As I sit here and think about the movie I've just seen, I ask myself why the film makers even bothered to feature a gorilla as a central character in this story, but there's the title "The Ape", so I guess they had to fit one in somewhere. The story is actually rather standard fare for the era, a mad scientist/doctor Bernard Adrian (Boris Karloff) is obsessed with finding a cure for a young woman's paralysis, and will go to any lengths to succeed. Those lengths include killing a circus ape that invades his home, gutting out the creature (off screen of course), and then using the carcass to disguise himself as he seeks victims from which to extract spinal fluid for the serum he needs to complete his experiments and cure the stricken Frances Clifford (Maris Wrixon). To state that the film makers took excessive liberties with the premise of the movie is putting it mildly. For example, Karloff's character, who appears frail and weak, manages to dispatch the ape by blinding him with some lab fluid, and stabbing him once with a knife, and to the back no less. Then, in his first outing in the monkey suit, he manages to waylay a burley Henry Mason (who was such a cad, he actually had it coming) on his way into town to join the gorilla posse.
If not for the presence of the venerable Boris Karloff, this film probably wouldn't stand a chance. However, you then ask yourself why Karloff would even consider getting involved with this project after having created film history with "Frankenstein" and "The Mummy". Perhaps he was intrigued with the idea of working a comedy.
You'll get a chuckle out of the Ray "Crash" Corrigan ape early in the film as he makes his way to Dr. Adrian's home. Attempting to cross a rail fence, he practically trips over it, and has to correct his balance. You have to love these low budget Monogram efforts, no time or money for do-overs.
In spite of some of my tongue in cheek comments, you owe yourself at least one viewing of "The Ape", whether you're a fan of the poverty row movie machine of the 1940's or a follower of Boris Karloff. In my case, I'm all the better for having seen it, and I can truthfully say it didn't make a monkey out of me.
If not for the presence of the venerable Boris Karloff, this film probably wouldn't stand a chance. However, you then ask yourself why Karloff would even consider getting involved with this project after having created film history with "Frankenstein" and "The Mummy". Perhaps he was intrigued with the idea of working a comedy.
You'll get a chuckle out of the Ray "Crash" Corrigan ape early in the film as he makes his way to Dr. Adrian's home. Attempting to cross a rail fence, he practically trips over it, and has to correct his balance. You have to love these low budget Monogram efforts, no time or money for do-overs.
In spite of some of my tongue in cheek comments, you owe yourself at least one viewing of "The Ape", whether you're a fan of the poverty row movie machine of the 1940's or a follower of Boris Karloff. In my case, I'm all the better for having seen it, and I can truthfully say it didn't make a monkey out of me.