The Boogie Man Will Get You
Encyclopedia
The Boogie Man Will Get You is a 1942 comedy
horror film
, directed by Lew Landers
and starring Boris Karloff
and Peter Lorre
. One of six pictures Karloff made with Columbia
. he filmed it in the wake of his success in the stage
version of Arsenic and Old Lace
.
, not knowing that the scientist has been working in the basement to create a race of superbeings
to help the War effort and intends to use prospective guests in his experiments – unfortunately so, given that his work has seemingly killed a number of test subjects already. Lorre plays the town mayor
/sheriff
/hair tonic salesman Dr. Lorentz, who becomes involved in the Professor's work when he sees the potential for profit, while Larry Parks is Winnie's long-suffering love interest, Bill.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, directed by Lew Landers
Lew Landers
Lew Landers was a prolific American film and television director.-Biography:Born Louis Friedlander in New York City, he began his movie career as an actor. In 1914 he appeared in two features, D. W. Griffith's The Escape and the comedy short Admission -- Two Pins, opposite Glen White, under his...
and starring Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
and Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
. One of six pictures Karloff made with Columbia
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. he filmed it in the wake of his success in the stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
version of Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. The play was directed by Bretaigne Windust, and opened on January 10, 1941. On September 25, 1943, the...
.
Plot
Willful Winnie Slade (Jeff Donnell) purchases the home of kindly Professor Billings (Karloff) with a view to turning it into a hotelHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, not knowing that the scientist has been working in the basement to create a race of superbeings
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
to help the War effort and intends to use prospective guests in his experiments – unfortunately so, given that his work has seemingly killed a number of test subjects already. Lorre plays the town mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
/sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
/hair tonic salesman Dr. Lorentz, who becomes involved in the Professor's work when he sees the potential for profit, while Larry Parks is Winnie's long-suffering love interest, Bill.
Cast
- Boris KarloffBoris KarloffWilliam Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
as Prof. Nathaniel Billings - Peter LorrePeter LorrePeter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
as Dr. Lorentz - "Slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom as Maxie, the Powder PuffPowder puffPowder puffs are pieces of soft material used for the application of face powder. They may be shaped as balls or pads.Historically, powder puffs have been made of very fine down feathers, cotton, fine fleece, etc...
Salesman - Larry ParksLarry ParksLarry Parks was an American stage and movie actor. He was born Samuel Klausman Lawrence Parks. His career was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been a member of a Communist party cell, which led to his blacklisting by all Hollywood studios.-Background:Parks grew up in Joliet,...
as Bill Layden - Miss Jeff DonnellJeff DonnellJeff Donnell was an American film and television actress. Born Jean Marie Donnell, she grew up in South Windham, Maine...
as Winnie Slade (as Miss Jeff Donnell) - Maude EburneMaude Eburneright|thumbMaude Eburne was a Canadian character actress of stage and screen, known for playing eccentric roles.Born in Bronte-on-the-Lake, Ontario and studied elocution in Toronto...
as Amelia Jones - Don BeddoeDon Beddoe-Career:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Beddoe made his Broadway acting debut in 1929, receiving top billing in Nigger Rich....
as J. Gilbert Brampton - George McKay as Ebenezer
- Frank PugliaFrank PugliaFrank Puglia was an Italian film actor. Puglia had small but memorable roles in films including Casablanca and 1942's The Jungle Book. Born in Sicily, the actor started his career as a teen on stage in Italian operas. He emigrated to the U.S...
as Silvio Bacigalupi, the Italian Escaped-POW - Eddie LaughtonEddie LaughtonEddie Laughton was a British-born American film actor. Born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, Laughton appeared in over 200 films between 1935 and 1952.-Career:...
as Mr. Johnson - Frank SullyFrank SullyFrank Sully was an American film actor. He appeared in over 240 films between 1934 and 1968.-Film:Sully was often cast as a heavy or villain throughout his career. Modern viewers will recognize Sully in his appearances in several late Three Stooges films such as Fling in the Ring, Pardon My...
as Police Officer Starrett - James MortonJames C. MortonJames C. Morton was an American character actor. He appeared in 187 films between 1922 and 1943.-Career:...
as Trooper Frank Quincy - Frank MitchellFrank Mitchell (actor)Frank Mitchell was an American film actor. He appeared in over 70 films between 1920 and 1980.-Career:Frank Mitchell was a short, stocky, mischievous-looking comic and acrobat who got his start in entertainment by entering contests imitating Charles Chaplin...
as Jo-Jo, the Human Bomb