‘A horror film that will stiffen you with laughter!’
Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla is a 1952 comedy horror sci-fi film directed by William Beaudine from a screenplay by Tim Ryan with additional dialogue by ‘Ukie’ Sherin and Edmond G. Seward.
The Realart Pictures production stars Bela Lugosi, Duke Mitchell, Sammy Petrillo (a duo that impersonated Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who made Scared Stiff the following year), Charlita and Muriel Landers.
Plot:
On their way to perform in Guam for the troops, nightclub performers Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo find themselves stranded on a seemingly treacherous island, known by the natives as “Kola Kola”. The natives are quite friendly, especially Nona (Charlita), the tribal chief’s daughter, who tries to help the two get off the island.
Though paradise has been found, for the time being, the duo soon discovers that a mad scientist named Doctor Zabor (Bela Lugosi) lives on the other side of the island. Seeing a chance to get help, the two visit the strange doctor in his “castle”.
Tension mounts as Duke falls in love with Nona. Seeing Duke as a threat, jealous Doctor Zabor plans to literally make a monkey out of Duke, for he too loves Nona. Sammy tries to help his pal, with unexpected results…
Trailer:
Free on YouTube:
Cast and characters:
- Bela Lugosi … Doctor Zabor
- Duke Mitchell … Duke Mitchell
- Sammy Petrillo … Sammy Petrillo
- Charlita … Nona
- Muriel Landers … Saloma
- AAl Kikume … Chief Rakos
- Mickey Simpson … Chula
- Milton Newberger … Bongo – the Witch Doctor
- Martin Garralaga … Pepe Bordo / Waiter
- Steve Calvert … Gorilla (uncredited)
- Ray Corrigan … Gorilla (uncredited)
- Luigi Faccuito … Native Warrior (uncredited)
- William Wilkerson … Native Warrior (uncredited)
Technical specs:
1 hour 14 minutes
Production:
Filmed over a six-day period at the General Service Studios (now the Hollywood Center Studios) in Los Angeles on a budget of $12,000.
Release:
Released on September 4th 1952 in New York City. The movie was later reissued as The Boys from Brooklyn
Film facts:
The original title was White Woman of the Lost Jungle
Decades later, the film was referenced by Martin Landau, who watched it three times in preparation for his role as Lugosi in Tim Burton’s biopic Ed Wood, saying that it was “so bad that it made Ed Wood’s films look like Gone with the Wind.”
Related:
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