So Bela Lugosi plays an insurance salesman named Dr. Orloff who sells policies to folks that he is the sole beneficiary of and then has them killed off by his big ugly blind henchman named Jake(the titular Human Monster?). You see, as is pretty common in films from this era, Lugosi is also a mad-scientist-type on the side who can make bombs out of beakers full of liquid and that sort of thing. Oh and he's also a master of disguise which comes in very handy when he's found out.(so maybe he's the real 'Human Monster' after all)
I think this movie does a fairly decent job of conveying how outward signs of morality and generosity don't necessarily mean that a wholesome character lies beneath the surface. Then again maybe casting Lugosi, who always seems a bit ominous even when he's smiling, might not have been the most inspired casting to convey this idea. It is pretty obvious who is committing all these homicides throughout and it makes Orloff appear kinda naive thinking he was going to get away with it for very long. Luckily it wraps everything up in just 74 minutes, so that's a big plus.
Originally released in England as THE DARK EYES OF LONDON. Whereupon it was rated H for horrific!(there is one fairly gruesome, for the time anyway, drowning scene by our crazed Orloff) Jess Franco musta been a fan since he loved using the Dr. Orloff name quite often. There was a German remake in 1961 as THE DEAD EYES OF LONDON.
Beautiful Turkish poster!:
and beautiful clunky artwork on the Super 8 version (which I assume is some kinda 15 minute long condensed edition):
I bet every kid in 1939 was just dying to be Jake for Halloween!:
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