I can't help it. I LIKE this film. Terribly subjective, I know, but... This film is an adaption of an Edgar Wallace novel, like his "The Green Archer", "The Four Just Men", and many, many others, almost all of which have a near-byzantine plot structure amidst the thrills and chills a la Sax Rohmer's "Fu Manchu" stories. They were written in a totally different day and age for a different audience. That a great many more were adapted for film in Europe should give you an idea of their popularity. Like many Wallace's tales, there are dark deeds abounding, naturally having to do with financial gain via insurance fraud and murder, with the Evil Ringleader sitting at the center of it all, dispatching his evil minions to do his bidding, while cloaked in a disguise of (almost) perfect respectability. If you think about it, the big difference, structurally, between this and other films like Humphrey Bogart's "The Enforcer" and Brando's "The Godfather" is that the audience already KNOWS who doing the killing. American audiences even today just don't buy a racketeer being totally anonymous even to the cops(However, if someone were to successfully adapt Forrest Evers' "Take-over" for the big screen, it might change a lot of people's minds).As for me, Don Vito Corleone's hit man, Luca Brasi, doesn't hold a candle to the terrifying henchman,Blind Jake...yes, I like this film. Seen in the proper spirit, it should creep you out, too!
49 Reviews
Far from brilliant, but very high on the "creepy factor"
planktonrules3 April 2008
Bela Lugosi made a lot of schlocky films during his career. While DARK EYES OF London is definitely a low budget film, thanks to decent writing and a very creepy style it manages to entertain even after almost 70 years.
Bela plays a totally amoral criminal who runs an insurance company. He insures people and makes himself the beneficiary after making these people loans. But instead of waiting to collect the money, he drowns them and throws their body in the Thames. While an interesting scheme, he oddly does it repeatedly--naturally arousing the suspicions of the police.
In addition to being an insurance man, Lugosi also is a benefactor to a home for indigent blind men. However, this act of kindness is a front, as this home is where Bela commits his murders with the help of a truly horrifying looking blind assistant. Near the very end, you actually get to see him kill one of his innocent victims and toss him in the river in a very graphic way--hence deservedly earning its special horror rating in the UK.
The film earns some points for an unusual plot and its graphic scenes--it really is a pretty scary film for 1940. However, there are a few lulls, some overacting by the idiot playing the cop from Chicago and the irrationality of Lugosi committing so many murders yet hoping to get away with it when he's the only rational suspect. By the way, speaking of the Chicago cop, do all Brits see us Americans as THAT brash and annoying?! I sure hope not! You also wonder why they even bothered including this character, as he was rather distracting and unnecessary.
Bela plays a totally amoral criminal who runs an insurance company. He insures people and makes himself the beneficiary after making these people loans. But instead of waiting to collect the money, he drowns them and throws their body in the Thames. While an interesting scheme, he oddly does it repeatedly--naturally arousing the suspicions of the police.
In addition to being an insurance man, Lugosi also is a benefactor to a home for indigent blind men. However, this act of kindness is a front, as this home is where Bela commits his murders with the help of a truly horrifying looking blind assistant. Near the very end, you actually get to see him kill one of his innocent victims and toss him in the river in a very graphic way--hence deservedly earning its special horror rating in the UK.
The film earns some points for an unusual plot and its graphic scenes--it really is a pretty scary film for 1940. However, there are a few lulls, some overacting by the idiot playing the cop from Chicago and the irrationality of Lugosi committing so many murders yet hoping to get away with it when he's the only rational suspect. By the way, speaking of the Chicago cop, do all Brits see us Americans as THAT brash and annoying?! I sure hope not! You also wonder why they even bothered including this character, as he was rather distracting and unnecessary.
Enjoyable Lugosi flick.
Mike-76423 August 2003
Dr. Orloff has been endowing funds to the Dearborn Institute for the Blind, but is using the institute as a home for his sinister activities. Orloff has been ordering the murders of a series of men who have named Orloff as their insurance beneficiary, as collateral for a monetary loan. Scotland Yard Inspector Holt, also teaming up with Lt. O'Reilly (from Chicago) and Diana Stuart, daughter of the latest murder victim, try to uncover the connection of Orloff, the Dearborn Institute, and the murdered men. I enjoyed this movie more than I expected I would. Lugosi gives a very good performance, and the movie has a good aura of mystery about it which only enhance the audience's attention, despite the film's modest small budget. Rating, 7.
A Sight to Behold
BaronBl00d14 December 2000
Forget all those naysayers that talk about Bela Lugosi's inability to act, or that he was only good in Dracula and hammed it up in everything else, or that all his Poverty Row films are cheaply made, thin pieces of poor excuses for celluloid. The Human Monster, also known as Dark Eyes of London, is cheaply made and does star Bela, but it is a wonderful film. It tells the story of Bela the insurance broker who loans money to people and signs them up for an insurance policy, only later to kill them for the money. Bela uses a home for the blind as a cover-up for his operation. Lugosi is simply wonderful in his dual roles, and is as menacing as ever playing both the brokering fiend and the head of the Blind Home. This film is low on set and costume design, and has some pretty average performers, but make no mistake that it is an average horror thriller. It simply is a sight to behold!
Bela Lugosi - an insurance broker you can trust.
chrismartonuk-128 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Routine Edgar Wallace caper with some gruesome touches but is enlivened by a memorable performance by Bela. The film was made shortly after Bela's career recovered (temporarily) with Ygor and the revival of the horror genre after the doldrums of the late 30's. Paid a princely sum (by his usual standard) of $7,500 for 2 weeks work, Bela rises to the occasion in a role that owed more to Tod Slaughter - an outwardly-respectable pillar of the community with links to the underworld and a grisly secret or two in his closet. He is generosity personified as he is introduced in a meeting with client Dr Stuart. But, after all, he is Bela Lugosi. The scene where Stuart is lured by Bela to the room at the Blind Institute to be drowned by Jake is very creepy, especially when Lugosi slams the door shut as realisation dawns.
You may spot that Bela plays both Orloff and Mr Dearborn complete with white wig, moustache, pipe and dubbed Felix Aylmer-like tones of O B Clarance. But it is not immediately obvious. The rest of the cast is competent, if unexceptional. Greta Gynt is a very attractive heroine and would have made in ideal Mina for Lugosi's Count. Wilfred Walter steals the film as Blind Jake complete with grunts straight out of Karloff's Monster. Just as THE GHOUL was a typical pre-war English country house mystery with Boris Karloff plonked down in the middle to enliven it and make it saleable as a horror film, DARK EYES OF London is a typical Edgar Wallace police procedural with Bela doing his mad genius shtick. The opening titles display Bela's eyes over a vista of London similar to WHITE ZOMBIE and his scenes operating on Dumb Lew recall his mad scientist roles - only much more sadistic. VAMPIRE OVER London reveals that Lugosi could have made more films for Argyle only for the advent of World War 2 to put the mockers on that. Once again, a British film studio paid Lugosi better than Universal. Might Bela have been better advised to emigrate to the UK instead of the USA?
You may spot that Bela plays both Orloff and Mr Dearborn complete with white wig, moustache, pipe and dubbed Felix Aylmer-like tones of O B Clarance. But it is not immediately obvious. The rest of the cast is competent, if unexceptional. Greta Gynt is a very attractive heroine and would have made in ideal Mina for Lugosi's Count. Wilfred Walter steals the film as Blind Jake complete with grunts straight out of Karloff's Monster. Just as THE GHOUL was a typical pre-war English country house mystery with Boris Karloff plonked down in the middle to enliven it and make it saleable as a horror film, DARK EYES OF London is a typical Edgar Wallace police procedural with Bela doing his mad genius shtick. The opening titles display Bela's eyes over a vista of London similar to WHITE ZOMBIE and his scenes operating on Dumb Lew recall his mad scientist roles - only much more sadistic. VAMPIRE OVER London reveals that Lugosi could have made more films for Argyle only for the advent of World War 2 to put the mockers on that. Once again, a British film studio paid Lugosi better than Universal. Might Bela have been better advised to emigrate to the UK instead of the USA?
A Dark Story
claudio_carvalho26 November 2006
In London, the Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is assigned to investigate a serious of deaths apparently in accidents. However, a further inquiry shows that all the victims are men without family and insurance policy released by the insurance agent Dr. Feodor Orloff (Bela Lugosi) and the beneficiary is a home for blind administrated by Prof. John Dearborn (Bela Lugosi). When Henry Stuart is found drowned, his daughter Diana (Greta Gynt) comes to London and helps Holt and his American partner Lieutenant O'Reilly (Edmon Ryan) in their investigation.
"The Dark Eyes of London" is an interesting B-movie with a good dark story and a great performance of Bela Lugosi. Unfortunately the quality of the VHS released in Brazil impairs the cinematography of the film. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Monstro Humano" ("The Human Monster")
"The Dark Eyes of London" is an interesting B-movie with a good dark story and a great performance of Bela Lugosi. Unfortunately the quality of the VHS released in Brazil impairs the cinematography of the film. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Monstro Humano" ("The Human Monster")
The Dark Eyes of London
CinemaSerf12 February 2023
Bela Lugosi tries hard here, but he really can't quite hold it all together as the doctor who is indirectly collecting insurance policies held on men who are brutally murdered. We know from early on just who is doing the killing and just who is pulling the strings, so to a certain extent we are just really marking the homework of Hugh Williams' "Insp. Holt" as he investigates the crimes and tries to get to the bottom of things before any more people are killed. His investigation is soon being assisted by the daughter of one of the victims - "Diana" (Greta Gynt) and that brings him to a school for the blind where Lugosi's "Dr. Orloff" acts as a consultant. Can he put two and two together in time? If it lost ten/fifteen minutes then it could have worked better, but even at 75 minutes it's too long with not enough happening to sustain the interest in what is a dark and gloomy production that is sadly devoid of jeopardy. It might actually have worked better on stage - it has some of the hallmark ingredients of a solid, if unimaginative, one act play - but on a big screen it's unremarkable fayre, I'm afraid.
Watch this for Bela!
dsayne22 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Human Monster/Dark Eyes of London has some fine moments mingled with the tedious and the ridiculous. The cinematography is excellent in places and competent all the time. The characters are capably acted, even the monstrous Jake whose makeup, if you can call it that, is so corny it's embarrassing. The viewer must deal with the fact that the detectives in the film are agonizingly slow to see what any ten-year old could see right from Bela Lugosi's first scene; namely, that he is up to no good and that there is definitely something not quite right about this guy. In fact, one wonders why his victims don't catch on because Bela really hams it up at times. Now don't be angry at me, I'm a great fan of Lugosi, but he overplays his evil moments as Dr Orloff in the early going, tipping the audience much too soon.
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER!!
We are, however, treated to one of Bela's more delicate characterizations in the form of Professor Dearborn. The change in mannerisms is astounding because if you are not very familiar with Bela Lugosi you might not even realize it is he playing the part. I know this is true because it is what happened to my wife. She did not catch that Bela was Dearborn! The illusion is aided greatly by the nearly perfect dubbing of another actor's voice for Dearborn. This was accomplished brilliantly and it is a shame that the voice actor gets no credit. Bela completes the illusion with gentle mannerisms that are both subtle and natural. He is completely believable in the part of Dearborn. He is also convincing as Orloff in the latter part of the film, especially in the climax when it becomes apparent how little value he places on the men he uses. It is at this point that even the ridiculous appearance of Jake is overcome by the acting and the action.
Dark Eyes of London suffers from some slow moving moments and poor pacing, but overall it is entertaining and if nothing else is a fine example of what Bela Lugosi was capable of accomplishing given the opportunity.
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER!!
We are, however, treated to one of Bela's more delicate characterizations in the form of Professor Dearborn. The change in mannerisms is astounding because if you are not very familiar with Bela Lugosi you might not even realize it is he playing the part. I know this is true because it is what happened to my wife. She did not catch that Bela was Dearborn! The illusion is aided greatly by the nearly perfect dubbing of another actor's voice for Dearborn. This was accomplished brilliantly and it is a shame that the voice actor gets no credit. Bela completes the illusion with gentle mannerisms that are both subtle and natural. He is completely believable in the part of Dearborn. He is also convincing as Orloff in the latter part of the film, especially in the climax when it becomes apparent how little value he places on the men he uses. It is at this point that even the ridiculous appearance of Jake is overcome by the acting and the action.
Dark Eyes of London suffers from some slow moving moments and poor pacing, but overall it is entertaining and if nothing else is a fine example of what Bela Lugosi was capable of accomplishing given the opportunity.
Surprisingly good cheapie
Space_Mafune24 August 2002
Bela Lugosi lights up the screen as the evil Dr. Orloff in this film based on a story by Edgar Wallace. A number of curious drownings in the Thames River leads a Scotland yard detective named Inspector Holmes(I kid you not!) to investigate the insurance company run by Orloff. And just does Dearborn's Home For the Destitute Blind factor into all of this? Lugosi is at his most sinister but the final revelation concerning where he went into hiding doesn't hold-up under close scrutiny - Lugosi's voice should have been used.
One of Lugosi's Best Performances
mike196419 December 2001
This is one of Lugosi's top movies. It's right up there with Dracula, White Zombie, Son of Frankenstein, and the Raven. Lugosi plays a dual role as a lecherous insurance salesman and kindly Dr Dearborn, a kindly blind teacher. Lugosi is at his sinister best as he knocks off people for their insurance money using the blind to do his bidding.
In one truly evil sequence, Lugosi makes one of the blind men deaf when he discovers that he had tried to warn someone about Lugosi. I won't spoil the ending. Not to be missed for Lugosifiles.
In one truly evil sequence, Lugosi makes one of the blind men deaf when he discovers that he had tried to warn someone about Lugosi. I won't spoil the ending. Not to be missed for Lugosifiles.
Bela Lugosi's Worst Performance
film_poster_fan12 April 2022
Without a doubt Lugosi is unbelievably bad in this film. He is poor as Dr Orloff and anyone should see through his disguise in white wig, mustache, and dark glasses. The dubbed voice should not fool people with any intelligence. None of the other actors are very good and the film as a whole is fairly dull and poorly written.
A great film and a must see for Lugosi fans!
doc_hartman22 August 2006
In my opinion, outside of "Dracula" and "White Zombie," this is Lugosi at his best. Dr. Orloff (Lugosi) is a philanthropist who donates his medical expertise to a work-house for blind men. On the side he runs an insurance scam by loaning money to desperate individuals and holds their life insurance policy as collateral, then he has them killed so he can collect on the policies. But that's just the plot. There is so much more happening.
Lugosi is brilliant as the cold-hearted Dr. Orloff as he plays cat and mouse with the police and the daughter of one of his victims. He is able to move effortlessly from kind hearted doctor to calculating and greed driven murderer. The plot moves forward at a brisk pace with little down time and the build up to the climax was unexpected and absolutely chilling. Lugosi truly made me believe he was evil in this film and I quickly was involved with the plot. The supporting cast did exactly as they should; got out of the way and let Lugosi run with the film. See it. Buy it. Watch it.
Lugosi is brilliant as the cold-hearted Dr. Orloff as he plays cat and mouse with the police and the daughter of one of his victims. He is able to move effortlessly from kind hearted doctor to calculating and greed driven murderer. The plot moves forward at a brisk pace with little down time and the build up to the climax was unexpected and absolutely chilling. Lugosi truly made me believe he was evil in this film and I quickly was involved with the plot. The supporting cast did exactly as they should; got out of the way and let Lugosi run with the film. See it. Buy it. Watch it.
Goodish UK horror-thriller
Prichards1234526 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This was one of three films Bela Lugosi came to Britain to make, the others being Mystery Of The Mary Celeste (known in the US as The Phantom Ship) and the dreadful Mother Riley Meets The Vampire (AKA My Son The Vampire). Bela apparently enjoyed making Mary Celeste and Dark Eyes as he was much better paid than usual and treated with respect. This movie finds Lugosi at the top of his game, and it contains a few genuine creeps.
Based on a story by Edgar Wallace, the plot concerns a police investigation into bodies turning up in the Thames. Shades of Murders In The Rue Morgue where Bela dumped his used corpses in the Seine! He plays the head of an insurance company cashing in on his customers by bumping 'em off and collecting the dosh! He also has links to an institute for the blind, which he uses as a front for his criminal organisation.
The blind, brutish killer Lugosi uses to murder his victims is a little too similar to Karloff's monster in Frankenstein, with a make-up job that is over the top. But he's menacing for all that and there are a few echoes of Karloff in The Old Dark House as well, driven to grief-stricken madness when he realises his boss has drowned his best friend. Not a wise move on Lugosi's part!
To summarise this a taut and effective thriller - an early British horror classic - years before Hammer films came along and cornered the market. Don't expect a camp Lugosi flick in the vein of Devil Bat, though. This is put across with sober conviction.
Based on a story by Edgar Wallace, the plot concerns a police investigation into bodies turning up in the Thames. Shades of Murders In The Rue Morgue where Bela dumped his used corpses in the Seine! He plays the head of an insurance company cashing in on his customers by bumping 'em off and collecting the dosh! He also has links to an institute for the blind, which he uses as a front for his criminal organisation.
The blind, brutish killer Lugosi uses to murder his victims is a little too similar to Karloff's monster in Frankenstein, with a make-up job that is over the top. But he's menacing for all that and there are a few echoes of Karloff in The Old Dark House as well, driven to grief-stricken madness when he realises his boss has drowned his best friend. Not a wise move on Lugosi's part!
To summarise this a taut and effective thriller - an early British horror classic - years before Hammer films came along and cornered the market. Don't expect a camp Lugosi flick in the vein of Devil Bat, though. This is put across with sober conviction.
Average film with some curiosity value
ed_reed5 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I was attracted to this film as it is set in London, and I love seeing the Great Wen from this period - shrouded in smog and flat caps. Unfortunately there were precious few outdoor shots and the sets were quite uninspiring too. Saying that though the story was fairly engaging and paced just about quick enough to keep the interest up for the 75 minutes or so. I am not sure why the American police officer was necessary as his role as a sidekick/comic relief to the polite and urbane Scotland Yard officer was ineffective (always wanted to beat criminals with rubber piping or shoot others) unless it was a vain hope to make the film appeal to a US audience.
Bela Lugosi was not as terrible as I had imagined (with a couple of priceless glares into the camera for good measure) and nor were the rest of the cast. I would be interested to know what the National Institute for the Blind thought then (and now) of the depiction of the Home for the Destitute Blind (old men making wicker baskets in an environment that looked more like a prison than a home)seeing as they were credited with helping the production. Also I don't think I have ever seen an earlier film with a British woman police constable in it either - which led to some predictably outmoded comments from the male players.
If you like this genre then I would say overall an average film with some curiosity value. Not a classic, more safe mid-table effort.
Bela Lugosi was not as terrible as I had imagined (with a couple of priceless glares into the camera for good measure) and nor were the rest of the cast. I would be interested to know what the National Institute for the Blind thought then (and now) of the depiction of the Home for the Destitute Blind (old men making wicker baskets in an environment that looked more like a prison than a home)seeing as they were credited with helping the production. Also I don't think I have ever seen an earlier film with a British woman police constable in it either - which led to some predictably outmoded comments from the male players.
If you like this genre then I would say overall an average film with some curiosity value. Not a classic, more safe mid-table effort.
A Creepy Little Thriller!
bsmith555222 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"The Dark Eyes of London" (aka "The Human Monster) is a creepy little thriller made in England, based on an Edgar Wallace story. For star Bela Lugosi, it was a cut above the many poverty row "thrillers" that he made during this period. The English, even in a low budget film such as this, really know how to make a mystery.
Dr. Fedor Orloff (Lugosi) is running an elaborate insurance fraud scheme wherein he collects on the insurance policies of men, who have no relatives. He lends them money and has them sign over their policies as collateral after which he has them murdered. After Henry Stuart (Gerald Pring) signs over his policy in return for a loan, Orloff learns that he has a long lost daughter Diana (Greta Gynt) which causes him some complications.
Orloff uses a home for needy blind men as a front for his murders. The home is run by Professor Dearborn (Lugosi again) a kindly white haired old gentleman. When Stuart's body washes up on the Thames, Diana demands that the police take action. Detective Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is assigned to the case. He is assisted by American Irish Detective O'Reilly (Edmon Ryan) who is in London to learn the ways of Scotland Yard.
Orloff has plans for Diana and as Dearborn, hires her as an assistant. Diana soon learns the evil ways of Orloff but is captured and held. Orloff orders the brutish Jake (Wilfred Walker) to do the evil deed but...................................................
Lugosi manages to turn in a pretty good performance in his dual role. I guess the idea was not to be able to recognize him as the kindly old Prof. Dearborn but in spite of having his voice dubbed by O.B. Clarence and giving him white hair and a mustache, you can still spot that tell tale dimple on his chin. Orloff's demise is a thrilling finale and is well done.
Dr. Fedor Orloff (Lugosi) is running an elaborate insurance fraud scheme wherein he collects on the insurance policies of men, who have no relatives. He lends them money and has them sign over their policies as collateral after which he has them murdered. After Henry Stuart (Gerald Pring) signs over his policy in return for a loan, Orloff learns that he has a long lost daughter Diana (Greta Gynt) which causes him some complications.
Orloff uses a home for needy blind men as a front for his murders. The home is run by Professor Dearborn (Lugosi again) a kindly white haired old gentleman. When Stuart's body washes up on the Thames, Diana demands that the police take action. Detective Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is assigned to the case. He is assisted by American Irish Detective O'Reilly (Edmon Ryan) who is in London to learn the ways of Scotland Yard.
Orloff has plans for Diana and as Dearborn, hires her as an assistant. Diana soon learns the evil ways of Orloff but is captured and held. Orloff orders the brutish Jake (Wilfred Walker) to do the evil deed but...................................................
Lugosi manages to turn in a pretty good performance in his dual role. I guess the idea was not to be able to recognize him as the kindly old Prof. Dearborn but in spite of having his voice dubbed by O.B. Clarence and giving him white hair and a mustache, you can still spot that tell tale dimple on his chin. Orloff's demise is a thrilling finale and is well done.
The Dark Eyes of London
Scarecrow-883 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Bodies are turning up in the Thames and the culprit could be the owner of an Insurance company, Dr. Orloff(Bela Lugosi), killing his clients for their claims, with Scotland yard investigator, Larry Holt(Hugh Williams) and visiting Chicago cop Patrick O'Reilly(Edmon Ryan) interested in finding the one responsible for the murders. Orloff uses phony names as beneficiaries for his clients, pocketing their money once they wash ashore dead. Orloff was forbidden to practice medicine and is more than a bit sore about it. He runs a charitable institution for the blind which is a front for his underhanded activities as a swindler, using a monstrous brute named Jake(Wilfred Walter, wearing protruding teeth to add a ghastly look, effectively making him quite menacing) to kill clients, dumping the bodies in the Thames. It's only a matter of time before his forgeries of signatures regarding fake beneficiaries is uncovered. The latest victim's daughter, Diana Stuart(Greta Gynt)wants to help capture the man who murdered her father. Such clues as tap water discovered in the lungs, and a note with braille writing(both of Diana's father) could be the break the police need to crack the case. There's a slick twist involving a Mr. Deerborne, the man who runs the institute for the blind(he himself seems to be blind as well)and Lugosi is as diabolical as ever. There's a particular scene which highlights how purely evil and insane Lugosi's madman really is as he drowns a blind violinist, Lou(Arthur E Owen) who was the cause of the braille note being found on the corpse of client Henry Stuart(Gerald Pring), laughing maniacally as he tosses him into the Thames. This very well can lead to his downfall, however, as Jake loved Lou and doesn't respond well when Diana tells him(saving her own skin in the process)of what Orloff did to him. Story-driven, THE DARK EYES OF London might be too slow for some, but Lugosi fans I imagine will find it satisfying. Being an Edgar Wallace thriller starring Lugosi might add interest. I consider this one of Lugosi's more underrated films and in the public domain I certainly recommend checking it out.
Effective Thriller
Michael_Elliott31 October 2013
The Dark Eyes of London (1939)
*** (out of 4)
Det. Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is investigated the bizarre "suicides" of several people who seem to have drowned themselves in the Thames. Most people think suicide but the detective believes something more sinister is going on and everything points to a home for blind people being run by Dr. Orloff (Bela Lugosi). Also known as THE HUMAN MONSTER, this British thriller will probably disappoint some expecting a straight horror film but if you go into it as a murder-mystery with horror elements then you should find yourself entertained. It's easy to see why Lugosi would want to go overseas and make this film and especially when you consider the type of mysteries that were being made in America. This here certainly separates itself from others because of its extremely dark atmosphere and rather bleak storyline. The Edgar Wallace story is a pretty strong one and it makes for an entertaining movie. The atmosphere is certainly extremely rich as the setting at the blind home is just the perfect location to match the mood of the picture. Another major plus is that the murders are a tad bit more sinister and graphic than what we'd typically see. This includes the brute of a killer with his deformed look and sinister moans. There's a scene where he's attacking the lead female character, which is quite thrilling even today as the use of shadows are perfectly executed and this was several years before the whole film noir movement. Williams gives a nice performance in the film as he gets a majority of the screen time and manages to carry the picture well. Greta Gynt is good as the girlfriend and Wilfred Walter is extremely effective as the monster. Then there's Lugosi who is certainly extremely good here. He perfectly captures the "good" character but when he switches it's also handled well by the actor. The entire "twist" in the story is pretty obvious today but I'm going to guess that those in 1939 were more caught off by it. With that said, if Lugosi had been able to use different voices and get past that thick accent (dubbing is used here) then it's clear he could have done so much more. THE DARK EYES OF London has some flaws including a few pacing issues and some ill-advised comedy but there's still plenty to enjoy here.
*** (out of 4)
Det. Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) is investigated the bizarre "suicides" of several people who seem to have drowned themselves in the Thames. Most people think suicide but the detective believes something more sinister is going on and everything points to a home for blind people being run by Dr. Orloff (Bela Lugosi). Also known as THE HUMAN MONSTER, this British thriller will probably disappoint some expecting a straight horror film but if you go into it as a murder-mystery with horror elements then you should find yourself entertained. It's easy to see why Lugosi would want to go overseas and make this film and especially when you consider the type of mysteries that were being made in America. This here certainly separates itself from others because of its extremely dark atmosphere and rather bleak storyline. The Edgar Wallace story is a pretty strong one and it makes for an entertaining movie. The atmosphere is certainly extremely rich as the setting at the blind home is just the perfect location to match the mood of the picture. Another major plus is that the murders are a tad bit more sinister and graphic than what we'd typically see. This includes the brute of a killer with his deformed look and sinister moans. There's a scene where he's attacking the lead female character, which is quite thrilling even today as the use of shadows are perfectly executed and this was several years before the whole film noir movement. Williams gives a nice performance in the film as he gets a majority of the screen time and manages to carry the picture well. Greta Gynt is good as the girlfriend and Wilfred Walter is extremely effective as the monster. Then there's Lugosi who is certainly extremely good here. He perfectly captures the "good" character but when he switches it's also handled well by the actor. The entire "twist" in the story is pretty obvious today but I'm going to guess that those in 1939 were more caught off by it. With that said, if Lugosi had been able to use different voices and get past that thick accent (dubbing is used here) then it's clear he could have done so much more. THE DARK EYES OF London has some flaws including a few pacing issues and some ill-advised comedy but there's still plenty to enjoy here.
Every man has a price.
michaelRokeefe18 November 2001
This a very low budget project also known as THE HUMAN MONSTER. Director Walter Summers did the best with what he had...a star, Bela Lugosi. This is a strange story about Dr. Orloff(Lugosi), who is a doctor-on-call at a home for the blind. He loans money to desperate men and in return controls a life insurance policy on the indebted. The sinister doctor uses a hulking blind man to murder men in order to carry out a clever insurance scam.
The cast also includes:Edmon Ryan, Hugh Williams and Wilred Walter. The atmosphere is very mysterious, but this movie is just plain creepy. In its day I am sure it provided a sense of horror as well as suspense.
The cast also includes:Edmon Ryan, Hugh Williams and Wilred Walter. The atmosphere is very mysterious, but this movie is just plain creepy. In its day I am sure it provided a sense of horror as well as suspense.
Rather creepy little chiller
chris_gaskin12326 January 2006
The Human Monster aka The Dark Eyes of London is a rather creepy little chiller with Bella Lugosi playing two roles in this.
Bela plays Dr Orloff as well as the manager of a blind peoples' home, where he dresses up as one of the residents and pretends to be blind. Its Dr Orloff who is killing people in London and he uses a disfigured man to do killings too. After trying to kill a young woman, the police eventually catch up with Orloff.
This movie is quite atmospheric and creepy but a little slow moving in parts.
Apart from Bela, the cast is mostly made up of unknowns including Hugh Williams.
If you are a fan of these kind of movies, you will enjoy this one.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
Bela plays Dr Orloff as well as the manager of a blind peoples' home, where he dresses up as one of the residents and pretends to be blind. Its Dr Orloff who is killing people in London and he uses a disfigured man to do killings too. After trying to kill a young woman, the police eventually catch up with Orloff.
This movie is quite atmospheric and creepy but a little slow moving in parts.
Apart from Bela, the cast is mostly made up of unknowns including Hugh Williams.
If you are a fan of these kind of movies, you will enjoy this one.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
"This is no police station, it's a sanitarium."
classicsoncall27 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Dead bodies have been washing ashore on the banks of the Thames River, and Scotland Yard has so far done very little to solve the mystery. With marching orders to investigate the crimes, if there are any, Inspector Larry Holt (Hugh Williams) makes his way to the Dearborn Institute for the Blind, home to a grotesque array of characters supervised by a blind man himself, Professor John Dearborn. Holt is aided by a detective on loan from the Chicago police force, Lieutenant O'Reilly (Edmon Ryan).
"The Human Monster" is aptly named, as Bela Lugosi portrays a truly sinister and hideous character, Dr. Feodor Orloff, who runs an insurance scam by backing policies for indigent residents of the institute, and then turning them into corpses to collect upon their deaths. His latest victim however, Henry Stuart, is retrieved from the Thames with a piece of braille writing in his pocket, linking his disappearance to the institute.
Bela Lugosi turns in a truly malevolent performance as Orloff; in a particularly chilling sequence, he dispatches a victim by drowning him in a vat of water, and then gleefully tossing him out the doors of the institute into the muddy river. Eventually we learn that Lugosi has a dual role in the film, as he removes the phony dark glasses and wig of Professor Dearborn. As the authorities close in, he makes a final stand only to be outdone by his gruesome assistant named Jake, a comically hideous creature who becomes enraged when the doctor dispatches one of the men he had been caring for.
"The Human Monster" is pure grade "B" schlock horror, but if you're a fan of this genre as I am, you'll have some fun with it, though you'll have to plow through some slow going at times, even for a film that clocks in at seventy six minutes. The presence of pretty Greta Gynt helps, as she portrays the daughter of the murdered Henry Stuart, and almost falls victim herself to the evil Orloff. The U.S. working title "The Human Monster" seems much more apt than the original release name - "The Dark Eyes of London".
"The Human Monster" is aptly named, as Bela Lugosi portrays a truly sinister and hideous character, Dr. Feodor Orloff, who runs an insurance scam by backing policies for indigent residents of the institute, and then turning them into corpses to collect upon their deaths. His latest victim however, Henry Stuart, is retrieved from the Thames with a piece of braille writing in his pocket, linking his disappearance to the institute.
Bela Lugosi turns in a truly malevolent performance as Orloff; in a particularly chilling sequence, he dispatches a victim by drowning him in a vat of water, and then gleefully tossing him out the doors of the institute into the muddy river. Eventually we learn that Lugosi has a dual role in the film, as he removes the phony dark glasses and wig of Professor Dearborn. As the authorities close in, he makes a final stand only to be outdone by his gruesome assistant named Jake, a comically hideous creature who becomes enraged when the doctor dispatches one of the men he had been caring for.
"The Human Monster" is pure grade "B" schlock horror, but if you're a fan of this genre as I am, you'll have some fun with it, though you'll have to plow through some slow going at times, even for a film that clocks in at seventy six minutes. The presence of pretty Greta Gynt helps, as she portrays the daughter of the murdered Henry Stuart, and almost falls victim herself to the evil Orloff. The U.S. working title "The Human Monster" seems much more apt than the original release name - "The Dark Eyes of London".
MORE MYSTERY THAN MONSTER
kirbylee70-599-52617917 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
VCI is a company that has done much to preserve classic films from being lost forever. With that in mind it's nice to see the job they've done with THE HUMAN MONSTER, a Bela Lugosi starring film based on a story by Edgar Wallace. It doesn't present a fast paced film that today's audiences are used to but it does deliver a solid thriller.
Murders are taking place in the foggy streets of London. Each victim appears to have committed suicide by strangling themselves. But as Scotland Yard begins to investigate they see a common thread through them all involving insurance policies. Detective Inspector Holt (Hugh Williams) is researching the policies which takes him to the office of Dr. Orloff (Lugosi). It seems that each of the victims had policies through him.
But Orloff seems like a nice enough gent. He helps out others in need and donated heavily to a home for the blind. He even offers to help the daughter of one of the victims, a man who he loaned money to in return for his name being on the policy.
Of course Orloff isn't the beneficial type we are led to believe and it isn't long before the viewers know he's the bad guy of the film. The fact that by this time Lugosi was almost always the villain doesn't hide that fact well. In addition to his being the bad guy, he employs a henchman with a disfigured face named Jake to do his dirty work.
The film moves at a slower than usual place and offers more chat than action. And yet it remains a top rated horror film of Lugosi's. He does a wonderful job here and it's easy to see why it remains so.
Edgar Wallace was a huge mystery writer at the time and this was one of many films based on his stories. He became even more popular a few years later as the German and English film industries began making more films of those stories, a precursor to the giallos that were later made in Italy.
The movie may not be for everyone but it is a nice distraction from much of what is being made today. And it should be a movie that shows younger viewers why a good solid thriller could be made without relying on non-stop explosions or special effects. This one is definitely worth watching.
Murders are taking place in the foggy streets of London. Each victim appears to have committed suicide by strangling themselves. But as Scotland Yard begins to investigate they see a common thread through them all involving insurance policies. Detective Inspector Holt (Hugh Williams) is researching the policies which takes him to the office of Dr. Orloff (Lugosi). It seems that each of the victims had policies through him.
But Orloff seems like a nice enough gent. He helps out others in need and donated heavily to a home for the blind. He even offers to help the daughter of one of the victims, a man who he loaned money to in return for his name being on the policy.
Of course Orloff isn't the beneficial type we are led to believe and it isn't long before the viewers know he's the bad guy of the film. The fact that by this time Lugosi was almost always the villain doesn't hide that fact well. In addition to his being the bad guy, he employs a henchman with a disfigured face named Jake to do his dirty work.
The film moves at a slower than usual place and offers more chat than action. And yet it remains a top rated horror film of Lugosi's. He does a wonderful job here and it's easy to see why it remains so.
Edgar Wallace was a huge mystery writer at the time and this was one of many films based on his stories. He became even more popular a few years later as the German and English film industries began making more films of those stories, a precursor to the giallos that were later made in Italy.
The movie may not be for everyone but it is a nice distraction from much of what is being made today. And it should be a movie that shows younger viewers why a good solid thriller could be made without relying on non-stop explosions or special effects. This one is definitely worth watching.
A Bare-Bones Effort With Decent Enough Work From Lugosi
sddavis6310 October 2009
More of a mystery than a horror movie, this never really captured my attention closely, essentially because there really wasn't too much mystery involved. Could there have ever been any doubt that Dr. Orloff, played by Bela Lugosi, was behind the mysterious drownings? That was pretty clear. True, the twist revealed about the identity of Dearborn caught me by surprise, but that came across as silly more than anything else. Parts of the story, in my view, were totally unnecessary. The whole American connection was superfluous (the forger being extradited from Chicago, and the Chicago cop accompanying him to England and becoming involved in the investigation) and the need to make Jake a monstrous-looking creature baffled me. It seemed a weak attempt to introduce a horror-type element to the story. Lugosi did well enough as Orloff, managing to bring his typical "mysterious presence" to the character, although at times he frankly looked too mysterious, and therefore too suspicious, to take seriously the idea that it took a while for the police to suspect him. I also wondered about what he actually was. He runs an insurance company, and yet he's called "Dr." Insp. Holt says he "could have been" a practicing physician, and yet he is running a hospital and treating patients in a home for the blind. A bit more about the background of the character would have been appreciated. Overall, the bare-bones nature of the story was a problem. The last 10 minutes or so of the movie were pretty good, and Orloff's fate was appropriately ghastly. If you're a Lugosi fan, this is worth watching, although it's not one of his greats. 4/10
Chilling!
TheGeezer4 February 2006
Instead of repeating all the details others have, I'll just say the film really gave me the creeps the first time I saw it. Sometimes when you see an old movie like this from the 20s or 30s, it's tempting to think nothing in it can shock you, because movies are not as "sophisticated" as the things you see today. I saw it on television many years back, way before home video, and was delighted to find it in a grocery store's previously viewed tape bin. It hasn't lost any of it's punch. To see how cruelly Lugosi dealt with his very helpless victims chilled me to the bone. The Uday of his time. It has a Hitchcock-type of human horror that is more effective than any rubber suited monster. Not too badly paced, and is still one I get out when in the mood for something dark.
Lugosi shines!
JohnHowardReid10 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Copyright 1 March 1940 by Monogram Pictures Corp. John Argyle Productions. Filmed at Welwyn Studios, Herts. U.S. release through Monogram (cut to 73 minutes): 9 March 1940. New York opening at the Globe: 24 March 1940. U.K. release through Pathé: 1939. Banned in Australia. 76 minutes
Alternative title: Dead Eyes of London.
U.S. release title: The Human Monster.
NOTES: Number 58 of the 152-picture "Edgar Wallace" series.
SYNOPSIS: Posing as a philanthropist, an arch-criminal (Bela Lugosi) runs an insurance racket in which victims are murdered by a human monster (Wilfred Walter).
COMMENT: A real shocker, this one was banned in some countries, including Finland and Australia. Produced on a lavish budget, it's hard to believe the extensive sets were constructed at Welwyn. In my day, these was a real Poverty Row studio with sound stages no bigger than the average bathroom, used for filming the sort of time-wasting rubbish that many people watch on TV.
Presumably, pre-war Welwyn was a quite a big place.
Although it depends to a large extent on co-incidence, the script is sound enough, but what makes the movie really go are the action scenes and the acting. Admittedly, Hugh Williams is personable but lightweight as the hero, and Edmon Ryan is just a nuisance, but Greta Gynt makes a lovely heroine and Lugosi really shines as the evil Orloff.
But it's the hideous Wilfred Walter and his cohorts who will really give you nightmares.
The direction is efficient and the photography suitably dark-toned.
Alternative title: Dead Eyes of London.
U.S. release title: The Human Monster.
NOTES: Number 58 of the 152-picture "Edgar Wallace" series.
SYNOPSIS: Posing as a philanthropist, an arch-criminal (Bela Lugosi) runs an insurance racket in which victims are murdered by a human monster (Wilfred Walter).
COMMENT: A real shocker, this one was banned in some countries, including Finland and Australia. Produced on a lavish budget, it's hard to believe the extensive sets were constructed at Welwyn. In my day, these was a real Poverty Row studio with sound stages no bigger than the average bathroom, used for filming the sort of time-wasting rubbish that many people watch on TV.
Presumably, pre-war Welwyn was a quite a big place.
Although it depends to a large extent on co-incidence, the script is sound enough, but what makes the movie really go are the action scenes and the acting. Admittedly, Hugh Williams is personable but lightweight as the hero, and Edmon Ryan is just a nuisance, but Greta Gynt makes a lovely heroine and Lugosi really shines as the evil Orloff.
But it's the hideous Wilfred Walter and his cohorts who will really give you nightmares.
The direction is efficient and the photography suitably dark-toned.
Concludent
Cristi_Ciopron14 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Made in the light, elegant and witty ancient British style (yet with a brim of sloppiness and clumsiness), with its nicely recognizable hallmarks—such as the smooth, mild—tempered leading hero, the witty blonde, the notes of humor and drollery—and with a frolic sense of playfulness, THE DARK EYES OF London is a Lugosi vehicle and a clumsy, sloppy freak—melodrama, the gruesomeness tempered by the comedy—an almost joyous Gothic pastiche with no realization of the horribleness of what happened.
I like daddy Lugosi as much as others like daddy Karloff, and when his character, Orloff, phones to set the likable blonde's fate, we get a feeling of normality—way to go, Orloff, why use otherwise the stupid Braille gimmick when you can simply call and deliver a cryptic message to seal your victims' doom? But now that Orloff's mind straightened up, it's different.
Orloff sounds like Orlok and Karloff.
The Dark Eyes of London (1940)
I like daddy Lugosi as much as others like daddy Karloff, and when his character, Orloff, phones to set the likable blonde's fate, we get a feeling of normality—way to go, Orloff, why use otherwise the stupid Braille gimmick when you can simply call and deliver a cryptic message to seal your victims' doom? But now that Orloff's mind straightened up, it's different.
Orloff sounds like Orlok and Karloff.
The Dark Eyes of London (1940)
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