help with a movie EDIT - SOLVED!

[mksimmonds]

Trying to identify title of horror movie I saw several times in my youth (early 1970s) on Chiller Theater (WPIX, NYC) It's a B&W from the late 1940s from my memory of the cars in it. Story line has a couple of doctors or scientists working in a lab on some kind of serum or drug. One of them, who I think lived in a room in the back of the lab, decides to drink/inject serum and transforms into a crazed murderer who stalks people at night. Under the influence of the serum his appearance pretty much remains normal except that his hair is disheveled, his eyes take on a crazed appearance and his lower lip droops, as if drooling . The crazed murder usually hides in bushes or behind trees, cars or in shadows between houses as he stalks his victims. There is one very tense , dramatic scene where a woman (I believe she is acquainted to the man in his normal state) is walking home alone one night and hears a noise that scares her. She increases her walking pace as she believes she's being followed and eventually starts to run. When she gets to her house she fumbles furiously with the key and makes it into the house and locks the door just in time as the man pounds on the outside of the door. He is eventually killed by the police. As it had a similar story line, I bought "The Creeper" (1948), but that was not the film. Thanks for any help.

[_____V_____]

"The Creeper" sounds just about a perfect fit, judging by what you described.


The only other one I remember having similar plotlines is "The Ape Man" (1943) with Bela Lugosi, and I am not sure if thats the one you are looking for.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035640/



You sure its not Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of the 40s?

[alkytrio666]

Creature With the Atom Brain (1955) might be what you're looking for. Probably not.

[bloodrayne]

Sure sounds like Dr. Jeckyll And Mr. Hyde to me

[alkytrio666]

Yeah, that thought came to my mind as well, but it seems too obvious.

[VampiricClown]

Atom Age Vampire (http://imdb.com/title/tt0054285/)

I do believe this is the title you seek...1960, but it has the scene you describe if my memory serves me correctly.

[mksimmonds]

After all the searching I've done on the web, I'm pretty sure that the actor who played the crazed killer is John Baragrey. I've reviewed all his movie credits and none seem to fit exactly. I'm wondering if what I saw was a 1-hour episode of a TV series. His credits show "Suspense" and "Thriller" TV series. Has anyone seen these shows and does my description of him playing a Jekyll and Hyde kind of crazed killer ring a bell?? This may explain why I've never seen it again on TV since the 70s. Thanks for all the help!!

[mksimmonds]

Found the answer to my search with some help from someone on IMDB. The film I was looking for with the Jekyll & Hyde plot is "The Vampire" (1957) starring John Beal. The plot is typical Jekyll & Hyde, but the doctor/scientist in the film is experimenting with bats and thus the serum transforms him into a vampire-like villain. But, not the typical classy, graceful, agile vampire, rather, a crude, clumsy killer/bloodsucker. Can't wait for the DVD in the mail. Thanks for all the replies. Cheers and Happy New Year!

[_____V_____]

Congratulations. A 4-year old search is finally over for you.

Closing thread.