Looking back at the saga of Paula Dupree, one laments the wasted opportunity. There were few female Universal Monsters, and even then they were spin offs of the male characters. Paula was unique, at least in story terms, although the execution was basically another werewolf story.
After being given a fatal overdose of tranquilizers in Jungle Woman, Paula's (Vicky Lane) body is taken to the city morgue. Moloch (Rondo Hatton) arrives and claims the body, saying he's from the local university. His papers seem in order, but when the attendant mentions he has to notify the police, Moloch strangles him and steals the body after locking up the real university drivers.
At a medical school some time later we see Dr. Stendahl (Otto Kruger) and his assistants Ann Forrester (Amelita Ward) and Don Young (Phil Brown). Stendahl's big project is restoring life to deceased tissue. His had limited success with rabbits, but he wants bigger subjects. He leaves in a hurry, saying he has an appointment with his never seen partner.
After he leaves, Detective Harrigan (Jerome Cowan) arrives and grills the assistants on the attendant's murder. He takes a particular interest in Young, especially where the younger man was last night. He also notes that a torn surgical smock found at the wreckage of the ambulance Moloch stole matches Young's smock.
Ann, meanwhile, is enjoying the mandatory company of Dr. Standahl. It seems that Standahl is actually his unseen partner, and he has Paula's corpse. He thinks he can bring it back to full life and as a human instead of an ape. All he needs is a portion of Ann's blood. When Paula is brought back, she acts more like an ape than a human. Standahl has the solution: Brain transplant... and with Ann already locked up he has the perfect volunteer. Moloch, however, is taken a shine to Ann and doesn't care for what the doctor has planned.
Can Don find Ann in time? Will Paula actually move more than two feet at any point in this film?
Disappointing finale all told. Lane is no Acquanetta and that's saying something. There is some good in the series; unlike Frankenstein or the Mummy series there is a better sense of consistency and continuity. It doesn't help the plot one bit though.
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