Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After meeting her on a ship to Haiti, Charles Beaumont falls in love with Madeline Short. She, however, is in love with Neil Parker and marries him. Determined to have her, Charles enlists the help of a local Voodoo witch doctor, "Murder" Legendre, and slips Madeline a potion through a flower that makes it appear as though she died on her wedding night. Legendre then uses his skills to turn Madeline into a zombie slave, a decision Charles soon regrets. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi , Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer , John Harron and Joseph Cawthorn. Review:  It had been a while since I last watched White Zombie, enough time to remember very little about it. So, when I came across the film last night, I decided to add it to my library and watch it this morning. The movie, as it turns out, is OK but I also understood why it was so easy to forget. I will start out by saying there are some good things about this film. Lugosi, for example, was solid as ...

When people talk about a movie, the main characters and the stars who play them are usually the ones who come to mind. However, as an avid movie watcher, I know the best films are the ones with strong supporting players who don't always get the fanfare they deserve and, in some cases, are even wrongfully vilified (or correctly vilified). Some of these supporting characters are even intriguing enough to justify their own film - either a spin-off movie or an origin story. While this has happened, there are plenty that didn't get that love that should have. Here are four I think are perfect examples, though not necessarily by the same actor/actress for obvious reasons. Maleva - The Wolf Man (1941) Before there was Larry Talbot ( Lon Chaney, Jr. ), there was Bela ( Bela Lugosi ), the gypsy fortune teller who bit Larry and changed him into a werewolf.  While Bela's origin story might also have merit, it is his mother, Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) who has always intrigued me most. ...

Synopsis: Seeking a cure for his werewolf curse, Larry Talbot travels to Ludwig Frankenstein's castle only to discover it has been burned to the ground and the monster still lives. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi , Patric Knowles , Dwight Frye , Lionel Atwill and Lon Chaney Jr. Synopsis: It had been ages since I last watched Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man so, when I came across it this morning, I just had to take the time to watch it again. Unfortunately, while I usually enjoy the original Universal monster movies and the expanded universe that was created by them long before that became a regular thing, this one wasn't as good as I remembered. My biggest problem with this movie is, despite the title, Frankenstein's monster (Lugosi) and the Wolf Man (Chaney) share surprisingly little screen time. I would describe this as a film that was more or less a sequel to The Wolf Man that happens to have a cameo from the other monster that lasted only about 10 min...

Synopsis: When Professor Richard Rinehart is murdered by a maniac, he divides his money between his daughter, Mary, his brother, John, and his servants. Sometime later, Mary's fiancé, Dr. Arthur Hornsby, who has invented a way to survive without oxygen, invites a team of scientists to bury him alive, only to have the experiment interrupted by the same maniac committing multiple murders in and around the manor. Who's in it? The movie stars George Meeker , Bela Lugosi , Wallace Ford , Sally Blane and Edwin Maxwell. Review: I came across Night of Terror on Amazon Prime yesterday evening and since it had a somewhat intriguing description and Bela Lugosi, I decided to give the film a try. It wasn't quite what I was expecting but still proved to be a reasonably decent film. While I thought the movie's slower pace prevented it from being a true horror movie, as the description claimed, I did think it proved to be a decent murder mystery. The simple explanation for the vari...

Synopsis: Henry Frankenstein's son, Wolf, returns with his family to claim his inheritance and is quickly met with hostility from the villagers. When a half-crazed blacksmith, Ygor, reveals the creature still lives, Wolf decides to continue his father's experiments to redeem his family's now-forsaken name. However, while he is successful, he quickly learns the blacksmith has an ulterior motive for helping him. Who's in it?  The movie stars Boris Karloff , Bela Lugosi , Basil Rathbone , Lionel Atwill and Josephine Hutchinson. Review: I've seen this movie in the past but there are so few movies that star both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi (not to mention Basil Rathbone and Lionel Atwill too) so, when I had an opportunity to re-watch it, I did. Overall, I have to say it was as good as I remembered. There are a couple things, in particular, I like about this film. The first is Basil Rathbone's performance as Wolf von Frankenstein. One of my biggest complaints abo...

Synopsis: During World War II, a group of American businessmen are killed one-by-one by the mysterious Monsieur Colomb, who came to the home of Dr. Bill Saunders under the pretense of being a patient and now keeps the home's owner under lock and key. Partly out of concern for Saunders' niece, Alice, Det. Dick Martin investigates, only to eventually learn an unexpected truth about what has been happening and its ties to Japan. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi , Clayton Moore , Joan Barclay, George Pembroke and Robert Frazer. Review: As much as I like Bela Lugosi, I have been reluctant to watch Black Dragons because, at least from the description, it just seemed like a movie he wouldn't be a good fit for. However, short on alternatives this morning, I decided to finally give the movie a try. Overall, it proved to be better than what I was expecting. I think the thing that impressed me most about this film is the mystery surrounding Monsieur Colomb (Lugosi). T...

Synopsis: Lady Jane Ainsley hunts down vampire Armand Tesla in London during World War I and successfully stakes him, freeing his werewolf assistant from his curse. Twenty-four years later, with London under threat of bombing because of a new World War, Scotland Yard, not believing her vampire explanation, wants to charge her with murder. However, before that can happen, a bomb reopens Tesla's tomb and workers remove the stake, freeing him to regain control over his former assistant and seek revenge against the woman who defeated him. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi ,  Frieda Inescort , Nina Foch, Roland Varno and Miles Mander. Review: My wife needed to take my daughter to a friend's house this evening (about a two-hour drive there and back) so, since I had some free time while waiting for her to safely return, I filled it with a movie. As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with a Bela Lugosi vampire movie, so I ended up watching The Return of the ...

Synopsis: After inventing a telescope that lets him see deep enough into space to see the distant past and a meteorite crashing in Africa long before human life, Dr. Janos Rukh leads an expedition to find the meteorite and after doing so, harvest an element dubbed Radium X. Rukh correctly believes Radium X can be used to heal people, but his exposure causes him to become infected and kill anything he touches. He is able to get his condition under control with the help of his colleague, Dr. Felix Benet. However, his obsession grows to the point his wife, Diana, leaves him for another man, and he grows even more isolated. When he learns Benet and another colleague, Sir Francis Stevens, have used his research for their own gain, he fakes his death and seeks revenge. Who's in it? The movie stars Boris Karloff , Bela Lugosi , Frances Drake , Frank Lawton and Walter Kingsford. Review: I started watching The Invisible Ray a couple years ago but got interrupted after the first 15 minu...

Synopsis: Medical student Donald Fettes is thrilled when the prominent Dr. Wolfe MacFarlane makes him his assistant. He becomes less thrilled when MacFarlane introduces him to the dark side of the profession, namely the acquisition of medical school cadavers from the local graverobber, John Gray. When a delicate surgery requires a practice body, Gray once again delivers, this time by murder. However, when MacFarlane attempts to end the business arrangement afterwards, Gray proves he isn't so easy to get rid of. Who's in it? The movie stars Boris Karloff , Henry Daniell, Russell Wade , Edith Atwater and Bela Lugosi. Review: I had heard of The Body Snatcher but never could seem to find time to watch it, despite it featuring two of my favorite 1940s stars in Karloff and Lugosi. I finally corrected that this morning and the movie more than lived up to my expectations. I think I can reasonably say this movie features Karloff in one of his best roles. John Gray is an intriguing c...

Synopsis: The Heath and Morton families have become incredibly wealthy selling cosmetics based on formulas created by Dr. Paul Carruthers. Curruthers, however, received only $10,000 for his formula and now holds a grudge. When the families add insult to injury by trying to surprise him with a $5000 bonus, Carruthers decides to get revenge by using his latest "perfume" to attract genetically enlarged bats to his intended victims. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi , Suzanne Kaaren, Dave O'Brien , Guy Usher and Donald Kerr. Review: I have attempted to watch The Devil Bat on a couple different occasions but because of interruptions, only managed to get through the first ten minutes or so of the film. I finally had an opportunity to watch the entire movie this morning and after doing so, think it is arguably Bela Lugosi's best non-Dracula film. The plot is a bit farfetched and the idea of growing giant killer bats in a home laboratory is a little on the unbel...

Synopsis: During the daytime, Professor Brenner is a noted expert teaching a college class in criminal psychology. At night, he runs a soup kitchen in the Bowery neighborhood of Manhattan, where he recruits men to help in his criminal endeavors, often killing them after the job is done (or as a distraction during a daytime robbery). What Brenner doesn't know is one of his accomplices, the drug-addicted Doc Brooks, has been conducting experiments on the bodies of the men he has killed. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi , John Archer, Wanda McKay, Tom Neal and Lew Kelly . Review : I've had Bowery at Midnight in my movie library for several months and, while I did start watching it at one point, I just now finally got around to seeing the entire movie this morning. While I wouldn't describe this as one of Bela Lugosi's better movies, it still turned out to be a reasonable choice.  Professor Brenner (Lugosi) was an intriguing character, running a criminal ente...

Synopsis: A rich and reclusive amputee invites the doctors who left him crippled to his mansion. One-by-one, they, along with the home's other guests, are murdered by a mysterious figure. Sensing his new love interest might also be in danger, a mystery writer must figure out who is behind the murders before it is too late. Who's in it?  The movie stars Bela Lugosi , Lionel Atwill , Irene Hervey, Nils Asther and Ralph Morgan . You can read my review here:  Movie Review: Night Monster (1942) _____________________________________________________________ Here are some reviews of other movies starring Bela Lugosi: Movie Review: The Thirteenth Chair (1929) Movie Review: Spooks Run Wild (1941) Movie Review: Murder by Television (1935)

Synopsis: While awaiting execution for a murder he claimed he didn't commit, Dr. Gordon Ramsay is rescued by a former colleague, Sir Joel Cadman, who uses a potion he refers to as "the Black Sleep" to make it look like Ramsay died in his cell. Cadman takes Ramsay to his estate and asks for his help with his medical experiments involving the human brain, which Cadman is performing so he can learn how to remove a tumor from his comatose wife. To Ramsay's horror, Cadman is experimenting on live people and leaving the survivors in a state of madness and deformity. Who's in it? The movie stars Basil Rathbone , Herbert Rudley , Bela Lugosi , Tor Johnson and Lon Chaney, Jr. Review: I came across The Black Sleep on Amazon Prime last night and mostly because it had a who's who of classic horror movie stars in its cast, I decided to watch it this morning. It ended up being a great choice. I think the thing I liked most about this movie was Cadman (Rathbone). He was...

Synopsis: When his friend, Spencer Lee, is murdered, Edward Wales holds a party in India with 11 friends and family members to stage a seance with Madame Rosalie La Grange and get person he believes is the killer to confess. However, after all the lights are turned off and before La Grange can reveal the name of the suspected killer, Wales is also murdered. When Inspector Delzante arrives to investigate, he names La Grange's daughter, Nellie, as the primary suspect, forcing the medium to try to solve the murders herself. Who's in it? The movie stars Conrad Nagel , Leila Hyams , Bela Lugosi , Mary Forbes and Margaret Wycherly. Review: Considering it was the movie that made Bela Lugosi a household name, it is sometimes easy to forget he had been a Hollywood actor prior to filming Dracula in 1931. That's why, when I came across The Thirteenth Chair , a film that was made two years prior, I decided to add it to my library. My opinion of it was a bit mixed. The main plot of ...

Synopsis: Muggs and the rest of the East Side Kids are arrested and sent to summer camp. They learn there is a notorious killer in the area and suspicions fall on a strange man who recently moved into a remote home. Things appear to turn supernatural when Peewee is shot, and the rest of the gang believes he turned into a zombie. Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey , Bela Lugosi , David Gorcey , Dorothy Short and Bobby Jordan. Review: I decided to give Spooks Run Wild a try this morning because, while I'm still not a big East Side Kids fan, I noticed it once again featured Bela Lugosi. That, and I couldn't find much else to watch. It ended up being an OK decision. As was the case with Ghosts on the Loose , the movie the film relies a lot on sight comedy that tends to distract from the overall plot. Some of the scenes were humorous while others just seemed like they were there to fill time. Basically, it was a movie that was designed to showcase what the East Side Ki...

Synopsis: When Glimpy's sister, Betty, gets married to Jack, Muggs and the rest of the East Side Kids decide to surprise the newlyweds by fixing up their new home before they get back from the honeymoon. However, in doing so, Muggs and the gang stumble upon a Nazi plot after mistakenly entering the wrong house. Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey , Huntz Hall , Bela Lugosi , Ava Gardner and Bobby Jordan . Review: I'm not a big East Side Kids fan and probably would have skipped over Ghosts on the Loose under normal circumstances. However, I saw this film also had Bela Lugosi and Ava Gardner in it and since I like both of them, decided to give it a try while waiting for my daughter to get done with work. I didn't hate it, but it didn't do much to change my mind about the East Side Kids either. My biggest problem with this movie was, for a film that is only about an hour in length, there is quite a bit filler. Many of the sight gags were drawn out longer than ...

Synopsis: Police are baffled when several brides drop dead at the alter and their bodies are later stolen. Society columnist Patricia Hunter notices all the brides were wearing the same orchid with a peculiar odor and, with her editor's reluctant approval, researches the clue. Her investigation brings her to a mad scientist, who is using the (not dead) brides' glandular fluids to maintain his wife's beauty. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi , Luana Walters , Tristram Coffin , Elizabeth Russell and Minerva Urecal . Review: I've known about this movie for some time now but never had an opportunity to watch it until this morning. At first, I wasn't sure what to think about it but it ended up being a good film. The movie probably could have used a little more of a mystery, especially when it came to how the brides were "killed" while exchanging vows at the altar. However, even without they mystery, it was an entertaining movie. This is especially ...

Synopsis: When unpopular character actor, Myles Brent, is killed while filming a death scene, studio executives want to pass it off as accidental. However, screenwriter Franklyn Drew believes Brent was murdered and, despite the police wanting him to stay out of it, tries to figure out who the killer is. Who's in it? The movie stars David Manners , Adrienne Ames , Bela Lugosi , John Wray and Vince Barnett. Review: I came across this film on one of my movie channels a couple days ago and, even though the description didn't tell me a whole lot about it, decided to give it a try this morning. Overall, it ended up being a halfway decent murder mystery. I think the thing I liked best about this film was it was how there were no favorites as far as who killed Brent ( Edmund Burns ). There were a number of people on set at the time of his death, including some who would have wanted him killed, and it was timed in a way where just about anyone could have snuck in and fired the fatal...

Synopsis: When eccentric millionaire Cyrus Rutherford dies, his final instructions say some of his heirs will receive $500,000 and the rest $1.50 for cab fare. However, if he is not interred in a glass-roofed vault as instructed and is buried instead, the terms of his unread will would reverse. As Rutherford's heirs plot against each other, an insurance salesman, Albert Tuttle, arrives at the house and, thanks to Rutherford's beautiful niece, Carol, winds up in the middle of things. Who's in it? The movie stars Jack Haley , Bela Lugosi , Jean Parker , Blanche Yurka and Lyle Talbot . Review : I came across One Body Too Many a few days ago and thought it looked interesting enough to add to my library. I had an opportunity to watch it this morning and, while it wasn't as funny as I thought it might be, it still ended up being entertaining. Overall, I thought the plot of this film was unique and interesting. Even though the heirs didn't know how much Rutherford left...

Synopsis: Charles Kessler believes his wife left him, but she is actually being hidden by one of his servants after suffering brain damage from an automobile accident. Whenever Charles sees her wandering the grounds at night, it causes him to go into a trance that turns him into a homicidal maniac. Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi , Polly Ann Young , Clarence Muse , John McGuire and Betty Compson. Review: I came across this film on one of our movie channels a few days ago and, since I had some extra time this morning, decided to watch it. It wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be but did turn out to be a decent movie overall. I had hoped this film would be more of a mystery, with servants' bodies popping up and no idea who was behind the murders and, at first at least, was a bit disappointed when the movie revealed it was Kessler (Lugosi) committing them. However, as the movie progressed, I found that wasn't as important as I thought it would be. The way...