Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) Review
Panel’s Chamber of Chills #7
We’re back to the Universal classics this week with Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), directed by Robert Florey and starring the one and only Bela Lugosi.
By 1932, Universal had figured out the horror formula. They’d already scored massive hits the year before with Dracula and Frankenstein. Paramount jumped in with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so Universal decided to keep the train rolling and dropped three horror flicks in one year — Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Old Dark House, and The Mummy. This one’s loosely (and I mean loosely) based on the Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name.
Behind the Camera
Robert Florey, who actually helped with the Frankenstein script before being replaced by James Whale, got handed this project. He does a decent job, but you can tell he was still adjusting to the new world of talking pictures.
Luckily, he had a secret weapon — cinematographer Karl Freund. The same guy who shot Dracula and later directed The Mummy. Freund’s work here might actually be better than Dracula. His version of 19th-century Paris is incredible. The visuals are top-tier Universal horror — foggy streets, eerie shadows, and those twisted sets that look straight out of a nightmare.
It’s a good thing Freund was behind the camera, because the script sure doesn’t help much. The story’s weak, and the dialogue feels stiff as a board. Still, between Freund’s atmosphere and Lugosi’s presence, the movie stays interesting.
Being a pre-Code film, Florey got away with some surprisingly dark stuff for the time — there’s even a scene of a woman being tortured on a crucifix. You’d never see that again once the Hays Code kicked in.
The Writing
Fun fact — legendary director John Huston worked on this screenplay early in his career. His job was to try and make Poe’s writing work for film. Even he admitted later that it wasn’t great. Poe’s gothic, wordy style just doesn’t translate easily to the screen.
It’s a shame because with Florey, Freund, and Huston all involved, this should’ve been a slam dunk. Instead, it’s an odd mix — beautiful to look at, but slow and awkward to listen to.
The Cast
Outside of Lugosi, the cast is pretty forgettable. Lugosi, though, is magnetic as the sinister Dr. Mirakle. He chews the scenery like only he can. There are a few solid supporting roles, and even an early “man in gorilla suit” performance, which feels charmingly primitive by today’s standards.
The movie came out in February 1932 and got mostly good reviews for Lugosi and Freund’s visuals. It wasn’t a big hit like Dracula or Frankenstein, though. Probably because it doesn’t really have a true “monster.” Dr. Mirakle’s evil, sure, but he’s not the kind of creature audiences came to see.
Still, it’s got that moody, gothic vibe I love, and it’s interesting as an early attempt to adapt Poe. Universal would return to Poe a couple more times with The Black Cat (1934) and The Raven (1935), both with Lugosi. Out of those three, I’d rank Murders second — The Black Cat is the clear winner.
Final Thoughts
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) is a mixed bag. It’s a gorgeous movie to look at, packed with atmosphere and shadowy visuals. Lugosi and Freund carry the whole thing, but the weak story keeps it from reaching classic status.
It’s not a must-see, but if you’re a Universal horror fan or a Poe reader, it’s worth checking out just to see where the studio was experimenting before things really took off.
Final Verdict: 2 out of 5 tombstones.
All film stills, promotional photos, and poster art © Universal Pictures. Used here under fair use for the purposes of critique, commentary, and historical review.