Poverty Row Horrors!: Monogram, PRC and Republic Horror Films of the Forties

Poverty Row films make today's direct-to-video films look like "A" features. Shot on the tiniest of budgets and often completed in a matter of a few weeks, these films were the bottom of the barrel in 1940's Hollywood and yet somehow many have survived to considered cult classics in the horror genre, This is largely due to the stars of these cut-rate cheapies such as Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, George Zucco, and others. Tom Weaver, perhaps the foremost expert on these films is the man behind this fantastic book detailing all 31 poverty row horrors produced by Republic, Monogram, and PRC studios. The 31 films are listed in order of release date beginning with "Boys of the City" in 1940 and ending with "Spookbusters" in 1946, both East Side Kids/Bowery Boys films. For each film Weaver provides complete cast and credits, run time, release date, and a lengthy plot synopsis. Weaver gives his expert analysis of each film as well as informative anecdotes. Snippets from reviews of the day are also included. Among the films featured are: "The Ape", Boris Karloff's only true poverty row film shot in just one week. This gem must be seen to be believed. One can only imagine how the distinguished and proper Karloff must have felt parading around inside a gorilla suit. Of course the king of poverty row was Karloff's rival Bela Lugosi. Lugosi did nine of these low-budget offerings including "The Devil Bat", "Invisible Ghost", "Black Dragons", "The Ape Man" and "The Corpse Vanishes". One can only feel for Lugosi who needed the work and always gave his fullest in every performance no matter how ridiculous the script was. In an appendix, Weaver along with other luminaries such as Forrest Ackerman, Joe Dante, and Gary Svehla of Midnight Marquee magazine rate all of Lugosi's poverty row films and give their opinions on his best...and worst! One of my favorite films that Weaver covers is "King of the Zombies" which was intended to star Lugosi as the evil Nazi doctor but he was already committed to another film. Great black character actor, wide-eyed Mantan Moreland steals the show hands down and deservedly, is the only one in the cast who gets good mention for his comedic performance. Other films in the book are George Zucco vehicles "Fog Island", "Dead Men Walk" and the "Mad Monster". The book also spotlights some of the truly little known poverty row horrors: "Strangler of the Swamp", "The Face of Marble", `The Girl who Dared" and more. Weaver brings his vast knowledge and intelligent writing to this book. He never fails to surprise me with interesting notes about films and their stars. Reviewed by Tim Janson

Great film reviews and data about these low budget horror films. Good writing, detailed plot summaries and detailed facts. These movies often had far out plots and bad acting, but Mr. Weaver gives them credit where due (original monsters, better than usual direction, or original premises). He also tells of the dizzying heights of absudity they reach . Really good write-ups and highly recommended.

Tom Weaver does good horror history. Fifty years hence, anyone doing a history of the Horror Film will find himself resorting agan and again to the ouvre of Thomas Weaver. Besides his numerous and valuable Interview books as well as his groundbreaking work in UNIVERSAL HORRORS, Weaver has undertaken an important task in writing about the Poverty Row Horror films produced by Republic, Monogram and PRC. As usual for Weaver, the book is methodical and well written. While also an entertaining and informative read, the book will probably be the definitive research tool for the films covered and the studios discussed for the foreseeable future. As "poverty row" productions, there was some danger of these films "falling through the cracks" and vanishing into the mists of time but, through the auspices of Weaver, the films have not merely been saved but canonized. And, with Weaver, one knows that POVERTY ROW HORRORS is accurate. An excellent book with the only flaws being the brevity that Weaver handles such important films like NABONGA and WHITE PONGO.

That this book should be out of print is a travesty. Synposis of 31 "horror" films from PRC, Monogram and Republic are mixed with behind the scenes info, anectdotes and factoids that make this a true necessity for the low budget 40's horror fan. Additional appendices provide info on music, filmographies, "borderline" films and "experts" ranking of the major Monogram entries.