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Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) starring Bela Lugosi, Sidney Fox, Leon Waycoff (Ames). Directed by Robert Florey. Screenplay by Tom Reed, Dale Van Every. Based on the short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe in Graham's Magazine (Apr 1841). Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. Run time: 62 minutes. USA. Black and White. Pre-Code, Horror.
How does one follow up on a landmark performance? This is
what faced Universal Pictures and Bela Lugosi after he made Dracula
(1931). The original thought was to star him in Frankenstein, which is what director Robert Florey intended, with Carl Laemmle, Jr. wanting
Lugosi to play the monster. According to TCM, “Accounts vary, but Lugosi was to
say that he turned down the monster role because it was not a speaking part;
others claim that at the time he threw himself into the preparations. What is
known is that Florey, working with Garrett Fort, completed a draft of a
screenplay for Frankenstein, and shot a make-up test with Lugosi (as the
monster), Edward Van Sloan, and Dwight Frye. This footage, shot over two days, June 16 and 17, 1931, is long-gone and much-discussed
among horror fans.”
