House of Horrors (1946) dir. Jean Yarbrough, Universal Pictures
And so we end our look at Universal Pictures.
Marcel DeLange (Martin Kosleck) isn't having a good day. He's an artist, and a pretty good one, but good ain't selling. He's desperate for a sale, but he has a customer coming to his studio that night!
The stuffy gentleman is impressed, and might even have given Marcel some much needed cash, if not for the efforts of F. Holmes Harmon (Alan Napier). Harmon is an art critic, one of those who have elected themselves sole guardian of good taste. He insults Marcel's work and drives the buyer away, claiming that Marcel's work will never increase in value.
Marcel isn't happy. He's walking by the docks later that night when he spots someone in a worse spot than himself-the Creeper (Rondo Hatton). Marcel manages to drag the hefty fellow back to his studio and thus a friendship is born.
The Creeper never had a friend before so he wants to make sure his pal is happy. So he breaks into Harmon's office and breaks the man's neck. Marcel is put off by this...for about a minute. Hey, if you have a super strong goon at your beck and call you use him.
The police suspect artist Steven Harrow (Robert Lowry) but gal reporter Joan Medford (Virginia Grey) starts going after artists Harmon argued with, which is a bunch. When she spots a bust of the Creeper in Marcel's studio, she starts drawing a conclusion. Can she figure it out before the Creeper strikes again?
Good. Every role is perfect, with Rondo giving one of his best performances. The Creeper is a brute, yes, but he just wants to make his pal happy. Marcel is sympathetic to an extent, and Napier is beautiful as the jackass critic.
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