Brendon Jones
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
iszatso
Nice play on the topics of mind control and re animations of the sort that Noel received from the Doctor. Left standing at the end is the paradox of who actually killed the man in the hotel in the film's early scenes. And the depraved acting of the human who abducts the girl contrasts nicely with the animal instincts of Noel. In the 1940's with science advancing quickly on the workings of the mind the dichotomy between man and animal is revealed. Who are the real animals in the movie? Movies of this genre who leave you smiling through the horror of it all are fun fill in for our contemporary modern day culture. (with all of its' incipient horrors...)
InsideTheCastleWall
Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) is a boring science-experiment-gone-wrong sci-fi horror. Dr. Renault, eager for notability in the medical field, turns an ape (man wearing gorilla suit) into an apeman (man wearing bad wig and lump under his top lip), named Noel. Noel becomes Dr. Renault's servant and all goes seemingly well for a while but soon things take a turn as Dr. Renault learns he underestimated Noel's animal instinct and aggression.Could've made more of it's 58 minute run time but it jumped around in a jumbled fashion making it impossible for the viewer to care.To sum this film up in a word: lackluster.
sol1218
***SPOILERS*** If anything else the film "The Secret of Dr. Renault" is a Tor de Force for veteran character actor J. Carrol Nash as Dr. Renault's, George Zucco, ape-like and super sensitive, about his looks, handyman Noel.Nash, or handyman Noel, steals every scene that he's in, with a minimum amount of lines, as he actually wins over the sympathy of the audience even though he ends up brutally murdering a number of totally innocent persons. Noel becomes madly protective of Dr. Renault's daughter Madeline, Lynne Roberts, not just because she's beautiful but because she's the only person in the movie who can bring the best, as well as human, side out of him. Being born and brought up as a wild ape in the Javanese jungle Noel despite Dr. Renault's many experiments into making him into a human being is still really a monkey at heart.It's when Madline's fiancée American brain surgeon Larry Forbes, Shepperd Strudwick, show up at Dr. Renault's country château outside of Paris that strange things begin to happen both at Dr. Renault's place and the nearby town. The evidence of the murder of American tourist Mr. Austin, Jack Norton, that happens in the beginning of the movie points to the sensitive but a bit overprotective, in regards to Madeline, Noel who was turned off by a remark that Austin made. It soon becomes very obvious to who murdered Mr. Austin very early in the film and it's not Noel. The police in investigating Dr. Renault's handyman in the Austin murder are sure to find out the real reason that the doctor keeps Nole employed and it doesn't have anything to do with his plumbing and electrical skills.Trying as much as humanly possible to keep the animal in him under control the half-man half-ape Noel in the end give into his animal instincts and goes bananas from the very negative reactions that he gets from the local townspeople. This is in regards to what the townspeople say about his appearance looking like a cross between Mafia Godfather Don Corleone, with his mouth stuffed with cotton balls or candy jaw breakers, and Apache Indian chieftain Geronimo. Noel is also very hurt over the snide remarks said about him in his inability to dance like Fred Astaire as he was plodding all over the dance floor with Madeline during the towns Bastille Day celebrations.In the end Noel makes up for all the bad that he did in the movie by saving Madeline from being kidnapped held for ransom and possibly murdered by Dr. Renault's gardener the also ape-like ,but still human, looking Rogell, Mike Mazurki. Dr. Renault hired the ungrateful Rogell, whom he testified for at his trial, despite him having a long and violent criminal record. Dr. Renault had a bad record himself in picking those whom he employed at his château. It was that sloppiness on his part that lead to Dr. Renault in having his neck broken when he got too overconfident in his pushing, with a bull-whip,the meek and obedient Noel around.Noel now completely taken over by his other self, the wild and uncontrollable ape, throws caution to the wind in going after Rogell who's making his getaway together with the kidnapped Madeline by boat. In the most exciting sequence in the film Noel and Rogell, who's at least a foot taller, slug it out at a deserted watermill with the lovely Madiline's life hanging in the balance.
srboller
Solid acting, and good directing along with exquisite set design make this horror film well worth watching. The film follows the familiar, mad doctor, evil misunderstood assistant in a castle theme we all know and love. Without any special effects, it's up to the cast to carry this run-of-the-mill story line. The acting is generally first rate considering the film's low budget and B movie status. The sets and scenery are wonderful. The opening scene at the village inn - perfect for the story. The castle and laboratory are first rate with that classical horror movie look done to perfection. One caveat: the abrupt ending seems out of place. It did not wrap up the story. almost as if they ran out of film and, "That's it." Well worth a look if you enjoy retro horror films. This one won't disappoint.
