Tonight's film was an unusual little gem called "The Soul of a Monster"(1944). I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it - a faith-based horror film about the fight over a man's soul between the forces of good and evil. Hollywood stalwart George Macready stars as "George Winson", a famous surgeon who is dying of a blood infection. Winson is known for accepting any patient, regardless of their ability to pay. He's so well loved that his illness is headline news in his hometown. Everyone is talking about him, sad that he's near death.
At home, his wife Ann (Jeanne Bates) is beyond being sad. She's distraught, even angry. She lashes out at her husband's doctor : "If you can't help him then just go"! For the family priest she saves her worst invective : "Your prayers meant nothing. They didn't save him. They're just a crutch for weak people to lean on. I believed once myself, but I don't anymore. You know, I've never prayed to the devil, but now I don't see why I shouldn't. God did me no help at all".
The priest asks her to keep the faith, but right before his eyes, she begins to pray : "To any force in the Universe, positive or negative, I ask you to save my husband". Within moments, we see a woman walking with determination, up the sidewalk towards the Winson home. She barges in without knocking and takes over George's care. "You called me", she says to his incredulous wife. "Here I am. Now get out of the way and let me work".
The woman, an ill-natured harpie with a Severe Hairdo, manages to save Dr. Winson. She announces herself as "Lilyan Gregg" (Rose Hobart), and then throws everybody out of the house, including Ann. Soon, she is dominating George's life. He moves in with her. She forbids him to see his wife and old friends. "What did they ever do for you"?, she asks. When the priest rings the bell to try and speak with George, Lilyan sends him away, then has George follow the clergyman back home, through dark streets. George is holding an icepick he's brought at Lilyan's command. She's ordered him to kill the priest. "He's your enemy"! The only thing that prevents it are a series of encounters with innocent bystanders. Something inside George still knows right from wrong, but just barely.
He eventually goes back to work, but he's not the same doctor everyone knew and loved. Now, he's cold and calculating, only accepting patients with insurance, and even then picking and choosing which ones are "worth saving". One day, his partner Dr. Vance (Jim Bannon) tries talking to him. "What's happened, George? That woman has changed you"! He has no idea how right he is, until he grabs George's wrist.
"He had no pulse", Vance tells Ann, later that night.
What's so interesting about this film is the way that shocking bit of news plays out. George is obviously a Walking Dead Man. He's lost his soul to Ms. Gregg, as the price she demanded for saving his life. The priest realises this, but there won't be any Exorcist-style confrontations to decide the matter. Instead, it will be a war of words, fought between the priest and Ann, on one side, and Lilyan and George on the other. Lilyan mostly hides in the shadows, using George as her mouthpiece. Long, philosophical discourses are exchanged, as the priest tries to reason with George, to speak to the last vestige of goodness still latent in his mind. George volleys back with emotionless, materialistic logic. His argument is based on the here-and-now, on cold-hearted individualism. "I don't believe in an afterlife", he says. "Why should I help others who can't repay me"?
George's wife Ann confronts Ms. Gregg : "You have George do all your bidding. You can't even face us. I believe you're scared"! The struggle for George's soul is quiet but forceful. Lilyan won't give up without a fight (she is of course The Devil's minion). Finally, she causes Dr. Vance to be stricken. He's in need of an operation and requests George to be his surgeon. Vance knows he's putting his life on the line because George is still under the control of Lilyan. But he believes the goodness in George will win out. He will recognise their friendship, and in doing so, he'll regain his soul. Dr. Vance will be saved in the bargain.
"The Soul of a Monster" is one of those Weird, almost Supernatural Horror Movies with religious overtones that sometimes appeared in the 1940s. Fans on IMDB have compared it to the films of Val Lewton, and it certainly has that dark and shadowy look. I'd add a comparison to a movie like "The Enchanted Cottage", which - while having an entirely different content - has a similar theme of Christianity running through it. The religious ideals are more broadly cast; there's no mention of Jesus, only God, but the whole idea is that good always triumphs over evil if one has faith. And in this film, it's all wrapped up in a metaphysical horror story with an Undead Surgeon at it's center.
As Johnny Carson would say, "That's some weird, wild stuff"! And it is. Man, I wish they'd make more movies like this, where characters give ideological speeches and go on far-out diatribes. It's a nice change of pace from the Endless Punchouts and/or Gun Battles that are usually trotted out to resolve conflicts. Speaking of weirdness, actress Jeanne Bates, who plays George's wife "Ann" (the one who invoked the Devil in the first place), went on much later in her career to work with David Lynch, not once but twice! Yessiree, in "Eraserhead" she was "Mrs. X", Henry's creepy mother-in-law. Remember the dinner scene where she grilled Henry about his sex life? How weird was that? Then in "Mulholland Drive" she was "Irene", the creepy old lady who enters Diane's room under the door at the end of the movie. That's even weirder! That scene freaked me out big time. So yeah, maybe David Lynch saw her Weird Performance in "The Soul of a Monster" and said, "Get me Jeanne Bates"!
Two Big Thumbs Up for this movie. Ya gotta see it, highly recommended! /////
That's all for tonight. See you in a while at the Usual Time.
Tons of love. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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