Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) User Reviews

DR. RENAULT'S SECRET (Harry Lachman, 1942) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 26 October 2008]

Although I've been aware of the existence of this film for years, the sheer fact that I found next to no reading material on it in my father's books on my favorite genre (which I devoured as I was growing up) has led me to believe that it was merely just another ordinary escapist wartime horror programmer. Until it was surprisingly given a recent DVD release – as part of the second entry in the "Fox Horror Classics" collection along with the higher-profile CHANDU THE MAGICIAN (1932; featuring Bela Lugosi) and DRAGONWYCK (1946; with Vincent Price) – I had no previous opportunity to watch it and, now that I have, it's safe to say that it's been one of the most pleasant surprises I've had during this year's bumpy Halloween Challenge.

Unlike Universal, Paramount, RKO and even MGM, 20th Century Fox was hesitant to jump onto the Horror bandwagon and seemed to do so only half-heartedly – as evidenced by John Brahm's all-style-but-no-substance werewolf picture THE UNDYING MONSTER (1942) which, incidentally, was actually paired with DR. RENAULT'S SECRET on original release as the upper half of a double-bill. I'm not sure if it's because I thought the Brahm film suffered in comparison to Universal's THE WOLF MAN that I've found RENAULT to be more satisfactory or merely because I haven't yet watched any of the latter's own progenitors – the Silent French Gaston Leroux adaptation BALAOO (1913), Fox's own intriguing Silent foray into the genre THE WIZARD (1927) and Paramount's well-cast THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1941) – or perhaps because it's undoubtedly superior to a similarly-themed contemporaneous Bela Lugosi vehicle THE APE MAN (1943) – which wasn't really all that bad to begin with – but, ultimately, I now consider DR. RENAULT'S SECRET to be an unjustly forgotten vintage gem of this most prolific, beloved and yet maligned of genres.

In essence, the story set in France is typical 'mad scientist' fodder with the titular ultra-Darwinian medico/part-time jungle explorer (George Zucco) attempting to prove conclusively his idol's controversial evolution theories by surgically turning an ape into a man. The cast of characters is supplemented by the doctor's lovely niece (Lynne Roberts), her fiancée who also happens to be a doctor (Shepperd Strudwick – billed here as John Shepperd!), Renault's ex-con gardener (Mike Mazurki) and equally shady butler (Jean De Val), a suspicious Police Inspector (Arthur Shields) and, best of all, J. Carrol Naish as Roberts' enigmatic and highly sensitive protector Noel. The ensemble cast is generally good and sympathetic to the material at hand, but it's clearly Naish's show here in a very poignant performance as the result of Zucco's questionable experiments: a soft-spoken, love-struck handyman, subtly but effectively made to look simian in appearance via a shaggy wig and enlarged nostrils (incidentally, he would play a variation on the role as a hunchback in Universal's HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN [1944] – in which Zucco also appears, by the way). Although Zucco made a slew of similarly ghoulish potboilers around this time (and so did Naish, as already mentioned), I've only watched a couple of them myself so far; seeing him turn from a suave gentleman by day into a whip-wielding sadist with the poor, unfortunate Naish at the receiving end of it, one can't blame producers for simply offering him more of the same in subsequent years!

Being the product of a major studio (albeit a low-budgeted one and running a trim 58 minutes), the solid production values were to be expected but one other aspect that impressed me about DR. RENAULT'S SECRET was the intermittent stylishness of Harry Lachman's direction, all tinted angles (down to the very last shot of the film with Naish's lifeless body practically falling onto the camera!) and evocative chiaroscuro lighting (Zucco's own come-uppance is simply depicted as a shadowy struggle between him and the finally-rebellious Naish). I'm not about to assign auteur status to Lachman (whose last film this proved to be despite going on to live for another 33 years!) or anything, but it's a well-known fact that his version of DANTE'S INFERNO (1935) starring Spencer Tracy (also for Fox) is highlighted by a memorable nightmare sequence set in Hades and also that OUR RELATIONS (1936) was Laurel and Hardy's most polished production and one of their most satisfactory vehicles overall.

Strangely watchable and engaging

[DrSatan · 6/10 · 6 December 2001]

I don't know if it was the spectacle (for me anyways) of seeing J. Carroll Naish in something that wasn't "Frankenstein vs. Dracula" (my all-time favorite so-bad-its-good film), Naish's decent "pitiable villain" or the rather flimsy "Island of Dr. Moreau" reworking, but somehow this movie really held my intention. It's mercifully short (any longer would've been far too much), and fairly typical of horror films of its day. Definitely takes a page out of Wells' book, although the action this time has been relocated to France. There are definite signs of its era and its budget-very set bound, french accents that come and go, random Euro-sounding accents instead of french accents, the "monster" that redeems himself in the end, the odd (and racist, if we want to get all PC, which I don't usually bother for a film of this era that isn't being deliberate about it's racism) notion that a man from Java and an ape made to look like a man would be indistinguishable. Leaving all of these criticisms aside, if you're a fan of horror films, whose interested in the history of the genre and not just in the latestest "Scream" knock-off or still hoping they'll come out with a tenth Friday the 13th or a similar sequel machine, I say check it out. If you're into B-pictures of the era, check it out. It shows the general qualtity of studio horror films of the era, and its got a little something extra I can't put my finger on.

You Can Take The Ape Out Of The Jungle..........................................

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 31 December 2007]

I was surprised to see that 20th Century Fox had produced this B horror classic, it was the kind of thing that Universal Studios was known for at the time. Had it been done at Universal I could have seen a whole series of films based on this.

George Zucco plays the title role her, he's certainly played many a sinister character in his day. He's from the Doctor Moreau school of science. But whereas Moreau was tucked away on a remote South Sea Island doing his experiments on a host of animals, Renault has brought his one great experiment back from Java to his château in France.

J. Carrol Naish plays the experiment, a Java ape who's not got the human social graces quite down yet. Naish's characterization falls somewhere between Charles Laughton's Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Frankenstein monster of Boris Karloff. It's a brilliant piece of acting, gone unappreciated because it's in a B horror picture.

Lynne Roberts is Zucco's niece, deliberately brought to his château to stimulate Naish's budding human libido. It's budding a little too well so her scientist boyfriend Sheppard Strudwick is brought in to get her out of the place and safely married.

There's also a nice side story involving Zucco's retainers Mike Mazurki and Jean Del Val in a kidnapping scheme. The two parts of the story come together at the finish.

I was lucky enough to see this as I got up earlier than expected today. Don't miss it if it's ever broadcast at a reasonable hour.

Good effort.

[cliff-p · 11 October 2002]

I watched this movie on a videotape which was rather dark but I enjoyed the film. I have been watching horror films for 45 years and through the miracle of NTSC imports, I'm trying to catch up with those that I have missed. And I'm seeing some stinkers! This however is a reasonable example of the genre, the standouts being Arthur Sheilds, J.Carrol Naish and Mike Mazurki. Unusually, George Zucco hasn't got much to do in the title role. Noel the ape-man is very fortunate and obviously a skilful driver as he handles the Rolls Phantom II very well and can see round corners (when he avoids the dog). Very useful. Not a film for those who are not connoiseurs. Also not much effort given to the cliche creepy bits, but definitely miles better than a Monogram effort.

Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) ***

[JoeKarlosi · 7/10 · 22 February 2009]

For a long time this was an overlooked little 'B' picture, but thankfully it's been given new life on the recent FOX HORROR CLASSICS VOL. 2 DVD set. George Zucco is on hand as another mad doctor who experimented on a gorilla, gave him plastic surgery, and then tried to make him into a human. J. Carrol Naish is very good in the part of this man/ape character, and he manages to make him sympathetic and fierce at the same time. This is a brisk and tight film which manages to rise above its 'B' trappings, and the moody shadow photography and capable direction add a lot. Very reminiscent of ISLAND OF LOST SOULS ("The Island of Dr. Moreau"). *** out of ****

J. Carrol Naish is outstanding as the strange man from Java

[Stevieboy666 · 7/10 · 17 December 2022]

I have been watching horror movies for well over forty years but until very recently I had not been aware of this gem of a B-movie. Prolific and versatile actor J Carrol Naish made what I believe to be his horror debut with this, he plays an odd looking man "from Java", in actual fact he was once an ape but has been "humanised" by mad scientist George Zucco. This may sound ridiculous but I am happy to say that they made this concept quite convincing, helped no doubt by Naish giving a truly superb performance. The rest of the cast is also very good but one problem is that the film is set in France yet most of the accents are North American. Would have been more convincing to set it in Canada instead. With a modest 58 minutes running time the movie packs in quite a lot and moves along quickly, the camerawork is very good and the finale, set in a water mill, is excellent. Highly recommended.

An enjoyable B picture from Fox.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 18 January 2014]

Running a mere 58 minutes, this is an adaptation of the novel "Balaoo" by Gaston Leroux, best known for his story "The Phantom of the Opera". Rather than being a pure genre picture, it's more of a mystery-drama with a horror element, although a 1942 press release from 20th Century Fox dubbed it "the first horror picture that the studio has ever made". It benefits from sturdy acting in its major roles, especially from the ever reliable George Zucco, and J. Carrol Naish in the central role. It's got effective production values, colourful supporting characters, and appropriately moody cinematography by Virgil Miller. The story, owing more than a little to "The Island of Dr. Moreau", moves along smoothly to a decent finale at an old mill.

Scientist Larry Forbes (handsome Shepperd Strudwick) travels to Paris to be with his fiancée Madelon Renault (lovely Lynne Roberts), the niece of a fellow scientist, Dr. Robert Renault (Mr. Zucco). Renault employs a "handyman" named Noel (Mr. Naish), a very strange and hyper- sensitive man. Noel flies off the handle when insulted by cruel Parisians, or when anybody dares to utter anything negative regarding Madelon, whom Noel refers to as "Mademoiselle". Adding further complications is the presence of the thuggish ex-convict Rogell (the great tough guy actor Mike Mazurki).

Well done overall, if not particularly memorable, "Dr. Renault's Secret" is well worth seeing for the performance of Naish, who's convincing at every turn. You really feel bad for this character, all the more so when you learn what his back story is. Offering fine support are Mazurki, who's fun to watch, and Arthur Shields as a pragmatic police inspector. Jack Norton delivers some funny comedy relief early in the picture as the drunken Mr. Austin.

This is interesting enough and entertaining enough to merit a viewing from dedicated film buffs.

Seven out of 10.

Worth Checking Out For J. Carrol Naish Alone

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 27 February 2014]

George Zucco plays a mad scientist who experimented on an ape and turned him into a (sort of) human, played by J. Carrol Naish. That's the secret in the title, by the way. I doubt I'm spoiling too much because you'll probably figure it out quickly given how Naish looks and acts. Nice production values from Fox keep this from being like any number of Poverty Row mad scientist cheapies from the time. George Zucco and Mike Mazurki are always nice to watch. But the whole show is really legendary character actor J. Carrol Naish, who gives a wonderfully sympathetic performance. He was an amazing actor who rarely got to shine in starring parts but always delivered in his many supporting roles. It's not as sophisticated as the Lewton RKO films or as fun as the Universal horror films. But it's a good time-passer that has enough things going for it to merit fans of classic horror films check it out.

Caution: Mad Scientist Ahead.

[rmax304823 · 4/10 · 7 August 2012]

It's a quickie B movie that has much of 20th-Century Fox's talents hard at work on this story of a mad scientist, George Zucco, who has captured an ape in Java, performed some "nerve graft" surgery on him, and has brought him back to France to live with him and his niece in a château. The nerve grafts don't quite work.

Oh, J. Carrol Naish is usually passive enough and he looks human, if only barely, but he's sensitive about being part simian and he's devoted to Zucco's niece. When he hears insults directed at monkeys, apes, or Madelon, even if they're meant as jokes, he gets hijacked by his amygdala and starts murdering people in the little French village. I mean, his pathetic in his devotion to Madelon and in his shame at his Pongid nature, but he goes too far when he starts throwing bodies out of closed windows and strangling Mike Mazurki. Enough is enough. Before the police and the clean-cut Shepperd Strudwick can nail Naish, he's shot mortally by Mazurki and dies with tears in his eyes.

That reminds me. J. Carrol Naish was born into an Irish family in New York. He's played men of every conceivable ethnicity on screen and, earlier, on radio. He's been an Indian (both American and Asian), an Arab, and mostly an Italian. Every once in a while, Luigi, The Little Immigrant sneaks out in Naish's Tarzan-level speech. Let me think. The requisite police inspector is Arthur Shields, brother of Barry Fitzgerald, a bred-in-the-bone Irishman. That's two Irishmen. And Mike Mazurki is of Ukranian descent. Zucco is Italian-American. Roberts and Strudwick are both WASPS. If there was a French actor in the cast, I missed him or her.

It's not a complicated movie and it's tempo is quick. Events follow one another like the ticking of a clock. The secret isn't a secret for very long. But there are a couple of good scenes. In the village, one of the men who insulted monkeys is a barber. The barber enters his shop during a festival, only to find a sullen Naish sitting in the chair. "I want shave." The barber, having just seen the dead body of the other scurrilous man who insulted monkeys, gulps, and says, "It's a little late for a shave, don't you think, Noel?" "I want shave." Naish is fiercely jealous of Madelon, to whom he is devoted in his apish fashion, and he hates Strudwick for wanting to marry her and take her away to America. At night, when Strudwick is sitting in a chair reading some abstruse scientific material, a conveniently placed sliding panel silently opens in the wall behind him and a dark hand clutching a knife emerges. Something calls Strudwick away just before the knife can plunge into his quivering neck.

A promising beginning, with a truck pulling up in front of a French saloon, with rain and gaiety providing atmosphere. Then it collapses. The studio must have been jealous of all the money being made at Universal Studios with cheap crap like "Frankenstein Meets The Seven Dwarfs" and tried to imitate it. You know, monkey see, monkey do?

No, no, wait, Noel! I didn't mean that as an insult to monkeys. No, please! ARGHHH.

"You can't fall out of a closed window!"

[bensonmum2 · 6/10 · 15 November 2008]

While I enjoyed watching Dr. Renault's Secret, the movie has one serious flaw that keeps it from being a real winner. The problem with Dr. Renault's Secret is that there really isn't much of a secret. Anyone with half a brain would be hard pressed not to guess what's going on within the first ten minutes of the movie. I have a hard time believing that even the less jaded horror fans of 1942 would have been shocked by the revelations made toward the end of the film about Dr. Renault and his assistant, Noel. The movie all but beats you over the head with its supposed "secret".

But even with this flaw, there's still a lot to enjoy here for fans of classic horror. To start with, J. Carrol Naish gives one of those wonderful performances that I'll remember long after having watched the movie. He's awesome as the strange Noel. The way he changes his body language as the movie goes on and his more animalistic tendencies start to come out is perfect. George Zucco gives his usual nice performance even though his role is limited. The film also very nicely shot. Dr. Renault's Secret features some top-notch cinematography, set design, lighting, and everything else that goes into make a movie look "good". It might have been a "B" film, but it doesn't look like it. Fox didn't make many horror films, but when they did, they did it right.

One final note – it's odd to me that the movie is supposed to be set in France. While I don't necessarily have a problem with some of the British and American actors in the movie, there's just no way Arthur Shields could have ever been a French police inspector. He's way too Irish to ever be anything but Irish.

Watchable if you like the genre, but not exactly ground-breaking or exciting

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 23 October 2007]

George Zucco is a scientist and to fans of the horror genre, it's not at all surprising that he's a mad scientist since he's played this in so many low-budget films. His assistant is the rather dim and violent J. Carrol Naish. It's obvious SOMETHING is wrong here, but at first it is a bit vague. Unfortunately, though, the film telegraphs its "dark secrets" and the plot seems awfully familiar, so when things do heat up, it never really gets very exciting. I'm not a genius, but I pretty much figured out the plot after watching the film for 10 minutes.

So why, then, did I watch this very bland film? Well, I like the genre and assume those who like these cheesy old horror films would also probably stick it out until the end--especially since this film is less than an hour long. However, if this isn't your style of film, there's nothing about this one that will convince you to watch another.

By the way, my wife says I'm too picky, but this was a sloppy film in several places. In one scene, a man is strangled to death but as his corpse is being thrown out a window, the "dead man" visibly moves his arms to give his attacker and easier time tossing him! A short time later, a man is killed in a barber shop where there is a shade drawn over the glass door. But, when the police break the glass to enter, the shade is up, not down!

This Film Had a Cast of Great Veteran Actors!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 6 March 2004]

Very much to my surprise, I was able to view this picture from the past, which I had never seen, but all the actors in this picture contributed great talents to the Movie Industry even though they were mostly B Pictures! J.Carrol Naish,(Noel),"The Beast With Five Fingers",'40, did a great job of acting through out the entire picture, he was a great actor and was not appreciated by the Movie Industry. Mr. Naish could play any role given to him and appeared in hundreds of films for many many years. George Zucco(Dr. Robert Renault) was a great supporting actor and always managed to add mystery and horror in his great acting skills over the years in many Horror films. Jack Norton,(Mr. Austin),"Crazy House",'43 was an American Drunk, who always played a DRUNKARD in most of his pictures, always falling down and one time even was a murder! Mike Mazurki(Rogel), the monster looking guy, who always played a gangster in films gave a good supporting role. In real life, Mike earned a college degree in 1930 and was a lot smarter than people ever thought. If you love old time Horror movies that now make you laugh!, watch this film if you can find it on TV, I was able to tape it around 1:30AM on AMC!!

Movie

[tomwal · 6/10 · 17 March 2015]

While reading a review of another movie this film was mentioned. Deciding to check it out, I found it on line. Unlike some reviews I've read, I found it interesting. The short running time of fifty eight minutes was probably a good decision by the film makers considering the screen play offers few surprises. An American doctor travels to Europe to visit a doctor friend George Zucco and uncle of his intended bride.Forced to stay overnight at an inn because of a storm, the doctor is met by a driver Noel, played by J. Carrol Nash.. A murder occurs, with Noel being a suspect. Arriving at their destination, the investigation continues with other murders occurring. Confusing at times the film comes to a satisfying conclusion. A familiar cast with Lynne Roberts and Arthur Shields as a police inspector make good use of a screen play that drags in spots. Ray Corrigan doubles Nash in the stunt department. Nothing exceptional but a good way to pass an hour.

No way is this film a 5.

[InsideTheCastleWall · 3/10 · 13 November 2007]

Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) is a boring science-experiment-gone-wrong sci-fi horror. Dr. Renault, eager for notability in the medical field, turns an ape (man wearing gorilla suit) into an apeman (man wearing bad wig and lump under his top lip), named Noel. Noel becomes Dr. Renault's servant and all goes seemingly well for a while but soon things take a turn as Dr. Renault learns he underestimated Noel's animal instinct and aggression.

Could've made more of it's 58 minute run time but it jumped around in a jumbled fashion making it impossible for the viewer to care.

To sum this film up in a word: lackluster.

J Carrol Naish is good in average Island Of Dr. Moreau clone

[mord39 · 17 February 2001]

Here's another rarely seen film that runs only 57 minutes, and features a heartfelt performance from J. Carrol Naish. He plays a dimwitted servant of Dr. Renault (George Zucco), and is an odd-looking man who is the result of an experiment on a real ape by Zucco.

Like so many similar films (TERROR IS A MAN, TWILIGHT PEOPLE, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS) this is just another take on the "Dr. Moreau" theme, and if not for Naish's sympathetic performance, it would be unimportant.

Solid Movie Based on a Lesser Talked about Gaston Leroux Novel

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 7/10 · 9 January 2023]

This is a movie that I didn't learn about until searching for horror from 1942. What is interesting here is that this is based on a novel from Gaston Leroux entitled Balaoo. I know his more famous works of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'The Phantom of the Opera', so I was intrigued since I didn't know anything about this one.

Synopsis: Dr. Larry Forbes (Shepperd Strudwick) visits the château of Dr. Robert Renault (George Zucco), uncle of his fiancée Madelon (Lynne Roberts), who is idolized by Renault's assistant, a strange émigré from Java.

We start this movie in France. Larry is dropped off at an inn by the name of The Black Cat, just in French. He goes inside and states that he's looking for a ride to the château belonging to Dr. Renault. He is informed that Noel (J. Carrol Naish) is there to collect him, but they'll have to wait until morning. They've gotten heavy rains and the bridge is out. It won't be repaired until then. Noel has already book Larry a room as well. Everyone stays up drinking and we get an interesting interaction between Mr. Austin (Jack Norton) and Noel. The former makes a joke about Larry's fiancée and Noel has him by the throat. He is protective over her. This gets calmed down, allowing Mr. Austin to go to bed.

The events of the night don't end there. The gardener for Dr. Renault also shows up. His name is Rogell (Mike Mazurki). Apparently, he made it over before the bridge went out. He needs a room as well. There are people at the inn who fear him. He uses this to his advantage as Rogell is a former criminal. He notices that Larry has quite a bit of money in his wallet.

Larry goes up to bed to find Mr. Austin is in his room. He decides to switch as that is easier. This turns out bad for the latter though. Someone comes into the room and murders him. The main suspect is Rogell, due to his past. It is also considered that Larry was the target, but the killer didn't know the switch happened.

The next morning, Noel takes Larry to Dr. Renault's. It is there we meet him along with Madelon and the other members who work in the house. Dr. Renault conducts experiments here and it seems that he's colleagues with Larry, which is how he met the niece. What should be a joyous time as the wedding approaches, there is more death. Dr. Renault has a secret with an experiment he is conducting and this could be linked to these crimes.

That is where I'm going to leave my recap as well as introduce the characters. Even though this movie is 80+ years old, I didn't want to spoil this as it has an interesting concept. It is one that I will say isn't new. There is another famous book that deals with a similar subject matter so I'm curious if Leroux was influenced by that one. I am trying to cryptic here since if I name the title or the author, I believe it will give away the reveal.

Where I want to start delving deeper is that I've come to notice having watched movies from the early 1940s, cinema wasn't that much different from what it is today. What I mean there is seeing what worked and doing different variations on it. This at the heart is a murder mystery. We have a bit of the 'old dark house' as well with secret passageways. I am a sucker for that. This is also pulling in the mad scientist angle as well. Dr. Renault is conducting experiments in the basement. He has an ape down there. This is also where Noel sleeps. The concept is that he's watching over the laboratory. You could even slide this in as a loose ape film that were popular around this time as well. What I find interesting is that this one doesn't lean into the ape possible being behind the murders. The inspectors look at Rogell. He is a brute of a man and is fast talking. He is the likely suspect for sure. I do think that despite all these different elements, they work well together.

Sticking with everything put into this, this movie runs less than an hour long which shocked me. It is a fast watch as well. It moves through the plot points well. If anything, I'd give credit to the fact that we get a fully fleshed out story with subplots despite that short run time. I don't think the ending is fully predictable, but it makes for an interesting idea.

Since I'm not going into spoilers, let me go over to the acting. I'll start with Naish who has a great performance here. We see from the beginning that there is something off about him. Originally, I just thought he was slow. That isn't necessarily the case. I love how he plays with the idea and truth of his character. Strudwick is good as our hero. I like that he's a nice guy and using reason to find the truth of the slayings. Roberts was cute as Madelon. How she fits into the story is an intriguing one. Noel takes a liking to her. She is kind to him, but it is more of a teacher or motherly way. It adds to the overall story of the movie. I liked Zucco and Mazurki in their roles. The acting here is good across the board.

The only other things to go into would be the filmmaking. What I'll say here is that the cinematography surprised me. How they frame shots was good. There are interesting things done with the 'old dark house' elements. We also don't see things with the use of shadows. There are also close-ups that I found to be well-done. We don't get a lot in the way of effects here. It also isn't that type of movie and doesn't necessarily need them. We do see an ape with Ray Corrigan inside. I have a soft spot for that. The last bit would be the soundtrack. I thought it fit for what was needed.

In conclusion, this is an interesting gem of a movie. It is based off a novel that I hadn't heard of, so that intrigues me. I thought that the acting across the board was good. It isn't the most original as it seems to be borrowing elements from different types of sub-genres that were popular during the era. There are interesting things done with the cinematography. This is a just a well-made movie with a short run time. I'd go as far to call this a hidden gem for me.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

The Return of the Java Man

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 28 October 2007]

***SPOILERS*** If anything else the film "The Secret of Dr. Renault" is a Tor de Force for veteran character actor J. Carrol Nash as Dr. Renault's, George Zucco, ape-like and super sensitive, about his looks, handyman Noel.

Nash, or handyman Noel, steals every scene that he's in, with a minimum amount of lines, as he actually wins over the sympathy of the audience even though he ends up brutally murdering a number of totally innocent persons. Noel becomes madly protective of Dr. Renault's daughter Madeline, Lynne Roberts, not just because she's beautiful but because she's the only person in the movie who can bring the best, as well as human, side out of him. Being born and brought up as a wild ape in the Javanese jungle Noel despite Dr. Renault's many experiments into making him into a human being is still really a monkey at heart.

It's when Madline's fiancée American brain surgeon Larry Forbes, Shepperd Strudwick, show up at Dr. Renault's country château outside of Paris that strange things begin to happen both at Dr. Renault's place and the nearby town. The evidence of the murder of American tourist Mr. Austin, Jack Norton, that happens in the beginning of the movie points to the sensitive but a bit overprotective, in regards to Madeline, Noel who was turned off by a remark that Austin made. It soon becomes very obvious to who murdered Mr. Austin very early in the film and it's not Noel. The police in investigating Dr. Renault's handyman in the Austin murder are sure to find out the real reason that the doctor keeps Nole employed and it doesn't have anything to do with his plumbing and electrical skills.

Trying as much as humanly possible to keep the animal in him under control the half-man half-ape Noel in the end give into his animal instincts and goes bananas from the very negative reactions that he gets from the local townspeople. This is in regards to what the townspeople say about his appearance looking like a cross between Mafia Godfather Don Corleone, with his mouth stuffed with cotton balls or candy jaw breakers, and Apache Indian chieftain Geronimo. Noel is also very hurt over the snide remarks said about him in his inability to dance like Fred Astaire as he was plodding all over the dance floor with Madeline during the towns Bastille Day celebrations.

In the end Noel makes up for all the bad that he did in the movie by saving Madeline from being kidnapped held for ransom and possibly murdered by Dr. Renault's gardener the also ape-like ,but still human, looking Rogell, Mike Mazurki. Dr. Renault hired the ungrateful Rogell, whom he testified for at his trial, despite him having a long and violent criminal record. Dr. Renault had a bad record himself in picking those whom he employed at his château. It was that sloppiness on his part that lead to Dr. Renault in having his neck broken when he got too overconfident in his pushing, with a bull-whip,the meek and obedient Noel around.

Noel now completely taken over by his other self, the wild and uncontrollable ape, throws caution to the wind in going after Rogell who's making his getaway together with the kidnapped Madeline by boat. In the most exciting sequence in the film Noel and Rogell, who's at least a foot taller, slug it out at a deserted watermill with the lovely Madiline's life hanging in the balance.

Some twists that remain unanswered.

[iszatso · 6/10 · 22 August 2011]

Nice play on the topics of mind control and re animations of the sort that Noel received from the Doctor. Left standing at the end is the paradox of who actually killed the man in the hotel in the film's early scenes. And the depraved acting of the human who abducts the girl contrasts nicely with the animal instincts of Noel. In the 1940's with science advancing quickly on the workings of the mind the dichotomy between man and animal is revealed. Who are the real animals in the movie? Movies of this genre who leave you smiling through the horror of it all are fun fill in for our contemporary modern day culture. (with all of its' incipient horrors...)

Don't mess around with God's creations.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 27 March 2014]

What was already being done with Bela Lugosi over at Monogram was done on an A-Grade budget (but released as a "B" feature) for this bottom of the bill 20th Century Fox programmer where George Zucco (who also had done these types of roles at both Monogram and PRC) plays the mad doctor messing around where he shouldn't and paying the ultimate price. Impressive to look at with an appropriately creepy atmosphere, this was obviously intended to rival what Universal was doing (in that case with Lionel Atwill as the mad doctor), not Monogram (nobody at the time cared about them), and the results are rather impressive. Zucco is the seemingly kind doctor who is revealed to being behind some rather nefarious deeds which result in bizarre activities and obviously concern a rather frightening looking creature, played here with great sympathy by the underrated J. Carroll Naish. There are obvious references to Edgar Allan Poe (most obvious, the name of the inn is "The Black Cat"), a publicity stunt considering that the hero of this film (Sheppherd Strudwick) played Poe the same year in another Fox film. There is also a rather disturbing sequence involving a dog that may offend animal lovers, but it is appropriate here considering the theme.

While the film is certainly extremely entertaining and everybody takes the material seriously, the most obvious deficiency is that the Monogram films of this nature, while artistically less notable, are a lot more fun. This lacks the camp element of those films and while Zucco can certainly be over-the-top in the more dramatic scenes, he has little of that here. You will certainly feel for his "victim", a brilliant performance by Naish, a tragic character who reveals the pain of his circumstances just by a distraught look. Veteran criminal character actor Mike Mazurki gets a few over-the-top moments which leads to some surprises in the conclusion.

Dr. Renault's Experiment

[richardchatten · 4/10 · 18 October 2019]

J.Carroll Naish gets star billing as the hirsute but dapper secret of the title in yet another airing of a perennial horror theme (which saw service in several silent films), this time with glossy forties Fox production values.

On this occasion originating with Gaston Laroux's 1911 novel 'Balaoo' (first filmed in 1913) and lit by the same cameraman as the classic silent version of Leroux's most famous novel 'The Phantom of the Opera', it's almost immediately obvious where this is all leading but takes a very long time getting there, grievously wasting George Zucco as Dr.Renault in the process before ending very abruptly.

A Fox Horror Classic?

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 4 January 2017]

Dr. Larry Forbes (Shepperd Strudwick) visits the château of Dr. Robert Renault (George Zucco), uncle of his fiancée Madelon (Lynne Roberts), who is idolized by Renault's assistant (J. Carrol Naish), a strange émigré from Java.

The movie's screenplay was inspired by the lost 1927 film, "The Wizard", based on a novel by Gaston Leroux. It seems that Leroux needs more praise, as he is now thought of as only the "Phantom of the Opera" guy. He had more in him, though that may have been his greatest work.

Although this film is only 58 minutes long (far too short), it captures the mad scientist vibe, and sort of straddles the line between the 1930s (Frankenstein) and the 1950s (the more sci-fi type of scientist). I think it is great that this film is starting to get a new set of eyes on it.

Dr Renault's Secret

[a_baron · 3/10 · 31 January 2020]

Once you take a gander at the good doctor's assistant, it isn't much of a secret. This film is best described as the island of Dr Moreau meets Beauty and the Beast. The sub-plot adds nothing to it, and the resolution is a tad obvious.

The best thing that can be said about "Dr Renault's Secret" is that it is mercifully short. Even the attempts at humour fail to save it. And would the police really have been so thin on the ground after the first murder?

J. Carroll Naish Shows His Strength as a Character Actor!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 5 September 2010]

"Dr. Renault's Secret" is a remake of "The Wizard" a lost film from 1927 that was in turn based on "Balaoo" a 1912 short story by Gaston Leroux. In "The Wizard" the plot involved a mad doctor (Gustav Von Seyffertitz) using an ape like creature to seek revenge on those he considers responsible for his son's execution. It was more of a comedy horror, with a couple of dumb detectives - a genre that was very much in vogue in the late 20s. "Dr. Renault's Secret" doesn't play it for laughs - in fact it tries to bring a lot of sensitivity to the distasteful subject matter.

Dr. Larry Forbes (John Sheppard) arrives in France (the locale of the original Leroux story) to meet his fiancée Madelon Renault (Lynne Roberts), the niece of Dr. Renault (George Zucco) another scientist. He is greeted by Noel (J. Carroll Naish), a zombie like creature who has a strange affection for Madelon. He also meets Rogell (Mike Mazurki), Renault's gardener, who by intimidation keeps the villagers in fear. Next morning one of the guests at the inn is found murdered - he had accidentally fallen asleep in Forbe's room. Suspicion falls on Rogell and he does nothing to show he is innocent. Weird things begin to happen when Forbes arrives at Dr. Renault's. Noel almost has a car accident when he "senses" a dog on the road - the same dog who savagely attacks him before the evening is over.

If you watch the original trailer (that is on the DVD I have) it gives almost everything away. Dr. Renault's secret is - he has captured an ape in Java and through experimentation and plastic surgery has tried to make him more human like. J. Carroll Naish engages your sympathy from the start, not only with his plaintive voice which is like a slow motion Peter Lorre but he also carries himself in a hunched fashion with a simian walk. George Zucco is the repellent Dr. Renault, who keeps Noel in a fearful, subservient state with the help of a huge whip. It is interesting that Rogell is part of an experiment as well - a failed experiment because Rogell, coming from a family of criminals, his bad character is ingrained in him and will never change. A spate of murders happen in the village and from the start it is not hard to figure out who it is - with shots of a concerned Noel looking at his hands!!!

George Zucco was a British stage actor who earned the nickname at Universal "One Take Zucco". He appeared in so many monster flicks in the 40s ("The Mad Ghoul", "Voodoo Man", "Fog Island") usually for smaller independents that if you look up Mad Doctor or Mad Scientist in the dictionary you will probably find his picture.

P.S. The print I viewed was so clear that I could even see strings used as a pulley when Rogell was thrown in the water.

Highly Recommended.

Disappointing, dull and almost unwatchable

[slayrrr666 · 6/10 · 26 October 2008]

"Dr. Renault's Secret" is a thoroughly unimpressive yet not completely worthless effort.

**SPOILERS**

Arriving in Paris, Dr. Larry Forbes, (Sheppard Strudwick) is told that he has to wait in town before traveling to see Dr. Renault, (George Zucco) as he has come to marry Madelon, (Lynne Roberts) his niece. Trapped in the hotel for the night, he is fingered as the main suspect for a murder during the night. Going up in the morning with handyman Noel, (J. Carroll Naish) the three are reconciled and meet up with each other. During the night, he is the target of several murder attempts, but none fall through. Determined to continue on, he decides to continue on with his life, only for another repeat attempt on his life. Now knowing the identity of the killer, he tries to stop him before he succeeds.

The Good News: This one has very few good qualities. The film does have a few good chase scenes in here that really get this one interesting. The main one is a particularly long and fun chase that contains a lot right. This one has some really great moments, as it starts off with a great brawl in a laboratory basement that really gets brutal at times, followed by a lengthy and entertaining chase. Starting off with an excellent moment in the bedroom, it continues on into the surrounding woods, out into and completely through a lake and concludes with a simply spectacular confrontation at a windmill. From a nice brawl over the rooftop, to a really brutal kill and some big stunts going on, it has a lot to offer and becomes a lot more entertaining than it really should. This is a lot of fun, and along with the really fun carnival scene, really constitutes the film's good qualities.

The Bad News: There wasn't a whole lot wrong, even though there wasn't a whole lot to it to begin with. The fact is that this is a thoroughly uneventful, dull and really short film. Even though the film is barely an hour long, the film feels much longer due to its inactivity. From the beginning, this one doesn't have a whole lot of action, and saves the few it does have for the very end of the film. Even the few attempts to do so beforehand are really weak and come off as simply dull. The whipping scenes take place mostly as shadows and ruin their brutality significantly, the murder attempts are all broken up through various means that only make them look lucky more than anything, and it all fails badly. The film's dullness is where it really fails, and for being as short as it is, this one becomes a really big flaw that sinks it.

The Final Verdict: There's not a whole lot for this one either way, and in the end doesn't stand out or fail at much of anything. If it sounds interesting, give it a shot, but it won't mean much at all either way.

Today's Rating-PG: Mild Violence

A good forties studio "B" horror. Note : SPOILER***

[youroldpaljim · 23 February 2003]

WARNING! DANGER! SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER! I must confess that I only saw this film for the first time recently on video, having missed it when it was shown on New York T.V. in the early seventies. About all knew about this film was that it featured J. Carrol Naish and George Zucco and was a variation on "The Island Of Dr. Moreau" from a still and a brief mention in Dennis Gifford's "A Pictorial History Of Horror Movies." I had wrongly assumed this was just another cheezey "poverty row" B horror, when actually it was a Fox production (although still a "B") with decent production values in the manner of low budget big studio films. I also discovered the film has a remarkably good performance from J. Carrol Naish. I should have known the former and expected the latter. In many ways the film is surprisingly good and the reasons for its relative obscurity remains a mystery.

Most of what makes this film memorable is the performance of J. Carrol Naish as the unfortunate apeman Noel. Naish plays the apeman Noel as a sad, unhappy, and very sympathetic character. I read once where Naish said that an actor owes it to the audience to always give his best performance, even if he thinks the production is beneath him. Naish stated that an actor should always see a given role as a challenge, and Naish takes the challenge head on in this film. Naish was one of thirties and forties best character/supporting players. He always gave a good account of himself whether in prestigious films like SAHARA (1943) or dismal programmers like JUNGLE WOMAN (1944) (See my comments on that film). Most any other actor cast to play an apeman would have probably felt embarrassed, walked through the role, collected their paycheck and never looked back.

George Zucco makes the most of his limited screen time. Here he gives his usual suavely sinister-if at times over the top-performance as Dr. Renault. There is some distraction involving an ex-con handyman employed by Dr. Renault played Mike Mazurki. Early on, Noel is kind of a red herring for Mazurki's own murderous activities. The film is set in France, but some the cast, especially Arthur Shields are unconvincing as Frenchmen. Other cast members like Shepperd Strudwick who plays a non-Frenchman are adequate.

This film was the last film directed by Harry Lachman. Most of his films were routine studio films with some exceptions including DANTE'S INFERNO and OUR RELATIONS with Laurel and Hardy. He soon retired from films after this and went back to being an artist and opening up a shop in Hollywood that sold unusual antiques. In fact the last film he was connected with was a short documentary about his shop called TREASURE FROM TRASH (1946) in which he appeared as himself. There is one very interesting scene in the film when male lead Shepperd Strudwick sneaks into Dr. Renaults lab and discovers his notes. The transformation is told in narration by Zucco and a series of still photographs capturing Noels transformation from ape to man. E.A. Dupont used a similar scene told in a series of still photographs to good effect in the otherwise dismal film, THE NEANDERTHAL MAN (1953.) (See my comments on that film). The one very weak point in the film is having Noel actually kill two people which we see on screen. There is a murder early in the film (off screen) where Noel is a suspect but its obvious by the films end he didn't do it. Why have a character that ends up becoming the hero at the end commit two murders kind of bothered me.

Dr. RENAULT'S SECRET is decent forties B horror film made people who cared about what they were making. It's not an unsung classic of the horror film genre, but it is worth viewing by people who can appreciate good old fashioned horror films.