This was meant to be an intentionally unapologetic rip-off of "The Wolf Man" made a mere decade earlier starring Lon Chaney Jr. who also appears here and inexplicably so. "Bride of the Gorilla" which holds no production value or any values at all was apparently shot in one week and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that writer/director Curt Siodmak wrote the screenplay on his way to it's set first day of shooting.
Plotwise very much like in "The Wolf Man" we have a love story, black magic, gypsies, paranoid locals who believe in folklore, and an ancient curse that can turn people into voracious beasts.
Plantation worker Barney Chavez (Perry Maso...Raymond Burr) is having an affair with his boss's (Paul Cavanagh as Klaas Van Gelder) blonde bombshell of a wife (discount Marilyn Mo...Barbara Payton). Thanks to that the boss and his employee don't get along so swimmingly and during a swift scuffle Chavez kills Van Gelder without realizing gypsy Al- Long (Gisela Werbisek) witnessed it all and in-turn she curses him. Afterwards Chavez marries Mrs. Van Gelder but every night he turns into a terrifying havoc causing gorilla which is never shown on screen except by the end when Police Commissioner Taro (Chaney) and Dr. Viet (Tom Conway) hunt him down.
The acting and characters are a mixed bag - Burr comes off rather cocky so as a result when he gets cursed following Van Gelder's murder I simply thought it served him right. Seductive Payton our true main character isn't very likable either seeing how she immediately marries Chavez following Van Gelder's death and when he's starting to act fairly odd her eyes are newly set upon Dr. Viet. Chaney's casting just seems bizarre though he does deliver plus one roots for him as he's the good guy though that is a lazy man's cheap writing trick. the sets, lighting, costumes, score, and cinematography don't provide any kind of atmosphere typically found in horror but than again these aspects aren't executed that badly though average.
To be honest this picture should have been called -Gorilla of the Bride- considering of how little screen time said beast has. The only thing that prevented me from falling asleep while watching was Conway's highly rich tone of voice. At least this made him somewhat useful seeing all he does during those extremely slow and agonizing seventy minutes is to carry a torch for the now Mrs. Chavez. A colossal waste of talent and the audience's precious time.
Plotwise very much like in "The Wolf Man" we have a love story, black magic, gypsies, paranoid locals who believe in folklore, and an ancient curse that can turn people into voracious beasts.
Plantation worker Barney Chavez (Perry Maso...Raymond Burr) is having an affair with his boss's (Paul Cavanagh as Klaas Van Gelder) blonde bombshell of a wife (discount Marilyn Mo...Barbara Payton). Thanks to that the boss and his employee don't get along so swimmingly and during a swift scuffle Chavez kills Van Gelder without realizing gypsy Al- Long (Gisela Werbisek) witnessed it all and in-turn she curses him. Afterwards Chavez marries Mrs. Van Gelder but every night he turns into a terrifying havoc causing gorilla which is never shown on screen except by the end when Police Commissioner Taro (Chaney) and Dr. Viet (Tom Conway) hunt him down.
The acting and characters are a mixed bag - Burr comes off rather cocky so as a result when he gets cursed following Van Gelder's murder I simply thought it served him right. Seductive Payton our true main character isn't very likable either seeing how she immediately marries Chavez following Van Gelder's death and when he's starting to act fairly odd her eyes are newly set upon Dr. Viet. Chaney's casting just seems bizarre though he does deliver plus one roots for him as he's the good guy though that is a lazy man's cheap writing trick. the sets, lighting, costumes, score, and cinematography don't provide any kind of atmosphere typically found in horror but than again these aspects aren't executed that badly though average.
To be honest this picture should have been called -Gorilla of the Bride- considering of how little screen time said beast has. The only thing that prevented me from falling asleep while watching was Conway's highly rich tone of voice. At least this made him somewhat useful seeing all he does during those extremely slow and agonizing seventy minutes is to carry a torch for the now Mrs. Chavez. A colossal waste of talent and the audience's precious time.