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Bela Lugosi gives one of his finest portraits of evil in this adaptation of Edgar Wallace's terror-thriller-mystery THE DARK EYES OF LONDON. A series of 'drownings' have Scotland Yard baffled. One common denominator; the dead men were heavily insured through a particular brokerage firm... and all the policies were paid off. Larry Hold, a Scotland Yard detective, and a visiting American cop from Chicago get on the trail and, with the help of the daughter of one of the dead men, discover a horrifying cause to the so-called 'accidents/suicides.' Behind it all is a human monster, a doctor who is using a home for blind men as a front for his nightmarish activities. His main tool is a gargoyle-like brute who eventually becomes the madman's downfall. The tension mounts as the plot develops in the best thriller tradition with danger lurking at every turn and a hairs-breath escape or two thrown in to season the recipe. Filmed in England, this one reeks with atmosphere, with the proceedings dominated by Bela Lugosi as the fiend more diabolical than any criminal the Scotland Yard has encountered.

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The dedicated detectives of Scotland Yard are investigating a series of deaths involving victims found drowned in the Thames. The link in these baffling murders is that they were all indemnified through Dr. Feodor Orloff (horror icon Bela Lugosi), an insurance agent who's designated The Dearborn Home for the Blind as their beneficiary. Could there be a deeper connection between the sinister Orloff and John Dearborn, the kindly minister in charge of the home? Detective Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is convinced there is and his investigation becomes personal when the daughter of one of the victims, Diana Stuart (Greta Gynt), is recommended by Orloff for secretarial work at the Dearborn home. The inspector quickly develops an attraction for Diana, but she soon learns too much and will suffer the same fate as her father if Holt doesn’t act quickly to solve the case. Shot in a speedy eleven days, The Human Monster (A.K.A. The Dark Eyes of London) was based on a 1924 novel by prolific mystery author Edgar Wallace (the co-creator of King Kong) and provided Lugosi with a rare opportunity to appear in a motion picture produced abroad. Monster was also the first British film to receive an ""H"" certificate (for “Horrific”) from the British Board of Censors meaning that children under the age of 16 were not permitted to see the motion picture. Utilizing moody lighting and atmospheric sets, The Human Monster stands out as one of Lugosi's more memorable post-Dracula showcases and he's aided immeasurably by a fine supporting cast and skillful direction from Walter Summers (The Return of Bulldog Drummond), who also contributed to the script along with Patrick Kirwan, Jan Van Lusil and producer John Argyle. FEATURES: Theatrical Year: 1939 Runtime: 76 Minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 # Discs: 1 Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller Category: Classic Language: English Director: Walter Summers Actors: Bela Lugosi, Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Edmon Ryan, Wilfred Walter, Alexander Field, O.B. Clarence, May Hallatt Region: A Rating: NR Color/B&W: B/W The Human Monster (ClassicFlix Silver Series)