zardoz-13
"Law of the Underworld" director Lew Landers' World War II homeland comedy "The Boogie Man Will Get You," starring Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Larry Parks, qualifies as an obvious effort to capitalize on playwright Joseph Kesselring's hysterical Broadway farce "Arsenic and Old Lace." Incidentally, director Frank Capra produced a cinematic version of "Arsenic and Old Lace" in 1941, but Warner Brothers delayed its release until the Kesselring play wrapped up its Broadway run in 1944. Karloff couldn't appear in the Capra film because he was acting on Broadway in the play. "Stalag 17" scenarist Edwin Blum penned his screenplay from an adaptation by Paul Gangelin based on a story by Hal Fimberg & Robert B. Hunt. Interestingly, Gangelin wrote dozens of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry oaters as well as the Johnny Weissmuller epic "Tarzan's Secret Treasure." This low-budget, black & white, Columbia Pictures' release chronicles the endeavors of a looney professor struggling to perfect a machine that will convert ordinary American citizens into 'supermen' for the Allied war effort. Biology Professor Nathaniel Billings (Boris Karloff of "Frankenstein") has been experimenting on human subjects to create "the ultimate specimen of human perfection, eternally young, immune from disease, the super superman himself." Unfortunately, every participant in his bogus experiments stumbles from his machine to topple face down on the floor. Furthermore, not only has Billings failed to achieve his laudable but outlandish scheme, but he has also stashed the bodies in a concealed room. Billings preys on traveling salesmen since they are transients that nobody will miss. The action takes place in an authentic colonial tavern era 1754 near the Canadian border that Billings has been trying to sell. Fortunately for Billings, a young woman, Winnie Layden (Miss Jeff Donnell of "The Phantom Thief"), wants to buy the venerable place so she can turn it into a hotel. Billings is willing to sell the place to Winnie on one condition: if she will allow him to remain on the premises to complete his experiments. When she inquires about his experiments, Billings explains in roundabout terms that he is "shaking the unshakable laws of existence."Billings summons Dr. Arthur Lorencz (Peter Lorre of "The Maltese Falcon") to complete the sale. A man of diverse talents and occupations, Lorencz makes loans, sells insurance, and serves as the town's sheriff, doctor, notary public, mayor, coroner, and justice of the peace. He carries a Siamese kitten around in his frock coat. As the sale is poised to transpire, Winnie's ex-husband Bill (Larry Parks of "The Black Parachute") bursts in and inform his ex-wife that the Army has drafted him. He has ten days to straighten out his affairs. Principally, Bill wants Winnie to remarry him. He objects to the sale just as Winnie's first guest, J. Gilbert Brampton (Don Beddoe of "Pillow Talk"), enters in search of accommodations. Bill doesn't trust Professor Billings, and he calls him "as slippery as an eel dipped in lard." Winnie doesn't share his suspicions. Bill's curiosity prompts him to nose around Billings' basement laboratory, and he discovers a corpse, alerts Winnie, and they contact Lorencz. He pins on his sheriff's badge and brandishes a revolver. Lorencz catches Billings in his laboratory and learns that the professor has sacrificed five souls for the sake of science. When he accuses him of murder, Billings recoils with indignation. "You may not approve of what you choose to call my unorthodox scientific methods, but surely you know I'm no murderer." Indeed, Billings isn't sure either his latest subject or his four predecessors are dead. He argues, "one good thing about my machine it preserves them beautifully." Billings protests when Lorencz labels him a "homicidal maniac." He calls them "heroes, immortal martyrs of my great experiment." Basically, Billings says he wanted to turn his test subjects into the equivalent of Captain America. "But for one minute little error, that man at this very moment, by sheer dynamic force would be flying around this room like an inspired plane under his own power." Lorencz changes his mind about Billings and his hare-brained experiments. He helps him hide the latest test subject in the old wine cellar. Meantime, Bill believes Billings is trying to convince Winnie to sell the house back to him by employing scare tactics. Winnie Boris Karloff has a field day spoofing a mad scientist, and Edwin Blum provides some clever dialogue that makes the antics of everybody look comical.
Prichards12345
The Boogie Man Will Get You was the last of Karloff's "Mad Doctor" series for Columbia Pictures. Played strictly for laughs (although to be honest there are very few of them) Karloff teams up with Peter Lorre to create an electrical Superman capable of winning World War II. Lots of references to Arsenic And Old Lace give the film an amiable air, and it's obvious the stars are enjoying themselves. The part of the "ballet master" feels like it was written with Lugosi in mind, which would at least have added something to the film had he appeared. No such luck.At 66 minutes the film doesn't outstay its welcome and it's brightly played by a cast including Larry Parks and Maude Eburn. The film passes the time, but most of the jokes fall flat on their faces (Larry Parks' bed made me smile, though, as does Lorre continually producing a Siamese kitten from his coat pockets.) It also has a few topical references to WWII. It's only real problem is the lack of humour. Even the Abbott and Costello vehicles of the time had more laughs going for them.
Michael_Elliott
Boogie Man Will Get You, The (1942) *** (out of 4) A nutty doctor (Boris Karloff) plans on creating supermen but his experiments continue to fail. With the help of another man (Peter Lorre) the two start kidnapping folks from the hotel being ran above their basement. This is a pretty entertaining comedy/horror film from Columbia that works best thanks to the performances by Karloff and Lorre. The two work very well together and their comic timing is right on the mark. The supporting players are fine as well in this cash in on Arsenic and Old Lace.
bsmith5552
The title, "The Boogie Man Will Get You" should give you an idea of the sort of film you're going to see. Its basically a minor horror/comedy played out more or less like a Three Stooges comedy with a budget. For stars Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre, it was probably a welcome change of pace from the roles both had been playing. The story is similar in many ways to "Arsenic and Old Lace" a hit Broadway play of the day in which Karloff had been starring.Two eccentrics, Professor Nathaniel Billings (Karloff) and Amelia Jones (Maude Eburne) live in a run down old Colonial Inn which they have put up for sale. A young lady Winnie Layden (Jeff Donnell) comes to look over the place and decides to buy it. As a condition of the sale Billings asks that he, Amelia and handyman Ebenezer (George McKay) be allowed to stay so that Billings can complete his experiments in the building's basement.The mortgage holder Dr. Lorentz (Lorre), who is also the sheriff, the coroner and the Justice of the Peace, among other titles, arrives. Billings gleefully pays off his mortgage and Winnie takes title to the property just as her former husband Bill (Larry Parks) arrives to try for some unknown reason to prevent her from buying the Inn.Meanwhile Billings continues his experiments to try to perfect a super human, but his test subject apparently dies. Bill discovers the body in the basement and he and Winnie report the crime to Lorenz in his role of the town sheriff. On investigating, Lorenz learns of Billings plans and wants in on the action. He also discovers that there are also four other "test subjects" laid out in the next room.A "ballet master", J. Gilbert Brampton arrives at the Inn and begins to snoop around. A traveling powder puff salesman (Maxie Rosenbloom) arrives and Billings and Lorentz plan to make him their next "test subject". An escaped fascist prisoner (Frank Paglia) also drops in and threatens to blow everybody up. Two cops (Frank Sully, James Morton) arrive to investigate a reported murder.Everything manages to get sorted out in the end.The film leaves a few unanswered questions such as "Where did Winnie get all of the cash?, Why were Bill and Winnie divorced?, Who was really making the Indian whooping noise? and What was the "arrangement", if any between Billings and Amelia? And beware of the typical Hollywood Production Code ending. This was Karloff's final film on his Columbia contract and he would be off the screen until 1944's "The Climax" while he continued to appear in "Arsenic and Old Lace", which by the way prevented him from getting a part in the 1944 film version.The two leads seem to enjoy all of this nonsense and both would appear in comedic parts over the years for the rest of their careers.
