Lionel Atwill stars as Eric Gorman, a madman who runs a local Zoo and who uses his "pets" to kill his enemies.
The opening scene of Atwill sewing the lips shut on a man he suspected of kissing his wife is somewhat of a shocker, even by today's standards.
That scene pretty much sets the tone for the entire 62 minute running time. Charles Ruggles is on hand as comic relief in the form of a bungling publicity man and the love interests are played by Randolph Scott and Gail Patrick.
The always lovely Kathleen Burke is the doomed wife of Atwill's Gorman and she dies a hideous death with alligators. This is a very bleak film and Paramount who originally released this film really wanted to disown it.
It's movies like this that really stick in your subconscious and the first time I saw it years ago it made a hell of an impression on me. This movie is a rare treat and I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but it's perfect for this time of year.
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