A scientist seeks to transplant a brain into the body of a thawed caveman in order to get it to do his bidding.A scientist seeks to transplant a brain into the body of a thawed caveman in order to get it to do his bidding.A scientist seeks to transplant a brain into the body of a thawed caveman in order to get it to do his bidding.
Teala Loring
- Anne Gilmore
- (as Judith Gibson)
Tod Andrews
- Steve Rogers
- (as Michael Ames)
Eddy Chandler
- Sergeant
- (as Ed Chandler)
Horace B. Carpenter
- Theater Watchman
- (uncredited)
Mike Donovan
- Policeman Barney
- (uncredited)
George Eldredge
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Frank Leigh
- Long Shot
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGeorge Zucco was hired for the part of the Ape Man and showed up for initial costume fittings and preliminary make-up applications, but he fell ill prior to shooting and was replaced by Frank Moran. However, his contract required that he receive third billing, so even though he appears in the film for only a few seconds*, he is still billed third. He does appear in some lobby cards, however, and there are publicity photos taken of him in full costume and make-up. (*Keen eyed viewers will spot him in the initial scenes of the dormant ape-man lying on Dexter's lab table. Frank Moran takes over just as creature stirs and wakes up). He did recover to join Bela Lugosi and John Carradine in the follow-up, "Voodoo Man."
- GoofsThe prehistoric cave man who is thawed back to life is wearing modern cotton underwear beneath his animal hide loincloth.
- Quotes
Prof. Dexter: Some people's brains would never be missed!
- ConnectionsFeatured in Fantasmic Features: Return of the Ape Man (1967)
Featured review
NOT a sequel to Lugosi's "The Ape Man"!
"Return of the Ape Man" is a very low energy movie with all the expected 'thrills'...including a mad scientist, a monster (of sorts), fainting ladies, brain experiments and murder. Yet, oddly, despite these story elements, the movie itself is surprisingly dull and low energy...mostly due to lackluster writing and acting from this Monogram release.
The story begins with two scientists, Professors Dexter and Gilmore (Bela Lugosi and John Carradine), experimenting on a hobo...keeping him frozen for several months and then reviving him. Dexter is convinced he can replicate this on folks frozen far longer...perhaps many years longer. So, the pair go on an expedition to the Arctic and return with a cave man who was frozen for many thousands of years. Dexter IS able to revive him...but the cave man (who is not ape-like at all) is uncontrollable. So, Dexter, being the great humanitarian, decides to steal someone else's brain, or at least part of it, and transplanting it into the cave dude....with expected results.
Monogram Studios was a very low budget affair. Not as bad as PRC nor Ed Wood Jr., , for which Lugosi made some truly awful films,.....but pretty poor. To me, this movie felt like a dozen other Lugosi films where he played an evil mad scientist...and several of which were MUCH better, such as Universal's "Murders in the Rue Morgue". By the numbers and offering little that is novel or exciting...it's mostly a film for Lugosi fans and perhaps my score of 4 is a bit generous.
The story begins with two scientists, Professors Dexter and Gilmore (Bela Lugosi and John Carradine), experimenting on a hobo...keeping him frozen for several months and then reviving him. Dexter is convinced he can replicate this on folks frozen far longer...perhaps many years longer. So, the pair go on an expedition to the Arctic and return with a cave man who was frozen for many thousands of years. Dexter IS able to revive him...but the cave man (who is not ape-like at all) is uncontrollable. So, Dexter, being the great humanitarian, decides to steal someone else's brain, or at least part of it, and transplanting it into the cave dude....with expected results.
Monogram Studios was a very low budget affair. Not as bad as PRC nor Ed Wood Jr., , for which Lugosi made some truly awful films,.....but pretty poor. To me, this movie felt like a dozen other Lugosi films where he played an evil mad scientist...and several of which were MUCH better, such as Universal's "Murders in the Rue Morgue". By the numbers and offering little that is novel or exciting...it's mostly a film for Lugosi fans and perhaps my score of 4 is a bit generous.
helpful•51
- planktonrules
- Oct 5, 2020
Details
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- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Возвращение человека-обезьяны
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Return of the Ape Man (1944) officially released in Canada in English?
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