633:"The starch seems to have been taken out of the pictorial conception of THE MONSTER by the inclusion of too much light comedy. The result is that, although this film possesses a degree of queer entertainment, it is neither fish, fowl nor good red herring. The thrills that might have chilled one's feet and finger tips end in causing chuckles and giggles...Mr. Chaney does not have very much to do, but his various appearances are effective...Chaney looks as if he could have enjoyed a more serious portrayal of the theme." ---The New York Times
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630:"'The Monster' was a corking stage thriller. As a picture it proves to be somewhat suspenseful, but it seemingly is played too fast to get the full effectiveness that there was in the play...Lon Chaney does not make the crazed surgeon as terrifying a picture as he might have, and in that the film lets down to a certain extent." ---Variety
286:), the storeowner's daughter. Attempting to woo Betty, Amos invites her on a drive in the country. Meanwhile, Johnny has followed a mysterious stranger to the country. The strange man has lured Amos' car off the road and kidnapped the couple. Johnny accidentally enters a hidden tunnel, and all three end up at Dr Edwards' sanitarium.
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Realizing his mistake, Caliban is distracted and Johnny captures him by hooking a winch to the monster's feet and hoisting him upside down. The policemen enter the laboratory to find that Johnny has successfully apprehended the madmen and located the kidnapped people. He gains the police department's
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Having escaped, Johnny disguises himself as Rigo and begins to assist the doctor. He frees Betty and Amos and straps Ziska to his own death chair. Caliban appears and, mistaking the figure in the chair for Amos, activates the transducer, removing Ziska's soul from his body. Because there is no one on
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Film historian Jon
Mirsalis opined "THE MONSTER will prove somewhat of a disappointment to die-hard Chaney fans, but a delight to connoisseurs of Director Roland West's stylistic Gothic dramas. Like some of his other works, especially THE BAT and THE BAT WHISPERS, THE MONSTER is a lavish production
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Critic Troy
Howarth stated "Viewers expecting a typical Lon Chaney vehicle are in for a major disappointment, as the actor doesn't show up into well into the picture. And while he admittedly makes for an alarming presence...it's not much of a role and doesn't allow him to evoke the kind of audience
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Dr. Edwards tells Johnny that Ziska, Caliban, Rigo and Daffy Dan were once his patients in the sanitarium. Ziska had been a great surgeon who went mad and began to perform unorthodox operations. He now intends to perform experiments on Betty and Amos, attempting to discover the secret of eternal
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was the highest amount listed for that week in theaters nationwide. The movie was made by Roland West
Productions and Tec-Art and distributed by MGM. The film was released with lavish color tints that enhanced the eerie mood. The film's tagline was "A mystery thriller and a love adventure. The
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romance of a boy and a girl in a mansion of hidden motives. You'll Guess! You'll Gasp! You'll love it! A Mansion of Many Doors- A House of
Strange Shadows - What lies beyond the door? WHAT does it mean? Who can solve it? You'll keep guessing until the very end."
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627:"As always, Lon Chaney does excellent work in an unusual character role. He appears as the sinister surgeon in charge and scores heavily although his role is secondary to that of Johnny Arthur as the boob detective." ---Moving Picture World
301:), his three patients. Ziska explains that he took control of the asylum after it had closed. They are captured and sent to a dungeon, wherein Johnny finds Dr. Edwards and John Bowman have been kidnapped by Dr. Ziska and his cronies.
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Although the film only earned $ 55,600 for the week ending on
February 18, 1925, the film could be considered the first horror film in history to top the North American box office because the gross reported by
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650:"Spook thriller that mingles laughs and thrills in rapid succession and includes a quantity of hair-raising stunts... Johnny Arthur's part seems more important than Chaney's" ---Film Daily
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Amos and Johnny are captured and brought to Ziska's laboratory, where Betty lies fastened to a surgical bed. Amos is strapped to the "death chair" and connected to Betty through a
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which deviates from most horror films is its use of subtle humour in serious or dramatic situations. As in many conventional comedies, the protagonist Johnny
Goodlittle is a
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John Bowman, a wealthy farmer, is kidnapped one night after two mysterious men lure his car off the road. When the wreckage is discovered the next day, constable Russ Mason (
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marked by Gothic sets, lush art design, and is punctuated by both the grotesque and quite a bit of comic relief supplied by Arthur."
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The film has been shown on TCM network with an alternative and uncredited musical score. West later went on to direct
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with imbecilic assistants. Some sources list the film's release date as March 1925, while others say
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seems to us to be Lon Chaney's best part of recent years, because his art comes from within, not without...In
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the surgical bed, there is no soul to complete the exchange, and Ziska is rendered completely lifeless.
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Amos and Johnny both work at the general store in
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653:"Brrrr, this one will give you delicious creeps... A real thriller!" ---Photoplay
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Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Vestal Press Inc. Page 144.
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respect as a detective and wins Betty's heart and hand.
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empathy one normally associates with the great actor."
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682:Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era
201:, based on the stage play of the same name by
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542:character. He is also an early example of an
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680:Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016).
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615:Learn how and when to remove this message
493:Learn how and when to remove this message
433:played Dr. Ziska, one of his later roles.
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349:as Johnny Goodlittle, amateur detective
271:) forms a search party with Amos Rugg (
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918:English-language comedy horror films
521:is ambiguous. It stands as an early
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424:as Detective Jennings (uncredited)
412:as Detective Jennings (uncredited)
226:(1926) and its later sound remake
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517:The genre and cinematic style of
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588:Citations need formatting (see
868:American black-and-white films
546:, cowardly hero, as the actor
391:as Luke Watson, Betty's father
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883:Films directed by Roland West
873:American films based on plays
863:American silent feature films
397:as Mrs Watson, Betty's mother
888:American haunted house films
878:American comedy horror films
853:1920s English-language films
797:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
534:A distinguishing quality of
429:In the play's 1933 revival,
807:at silentera.com with still
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473:the claims made and adding
406:as Dr. Edwards (uncredited)
136:February 22, 1925
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367:as Russ Mason, a constable
893:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
723:"Variety (February 1925)"
509:Still from the film with
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35:Theatrical release poster
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903:American detective films
848:1925 comedy horror films
16:1925 film by Roland West
908:Films about kidnapping
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258:(1925). Complete film.
122:Metro-Goldwyn Pictures
813:at moviessilently.com
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858:1920s American films
843:1920s monster movies
740:"The Monster (1925)"
597:improve this section
343:as Dr. Gustave Ziska
913:Mad scientist films
898:Silent horror films
190:is a 1925 American
528:The Old Dark House
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458:possibly contains
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422:William H. Turner
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333:Gertrude Olmstead
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483:October 2018
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379:as Daffy Dan
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361:as Amos Rugg
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818:The Monster
804:The Monster
791:The Monster
780:The Monster
769:The Monster
758:The Monster
642:The Monster
638:The Monster
599:if you can.
536:The Monster
519:The Monster
395:Ethel Wales
256:The Monster
199:Roland West
187:The Monster
177:intertitles
85:Roland West
82:Produced by
69:The Monster
45:Roland West
41:Directed by
24:The Monster
838:1925 films
832:Categories
661:References
544:effeminate
467:improve it
373:as Caliban
341:Lon Chaney
310:transducer
291:Lon Chaney
207:Lon Chaney
156:86 minutes
140:1925-02-22
94:Lon Chaney
51:Written by
558:Reception
471:verifying
175:(English
72:1922 play
774:AllMovie
577:require
531:(1932).
232:(1930).
169:Language
112:Hal Mohr
90:Starring
65:Based on
794:at the
725:. 1925.
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465:Please
385:as Rigo
238:Variety
223:The Bat
161:Country
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192:silent
173:Silent
439:Genre
763:IMDb
706:ISBN
686:ISBN
324:Cast
263:Plot
785:TCM
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