A FACE IN THE FOG (1936)
Article #70 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 5-25-2001
Posting date: 10-8-2001

A hunchback killer known as “The Fiend” has been killing off members of a theatrical troupe using a special gun that shoots frozen poison. When a plucky girl reporter prints a story claiming she can identify “The Fiend”, she finds herself the next target of the killer.

Basically, this is a mystery with slight horror and SF elements, a type of movie very common during the thirties. This one is quite silly, but fun in its hokey way.

The comic relief is provided by Al “Fuzzy” St. John, a comedian from the silent era who would later be most known for playing bewhiskered sidekicks in B-Westerns, and here he plays Elmer, the befuddled photographer. Oddly enough, I can’t decide whether I like him or not, but I am geniuinely amused by some of his shenanigans, and he may well be the best thing in the movie. In fact, I had to rewatch this movie in preparation for writing this MOTD entry, because all I could remember from my first viewing was that Elmer had this impenetrable running joke, which I will now quote. “What’s the difference, as long as you’re healthy!” This line comes out of nowhere, pops up several times, and goes nowhere. Consider yourself prepared.