The Creeper (film)
The Creeper is a 1948 American horror film directed by Jean Yarbrough. The film stars Onslow Stevens who plays a mad doctor whose serum turns a man into a catlike killer.
| The Creeper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jean Yarbrough |
| Written by | Maurice Tombragel[1] |
| Based on | An original story idea by Don Martin[1] |
| Produced by | Bernard Small[1] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | George Robinson[1] |
| Edited by | Saul A. Goodkind[1] |
Production companies | Reliance Pictures, Inc.[1] |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 64 minutes |
| Country | United States[1] |
| Language | English |
Plot
Two scientists on an expedition to the West Indies discover a serum which changes humans into cats, or. at least, to catlike killers. One believes they should continue with their experiments and the other does not, which disagreement costs him his life. Several deaths occur before the first scientist is halted in his mad plans.
Cast
- Eduardo Ciannelli as Dr. Van Glock
- Onslow Stevens as Dr. Borden
- June Vincent as Gwen Runstrom
- Ralph Morgan as Dr. Lester Cavigny
- Janis Wilson as Nora Cavigny
- John Baragrey as Dr. John Reade
- Richard Lane as Inspector Fenwick
- Philip Ahn as Ah Wong
- Lotte Stein as Nurse
- Ralph Peters as Porter
- David Hoffman as Andre Dussaud
Production
Between 1947 and 1951, Hollywood studios made almost no horror films with The Creeper being the lone exception.[2] It was developed under the working title The Cat Man and was in production from the beginning of March 1948 to the middle of the month.[1]
Release
The Creeper was distributed theatrically by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. in September 1948.[1] According to a March 1949 Hollywood Reporter article, radio writer Joseph Ruscoll sued Edward Small for using the title of Ruscoll's radio show, The Creeper for the film.[1] The suit was settled for an undisclosed sum.[1]
Reception
In a contemporary review, Dorothy Masters of New York Daily News described The Creeper as an effort "wasted in every phase, including story, performance and general production ... To further the bafflement, perfectly innocent people are given sinister mien. Three murders and a couple of near-misses don't improve the tale."[3]
References
- "The Creeper". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- Marriott & Newman 2018, p. 55.
- Masters 1948, p. 76.
Sources
- Masters, Dorothy (October 6, 1948). "New York Dual is Below Par For This Week". New York Daily News. p. 76.
- Marriott, James; Newman, Kim (2018) [1st pub. 2006]. The Definitive Guide to Horror Movies. London: Carlton Books. ISBN 9781787391390.