TITLE: The Monster Maker

RELEASE DATE
:  1944

RATED: Unrated

REVIEWED BY
:  The DarkSider
THE PLOT: Evil doctors, you just gotta love them in horror movies.  If they aren't hacking away at some innocent person with a scalpel, they're making evil potions.  If they aren't making evil potions, they're infecting people with acromegaly for fun.

The film opens up with pianist (a term that is still adolescently funny to me) Anthony Lawrence tickling the ivories at a grand concert hall.  In the crowd is his daughter Pat who is hanging out with her boyfriend Bob.  The next box over is lead protagonist Dr. Markoff with his assistant Maxine.  Markoff notices Pat and gives her his best Bela Legosi stare. 

Anyhow Pat, having her feathers ruffled by Markoff, asks Bob to switch seats with her.  After a bit, Pat goes backstage with Bob to talk to her father.  One thing I noticed from the get-go is how odd Pat's relationship is with Anthony.  It seems he does all the things Bob is supposed to do such as warding off evil obsessive doctors.  Bob kind of sits around and smokes throughout the film pretty much taking up space.  Maybe its a generation gap thing or something. 

While visiting her pops backstage, Markoff arrives to apologize for ogling at Pat.  He explains that she resembles his dead wife and he was shocked.  That reminds me of the time Flanders on the Simpsons cut his girlfriend's hair to match his dead wife's hairdo. Anyhow, apologies are accepted but Markoff still seems a bit menacing as he leaves. 

A few days later Markoff, apparently not getting the fact chicks generally don't like stalkers, starts to send numerous flowers to Pat with lovey dovey notes attached.  Pat gets freaked out about this and runs to daddy again.  Anthony agrees to pay a social visit to Markoff to tell him to stop with the nonsense.

Markoff and Maxine are working away when Anthony arrives.  Markoff gets the low down on the Pat situation from Anthony and takes great offense to it.  So much offense that he clocks Anthony over the head knocking him out. 

Figuring he hasn't impressed his love interest's father enough, Markoff injects him with the disease acromegaly.  Now let me say I know a few things about medical terminology and I'm absolutely surprised the film took on a real disease rather than mutating Anthony with radioactivity.  How refreshing indeed.  Markoff weasels a phone call to Pat to tell her of her father's collapse after telling Anthony to lie about his assault.  Pat picks up her father and goes home. 

Markoff meets with Maxine and tells her about injecting Anthony with acromegaly.  On top of this he admits to injecting his wife with it.  This was to prevent her from looking good to other men.  I guess Markoff was a paper bag kind of guy. 

Oh but we're not done yet my friends.  Markoff also killed off the real Dr. Markoff in his homeland thus assuming his identity.  He also spends his free time dipping kittens in hot tar.  Ok, I made up the kitten thing but Markoff definitely isn't a nice guy.  Maxine freaks out about this but through mind control, Markoff silences her. 

Some time later, Anthony notes a change in the size of his fingers while playing the piano. Anthony starts to transform into a hideous looking person.  He goes into hiding all up until Pat sees him horribly disfigured and passes out.
Ok I've got it! It was Dr. Markoff in his office with a candlestick...
Anthony gives into the fact that Markoff is the only guy who can help him.  However he is rather miffed his head, hands and feet are swelled up so he attacks Markoff.  Markoff's henchman Steve holds Anthony down while Markoff administers an anesthetic.  Little does Markoff know, Maxine was listening to the whole thing one room over.  Maxine threatens to spill the beans on Markoff but he commands her once again to be a good little duby.

That evening, Markoff sends his pet gorilla out after Maxine.  Oh yes, I forgot to mention that little bit of plot interest.  You see Markoff has a rather odd collection of animals in his office including a pig infected with acromegaly, a German Sheppard and yes, a gorilla.  Why a gorilla you may ask?  Every mad doctor should have one, thats why. 

Anyhow, in a ridiculous unseen Rin Tin Tin vs. King Kong battle of sorts, apparently the gorilla is scared back into it's cage by the dog.  Um...yeah...sure.  Markoff finds this out in the morning and is rather disappointed his gorilla didn't do the job.  However, his day changes around when he discovers an antidote that he had been working on has cured the infected pig. 

With this newfound knowledge he sets a new plan into motion.  He approaches Anthony and promises to cure him only if he can marry Pat.  Anthony gets rather miffed at this and attempts to attack Markoff but finds out he is under restraint.
"Gooooooorilla Gram...Hello My Baby Hello My Honey..."
Meanwhile across town, Pat gets a phone call from Markoff who asks her to come over.  Pat leaves a message with the butler for Bob that she is heading there.  When Pat arrives, Markoff tells her of her father's condition.  Anthony starts to freak out when Pat says Markoff's name and a scuffle ensues. 

Bob arrives and finally decides to lend a helping hand.  He rescues Maxine, who was being held back by Steve.  He finds Pat who escaped from Dr. Markoff's clutches.  They both hear a gun shot and go back to the room to find Markoff dead.  Anthony passes out in the scuffle but is ok. 

Pat laments that Markoff was the only person that could cure her father.  However Maxine speaks up and says that she can help him.  The movie ends with Pat, Bob and Maxine watching Anthony, completely cured of acromegaly, at a concert. 

This film does pack an interesting and terrifying concept for anyone who frets over disease. Minus that aspect, Markoff is set up as a maniacal prick which plays greatly into the audience's disdain for him and his actions.  The film, short but somewhat sweet, successfully delivers these themes thankfully leaving out much fluff and useless dialog. 

Perhaps however the film could have used the lack of time to add more suspense, which is where the film suffers most.  I'm not necessarily saying drag out time with it, but if I was on the edge of my seat more, it would have helped.

Overall, The Monster Maker is cheese but a much finer cheese than that of many other cheeses.    If that makes sense.  The acting is tolerable and although the film is simple, it proves to be a fun way of killing an hour.  I would say 9 out of 10 mad doctors would recommend it as part of a balance diet.
ITS THE INNARDS THAT COUNT (most gruesome/odd moments)
1.)
Return Of The Elephant Man- Anthony turns into a horribly disfigured musician.  Think Michael Jackson but a bit better looking.
YOU'RE A GRAND OLD A-HOLE (the A-Holes of the film get their moment)
1.)
Dr. Markoff - You have to wonder about a guy with constant woman problems who is obsessed with making "extremities" larger than they are.
OVERALL GRADE
Click here to go back to the review page
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1