The Mad Monster is a 1942 Sci-Fi Horror B-Movie produced and distributed by Producers Releasing Corporation.
Dr. Lorenzo Cameron is a discredited — and quite mad — medico who has discovered a way to turn his gardener, Petro, into a wolf man. The lycanthropic experiments succeed only too well, and although Dr. Cameron spouts plans of turning his discovery into a weapon in defense of the civilized world, he instead unleashes his creation on those fellow scientists who had engineered his ouster from academia in the first place.
Before long, however, the good doctor is unable to control the wolf man, who threatens to kill everything in his path. Only newspaper reporter Tom Gregory and Lenora, Cameron's innocent daughter, may be able to stop the monster.
For the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version, please go to the episode recap page.
Tropes:
- Big Bad: Dr. Lorenzo Cameron, our lycanthrope-controlling Villain Protagonist.
- Death of a Child: Thankfully off screen; we only hear words to this effect afterward.
- Didn't Think This Through: Averted. Dr. Cameron wants to turn his already hulking gardener into a murderous monster; how are you going to control it? Simple; the doc has the antidote at hand.
- For Science!: In step with other "monster/mad scientist" films of this vintage.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Mad Scientist Dr. Cameron creates a monster. By the end of the film, he can no longer control the beast, resulting in his downfall.
- Immune to Bullets: Cameron's werewolf serum somehow gives Petro some tough skin armor.
- Intrepid Reporter: Young reporter Tom Gregory is able to connect the deaths, and realizes they are related to Dr. Cameron, even though nearly everyone he talks to denies that they can be connected.
- Kill It with Fire: A very handy lightning strike does the work for us.
- Kindhearted Simpleton: Petro really wouldn't hurt a fly... except under the influence of Dr. Cameron's lycanthropy cocktail, which he remembers only as a bad dream. And then the violent feelings begin affecting him even when he's "normal"...
- Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Dr. Cameron's daughter Lenora lives with him, though she doesn't have any inclination for scientific pursuits. Her boyfriend the Intrepid Reporter manages to solve the case, while Lenora contributes little to the plot.
- The Mockbuster: Following hot on the heels of the previous year's The Wolf Man (1941) from Universal Studios.
- Not Using the "W" Word: Only the superstitious old woman in the cabin uses the term "werewolf", although Cameron does call Petro a "wolf man".
- Red Herring: The superstitious old woman keeps telling everyone within earshot that you can kill a werewolf only with a Silver Bullet. This never comes into play, though mainly because no one believes it's a real werewolf (and, in most respects, it isn't).
- Reed Richards Is Useless: Played With. Dr. Cameron does mention that the military could create nigh-unstoppable werewolf armies with his lycanthropy formula (and control said armies with the antidote), but right now he's just using it as a tool of revenge.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Dr. Cameron's motive throughout the film is to seek revenge on the scientists who slighted him in the past. He succeeds in killing some of them.
- Shadow Discretion Shot: Dr. Cameron's ultimate demise by werewolf is depicted thusly.
- Sickbed Slaying: Professor Fitzgerald is seriously mauled by the werewolf, but manages to barely cling on to life though he is left in an unconscious state. A doctor is called, but Dr. Cameron finishes him off in an unguarded moment to prevent him from talking.
- The Sociopath: Dr. Lorenzo Cameron, a Mad Scientist who considers the werewolf he created murdering a child to be a success, and intends to butcher the scientists who mocked his ideas. He even only describes his "love" for his daughter in terms of its benefit to him.
- These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: Academia's reason for Dr. Cameron's ouster.
- They Called Me Mad!: Gee, Doc, and your maniacal cackling and tendency to talk aloud to figments of your imagination did nothing to convince them otherwise? Really.
- Unwitting Pawn: Dr. Cameron transforms the simple-minded and gentle Petro into a beast, with the intention of using Petro to kill Cameron's enemies. Petro himself doesn't even know what is happening, since he is drugged during the experiments. Petro only has vague nightmarish memories after reverting to human form.
- Villain Protagonist: Dr. Lorenzo Cameron, a Mad Scientist setting his werewolf creation on academic rivals who mocked his theories.
