This was Tod Browning's penultimate film and his last in the horror genre. It has impressive special effects but its uneasy blend of evil science and chocolate box sentimentality means it's not entirely enjoyable.
Paul Lavond ( Lionel Barrymore ) is a wrongly accused banker who escapes from jail with a mad scientist Marcel ( Henry Walthall ) who plans to reduce the human race in size to conserve resources. They reach the home of his equally barmy wife Melita ( Rafaella Ottiano ) but Marcel dies of a heart attack that same evening. Though initially appalled at what they're doing Lavond sees a way of using the work to exact revenge on his former associates and restore his family's fortunes.
Lavond's revenge plot involves him disguising himself as an old crone which requires a healthy suspension of disbelief and a strong tolerance level for hammy acting.
Maureen O' Sullivan ( as Lorraine Lavond )
Sex : No
Death : Survives
Maureen was from Ireland and is most remembered for being Johnny Weismuller's most regular Jane in the Tarzan films and for being Mia Farrow's mother. She continued in acting on film, stage and television almost up to her death in 1998 aged 87.
Grace Ford ( as Nascha )
Sex : No
Death : After being shrunk to doll size, she presumably perishes when Melita blows up the laboratory
Grace appeared in just five films in total. She died in 1990 aged 76.
No comments:
Post a Comment