Bela Lugosi
Dr. Melcher aka Monsieur Colomb / Cell Prisoner
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Audience rating
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Synopsis
A mysterious visitor becomes connected to the deaths of influential men whose identities conceal a wartime conspiracy. A detective tries to understand the link between the victims and the stranger's unusual expertise. This low-budget thriller mixes espionage with horror devices and reflects the openly propagandistic stereotypes of its wartime production.
Cast
DirectorsWilliam Nigh
Historical context
The film was rushed into production after Pearl Harbor. Its conspiracy plot and racialised portrayal of an enemy belong to wartime propaganda, rather than a reliable account of actual espionage operations. That context is central to understanding its claims and stereotypes.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Bela Lugosi — Fortepan adományozó SALY NOÉMI · Public domain
- Joan Barclay — Victory Picture Company · Public domain
- Clayton Moore — Pleasure Island Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia · Public domain
