Saving The World By 'Shrinking' The Population...1936.
A humanitarian scientist and his wife, concerned about the state of the world's population and the ability to feed everyone....human and animal alike....uncover a means by which any animal or human can be reduced to 1/6th its normal size! Think of it! The amount of food needed to feed the world would be reduced significantly, as would the amount of water needed to sustain life!
Well dear SW readers, that is exactly what the premise was....albeit a fleeting one....in the 1936 MGM film The Devil Doll, directed by Tod Browning. Yes, Tod Browning known for his collaborations with Lon Chaney, and the films Dracula, Freaks, and Mark of the Vampire.
The title The Devil Doll may cause images of black magic, sorcery, and darkest Africa, to swirl within your imagination, but no....we are talking science fiction in France.
The cast members are icon Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Henry B. Walthall, and Rafaela Ottiano.
After seventeen years in prison at Devil's Island, the former respected Parisian banker Paul Lavond (Barrymore) flees with his friend, the scientist Marcel (Walthall) that is researching with his wife Malita the miniaturization of animals and human beings to improve the resources of mankind. Paul was framed for robbery by his scoundrel associates Emil Coulvet, Charles Matin and Victor Radin that had stolen his business while his family was doomed to shame, poverty and tragedy. After the death of Marcel, Paul Lavond sees the chance to use the miniaturization process as instrument of vengeance and he travels to Paris with the insane Malita (Ottiano), disguised as Madame Mandilip, a nice old lady and owner of a dolls store. Paul Lavond, using the identity of Madame Mandilip, befriends his resented and estranged daughter Lorraine Lavond (O'Sullivan) and plots a scheme to revenge and vindicate his family name.
Needless to say Lavond is successful in sending out two tiny assassins to exact his revenge and clearing his name via a confession by the last living perpetrator. All that is left is to attempt a reconciliation with his estranged daughter.
I will stop here and leave the rest up those that are curious and will take a look at this Browning entry, that would be his next to last film, before leaving the film industry for good and retiring.
Some fun and not so fun facts on the making of The Devil Doll. First off, the bad: Veteran screen actor Henry B. Walthall died just 2 months after the film was released. Lionel Barrymore was ill and used a wheelchair when not called upon to appear in a scene.
After the disaster that was '32 Freaks, it was a miracle that Browning was allowed to stay on at MGM, to direct Mark of the Vampire (with Lionel Barrymore, Lionel Atwill, and Bela Lugosi), a remake of his 'lost film' London After Midnight, and this film.
The Devil Doll presents us the first female 'mad scientist' role played by Rafaela Ottiano. She gives one over the top performance as Malita! Bugging her eyes and delivering her lines with such zeal reminds me of Dwight Fry's Renfield in Dracula. Her dark hair, teased above her brow, with a single white streak, seems to be a nod and a wink to Elsa Lanchester's Bride of Frankenstein.
MGM, not to be outdone in the special effects department, went 'all in' for this film. Huge set pieces....and I do mean huge....were built so that the 'human dolls' could be filmed seamlessly into the action, when alone in the shot. These are very impressive and bring quite the realism to the production. Now there are the typical 'matte' shots of the 'dolls' when they are in scenes with the other actors, and you can barely see their outline on the film image, but it is not distracting at all and is reminiscent of the excellent effect of the characters created by Dr. Pretorious in Bride of Frankenstein.
The Devil Doll was the forerunner to such films that used 'miniature' characters....'40 Dr. Cyclops....The Incredible Shrinking Man in the 50s....and even Honey, I Shrunk The Kids! (I'm kidding.)
Todd Browning used an idea first presented in the Lon Chaney film The Unholy Three (silent and sound version), that being the male lead dressing in drag and using their disguise to hide detection from the police. Both characters are old women, and both run a gift/toy shop as a front to their unsavory actions.
Lionel Barrymore is well known for his role (in wheelchair) as Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildare series with Lew Ayers (All Quiet on the Western Front) and of course as the miserly Mr. Potter, in It's A Wonderful Life.
The beau of Maureen O'Sullivan's character is named 'Toto.' Who knew that only a few years later, 'Toto' would become famous.
Dorothy's canine pet in The Wizard of Oz?
The Devil Doll has just recently been released on bluray. It is an excellent restoration and an upgrade over the dvd. The film commentary is wonderful as well.
Well dear SW readers, that is exactly what the premise was....albeit a fleeting one....in the 1936 MGM film The Devil Doll, directed by Tod Browning. Yes, Tod Browning known for his collaborations with Lon Chaney, and the films Dracula, Freaks, and Mark of the Vampire.
The title The Devil Doll may cause images of black magic, sorcery, and darkest Africa, to swirl within your imagination, but no....we are talking science fiction in France.
The cast members are icon Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Henry B. Walthall, and Rafaela Ottiano.
After seventeen years in prison at Devil's Island, the former respected Parisian banker Paul Lavond (Barrymore) flees with his friend, the scientist Marcel (Walthall) that is researching with his wife Malita the miniaturization of animals and human beings to improve the resources of mankind. Paul was framed for robbery by his scoundrel associates Emil Coulvet, Charles Matin and Victor Radin that had stolen his business while his family was doomed to shame, poverty and tragedy. After the death of Marcel, Paul Lavond sees the chance to use the miniaturization process as instrument of vengeance and he travels to Paris with the insane Malita (Ottiano), disguised as Madame Mandilip, a nice old lady and owner of a dolls store. Paul Lavond, using the identity of Madame Mandilip, befriends his resented and estranged daughter Lorraine Lavond (O'Sullivan) and plots a scheme to revenge and vindicate his family name.
Needless to say Lavond is successful in sending out two tiny assassins to exact his revenge and clearing his name via a confession by the last living perpetrator. All that is left is to attempt a reconciliation with his estranged daughter.
I will stop here and leave the rest up those that are curious and will take a look at this Browning entry, that would be his next to last film, before leaving the film industry for good and retiring.
Some fun and not so fun facts on the making of The Devil Doll. First off, the bad: Veteran screen actor Henry B. Walthall died just 2 months after the film was released. Lionel Barrymore was ill and used a wheelchair when not called upon to appear in a scene.
After the disaster that was '32 Freaks, it was a miracle that Browning was allowed to stay on at MGM, to direct Mark of the Vampire (with Lionel Barrymore, Lionel Atwill, and Bela Lugosi), a remake of his 'lost film' London After Midnight, and this film.
The Devil Doll presents us the first female 'mad scientist' role played by Rafaela Ottiano. She gives one over the top performance as Malita! Bugging her eyes and delivering her lines with such zeal reminds me of Dwight Fry's Renfield in Dracula. Her dark hair, teased above her brow, with a single white streak, seems to be a nod and a wink to Elsa Lanchester's Bride of Frankenstein.
MGM, not to be outdone in the special effects department, went 'all in' for this film. Huge set pieces....and I do mean huge....were built so that the 'human dolls' could be filmed seamlessly into the action, when alone in the shot. These are very impressive and bring quite the realism to the production. Now there are the typical 'matte' shots of the 'dolls' when they are in scenes with the other actors, and you can barely see their outline on the film image, but it is not distracting at all and is reminiscent of the excellent effect of the characters created by Dr. Pretorious in Bride of Frankenstein.
The Devil Doll was the forerunner to such films that used 'miniature' characters....'40 Dr. Cyclops....The Incredible Shrinking Man in the 50s....and even Honey, I Shrunk The Kids! (I'm kidding.)
Todd Browning used an idea first presented in the Lon Chaney film The Unholy Three (silent and sound version), that being the male lead dressing in drag and using their disguise to hide detection from the police. Both characters are old women, and both run a gift/toy shop as a front to their unsavory actions.
Lionel Barrymore is well known for his role (in wheelchair) as Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildare series with Lew Ayers (All Quiet on the Western Front) and of course as the miserly Mr. Potter, in It's A Wonderful Life.
The beau of Maureen O'Sullivan's character is named 'Toto.' Who knew that only a few years later, 'Toto' would become famous.
Dorothy's canine pet in The Wizard of Oz?
The Devil Doll has just recently been released on bluray. It is an excellent restoration and an upgrade over the dvd. The film commentary is wonderful as well.
