One thing many film buffs don't know is that Rondo Hatton was a hero in World War I, buried with honors not long after this film was completed. He obviously attracted Hollywood because of his looks and associated illness, which, according to bio records, may have been a direct result of him being gassed on the battlefield. It was a tragic twist of fate, however he rose to become one of the most famous monsters (without makeup) in screen history.
HOUSE OF HORRORS, long a fave on tv, is a solid chiller. Hatton is teamed with another memorable villain, none other than Martin Kosleck, remembered for his portrayals of Nazi commanders. Kosleck plays a sculptor whose career is ruined by a ruthless art critic... Call in "The Creeper" to crush the critic! And so it goes. The typical revenge plot that Universal employed in so many of its chillers that kept all of us kids on the edge of our seat.
But the best was Rondo Hatton, simply unforgettable as a real walking nightmare, who must have been genuinely frightening when first seen by audiences. There's a good story and supporting cast at work here, particularly Alan Napier as the arrogant critic who gets his, though the hulking Creeper takes top honors, not forgetting that pronounced slow walk and his extended arms.
The Creeper was actually born in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. In the PEARL OF DEATH, shot two years earlier, Rondo Hatton introduced his frightening character as the killer of those who held a legendary, but deadly pearl in their possession. The Creeper was so well received, the studio made Hatton an overnight star. He even had a home in Beverly Hills. Only in Hollywood! A classic thriller, which actually was one of the last horror films Universal produced in the mid 1940s and, perhaps, one of the most profound. Watch this one with the door opened, just a crack... What you call real camp
Best dvd box set via Universal/TCM. Released 2009.
