While I was relaxing with good fiends in Pittsburgh, I got an interesting assignment from Renfield. Of course, I had wondered what piece of dreck he had managed to scrape man from the bottom of cinematic barrel. (Anyone who has read my previous articles can definitely hear the scraping). So I held my breath and agreed to the assignment, knowing that I was going to be in for a certain amount of pain. Isn’t that why I get the choice assignments like this?

Well, the DVD arrived, and I popped it into our DVD player and watched it for an hour. Granted, there were some huge plot holes (I'll rant about that later) and the pace made this movie seem longer but I still found it fascinating to watch. That may disappoint
those of you who read my ramblings for snark-filled commentaries on the celluloid dreck of the month.

Why do I find this movie--Son Of Ingagi from 1940--a tad more fascinating than the usual assignment? For starters, this is the first horror movie with an African American cast and it features a female mad scientist (more on that later).

The "race movies" were films that had African American actors playing realistic characters as opposed to the servants or buffoons in many Hollywood films. They were shown in segregated theaters and at special showings up North (known as a "midnight ramble"). One of the major contributors to this style of film is the man who would be later known as "Andy"(as in "Amos and Andy") to a future television audience, Spencer Williams.

Williams wore many hats during this period of his life for he was the producer, screenwriter, director, and actor of quite a few of these films. The subject of this article, Son Of Ingagi, is one of the films that he wrote the screenplay for, it being the first "old dark house" film to have an African American cast.

The woman who was to play the "mad scientist," Dr. Jackson, is Laura Bowman, who was in the first African American theater company in New York.

There is an interesting story behind the title Son Of Ingagi, for it’s a reference to a now-forgotten movie from 1931. The film was Ingagi and it was a documentary that was "filmed" in Africa and it showed the sacrifice of a lovely girl to an ape man. This was
one of the sensational hits of the time…too bad it was a fake. You see, the African scenes were mostly stock footage and most of the production was filmed in a Californian studio. (Why am I reminded of the hoopla over the Blair Witch Project?) Since it was one of the most successful movies at that time, it became the punch line to many jokes back in the day.

I suppose I’d better start talking about the movie now. It opens on the happiest of occasions--a wedding. Our attention is drawn to some sinister figure entering the church and while there might be some expectation that she'll burst into flames, she walks in without a problem. That character is the mysterious Dr. Jackson, who has a huge part in this tale. The wedding ceremony ends and the happy couple, Bob and Eleanor Lindsay, step out of the church.

The lovebirds tell the friends and well wishers that they are going on their honeymoon, but somehow the true destination of the lovers is revealed. You see, the Lindseys were going to spend a quiet evening alone but their friends had another idea altogether. I know the concept of the "shivaree" is a popular custom but I think I would have gone "bridezilla" on them and chased them all out! Alas, this movie was set in a far gracious time as the newlyweds play host to a crowd of friends which include the musical group "The Four Toppers" (are there any surviving recordings of these fellows, they are great).

Alas, while the party was in full swing, Dr. Jackson is conducting some business with the local lawyer Mr. Bradshaw. She is adjusting her will and they argue over his fee, but she wins that little battle. Dr. Jackson walks over to the newlywed's home where she hears the riotous party.

Sadly, the shindig is stopped by an explosion, which Bob fears may be the local foundry where he's employed, so he leaves his bride in order to investigate. Dr. Jackson then enters the abode to have a chat with the bride. You see, Dr. Jackson wanted to know why she was invited to the wedding even though she has such an evil reputation.

It turns out that Eleanor ignores such talk (who listens to rumors of disappearing creatures anyway?) and knows of the good the "mad scientist" has done. Dr. Jackson is touched and tells the story about how she knew her parents for she had introduced Eleanor's mother to her father, not realizing they would fall in love. Alas that broke the doctor's heart, for she had been in love with Eleanor's father as well and she gives to Eleanor the sign of their love--a locket her father gave Dr. Jackson years ago.

Poor Eleanor doesn't remember anything about her parents, for they were killed by a tornado when she was ten months old (I wonder why Eleanor didn't have a lightning bolt birthmark then…whoops, wrong story!). Meanwhile, Dr. Jackson spent years in Africa on missionary duty as well as taking care of other matters.

Bob arrives home and normally would have been surprised at seeing Dr. Jackson there but he had other things on his mind. It was his foundry that had exploded and he being a newlywed was facing unemployment. Dr. Jackson leaves the young lovers for the night. The doctor goes back to her abode only to discover that her no-good brother was waiting for her. Apparently he knew that his sister had brought something back from Africa with her--gold! He demands half of the treasure, so the Doctor bangs a gong to get it on! Well, a secret passageway opens (how many homes have that?) and out comes a souvenir from Africa her brother didn't expect (or want) to see—the ape man, Ingeena!

Dr. Jackson's brother forgets about his requests and gets out of the house in a hurry. Dr. Jackson then takes care of the ape man, who got a little boo-boo on his finger during that ordeal. Dr. Jackson leaves him alone to work on another project but her plans go awry when her pet ape man goes mad and kills her!

At that same moment our newlyweds were going to pay a call on Dr. Jackson that night. You see, they found a note that had the same symbol on the locket she had given the bride that night. However, that plan had to be changed, for they discovered the dead body of Eleanor's secret benefactor.

The police arrive (with the "ace" crime fighter, Detective Nelson) and promptly book Bob for the murder. You see, Dr. Jackson changed her will, giving everything to Eleanor and Bob and that didn't make things look good for them. Well, Bob must have had Johnnie Cochrane on his side, for he was cleared of the charges.

Eleanor and Bob then move into the Doctor's spooky pad, making it as homey as they can. (Why didn't she remove that skull from Jackson's desk? Could it be out of respect?) The lawyer Bradshaw wants Eleanor to sell spook central but she wants to talk to Bob about it
first. The cheery little homemaker begins to make supper while the lawyer is doing what any good guest does--snoop around in the Doctor's desk. Unfortunately, the lawyer snoops a little too well, for he finds the gong and bangs it, summoning a very angry ape man from his slumber.

The lawyer has now become the latest victim and the newlyweds have to call on the town's "finest," Detective Nelson. Nelson is on the phone with his commander telling him he has the job under control. Judging by the yelling we hear on the phone I don't think his boss is convinced. Nelson then announces he's going to stay at the house overnight cause the chief thinks a real detective is needed there (so why was Nelson sent in the first place?)

The Lindseys, being the ever-gracious people they are, offer the sofa for the detective. The detective turns it down for, "The law never sleeps," and tells the young couple to rest.

Dr. Jackson's brother returns back to the house with the intention of finding that infamous gold. While in the house, he scuffles with Bob and Eleanor decides to help her husband but winds up hurting him instead (you only hurt the one you love). Her screams manage to wake up the sleeping law (Detective Nelson) who rushes to the scene. He promises to find the thief--searching attic to basement (even though there's no basement).

Nelson is searching for the intruder when his sharp detective skills lead him to the kitchen. He has a feeling to look in the fridge just in case the perp is hiding there, but he isn't. Ah no matter--detective work can build up a huge appetite, so he makes a sandwich. Meanwhile the ape man decides that creeping around has given him an appetite, too, so he steals the sandwich. Wow, has this beast no decency? Well, the detective is a little bewildered at the missing sandwich so he makes another. Do I need to tell you all what happens to that one?

After that little bit of wackiness, we are brought back to Dr. Jackson's brother. He finds the secret room and the gold, but encounters the creature again. Dr. Jackson's brother is prepared and shoots the ape man with a gun, wounding him. That act was the last thing Dr. Jackson’s brother did, for the creature still killed him.

The ape man is walking (and bleeding) all over the house and then something happens. The beast sees beauty.

Yep, he is smitten with the lovely Eleanor when he sees her sleeping. She does awaken and she reacts the way any self-respecting heroine in an old dark house story would--she faints in the ape man's arms! The creature carries her off to his secret room but disaster strikes when he accidentally starts a fire. Luckily for Eleanor she has a pair of lungs for her screams wake up her husband and lead her to where she was. Bob rescues his lovely wife leaving the ape man (and Detective Nelson) to die in the fire.

The young lovers watch their home burn to the ground, not knowing what will become of their future. The police chief arrives thinking that Detective Nelson has perished, but his sudden appearance proves that the rumors of his death were exaggerated. Detective
Nelson wasn’t empty handed for he brought out the bags of African gold Dr. Jackson had been hiding all those years.

As we end the film, let's concentrate on the happiness of the young lovers and not on the fact that the government may confiscate the gold.

Like I said before, this is a curious little film that brings some questions to mind. For example, why did Dr. Jackson have that ape man? Why did it always kill? What did that symbol have to do with Eleanor? How did such a bumbling fool like Nelson make it to Detective?