The Devil-Doll
Greater Than "The Unholy Three"
Respected Parisian banker Paul Lavond is framed for robbery and murder by crooked associates and sent to prison. 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 those who betrayed him, and takes the scientist's methods back to Paris to exact painful revenge.
Horror
Science Fiction
6.8
118 reviewsRuntime: 78 min.
Budget: N/A
Revenue: N/A
Release Date: 1936-07-10
Director(s): Tod Browning
Production: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Languages: English
IMDB: tt0027521
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John Chard★ 7/103/18/2019
Browning's creepy miniatures. Paul Lavond is a wrongly convicted prisoner serving his time on the hellish Devil's Island. Engineering an escape with loopy scientist, Marcel, they take refuge at Marcel's old laboratory. Here Lavond finds to his initial horror just how brilliant Marcel's work is, he has invented a serum that can turn any living being into a miniature of itself. Upon learning of the formula, and disguising himself as an old woman, Lavond plans to wreak horrific revenge on those who framed him and sent him to prison. It's not very often that I actually wish myself to be older than I am, but this is one such case, I can't believe I wouldn't have been terrified back in 1936 as Todd Browning's little people went out bidding Lionel Barrymore's vengeful work! Now of course the picture looks wearily hokey, but as hokey films go, this is up with the best of them. The special effects stand up to repeat viewings even in this day and age of overkilled S/E purely for ticket selling purposes, with the over-sized sets and props of the trade expertly realised. Barrymore has a great time and entertains fully from first shot till last, with great support coming from the gorgeous Maureen O'Sullivan and a gruff Robert Greig. Adapted from Abraham Merritt's novel called Burn Witch Burn! (co screenplay credit to Erich von Stroheim no less!), it's actually cinematographer Leonard Smith who deserves the biggest pat on the back. Capturing the fantastical nature of the piece perfectly, it's really only now with crisper DVD (etc) transfers available that we can see just what a difference a great cinematographer can make to films in need of atmospheric touches. Still wish I could have seen this on a big old creaky screen in 1936 though! 7.5/10