Murders in the Rue Morgue

""Will my search never end?""

A horror movie by Universal from year 1932. It is an adaptation of a novel with the same name by Edgar Allan Poe. The film changes a lot from the original novel, turning a murder mystery into a typical Universal Horror Mad Scientist tale. However, it keeps just enough intact, so there are major spoilers concerning the original story.

It is the year 1845 and a carnival has come to Paris. One of the sideshows feature a man named Dr. Mirakle (Bela Lugosi) and his gorilla Erik, which he touts to be the missing link between man and ape. He spends his free time by trying to prove this claim, namely kidnapping women and injecting them with Erik's blood to find out if they are compatible.

This method proves to be fatal to his test subjects and the string of bodies he is leaving behind attracts the curiosity of the medical student Pierre Dupin. Coincidentally, Dr. Mirakle has took interest on Dupin's sweetheart Camille, as Erik has took liking to her. Perhaps she has the right type of blood?


 * Amateur Sleuth: Dupin.
 * Axe Before Entering: The crowd breaking down the door of Camille's apartment and the chantarms breaking down the backdoor to Dr. Mirakle's hideout.
 * An Axe to Grind: Janos prefers carrying an axe.
 * Belly Dancer: The carnival in the opening has a few.
 * Big Ol Unibrow: Dr. Mirakle exemplifies Type II.
 * Comic Relief: Dupin's roommate Paul.
 * The Coroner: The unnamed coroner who supplies Dupin with material and specimens from the morgue.
 * Damsel in Distress: Camille in the end.
 * Disney Villain Death: Erik's death.
 * Disposable Sex Worker: The first victim of Dr. Mirakle.
 * Everything's Better With Monkeys
 * Evilutionary Biologist: Dr. Mirakle has no problem with murder during his searh for the connection of man and ape. Only thing that bugs him are his repetitive failures.
 * Eyepatch of Power: One of the vagrants under the bridge wear one.
 * Gay Paree
 * Gory Discretion Shot: Erik attacking Camille's mother.
 * The Igor: Janos.
 * Knife Fight: Dr. Mirakle witnesses two men knife fighting over an implied street walker.
 * Mad Scientist
 * Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Dr. Mirakle.
 * Outside Ride: Dupin lifts a ride from a carriage to find Dr. Mirakle's hideout.
 * The Power of Blood: Dr. Mirakle beliefs that Erik's blood is a key component in finding the missing link between man and ape.
 * Public Domain Soundtrack: The film opens with Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake Overture".
 * Screaming Woman: Camille and her mother when Erik breaks into their apartment.
 * Shadow Discretion Shot: Dr. Mirakle's death.
 * Trap Door: Dr. Mirakle keeps one under his bound test subjects for easy disposing.