This week’s mystery movie was the 1943 Monogram film The Ape Man, with Bela Lugosi, Louise Currie, Wallace Ford, Henry Hall, Minerva Urecal, Emil Van Horn, J. Farrell MacDonald, Wheeler Oakman, Ralph Littlefield, Jack Mulhall and Charles Jordan.
Original story by Karl Brown.
Screenplay by Barney Sarecky.
Associate producer Barney A. Sarecky.
Assistant director Arthur Hammond.
Photographed by Mack Stengler.
Edited by Carl Pierson.
Art direction by David Milton.
Sound by Glen Glenn.
Musical director Edward Kay.
Produced by Sam Katzman and Jack Dietz.
Directed by William Beaudine.
Further information on The Ape Man is available from the AFI Catalog.
The Ape Man is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I couldn’t resist the combination of a gorilla movie and Jack Mulhall! In his ape makeup with sideburns, Bela Lugosi looks like Abraham Lincoln. The plot is routine and the production values are low. The sets seem to be made of cardboard – and haven’t we just seen the bit where a fireplace conceals the secret entrance to a mad scientist’s laboratory?
I cannot imagine The New York Times reviewing this film, not even the “alphabet critics.”
No, nothing.
Update: This is Ralph Littlefield.
For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison
Note: After this I’m sending all the gorilla films to Mystery Movie Jail.
Update: I was alerted to another gorilla movie that has potential – but not for a while.
For Tuesday, we have four men of mystery.
Update: This is, from left, Wallace Ford, Charlie Hall and Jack Mulhall. The fellow on the right remains unidentified.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery gorilla movie and Monday’s mysterious copy messenger).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a frightened mystery couple.
Update: This is Henry Hall and Minerva Urecal.
Brain Trust roll call: L.C. (mystery gorilla movie and mysterious gorilla cast), Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery guests), Greg (Tuesday’s mystery guest No. 1), Mike Hawks (mysterious gorilla movie and all mysterious guests) and Sheila (mystery gorilla movie and Tuesday’s mystery guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious gorilla-person-gorilla.
Update: This is Bela Lugosi.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mysterious woman), Stacia (mysterious gorilla movie, all mysterious guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia (mysterious gorilla movie and all mystery guests), Michael Lott (mysterious gorilla movie, Monday’s mysterious copy messenger and Thursday’s mystery guest) and Anne Papineau (mysterious gorilla movie, all mystery guests and Thursday’s mystery gorilla-person-gorilla).
For Friday, we have a mysterious wisecracking newspaper couple.
Update: This is Wallace Ford and Louise Curry.
And our final mysterious gorilla.
Update: This is Emil Van Horn.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mysterious gent and Thursday’s mystery gorilla-person-gorilla), Greg (mysterious gorilla movie and Thursday’s mysterious gorilla-person-gorilla), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mysterious gorilla-person-gorilla) and Sylvia (Thursday’s mysterious gorilla-person-gorilla).
ladailymirror.com 
Is image from a TV show by any chance?
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No, this is from a film….
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Sunshine Sammy Ernest Mirrison in Ape man.
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The Ape Man (1943) w/Bela Lugosi, Wallace Ford, Minerva Urecal, Louise Currie, Henry Hall, Emil Van Horn, Ernie “Sunshine Sammie” Morrison
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Charkes Jordab, Charlie Hall, Jack Mulhall, and Ralph Littlefield.
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Charles Jordan, Charlie Hall, Jack Mulhall, and Ralph Littlefield.
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Tuesday’s mystery man on the left is Wallace Ford and to his left is Edward Brophy, maybe.
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A wonderful array of familiar faces, but I can only name Lou Lubin.
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An excellent guess, but alas….
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Ernie Morrison, Wallace Ford, Charlie Hall, Jack Mulhall and Ralph Littlefield in THE APE MAN.
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Wallace Ford, Jack Mulhall in The Ape, for Tuesday?
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Belated Lugosi and Minerva Unecal.
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The Ape Man! I hope someone has the name of the guy on the far right in Tuesday’s photo because I recognize him but can’t figure out who he is, I don’t think he’s listed on the IMDb.
Monday is Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison. Tuesday is Wally Ford! And Charlie Hall, and I think Jack Mulhall, and some guy I really should know the name of.
Wednesday is Henry Hall and Minerva Urecal.
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Henry Hall and Minerva Urecal.
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The Ape Man 1943
Monday – Ernest Morrison
Tuesday – Jack Mulhall and Charlie Hall (photographer). I think one of the press guys is William Ruhl, but I’m not sure
Wednesday – Henry Hall and Minerva Urscal
What a wild tale.
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Monday’s gent is East Side Kid Sammy Morrison… your gorilla movie disclaimer is a great hint for the movie – “The Ape Man” with Bela Lugosi,
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I hope Margaret Hamilton is not just another good guess, alas.
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I hope Margaret Hamilton is not just another excellent guess, but alas no pass’
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This must be “El Hombre Bestia” (The Ape Man), that 1943 starrer of Bela Lugosi. On Monday, Ernest Morrison. On Wednesday, we see Henry Hall and Minerva Urecal.
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Henry Hall Wednesday and Bela today.
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I discarded this movie a couple days ago but it’s got to be The Ape Man with Bela Lugosi. I’ll go with my first impressions from now on.
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Bela Lugosi.
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Thursday – Bela Lugosi in his Ape Man outfit.
That leaves for Friday: Bela as his normal “crazed scientist” self, Wallace Ford and Louise Currie as intrepid reporter and assistant. And finally Emil Van Horn as the “real” ape. Emil’s story seems rather sad and a little mysterious, like he was hiding while working in the public eye. Maybe you’ll know more.
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Wallace Ford, Louise Currie, and Bela.
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Wallace Ford, Louise Currie and Emil Van Horn.
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Both mike and I got Tuesday’s far right guy as Ralph Littlefield, check out the photos of him on his imdb page.
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Do you imagine that I don’t check IMDB? And Google image search before posting? And the actual print of the film? Seriously? Ralph Littlefield has a larger role than the unidentified man on the right, who is in this one shot.
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According to the info I can find about Ralph Littlefield and The Ape Man is that he was the odd ball character that kept popping up at various times during the movie.
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Exactly.
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