The city in general, and the Alden theater specifically, is being terrorized by a killer known as The Fiend. He’s a limping, cloaked hunchback, but no one has seen his face. Reporter Jean Monroe (June Collyer) publishes that she knows what he looks like, hoping to draw him out, but she hadn’t thought through the consequences. Of course The Fiend comes after her. She holds up at a hotel, guarded by coworker Frank Gordon (Lloyd Hughes), while the police work with playwright Peter Fortune (Lawrence Grey), who has a surprising number of clues. Photographer Elmer (Al. St. John) hangs around for ghastly comic relief.
Poverty Row pictures always look primitive compared to the output of the larger studios, and A Face in the Fog continues this tradition. Camera placement and movement, lighting, and sound all mark this as a film made in 1929, not 1936. The acting is primitive as well; not bad, but restrained by the camera setups and microphone placements. Well, Victory Pictures couldn’t afford the latest and greatest in camera and sound equipment, nor pay for the top technicians.
Limited as it is, A Face in the Fog has just enough energy to keep me on-board for it 61 minute runtime, or perhaps I just enjoy Collyer, who’s a striking actress. This was her last film for nearly 20 years, which is a shame. Unfortunately she isn’t given much to do. We’re in manly-man territory, so her job is to scream and run away. Later on, she doesn’t even need to be rescued and just hangs around the newspaper office set, waiting for Hughes to return. He makes for an above average poverty row hero, but he doesn’t have the spark that Collyer has.
The horror aspects fade away about half way through, with the killer revealed, and the mystery, shadows, and screams replaced by daylight car chases. A film like this needs our deformed villain wrestling with the hero in a darkened building, but it doesn’t work out that way. It’s disappointing as there are some reasonably creepy moments early on. Worse still, we’re given more of the goofy antics of Al. St. John, the over-the-top comic relief. His main gag is falling down, which he does at every opportunity and for any reason. If you like characters falling down, you’ll love A Face in the Fog.