Master showman, engaging entertainer, genius entrepreneur, and all around nice guy, Merv Griffin (b.1925) has died. I always found him quite amusing. I fondly remember watching his talk show with my parents growing up and then later with my college roommates. We made fun of him a lot, but we enjoyed being in his presence, even if it was electronic. We waited for the moment he'd say something obtuse, and then we'd howl. He could make an ass out of himself, but with grace and humility. As a talk show host, he always stressed the necessity to listen to the guests rather than think of your next comment. What we might have missed in quick quips or sound bites, he made up for with thoughtful questions.
Acting wasn't his strong suit. Merv was better being his jolly, positive, empathetic self. But he performed in a Poe film. In 1954's PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE, one of several adaptations of Poe's first mystery story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Merv plays a French medical student named "Georges Brevert." As I remember, his accent was horrible, but his enthusiasm was readily apparent.
Warner Bros.' followup to its 3D hit House of Wax, Phantom of the Rue Morgue bears only the slightest resemblance to its alleged inspiration, the Edgar Allan Poe mystery yarn Murders in the Rue Morgue. Karl Malden delivers one of the hammiest performances on record as mad scientist Dr. Marais, who uses a trained gorilla to exact revenge on those who've wronged him. At the top of Marais' hit list are the many beautiful women who've spurned his advances, including such French pastries as Yvonne (Allyn McLerie), Arlette (Veola Vonn) and Camille (Dolores Dorn). Each of these unfortunate ladies have been given bracelets decorated with bells, designed to attract the homicidal ape's attention. Psychology professor Paul Dupin (Steve Forrest) conducts a private investigation of the killings, only to be arrested for the murders himself by the supremely confident (and rather dense) Inspector Bonnard (Claude Dauphin). This leaves Dupin's sweetheart Jeanette (Patricia Medina) virtually defenseless when she is targetted for extermination by Doc Marais. Outside of such incidental pleasures as seeing Merv Griffin play a French medical student, Phantom of the Rue Morgue offers a vast array of unsubtle 3D "shock" effects, which come off as hilarious when the film is shown "flat" (as it always is these days).
- Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Phantom of the Rue Morgue - imdb
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