, Harry, and Al Ritz) discover that is really heiress Norma Denby (Anita Louise) who may be the target of the killer. To complicate things even further, a real escaped gorilla shows up to befuddle our trio of detectives," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.Another in the long line of comedy in the haunted house capers, "The Gorilla" works well if you're familiar with the Ritz Brothers, and unfamiliar with the often filmed storyline. It will also help if you like movies featuring men in gorilla suits. Director Allan Dwan and photographer Edward Cronjager make it look all right. The cast is strengthened by a high-key performance from literary maid Patsy Kelly (as Kitty), and a low-key play by butler Bela Lugosi (as Peters); their names, "Kitty" and "Peters", are certainly amusing.**** The Gorilla (5/26/39) Allan Dwan ~ Harry Ritz, Patsy Kelly, Bela Lugosi