Rondo Hatton Movies
Hollywood has had its share of actors who specialized in horror films and horrific roles, but none had so horrific or tragic a personal story as Rondo Hatton. A fixture in B-movies of varying quality from 1943 until his death early in 1946, Hatton was a victim of the glandular disorder Acromegalia. Often caused by a benign brain tumor, the disease results in the pituitary gland running out of control and secreting excess growth hormone. In victims who have not yet reached adulthood, the result is giantism (as in the case of Andre Rene Roussimoff, better known as Andre the Giant); in adults, the effect is an enlarging of the forehead, mouth, jaw, fingers, joints, and feet, and a coarsening of the skin. Ironically, Hatton had been considered an extremely handsome young man in high school, according to those who knew him in his early life. Press releases in the mid-'40s claimed that his condition was partly the result of his having been gassed on a battlefield during World War I. He came to Hollywood around the time that sound came in, his features already showing some signs of distortion. His earliest known film appearance was in Hell Harbor, a South Seas action-adventure yarn filmed in 1930 by director Henry King, as a burly waterfront tavern keeper -- some of that footage later reappeared in several subsequent movies, including Wolves of the Sea. His work up until the mid-'40s was primarily in silent bit parts, although his appearance in the 1944 Bob Hope comedy The Princess and the Pirate offered a glimpse of the direction his career would soon take as he portrayed "the gorilla man." In 1944, Hatton, his features now completely distorted by his worsening disease, signed with Universal Pictures and made his first appearance for the studio in the Sherlock Holmes movie The Pearl of Death, portraying a mute, hulking back-breaker called the Hoxton Creeper working in the service of arch-villain Giles Conover (Miles Mander). His performance, mute and menacing, was the most memorable part of the movie (one of the better entries in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes series) and over the next year and a half, Hatton repeated his role in four more Universal films. These were all prominent supporting roles except for the last of them, The Brute Man, where he was the star. Ironically, its plot, about a handsome college athlete scarred and turned into a monster by an accident, was almost a burlesque of Hatton's own life story. Alas, by the time it was completed, Hatton's health was failing and it wasn't until eight months after his death that the movie opened in theaters; by then, a nervous Universal had sold the film to the Poverty Row outfit Producers Releasing Corporation rather than issue it directly. Rondo Hatton was never more than a cult horror star in his own time, but during the 1960s and 1970s, with the booming interest in Universal's classic horror movies, he began attracting the interest of scholars and horror movie buffs. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide- 1946
Gale Sondergaard more or less recreates her role as the homicidal "Spider Woman" that she first essayed in the 1943 Sherlock Holmes film of the same name. This time Ms. Sondergaard plays a wealthy rancher who advertises for a young woman to serve as her secretary/companion. Several girls have gone to her ranch to apply for the job; none have returned. When Brenda Joyce arrives to take the job, she uncovers Sondergaard's secret. The crafty villainess has been draining the blood of young women, using the blood to feed her huge carnivorous plants, cultivating a poison from those plants, then using the poison to kill the cattle on all neighboring ranches. All this so that she can bankrupt her rivals and claim their land, which she thinks is rightfully hers! The film is as loopy as it sounds, but Spider Woman Strikes Back was one of Gale Sondergaard's most popular films; when asked years later what she thought of it, she replied airily "It didn't kill me." Spider Woman Strikes Back costars another Universal horror-film icon, the tragically deformed Rondo Hatton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brenda Joyce, Gale Sondergaard, (more)
- 1946
This marked the first starring role for Rondo Hatton, previously seen in a few Sherlock Holmes films as the spine-snapping killer "The Oxton Creeper." Hatton, a giant of a man whose face was deformed by acromegaly, was luridly promoted by the studios as a "human monster" who required no makeup. Here, he plays yet another brutish character, a homicidal convict who is rescued from drowning by mad sculptor Martin Kosleck. Hatton returns the favor by killing any critic who ever gave the artist a poor notice. Though Hatton never had the opportunity to develop his acting skills before his tragic death, there is nevertheless a glimmer of talent evident here, which is put to better use in his final film The Brute Man. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
The tragic Rondo Hatton, whose acromegaly-disfigured face secured him meaty screen roles in Universal's horror films, had died of a heart attack some eight months before the release of his final film, The Brute Man. Hatton plays former college student Hal Moffat, who when his face is destroyed in a chemical lab mishap vows to get even with those he holds responsible. After murdering several of his former classmates, Moffat, known to the police as "The Creeper", takes refuge in the home of blind piano teacher Helen (Jane Adams). Unable to see Moffat's hideous facial features, Helen falls in love with him. Momentarily softened by her affections, Moffat determines to raise enough money to pay for a sight-restoring operation, and to that end steals a cache of valuable jewels from his ex-classmates Clifford and Virginia Scott (Tom Neal and Jan Wiley), killing Clifford in the process. A diligent police detective (Peter Whitney), also in love with Helen, dedicates himself to capturing the elusive Creeper. Originally produced by Universal, The Brute Man was ultimately sold to PRC Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rondo Hatton, Jane Adams, (more)
- 1945
Universal concluded their shoestring "Ape Woman" trilogy (beginning with Captive Wild Woman and continuing with Jungle Woman) with this passable installment, though without the participation of the sultry Acquanetta. Vicky Lane assays the role of the human-ape creature -- who died at the end of the previous film, but has again become the obsession of a mad scientist (Otto Kruger this time), who uses all the goofy monster-movie technology at his disposal to bring her back to life. Though it holds its own against its predecessors, there is little of interest not already covered by the other two films, and Kruger is the least-effective mad doc (after John Carradine and J. Carroll Naish, respectively) of the bunch. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Otto Kruger, Amelita Ward, (more)
This above-average entry in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series is loosely based on the Conan Doyle story The Six Napoleons. On this occasion, Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are assigned to guard the priceless Borgia Pearl, a "cursed" gem that has inspired scores of murders over the years. Their principal antagonist is master criminal Giles Conover (Miles Mander), who, though he is constantly thwarted in his efforts to pilfer the pearl, manages to discredit Holmes in the eyes of the public. Conover's chief assistant is the beautiful Naomi Drake (Evelyn Ankers), who adopts several clever disguises in the course of the action. Complicating matters is a series of seemingly unrelated murders, in which the victims are found with their backs broken, lying amidst piles of shattered China. Holmes deduces the connection between the murders and the Borgia Pearl, and in so doing nearly becomes the latest victim of The Creeper (Rondo Hatton), a horribly disfigured homicidal maniac. In addition to providing Basil Rathbone and Evelyn Keyes endless opportunities for bravura disguise scenes, The Pearl of Death launched the short starring career of the tragic Rondo Hatton, a real-life victim of the disfiguring disease known as acromegaly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, (more)
- 1944
The sparkling screwball comedy And So They Were Married was originally released as Johnny Doesn't Live Here Any More. French-Canadian girl Simone Simon leases a Washington DC apartment from Marine William Terry. Since the Nation's Capital is overcrowded (wartime, don't you know), Simon must put up with a steady parade of Terry's old cronies and girlfriends, all of whom have keys to the apartment. She also becomes the romantic bone of contention between Terry and his sailor pal James Ellison. The last half of the film is dominated by Robert Mitchum as a Chief Petty Officer, who wants to rent the apartment for himself and his wife. A whimsical touch is added by the presence of midget Jerry Maren as a Cupid-like gremlin, who takes great delight in complicating Simon's life. Blessed with a great cast, an above-average production values (especially for a Monogram release), this King Bros. production proved to be the last directorial effort of German expatriate Joe May. Watch for fleeting appearances by horror-film perennial Rondo Hatton as a well-dressed gentleman entering Simon's cab, and Our Gang's Mickey "Froggy" Laughlin as a ratchet-voiced kid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simone Simon, James Ellison, (more)
In his second film for producer Sam Goldwyn, Bob Hope is felicitously teamed with luscious Goldwyn contractee Virginia Mayo. Hope plays Sylvester the Great, a two-bit entertainer "touring" the West Indies in the 18th century. Mayo is Princess Margaret, who is kidnapped by a rough, tough buccaneer known only as The Hook (Victor McLaglen). Through a series of unbelievable circumstances, Sylvester rescues Margaret, and the two of them pose as travelling troubadors in a treacherous Pirate colony, where people are stabbed and dumped in the ocean for nonpayment of rent and other such offenses. Disguising himself as The Hook, Sylvester is befriended by corrupt colonial governor La Roche (Walter Slesak), but only until the real Hook shows up. Things look bleak for Sylvester and Margaret, but salvation is on the way-as well as a surprising romantic denoument, when a "bit player from Paramount" (guess who?) shows up to steal the Princess away from Sylvester ("Boy, this is the last picture I make for Goldwyn!") No fewer than six writers teamed up for this Technicolor extravaganza, which though not as consistently hilarious as other Hope farces still holds up beautifully. The best performance is offered by Walter Brennan as an addled pirate named Featherhead, a character right out of a Tex Avery cartoon! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, (more)
This now-classic indictment of mob rule was a pet project of both star Henry Fonda and director William Wellman, both of whom agreed to work on lesser 20th Century-Fox projects in exchange for this film. After a hard winter on the range, cowboys Gil Carter (Fonda) and Art Croft (Harry Morgan) ride into a fleabitten small town for a drink. Within minutes, they get mixed up in a barroom brawl, which earns them the animosity of the locals. By and by, word reaches town that a local rancher has been killed by rustlers. With the sheriff out of town, a lynch mob is formed under the leadership of Major Tetley (Frank Conroy), a former Confederate officer who hopes to recapture past glories. Worried that they'll be strung up, Carter and Croft reluctantly join the mob and head out of town. In the dark of night, the group comes across three sleeping transients: a farmer named Martin (Dana Andrews), a Mexican (Anthony Quinn), and a senile old man (Francis Ford). The fact that Martin carries no bill of sale written by the so-called murder victim is evidence enough for Tetley to demand that the three men be hanged on the spot. Carter knows that this is a gross miscarriage of justice, but he's helpless to intervene. Resolving himself to his fate, Martin gives Carter a letter to deliver to his wife. The three unfortunates die at the end of the rope, and the mob rides off, only to discover that there never was a murder of any kind. Based on a novel by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, The Ox-Bow Incident is not so much a western as a gothic melodrama, with deep, looming shadows and atmospheric underlighting worthy of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Though the film lost a fortune at the box office (a fact that Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck never tired of pointing out to Fonda and Wellman), it gains in stature with each passing year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, (more)
- 1943
In this musical comedy, a plucky young woman launches a successful campaign and becomes mayor of her tiny hometown. Now she must also rid her town of rampant corruption and get it back on track. Songs include: "If You Are There," "You're the Fondest Thing I Am Of," "I'm Not Myself Anymore" (Ned Washington, Phil Ohman), "Sleepy Lagoon" (Jack Lawrence, Eric Coates), "I'm On My Way," "I Do" (Buddy Pepper, Inez James), "Take It And Git" (James T. Marshall, Johnny Green). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1940
Henry Fonda plays Chad Hanna, a New York country bumpkin of the mid-nineteenth century who joins a travelling circus. He falls in love with beauteous bareback rider Dorothy Lamour, but she spurns him. Chad Hanna then finds himself attracted to another runaway, country girl Linda Darnell. Though everybody assumes that the boy is slow on the uptake, Chad Hanna manages to save the circus from financial ruin. He also secures the services of a trained elephant; when asked how he acquired such a prize, Chad laconically responds "I gave him half interest in the circus." A lightweight period piece, Chad Hanna is visually impressive, and best viewed in its original pristine Technicolor state. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour, (more)
In Old Chicago was 20th Century-Fox's spin on MGM's San Francisco--a personal saga played out against the backdrop of a famous 19th Century disaster. Alice Brady plays Mrs. O'Leary, a widow who brings her two young boys to the sleepy village of Chicago. As the city grows in prominence and prestige, so do the boys: One son (Tyrone Power) becomes a rascal who dreams of creating his own entertainment empire, while the other son (Don Ameche) matures into an honest, straight-laced lawyer. Both boys woo a beautiful singer (Alice Faye), who favors the more reckless of the two. As the headstrong son gains control of the more disreputable forms of Chicago entertainment, the serious son becomes the city's Mayor. The requisite rivalry between the two reaches a fever pitch just before their mother's cow knocks over a lantern and sets off the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The O'Leary boys unite in trying to fight the conflagration and rescue the populace; the mayor dies, and the wastrel son vows to mend his ways and help build a "new" Chicago. In Old Chicago is climaxed spectacularly by the famous fire, a masterwork of special effects courtesy of 20th Century-Fox's Fred Sersen. The film, which originally ran 115 minutes, is currently available only in its shorter (and better paced) reissue version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, (more)
- 1930
Even allowing for the comparative freedom of the pre-Production Code years, 1930's Hell Harbor was pretty strong meat for its time. The story is set on a remote Caribbean island, entirely populated by descendants of Sir Henry Morgan's pirate crew. Morgan's brutish great-great-grandson Henry Morgan (Gibson Gowland) intends to shower himself with gold and to that end forces his daughter Anita (Lupe Velez) into a marriage with despicable moneylender Joseph Horngold (Jean Hersholt). Coming to Anita's rescue is shipwrecked American sailor Bob Wade (John Holland), whose presence sparks an unchecked riot on the island. The film's most chilling scene finds Morgan. Director Henry King also produced the film through his own Inspiration Pictures Corporation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lupe Velez, Jean Hersholt, (more)
