The Brute Man (1946)

Overrated

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

A Masterpiece!

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

"The Brute Man" is a well made and directed film, effectively dark with sudden serial murders. If you can get past the grimness and note the film's technical excellence (camera, editing, etc) you might find it rewarding to watch. It is not just some slapped together cheap rattletrap of a low budget movie; its lean and well-paced. Medically based partly on the fact that Hatton's glandular condition was caused by chemical exposure (as is his character here), the film then ventures beyond reality to make the disfigured man a murderer. This wild departure from any real world basis into pure fiction is the hardest aspect of the film to accept for me, nevertheless Hatton does a good job with the role. Featuring the capable Tom Neal, Donald MacBride in one of his usual fine cop performances, and other good casting, the film works as a movie. But the overall result, released after Hatton's tragic death, is so grim and hopeless that it has little impact as a film other than its very watchable construction and possibly a sigh over what might have been for the real-life Mr. Hatton.

Yes, the character in this film is played by Rondo Hatton and his name is Hal Moffat who is known as The Creeper and the title of the film is The Brute Man! If I had to guess, I would say there is perhaps another film named The Creeper released about this time; otherwise, why name the film The Brute Man? He is never referred to as the brute man at any point during the duration of the film. I saw this film on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and I would think that it is probably one of the older films that they have riffed over the years. It was not as bad as a lot of other films they did, just a very uneven tone in it and I think it would have played out better had they not made the creeper, the brute man such a killer in the film. Or if they had simply not tried to illicit sympathy for him it would have helped.The story has a man going through the city killing people. He is dubbed The Creeper and there is a huge manhunt going on for this person as he kills a woman and an intrepid delivery boy who would have probably been better off minding his own business or simply tipping off the police rather than overly long staring through a window. This disfigured killer though has a sweet spot for a blind woman as she does not fear him because of his looks. Still, the creeper will not stop his plans for revenge even for love! Heck, he even kills a shopkeeper for the blind girl.This made for a rather good episode of MST3K it also featured a short preceding the film about the chicken of tomorrow that is also rather funny. I preferred the shorts like it to the serials that they did in earlier episodes, mainly because you never got any resolution! The police in this film are rather goofy, the brute man actually being dubbed the creeper in the film and other things make this film full of good riffs and it does not hurt that this film was not horrible or boring too.This film does have its moments as it is interesting watching the creeper getting revenge and at the same time trying to woo the lady, but as I said it makes the film uneven. Like they were trying to go for horror and then added drama and then threw in a dash of light comedy and then tried to mix it all up! There are also a lot of scenes of the creeper simply trying to climb a fire escape, I can think of three times easy! So if you like revenge, if you like brute men who are known by creeper and you like watching people climb fire escapes this is the film for you! Also, how did the creeper get over being shot twice at point blank range?

Rondo Hatton's final film has him once more playing a character called the Creeper. Hatton plays a disfigured man (surprise) who skulks around killing the people he feels disfigured him. He also kills anyone who gets in his way. On the run from the police the creeper meets a blind piano teacher who isn't afraid of him because she can't see him. Needing an operation to restore her sight the Creeper begins to steal things to get the money for the operation.Filmed at Universal, the story goes that the company balked when Hatton's disfiguring disease killed him before the film could be released and they sold it to PRC. I'd like to think that they sold it because the film wasn't good and the disease story makes them sound more "caring". Lets face it this film is a turkey. Its mostly Hatton stalking through the night for the first half while the police, played with less than all seriousness try to catch him. Its dull and makes you wonder if they removed ten minutes at the start. The second half with the blind girl is so incredibly soapy as to be laughable. Its a really dumb movie that is notable only for it being Hatton's final role.A side note: contrary to whats been posted on numerous web sites, the British H for horror certificate was not created for this film. The classification was in place for well over a decade before this film was released.

Following a silhouette of Hatton (or someone made to look like him) walking stiffly, like the blind Frankenstein's monster, an alarm is sent out to police cars to catch The Creeper, who has killed a professor. The Creeper then kills a woman who doesn't recognize him, and a delivery boy who is none too bright. On the run, he chances upon a blind woman who treats him kindly, and whom he feels inclined to be kind to as well (shades of both the blind man from Frankenstein and perhaps City Lights).A flashback reveals the Creeper's weak motivation for the murders, perhaps better explained by his presumed insanity/brain damage.Not a great movie, and definitely inferior to the two other Creeper movies, even though it had the same writer and director as House of Horrors. Yarborough directed several other horror movies, The Creeper (1948) (unrelated to this Creeper) The Devil Bat (1940) starring Bela Lugosi, Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967), King of the Zombies (1941), the Bowery Bows horror/comedy Master Minds (1949), and She-Wolf of London (1946). He also directed several episodes of The Addams Family!It is sad the way Hatton's look was exploited, in a way even the cast of Freaks was not.