User reviews

I think the film is exceptionally moody and sinister—and subtly subversive. Director John Brahm may not have been an auteur, but this German director imported by Fox from England certainly was a master at using light and shadow to induce the creeps. Or was celebrated cinematographer Lucien Ballard the genius? Much has been made of similarities between "The Undying Monster" and "Hound of the Baskervilles" released by Fox three years earlier. But there is more to the similarity than Fox's attempt to cash in on an earlier success. In "Hound of the Baskervilles" Sherlock Holmes debunked the Baskerville curse as a diversion used to cover up a murder attempt. The writers of "The Undying Monster" subverted the audience's belief that there would be a similar natural explanation of an apparently supernatural attack in which a member of the Hammond family is injured. The Hammond curse concerns an ancestor who is supposed to have made a pact with the devil for immortality. The ancient ancestor is still rumored to live in a secret room in the castle's cellar from which he preys on his descendants, thereby prolonging his unnatural life. In this film the murderer is indeed a werewolf.

But this astonishing revelation is muted by a curiously unconvincing final scene in which a forensic pathologist from Scotland Yard, who has witnessed the creature's transformation back into human form, tosses off the unprecedented phenomenon as something perfectly natural. Lycanthropy, says the investigator, is merely a person's delusion that he can change into a wolf. The family doctor admits he has been treating the monster for a genetic brain affliction. But we have seen it was much more that a delusion. We remember what the investigator conveniently forgets, that a sample of wolf's fur from the crime scene miraculously disappeared during chemical analysis. The unwarranted insertion of a "logical" explanation for the curse steers the film away from an uncomfortably audacious premise, and toward the inoffensive conventions of an old dark house mystery.

But the film began with something much more sinister in mind. When Helga, the mistress of the manor, leads investigators to the Hammond family crypt, we see that near Crusader Sir Reginald Hammond's sarcophagus stands a statue of Sir Reginald and a beast that has a dog's, wolf's, or jackal's face and paws, but human arms and unmistakable female breasts. The pathologist dismisses the beast's odd appearance with the facile comment "Man has always bred the dog into fantastic shapes." There are no further references to Sir Reginald, and the final scene feels as if it had been tacked on in post-production, more so because Heather Angel who played Helga, the investigator's love interest, is not in the scene. My guess is that fear of the Hayes office caused Fox not to carry through with the dark suggestion that Sir Reginald's pact unleashed evil upon his descendants. The otherworldy combination of male and female, human and animal characteristics of the wolf in Sir Reginald's statue suggests at the very least he was involved in an unholy union that may have spawned male descendants genetically tainted with diabolical traits. If detected, such a theme would surely have roused the ire of the censors. Fox's timidity may therefore have cost this handsomely mounted film, that sported more elaborate sets and technique than Universal had at its disposal, any chance to join the A list of B films from the 1940s horror cycle.

Nevertheless, it's an entertaining film if you can look past the ending and the comic relief provided by an assistant investigator who comes off as a female version of the bumbling Dr. Watson of the Holmes movies.

The Undying Monster belongs to the same genre of films that Val Lewton was producing at RKO in the forties: something I call 'gothic noir'. Lucien Ballard's rich black and white photography hints of his future work on noir classics like Laura and The Killing, and John Brahm's assured direction makes the absolute most of the rather pedestrian scenario. There are some simply amazing compositions for what was obviously a second feature, and the cast is buoyed by stalwarts Halliwell Hobbes and Holmes Herbert (I love the way their names sound together!). There's even a brief scene that features a shaky cam in extreme closeup--half a century before Blair Witch Project. Highest recommendation for noir fans, though blood and guts horror mavens will probably be disappointed.

A curse has been killing the men of Hammond Hall for centuries on cold nights. In 1900, Helga Hammond (Heather Angel) tells the butler that curses don't exist. There are screams from outside the mansion. Helga orders a carriage to be brought round for her while the servants wring their hands and worry. So begins this low budget film from 20th-Century Fox that moves at breakneck speed trying to get in all the plot in just over an hour's running time.

The movie is filled with behind-the-scenes talent that was two years away from peaking. Director John Brahm would hit his stride in 1944-45, when he directed "Guest In The House, "The Lodger (both 1944) and "Hangover Square" (1945) consecutively. Composer David Raksin, best known for the "Theme from "Laura" (1944) scored one of his first films here. Lucien Ballard, who did the atmospheric, skewed photography that plays with the viewers' sense of proportion and reminded me of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1919), filmed both "Laura" and "The Lodger" (both 1944). The sets were designed by Richard Day and Lewis Creber.

"The Undying Monster" is an marvelous "B" movie that should be better known.

With a little over an hour's running time, this film is one of a number of very short,second features that were made in abundance during the forties. Always in black and white, they starred familiar faces that never really made it to the "A" list (with a few exceptions). They also featured players on their way down. Heather Angel, who was the female support in the classic "The Informer", was reduced to starring in programmers like this one. Be that as it may, this film is a step above most second features. The cinematography is good......eerie and fog shrouded (maybe to hide lack of sets). The actors all rise to the occasion and are generally quite good. There is a little too much forced humor which is out of place in the context of the story. I never knew why they insisted on doing that......many a good "B" picture was ruined by injecting unfunny schtick in otherwise dramatic stories. No guts and gore here....just a compact, tight storyline about a family curse which appears to be coming true. It won't keep you guessing but it will keep you interested throughout and is one to watch on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I think you'll enjoy it.

In the 1930s and 40s, Hollywood made thousands of "B" movies--movies that had lower budgets and were made to run as the lesser of the two films at a double-feature. This little mystery-horror film is one of the better ones I've seen in some time--thanks to surprisingly decent performances and a novel and well-written script--things you don't normally find in Bs.

The film begins with an attack by what seems to be an animal on some rich folks at their country manor in Britain. While an inspector from Scotland Yard investigates, it soon becomes obvious that many people there are trying to hide the truth. Some claim the attack was the result of a mythical beast that has haunted this family for generations, though the inspector is naturally very dubious of this.

The film excels in that the script is lacking the usual holes and logical errors common to B-movies. Plus, while there is a horror element, the film really succeeds as a mystery and suspense film. About the only problem in the film, and it's a small one, is that one of the characters (the hot-shot female investigator) is a bit obnoxious and stupid from time to time. However, this is a tiny problem only and seeing the forensics employed in the film is really quite fascinating today.

"B material given A execution" is how film historian Drew Casper describes 20th Century Fox's first horror movie, 1942's "The Undying Monster," in one of the DVD's extras, and dang if the man hasn't described this movie to a T. The film, a unique melding of the detective, Gothic and monster genres, though uniformly well acted by its relatively no-name cast, features a trio of first-rate artists behind the camera who really manage to put this one over. And the film's script isn't half bad either. Here, Scotland Yard scientist Robert Curtis (James Ellison) comes to eerie Hammond Hall, a brooding pile on the English coast, sometime around 1900, to investigate some recent attacks ascribed to the legendary Hammond monster. Viewers expecting this legend of a voracious predator to wind up being explained in an anticlimactic, mundane fashion may be a bit surprised at how things play out. Ellison is fine in his no-nonsense, modern-detective role (he uses a spectrograph to analyze various clues!), and Heather Angel (who does have the face of one), playing the house's mistress, is equally good. But, as I've mentioned, it is the contributions of three men behind the scenes that really turn this little B into a work of art. Director John Brahm, who would go on to helm Fox's "The Lodger" and "Hangover Square," and DOP Lucien Ballard have combined their formidable talents to make a picture that is noirish, moody and fast moving, with superb use of light and shadow. And composer David Raksin, who two years later would achieve enduring fame for his score for that classiest of film noirs, "Laura," has co-contributed some background music here that is both mysterious and exciting. Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck apparently had hopes that "The Undying Monster" would be the opening salvo in his studio's bid to challenge Universal's monster domination, and in retrospect, it does seem like a fair way to start. This DVD, by the way, looks just fantastic, and sports more "extras" than you would believe capable of accompanying a minor B. All in all, a very pleasant surprise.

Helga Hammond (Heather Angel) and her brother Oliver Hammond (John Howard) live in an isolated mansion with their staff. There is a legend of a curse in the Hammond family but Helga does not believe it is true. When a woman is murdered and Oliver is attacked in a frozen night, Scotland Yard Detective Robert Curtis (James Ellison) and his assistant Christy (Heather Thatcher) are assigned to investigate the case. Dr. Jeff Colbert (Bramwell Fletcher), who is the Hammond doctor and friend, becomes the prime suspect of Robert since he does not give any support to the investigation. What is the secret of the Hammond monster?

"The Undying Monster" is an enjoyable but predictable werewolf film. Christy is an annoying character but the film is a pleasant surprise. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Segredo do Monstro" ("The Secret of the Monster")

Story about a monster going after the Hammond family who live in Hammond Hall--a huge castle in the middle of nowhere. It seems that one of the Hammonds, centuries ago, sold his soul to the Devil for eternal life. Every few years he has to kill one of the Hammonds (always a man) as a sacrifice to the Devil and to keep him living. Helga Hammond (Heather Angel) thinks that's ridiculous and it's all a silly legend--but her brother Oliver (John Howard) has been attacked and the monster may not stop at him...

This was made quickly to cash in on "The Wolf Man" which had been a huge hit for Universal the year before. It has all the markings of a B movie--a pretty silly (and illogical) script, an unknown director and a cast of actors on their way up (or down). It also has some extremely annoying "comic" relief in the form of Cornelia Christopher (Heather Thatcher) a helper of Robert Curtis (James Ellison) who is assigned by Scotland Yard to solve the case. Still this is worth catching at least once.

The sets are quite impressive (I'm assuming they were made for another film) and there's tons of atmosphere (lots of fog on the moors outside). The howls we hear during the night are pretty spooky too. Also there's a creepy little saying--"When stars are bright on a frosty night, Beware thy being on the rocky lane". The last reel appearance of the monster is a disappointment unfortunately. Also the acting isn't that great with the sole exception of Angel. Thatcher especially gets annoying with her stupid jokes--I spent most of the movie hoping the monster would get her! Still worth seeing for sets and atmosphere alone. A 7.

A curse has haunted the Hammond Estate throughout the centuries. Can Heather Angel (Helga) and John Howard (Oliver) get to the bottom of things with the help of various characters? There seems to be a creature that lurks around the grounds and it is not friendly.

Unfortunately, this is not a particularly scary film. It starts well with an atmospheric setting and spooky camera angles and Heather Angel is good in her role. We get a few red herrings thrown in but if you have seen this type of film before you will have no surprise as to the outcome. The whole affair turns into a set for people to run around in a large house. I sat and watched but it never quite gave me the level of suspense that I expected. By the end, it is comical as we have a Benny-Hill type chase by the cliff edge. Only, it's not as good as a Benny Hill chase because, whilst the sequence is indeed speeded up, there is a fatal lack of women in skimpy underwear running about

The Hammond family has been living with some unsavoury history for a long time. The male members most often seem to suffer some horrible fate. One night, Oliver Hammond (John Howard) is on his way home when he and a nurse, Kate O'Malley, are attacked by something that may be man or animal. Soon Scotland Yard detectives Robert Curtis (James Ellison) and his wacky sidekick Christy (Heather Thatcher) are assigned to the case, and Curtis determines to use scientific methods to work the clues.

While ultimately fairly average and unmemorable, this is still a reasonably enjoyable B genre picture from 20th Century Fox, a studio not ordinarily associated with B level horror. It *is* competently made from beginning to end, with efficient direction by John Brahm ("The Mad Magician", "Hangover Square", "The Lodger"), an expert in Victorian era melodramas. The atmosphere is wonderfully palpable, with striking use of light and darkness by cinematographer Lucien Ballard. Scripted by Lillie Hayward and Michael Jacoby, from the novel by Jessie Douglas Kerruish, it tells a fairly snappy story that clocks in at a mere 64 minutes.

Some hardcore horror fans may not be terribly satisfied, as horror elements don't really come into play that often. The running time is largely dedicated to the investigation of the incident, with an amusingly loopy Thatcher supplying all of the comedy relief. It's not until the final seven minutes when we finally get to see some werewolf action.

The cast is very good. Ellisons' bright, charming presence helps quite a bit. The pretty Heather Angel leaves a strong impression as the skeptical and level headed Helga Hammond. Supporting actors Bramwell Fletcher, Aubrey Mather, Halliwell Hobbes, Holmes Herbert, and Eily Malyon all do well. Hollywood tough guy Charles McGraw makes his film debut as the character Strudwick.

This should provide some adequate entertainment for fans of 1930s and 1940s horror.

Six out of 10.

Enjoyed taping this film recently, which was shown during the early hours of the AM. It is a great picture from the 1940's and director John Brahm, who also directed such film greats as, "Hangover Square",'45 and "The Lodger",'44, starring Laid Cregar. Twentieth Century-Fox produced this film which is from a good novel taken from Jessie Douglas Kerruish's 1936 book. It is a tale of a family cursed since the Crusades and is rather moody stuff, quite spoilt by the British censor's scissors. Not only did he remove the carefully photographed final metamorphosis, leaving audiences to wonder why the dim thing that the police shot should suddenly look like John Howard, but he also insisted on the title being changed to The Hammond Mystery. Fortunately enough of Brahm's brilliance was devoted to less shocking sequences so that most of his mood remained. Lucien Ballard swung his camera round as ancient room, alighting on odd objects at each dour bong of midnight. He also showed a large stain glass window which made the old homestead very creapy. The phrase: When the stars are bright on a frosty night, Beware the baying in the rocky lane" You will have to see the picture to find out what the MONSTER REALLY IS !

Surviving members of an aristocratic English family are threatened by a legendary monster when they venture out on the fogbound countryside . At an isolated masion lives the noble family formed by Helga Hammond (Heather Angel) and her brother Oliver Hammond (John Howard) with their servants (Halliwell Hobbes) . Robert Curtis (James Ellison) and his assistant Christy (Heather Thatcher) are assigned to find out the mysterious case and Curtis uses modern techiques of investigation . A werewolf prowls all around the countryside at night but only kills certain members of one family . It seems like just a coincidence but the investigating Inspector soon solves that this tradition has gone on for generations and he attempts to find the necessary clues . Horror to make you Gasp !. Lusts upon beauty ! , Sinister! Savage! Supernatural!

Weak story about dreadful murders committed by a weird being terrorizing an aristocratic family , but well developed with an exceptionally ghostly atmosphere . Nice horror/thriller remains a timeless piece on surprise , showcasing the unique visual and stylistic tricks that would mark John Brahm's work . Tense film about murders with thrills , chilling events , suspenseful and an amazing final . This intriguing and exciting story is based on a story from Jessie Douglas and screenplay by Lillie Hayward and Michel Jacoby , dealing with a killer executing his some grisly murders , resulting in a twisted link between the werewolf and a damned family , leading to a frightening conclusion. One of the great evocations of that strange lost city of Hollywood whose great imagination includes chilly , foggy nights , horrible happenings at house and countryside with full of mystery , threat and terror . This is a moving story about astonishing murders whose elusive killer being ultimately discovered and resulting in a ghastly and eerie conclusion . Story's core is interesting and storyline is dense with information and drama . Good performance by main and support cast , such as : James Ellison, Heather Angel , John Howard, Bramwell Fletcher , Heather Thatcher , Aubrey Mather and Charlie MacGraw's film debut . Special mention for the stunning photography by Lucien Ballard and to be continued a long and succesful career as cameraman with films as Wild Bunch , The Getaway , The Killing , True Grit , Will Penny , The party , The Sons of Katie Elder , Nevada Smith and many others .

Thrilling and adequate musical score by Emil Newman and David Raksin . . The motion picture was compellingly directed by John Brahm, this is one of his rare movies in which everything pulls together to create a weirdly compulsive atmosphere . This great director Brahm specialised in suspense thrillers, often with psychological undertones, at times involving madness. His affinity with filming the sinister and the grotesque had much to do with the influence of his uncle Otto, once an influential theatrical producer. Otto introduced his nephew to the dark and fantastic elements of classic German expressionist cinema, including films like Faust (1926). At Fox, Brahm directed two masterpieces back-to-back: the stylish and moody 'Jack the Ripper' look-alike Jack, the Ripper (1944); and, in a similar vein , Hangover Square (1945), a gothic melodrama about insanity and murder, set in Victorian London . Both films starred the excellent, sadly short-lived, actor Laird Cregar, whose professionalism and finely-etched performances Brahm greatly appreciated. Brahm directed a few but good films , such as : Undying monster , Wintertime , Guest in the House , Singapore , Miracle of our Lady of Fatima , Face to Face , among others . Rating : 6.5/10 . Acceptable and passable. Better than average.

The Undying Monster is a screenplay of a mystery novel about the legend concerning a particular old English family (the Hammonds), and as such, is an excellent outing. The Sherlock Holmes mystery adventure,'The Hound of the Baskervilles' received great acclaim even though at the conclusion, the legend proved to be a hoax, whereas in 'The Undying Monster' the legend was based on the 'real deal'. The unique story (with it's unexplained incidents throughout the family history, the unanswered questions, the hints,clues,innuendos,insinuations, and so on) plus the production values essential for an effective suspense atmosphere (the sets, musical score,sound effects, and a pace that was kept fresh by diversionary light humored relief which is necessary to keep the viewer engulfed in an old english mystery story and not losing them through drama fatigue) are all there.

THE UNDYING MONSTER is a John Brahm film given "A" execution while using "B" material to get its atmospheric effects across. And they are atmospheric, from the opening scene until the last, beautifully photographed in crisp B&W photography by Lucien Ballard.

None of the actors rose to the "A" level, but Brahm makes effective use of HEATHER ANGEL as a damsel in distress, JAMES ELLISON as the detective from Scotland Yard (with a suspiciously American accent), and JOHN HOWARD as Angel's rugged mustached brother, looking very much like a Robert Taylor clone.

The story about an ancient curse still hovering over a British household has the supernatural overtones of a Sherlock Holmes story like "The Hound of the Baskervilles", full of Gothic horror that's accented by the artfully designed sets and handsome interiors, some of which look like leftover sets from much more expensive Fox films.

Given the chance to direct this melodramatic Gothic mystery, Brahm leaped at the chance to show what he could do with such a story--and it works on every level despite some talky moments that make the film's middle drag a little with too much exposition. Clever camera angles, expert lighting and well sustained performances from excellent supporting players help considerably.

Summing up: About as atmospheric a mystery as you could ask for in the Gothic genre, a richly satisfying little gem that remains largely unknown among even film buffs.

This short movie reminded me a bit of "The Hound of the Baskervilles", with the beast monster out at night, the family curse, etc. It also added a bit of scientific facts and analysis, which brings Sherlock Holmes to mind. There were touches of humor here and there, too.

I was hoping that the "fiend" would turn out to be someone different, but I guess there was no escaping fate, which was a combo of both natural and supernatural causes.

The atmosphere was good, what with foggy nights and old dark houses, but thankfully it wasn't overdone, and there was no going over-the-top into melodrama.

It's worth checking out.

This was the worst of the 3 movies that Hans Brahm directed for 20th-Century Fox. Unlike The Lodger and Hangover Square, this one looks like one of the cheap quickies that Republic and Monogram Studios used to churn out in the '40's.

Casting for this movie was getting look-alikes of more famous stars-the guy who played Oliver was a dead ringer for Lon Chaney, Jr. And Christy looked suspiciously like Cornelia Otis Skinner with a dye job, right down to the hair-do and the rubber faced facial mugging, right out of The Uninvited. The worst part of the movie was the ending-the way they sped up the monster's running scenes on camera looked pretty silly, and the transformation from wolf to man was some really sloppy camera work.

"The Undying Monster" is basically a very routine and derivative '40s horror flick, but there are a couple of aspects that undeniably bring this film to a much higher league. The delightfully sinister title, for one, but more importantly - of course - the skillful directing talents of John Brahm and a couple of extremely progressive footnotes in the script! This was one of 20th Century Fox' first attempts to imitate the tremendously successful horror movies from Universal and it more specifically became a combination between a typical old-dark-house chiller and a classic monster fable. For centuries already, the rich aristocratic Hammond family is plagued by a curse and far too many ancestors died in the claws of a hideous lycanthrope monster. The horror returns to the final heirs, siblings Helga and Oliver, when a young girl is found ripped to pieces on the large Hammond estate. The plot, set-up and particularly the denouement may be clichéd and predictable, but the power of "The Undying Monster" lies in minor plot details and stylistic highlights. The opening sequence, for example, is brilliantly misleading as the camera soberly ventures through the dark interior of the mansion and passes next to a seemingly lifeless dog and motionless female hand. But then the doorbell rings and both the dog and the female rudely awake. What an incredibly imaginative and unexpected scene to feature in a routine horror low-budgeter like this! John Brahm, a director who emigrated from Germany before WWII, here demonstrates a lot of his visionary talents and he would later make a couple of shamefully underrated horror classics like "The Lodger", "Hangover Square" (both starring George Sanders and Laird Cregar) and "The Mad Magician (starring the almighty Vincent Price). Little moments of brilliance in the script include some very progressive theories about lycanthropy AND a very early but powerful manifestation of girl-power and feminism! Female lead Helga Hammond is one feisty lady, to say the least. When she hears fearful screams from within the dark woods surrounding her estate, she unhesitatingly jumps into a carriage and forays into the night to investigate. What a woman! Helga is depicted by an actress named Heather Angel, which is an artist name that would only be chosen by adult film stars nowadays. "The Undying Monster" definitely isn't fundamental viewing, but warmly recommended to fans of spooky black- and-white horror. With a running time of barely 63 minutes, it won't even cost you too much precious time.

This film essentially begins on a cold, dark night with a young woman named "Helga Hammond" (Heather Angel) somewhat concerned about her brother "Oliver Hammond" (John Howard) not returning from visiting a family friend named "Dr. Jeff Colbert" (Bramwell Fletcher). Upon calling Dr. Colbert she is reassured that he just left his office and should be home soon. It's then that she hears a woman screaming not too far from the house and upon investigation she discovers the unconscious body of her brother who appears to have sustained his injuries due to an attack of some sort. Not far from him is the unconscious body a woman who also appears to have been attacked. That said, with the help of one of her servants, she manages to bring both of them back to her house and immediately calls Dr. Colbert for assistance. Not long afterward, an investigator from Scotland Yard by the name of "Robert Curtis" (James Ellison) and his assistant "Christy" (Heather Thatcher) are dispatched to ascertain the details. Strangely enough, once they arrive, they are surprised by the lack of cooperation they receive from everyone involved. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film relies more heavily upon mystery than actual horror and, for that reason, some viewers might be a little disappointed as a result. Likewise, I would have preferred a bit more suspense as well. Even so, this was not a bad picture necessarily as the story takes a few twists and turns along the way to keep things interesting for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Average.