Customer Reviews

Bowery at Midnight

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the first Alpha Video DVD I have purchased and I must say, "you get what you pay for." Yes, this DVD is cheap, but it isn't entirely worthless. The source print for the DVD is from an Astor Pictures rerelease. There are several scratches, but the picture is pretty clear. The sound is not perfect, but typical of the Monogram pictures of the period. There are some annoying splices that break some of the dialogue.

The film itself is probably in the middle of the pack of Lugosi's Monogram programmers. Not the best, but certainly far superior to his two East Side Kids films. Lugosi plays a man leading a double life, one a college professor and the other as a ruthless gangster. Not really a true horror picture other than the drug addicted doctor that works for Lugosi.

Just a couple of more comments about Alpha Video. There are no extras on this DVD and there are only 4 chapters (and they don't even cover the entire film!). Also amusing is that the website listed on the back doesn't even take you to the Alpha Video website. The one positive is that the artwork on the DVD is very nice and will make collectors take notice.

Bowery at Midnight (1942) stars Bela Lugosi in one of his many 'poverty row' films, a time when Lugosi was on the outs with the major studios and subsequently worked with independent studios like Monogram and PRC. Directed by Wallace Fox (the back of the box mistakenly says Wallace 'Cox'), most known for his westerns, who also directed another one of Lugosi's low-end films called The Corpse Vanishes (1942). Bela plays three roles in this film, a kindly soup kitchen operator on skid row, a psychology professor and loving husband, and finally a vicious crime lord (I kept wondering when this character found time to sleep).

Basically the plot runs that Bela runs a soup kitchen, enlisting the aid of various criminal elements that pass through to perform heists, jobs, scores, whatever, while maintaining a secret life as a educator...once an individual outlives his usefulness in Lugosi's crime organization, that individual is then eliminated, keeping turnover high and costs down. This also helped to keep Lugosi's activities secret. Also, if a henchman exhibited the slightest bit of treachery, he was gone...like all the way gone, if you know what I mean (I love how they would bury these poor fellows in the basement, and then put markers with their names, no less, showing where each one rested. Not the smartest move, in my opinion, but whatever). And that soup kitchen/criminal lair...I haven't seen that many secret doors in like...well...ever. How in the heck did they keep track of all of them? Anyway, one of Bela's students, who is involved with Bela's female assistant at the soup kitchen, decides to do a paper on transients, unaware that his teacher is also the man in charge of the soup kitchen. He finds himself in dire trouble as he stumbles across Bela's alter ego, and soon the police are involved. There was an actor in the movie, Dave O'Brien, who plays a detective, which I recognized from somewhere, but couldn't place until I finally remembered he was also in the movie 'Reefer Madness' aka 'Tell Your Children' (1938). Soon Bela's worlds begin to collide as the police close in, and he meets a suitable fate involving recently deceased criminals resurrected from the dead?! This movie has everything. For a cheapie little movie, I found much to like with the sets and decor. The makers of this movie may not have had much, but what they had, they used very well. A fine example of making the best of what you've got. Oh, and keep an eye out. About 17 minutes into the movie, you may notice a movie poster for one of Lugosi's other poverty row movies, made within the same year. The hour run time serves nicely to keep things moving as the pace rarely slows down.

This disc was released by Lugosi's Estate, and has many worthwhile features including a digitally remastered picture from 35mm film elements, commentary by film historian Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr., a photo gallery, some trailers featuring Lugosi's other poverty row releases including one with the Bowery Boys, a wonderful mini movie poster insert, and there is even a radio episode called "Gasoline Cocktail" from some old time radio crime show. If you are interested in getting this movie on DVD, this is the one to get, rather than some of those cheaper releases floating around.

Cookieman108

One item few fans know about Bela Lugosi is that, in his spare time, he was an excellent gourmet cook. Give him a few ingredients, a little time, and he could give the Iron Chef a run for his money. This philosophy also influenced Lugosi's films. Quite often he was called upon to make a decent meal from scattered leftovers. Sometimes his main ingredient would be a portion of ham, depending on the film involved. But, give him a good script and he shone like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day.

"Bowery at Midnight" gives Lugosi a chance to stretch his acting legs. He plays a character who uses three different guises during the course of the film. By day he is a respected professor of criminal psychology as the City University. In his spare time, he is a kindly do-gooder who runs a soup kitchen in the Bowery. But we soon learn this is a cover for his real persona, a snarling, ruthless crime boss who mistreats everyone who had the bad fortune to work for him. Work for this Lugosi at your own peril, for when he has decided you have lost your usefulness, he tosses you to his henchman doctor for disposal. Unknown to Bela, the doc, whom he has also badly misterated, gets revenge by transforming them into zombie-like creatures and keeps them in the mission's basement. When the police catch on, Bela goes to his mistreated employee for help and a place to hide. The doc is more than happy to oblige, leading Bela down the steps to the basement - and his doom at the hands of those he had previously cast aside.

Given the 61 minute running time, the script has to sacrifice characterization for action, but it keeps its continuity quite well and makes sense throughout the film. It's actually fun to see Lugosi in three different characters, going from the pompous, elitist professor of criminology to the kindly, caring social worker to the thoroughly nasty gang boss.

This is the second DVD in the "Bela Lugosi Presents" series and like the first, "The Devil Bat," it is loaded with wonderful extras. First, the picture quality is excellent, as it digitally remastered from a 35mm print. You will not find this quality in other DVD versions of this movie. Secondly, the commentary by Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr., serves to enhance the viewing experience by filling us in on behind the scenes information on both the film and Bela's private life. A rare photo and poster gallery is included, as well as a collectable movie poster insert, giving a flavor of the times to the viewer. As if that wasn't enough, a few Lugosi trailers are thrown in as is, as an extra bonus, "Gasoline Cocktail," a radio drama starring none other than Bela himself. If you think his voice is exceptional in the movies, wait until you hear it on radio. Simply fabulous for Bela fans, and cinema fans in general.

I can only hope that Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr. do not stop here. Having whetted our appetites with this feast for eyes and ears, we impatiently look forward to their next offering.

Man, there is just something about this cheap little flick. And that something is Bela Lugosi. Although he is essenially one character, that character plays 3 roles in the film. Part of the low-brow charm of BOWERY is that, at times, you feel like you're watching 3 different films. With that lean 61-minute running time, the action comes fast and the body count rises rapidly.

Bela certainly made better poverty-row films (Devil Bat, Invisible Ghost), but BOWERY is still pretty entertaining.

This is the 2nd release by the Lugosi Estate, and it's a keeper. The picture and sound quality are mostly top-notch (some of the exterior night scenes are pretty murky, but they probably didn't look that great to begin with). There's another audio commentary track by Bela Lugosi Jr. and genre critic Ted Newsome. You won't learn much about the movie, but Bela Jr. does have some great memories of his father to share. You also get another fun radio play starring Bela Sr., and 2 trailers for other Lugosi flicks.

All in all, a must-have for Lugosi fans. Let's hope his estate will make good on Bela Jr.'s promise to keep 'em coming.

Another great release from the Lugosi estate. Print quality is down a little from the first release, but is probably as good as it gets. Apparantly, there are no more to come, which is a very sad state of affairs. My greatest wish would be for the Lugosi Estate to release some of his other public domain films that are so hard to get a decent release of. The special features are excellent.

Bela is excellent as both the "good" professor Brenner, and the cold, heartless, e-vil Kenneth Wagner, owner / operator of the Friendly Mission. No one knows that Wagner is also a sadistic criminal mastermind! He's been using the mission as a front for his underworld enterprises, committing heists and killing off henchmen as fast as he can replace 'em! His office is loaded w/ secret passages and he's got a graveyard in the sub-basement full of his ex-partners in crime! There's even a sub-sub-basement where Wagner's mad doctor pal keeps his unnatural experiments alive! I love this movie! Bela plays his good / bad roles w/ ease and dexterity, never seeming overly angelic nor demonic. Of course, I prefer his wicked persona! BOWERY AT MIDNIGHT would make a perfect double bill w/ HUMAN MONSTER, another of Bela's dual role projects...

This film opens in a prison. One man tries to escape, and succeeds. The Friendly Mission gives soup to all who enter. "Fingers" finds a friend there. Is there something going on? Will there be a double-cross? They show an early television set in use. A maniac is burglarizing places, he leaves the body of an accomplice at each job. The psychology class tells us about paranoiacs and their danger. There is a robbery and a shooting. Frankie Mills hides in a new location. Who will he replace? Will Judy stop helping the underprivileged? She wants to save humanity. Will she save herself?

There is a diversion outside a jeweler's shop. Then he is robbed! The homicidal maniac has struck again. Richard Dennison visits the Friendly Mission to get an education, and finds out something he didn't want to know. The police search for Dennison. Judy finds the graves, and grave danger. The police arrive and save Judy and Richard. The professor goes underground for keeps.

This is a low-budget film but is not a simple story. Its complex story is quite incredible. This is a crime story, not a horror story. [The double life of a professor recalls "The Woman in the Window", a better story.]

This is a decent movie, provided that you try not to think about it for very long. BOWERY AT MIDNIGHT (1942) gives Bela Lugosi an opportunity of playing three roles: a mild-mannered college professor, a generous philanthropist, and a ruthless cutthroat crime-boss (he's not playing different characters; he's playing one character who lives a double life... I mean... triple life). Lugosi's a good enough actor to successfully pull this off, but the script doesn't do him any favors.

Judy and her smug, pompous boyfriend Richard don't realize it, but they both know Bela Lugosi's character. Judy knows him as Karl Wagner, a gentle soul -- a man who cheerfully donates his time running a soup kitchen in an extremely impoverished area. Richard is a bland college boy, enrolled in a psychology class taught by Lugosi's Professor Fredrick Brenner. Neither of them realizes that Bela Lugosi appears in both their lives. Nor do they suspect him of being a criminal mastermind, who somehow manages to keep his hideout (disguised in the back of the soup kitchen) fully staffed with villains even though he seems to kill off a heavy during each robbery. (How do his underlings not realize that eventually he's going to kill them? Don't they notice that every thug around them is being bumped off?)

This film is only 62 minutes long, and it makes no attempts at being anything except a fun diversion. It's a standard, straightforward thriller with a slight supernatural element. I didn't find it particularly scary or horrific, but it's absorbing enough. It's strange that I could clearly notice how clueless the characters would have to be to do some of the things they do; yet I was still interested in seeing how everything turned out. Oddly, it's Bela Lugosi's deceitful and murderous character who turns out to be the most likable. Richard and Judy are far far too boring to cheer for.

In addition to the characters' extreme density, the script contains several portions that just don't make much sense. Or at least don't give the audience enough to figure out why things are happening. I don't need everything spelled out for me, but a little explanation would have gone a long way. Using the soup kitchen as a front for criminal activities makes sense, but why does he hide the charity from his wife?

Why bother splitting the nice, kindly professor identity away from the nice, kindly soup kitchen owner identity? Which is the "real" personality? Why does Richard give differing accounts of his future term paper to the professor and to his girlfriend? Obviously he's lying to one or the other, but why bother? (It's vaguely implied that he's telling the truth to Judy and lying to the professor about what he's writing. I can't recommend that as a successful way of getting a decent grade at the end of the semester.)

I'm reviewing the Digiview edition of this DVD, and after viewing several of the discs from that company, I can only assume that they don't hire a copy editor for the text on the back cover. Despite the written summary, Judy (Wanda McKay) is not Professor Brenner's student.

The picture on this Digiview disc is a little murky in places, but its perfectly viewable. The sound quality can be muffled at times, but, again, it's definitely acceptable.

The script relies far too heavily on unbelievable coincidences. Judy and Richard just happen to know the same man. Every major criminal in the city randomly wanders into Wagner's soup kitchen. Still, I had fun while watching and that counts for a lot. The fact that it's so short helps. Extended for another hour, these flaws would be more than enough to sink the film. As it stands now, it doesn't fully add up but it's definitely an entertaining hour.

Bela Lugosi (1882-1956) was at the peak of his career in the 1930s; by the 1940s, however, he had begun to slip, working primarily in B pictures made by second string studios and infamously finishing up in the 1950s in a series of grade Z movies directed by the notorious Ed Wood. Released by Monogram Studios in 1942, BOWERY AT MIDNIGHT finds the actor already into his downward slide, but even so it is neither as bad a few of his earlier B pictures and it is a far cry from his later Z pictures--indeed, and in spite of a nonsensical plot, both the movie and Lugosi received reasonably good reviews.

The story has several clever accents. Lugosi leads a double life, a respectably married college professor by day and a vicious criminal by night, operating a soup kitchen where he meets and recruits criminals on the run and then has his second in command kill them when they are no longer useful. Or so he thinks: in actual fact one of his handy men, once a famous doctor, has been busy with experiments, and he has managed to revive a number of Lugosi's victims into zombie-like creatures that will ultimately prove Lugosi's undoing.

It's all a lot of hooey, with police officers running around baffled, frightened heroines, gibbering zombies in the basement, an innocent wife murdered, and a victim who seems to become a zombie but mysteriously returns to health without any explanation. Even with the marginal run time of sixty minutes the film feels a bit slow, but Lugosi did far worse films, and this one will amuse his many fans. The sound elements are fuzzy, but the picture is fairly good, and the menu offers a few interesting notes on the production. Vaguely recommended, but pretty much for hardcore Lugosi fans only.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer
In Memory of Webster Armstrong

Passport Video presents "The Bela Lugosi Box - 15 Frightful Films" (1942) --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Béla Lugosi was the stage name of actor Béla Ferenc Dezs' Blaskó (October 20, 1882 - August 16, 1956) --- Lugosi was born in Lugos, Hungary, at the time part of Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), the youngest of four children of a baker --- best known for his portrayal of "Dracula" in the American Broadway stage production, and subsequent film, of Bram Stoker's classic vampire story.

Late in his life, he again received star billing in movies when filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr., a fan of Lugosi, found him living in obscurity and near-poverty and offered him roles in his films, such as "GLEN OR GLENDA?" (1953) (in which his role made no more sense than the rest of the movie) and as a Dr. Frankenstein-like mad scientist in "BRIDE OF THE MONSTER" (1955), during post-production of the latter, Lugosi entered treatment for his addiction, and the premier of the film was ostensibly intended to help pay for his treatment expenses. The extras on an early DVD release of "PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE" (1959) include an impromptu interview with Lugosi upon his exit from the treatment center, which provide some rare personal insights into the man --- this was one of Lugosi's most infamous roles was released after he was dead. Ed Wood (Director) features footage of Lugosi interspersed with a double --- Wood had taken a few minutes of silent footage of Lugosi, in his Dracula cape, for a planned vampire picture but was unable to find financing for the project --- Wood later conceived of Plan 9, Wood wrote the script to incorporate the Lugosi footage and hired his wife's chiropractor to double for Lugosi in additional shots --- notice however the "double" is thinner than Lugosi, and covers the lower half of his face with his cape in every shot --- Leonard Maltin (Famous Film Critic) was quoted - "Lugosi died during production, and it shows."

Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956 while lying in bed in his Los Angeles home. He was 73 --- Bela Lugosi was buried wearing one of the many capes from the Dracula stageplay, as per the request of his son and fifth wife, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California --- Contrary to popular belief, Lugosi never requested to be buried in his famous cloak; Bela Lugosi, Jr. has confirmed on numerous occasions that he and his mother, Lillian, arrived at their decision independently.

BIOS:
1. Bela Lugosi (aka: Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó)
Date of birth: 20 October 1882 - Lugos, Austria-Hungary. [now Lugoj, Romania]
Date of death: 16 August 1956 - Los Angeles, California
2. Edward D. Wood Jr. (Director, Writer and Producer)
Date of birth: 10 October 1924 - Poughkeepsie, New York
Date of death: 10 December 1978 - North Hollywood, California

This collection of "The Bela Lugosi Box - 15 Frightful Films" (1942) --- still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years --- but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten ... Plus the half-hour tribute "100 Years of Horror: Bela Lugosi", hosted by Christopher Lee --- and a great job by Passport Video for this release --- looking forward to more of the same from the '20s and '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or Passport Video, stay tuned once again for more remarkable films from the vaults of classic television and Hollywood during the Golden Era of Entertaiment.

Total Time: 1034 mins on DVD ~ Passport Video #5260 ~ (9/05/2006)