The Devil-Doll (1936)
Genre: Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi
Country: USA | Director: Tod Browning
Language: English | Subtitles: English (Optional, embedded in Mkv file)
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 | Length: 78mn
Bdrip H264 Mkv – 1480×1080 – 23.976fps – 3.02gb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027521/
Audio 2: Commentary by Film Historians Dr. Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr
Paul Lavond was a respected banker in Paris when he was framed for robbery and murder by crooked associates and sent to Devil’s Island. Years later, he escapes with a friend, a scientist who was working on a method to reduce humans to a height of mere inches (all for the good of humanity, of course). Lavond however is consumed with hatred for the men who betrayed him, and takes the scientist’s methods back to Paris to exact painful revenge.
Director Tod Browning (“Freaks”, the original “Dracula”, and many Lon Chaney films) has created a great mix of suspense, action, light humor, & heart-tugging emotions in this tale of revenge and redemption.
The fx are (mostly) ahead of their time, and as good as the later shrunken-people sci-fi movies of the 40s and 50s, such as “Dr Cyclops”, “Attack of the Puppet People”, and “The Incredible Shrinking Man”.
But the best part is the great acting of Barrymore. He plays a desperate escaped convict, who hides by masquerading as a kindly old woman, who in turn pretends to be maker of perfectly detailed dolls. As this character that’s both humorous and murderous, obsessed and befuddled, he toys with the police and his betrayers who will be the targets of his army of living dolls. It’s a tour de force of acting in this beautiful film.
Thanks for this new transfer of an unsung classic!