Dr. Renault's Secret

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Dr. Renault's Secret
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Release Date	October 19, 1942
Genre	Horror Mad Scientist Animals into Humans
Director	Harry Lachman
Screenwriter	William Bruckner Robert F. Metzler
Stars	J. Carrol Naish John Shepperd Lynne Roberts George Zucco
Studio	Twentieth Century Fox

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

1 Summary
- 1.1 The Secret
2 Credits
3 External Links

Summary

An American (Dr. Forbes) goes to a French village as he plans to marry Dr. Renault's daughter. The bus he uses indicates it is from Paris. The action begins at Le Chat Noir (The Black Cat), a bus stop, inn, and tavern, according to the sign.

He meets Noel, Dr. Renault's handyman. Noel seems very quiet, but says he is pleased to meet him. Unfortunately, he can't get to the chateau that night, but Noel has arranged a room for him. A drunk patron makes a joke about marriage, and Noel grabs him, thinking he is insulting the bride. Dr. Forbes explains it is just a joke. It seems like Noel has some trouble understanding what a joke is, but he lets the patron go. Dr. Forbes flashes some money as he insists on paying for the drinks. We see another patron notice the money.

The Secret

Noel is actually the result of an experiment by Dr. Renault. He is an ape captured in Java. When we see photographs of the expedition, he most resembles a gorilla (which do not live in Java), and the journal refers to him as a "throwback". There may be a reference here to Pithecanthropus erectus, fossil species also referred to as Java Man.

Dr. Renault has performed both brain surgery and plastic surgery on the "ape" to make him appear and act human. Noel is passive and non-violent, but understands the experiment perhaps too well. He feels he was happier as he was. Dr. Renault didn't make him over to make Noel happy, but for the doctor's own reputation.

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