The Monkey's Paw

Minor British chiller about a monkeys' paw talisman that can grant three wishes but comes with a heavy price. Just watched it on the channel Talking Pictures. It is very crackly and the print looks older than 1948 but that does add a certain element of charm. Despite it's short running time the first 30 minutes do drag somewhat, however it does build to a quite impressively eerie climax. I recognized Meg Jenkins, who starred in the fantastic Wurzel Gummidge kid's TV series some 30 or so years later. Also filmed in 2013, which wasn't a bad effort either.

I read the review of the English production. It matches one which was filmed for the TV series, LIGHTS OUT as well as the one for SUSPENSE. This story is the reason that so many short horror and mystery stories broadcast on radio in the 1940's should be brought back by the mega film producers of today.

A fine half hour show, broadcast weekly would spellbind their audiences. Hitchcock's, "Hands of Mr. Ottermole" and "Banquo's Chair" were this kind of remake. The fabulous, "Lamb for the Slaughter" was great, but it made murder into a light comedy fantasy.

No major staging, no great sets, just ordinary actors in fear and terror trying to get some advantage from this curious monkey's paw was so powerful. The classic radio show and subsequent motion picture 'Sorry, Wrong Number" should make people see the power of the short story.

Those jokes about three wishes from a genie in a bottle make light of the potential terror from getting what you wish for, with an amulet made from a monkey's paw.

A once-in-a-lifetime cast includes late appearances by Milton Rosmer and Hay Petrie (the former soon retired and the latter soon died) and early ones by Sydney 'Taffler' (sic) and Alfie Bass. A young Megs Jenkins is ironically made up to look older here than she did in the seventies; while Michael Martin Harvey, who here plays your friendly neighbourhood poacher, was promoted by director Norman Lee the following year to the lead in 'The Case of Charles Peace'.

It looks good, and passes it's short running time agreeably enough. But as several previous reviewers have already noted devotes very little time to W.W.Jacobs' spine-chilling short story of 1902 itself (beautifully parodied in 2005 in the 'South Park' episode 'Marjorine'), clutters up the story with a gratuitous flashback structure; and even adds a little coda having at last given us the famous final act, just in case we'd found it all a bit too scary!

IMDb lists no less than 12 versions of this tale.This is a British quota film made in 1948.It is rather disappointing.It just meanders along for the first half an hour and really squeezes the plot developments into the last half hour.Being a rather cheaply produced film the ending is done in a way that leaves more to the imagination.To bring off that style you need to have the inspiration of someone like Val Lewton.Needless to say this is not an attribute of this production.There is an appearance by a young ish Sydney Tafler shown with 2 fs in his surname.All told rather disappointing.At least i have reviewed the film unlike 2 of the reviews on this page.

Mike-764's summation is obviously that of an updated US presentation & not that of the original short story originally set in the '20s by one of Britain's most popular & prolific spinner of yarns with a twist,W W Jacobs.Through the 30s-50s it was a popular choice for Rep groups and BBC Radio and rates with the best - the famed "Sorry,Wrong No!" as a suspencer for the imagination. Small wonder it was a popular choice for the US "Suspense" series. Adaptations from the 50s for film & TV have altered the "McGuffin" but not always for the best. I probably saw this particular version but not recently, so I can't properly rate it. I have,however,read the play & it is that with which I am familiar. Listen to this in the dark in the original version with the original finish which is the real clincher. Who - or what was knocking at the door after that final wish? Would you have opened it?