My take: Insurance agents can be terrifying when they are played by Bela Lugosi.

In full honesty, my father-in-law is an insurance agent. So I find it infinitely amusing that this movie’s villain is an evil insurance agent.

Lugosi Dark Eyes of London

Bela Lugosi as Doctor Orloff in The Dark Eyes of London.

Of course, it is not as simple as that. In The Dark Eyes of London (released as The Human Monster in the U.S.), Bela Lugosi plans Doctor Orloff, a man who provides loans to desperate people in exchange for being the sole beneficiary on their life insurance (which he also provides; hence the insurance agent connection). The poor souls readily agree, and it doesn’t take long until Doctor Orloff leads them to their demise.

Much of the story follows those who are trying to find the killer. This includes Scotland Yard, a hardnose Chicago cop in town to study the way the Brits handle investigations, and the beautiful daughter of  the latest victim.

To them, Doctor Orloff appears a good samaritan. He provides loans to the needy and he supports a home for the blind. But when the police go to the home and start questioning some of the residents, they discover things are not as they seem.

This movie flows like a police procedural or mystery novel. But the use of Bela Lugosi kicks it up a notch and puts it into the realm of horror. He does an exceptional job imbuing his character with an eerie quality, and when he is on the screen, you cannot take your eyes off him.

I would recommend this movie to fans of Bela Lugosi or those who like a good murder mystery.

I found the movie on youtube: