The Gorilla (1939)
“They went ape in an old dark house.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
A comedy-horror "old dark house" romp from 20th Century-Fox, The Gorilla teams the slapstick Ritz Brothers with horror icons Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill. Secret panels, a sinister butler, and an actual gorilla power the mayhem. It's based on Ralph Spence's much-filmed 1925 stage play.
Cast
About the Director
Allan Dwan — Allan Dwan kept the haunted-mansion gags moving briskly, letting Lugosi camp it up as the eerie butler while the Ritz Brothers supplied Stooges-style slapstick. He balanced genuine mystery atmosphere with broad comedy.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
The Gorilla is in the US public domain; the 1939 20th Century-Fox film fell out of copyright and circulates freely (documented as public domain in Brotherton & Okuda's McFarland reference). The underlying Ralph Spence play dates to 1925.
Behind the Scenes
Fox bought Ralph Spence's 1925 play in 1938 and signed Lugosi for the butler role originally intended for Peter Lorre. A contract dispute with the Ritz Brothers delayed production; it became their last film for Fox.
Did You Know?
- Bela Lugosi's vanishing-butler gags spoof his earlier role in the serial Chandu the Magician.
- The gorilla suit was worn by Art Miles, billed in-story as "Poe the Gorilla."
- It was the Ritz Brothers' final Fox picture after a breach-of-contract dispute.
Reception & Legacy
Contemporary critics panned it and the Ritz Brothers' humor divides viewers to this day. Fans of old-dark-house comedies and Lugosi's tongue-in-cheek turn keep it a cult favorite.
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