The Monster (1925)

Directed by Roland West [Other horror films: The Bat (1926), The Bat Whispers (1930)]

While The Monster is a decent movie, I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a classic. It’s an okay silent film, certainly watchable, but when it comes to silent horror, it’s not one that I’d go back to all that often, and I think it falls somewhere around average.

I think my biggest issue is that, for a forty or so minute period, not much seems to happen. Three characters are trapped in a room, and spend that time trying to get out. It’s not quite as dire and dull as it sounds – one of the characters explores a secret passage while the others deal with poisoned wine and a thieving surgeon – but even so, it was a bit trying to get through.

Generally, the story’s not bad, even with the humorous tilt the movie tends to have. I enjoy abandoned sanitariums and creepy doctors (Lon Chaney), and this movie has that in spades. Actually, it’s one of the earliest old dark house mystery-type films (though I’d need to see One Exciting Night to be sure), and for that reason alone, it’s fun. That said, if you have a hankering for comedic old dark house movies, The Cat and the Canary is likely much preferred.

Lon Chaney (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera) does make for a threatening mad scientist. I dug his performances, though neither of his minions – the strong mute Caliban (played by Walter James) and the creepy Rigo (Frank Austin) – really got much character. That said, Rigo did have a creepy look to him. Johnny Arthur (The Ghost Walks) was an okay lead, but sometimes it got a bit old with how jumpy he was. Gertrude Olmstead and Hallam Cooley made for fine side characters, and Charles Sellon looked ancient (despite only being around 55 when this came out).

The last twenty minutes of this are pretty action-packed, and despite being a comedy/horror mix, there wasn’t much comedy infused into the antics toward the finale. There was a scene that had Johnny Arthur’s character walk across power lines as though they were tightropes – holding a long stick to help with balance – during a lighting storm. At first, I sort of groaned when I saw the set-up, but that scene wasn’t played for laughs – the score was suspenseful, and though it looked ridiculous, the lack of jaunty music actually helped me appreciate it more.

I have seen this one once before, though I can’t recall too much about that viewing. I suspect I was somewhat bored by some of it, as it didn’t make much of an impression on me. Even today, I do think portions overstay their welcome – though I will admit to being amused when Johnny Arthur’s character accidentally got intoxicated.

The Monster is an okay foray into silent horror. I don’t think it’s a particularly good movie, nor do I think it’s necessarily memorable, but it’s not bad, and as the kids say, that means it’s average.

7/10