House of Horrors(1946)

This marked the first starring role for Rondo Hatton, previously seen in a few Sherlock Holmes films as the spine-snapping killer "The Oxton Creeper." Hatton, a giant of a man whose face was deformed by acromegaly, was luridly promoted by the studios as a "human monster" who required no makeup. Here, he plays yet another brutish character, a homicidal convict who is rescued from drowning by mad sculptor Martin Kosleck. Hatton returns the favor by killing any critic who ever gave the artist a poor notice. Though Hatton never had the opportunity to develop his acting skills before his tragic death, there is nevertheless a glimmer of talent evident here, which is put to better use in his final film The Brute Man.

1946, B&W, 65 minutes