Murders in the Rue Morgue

Here's a toast to you, Paul.

You've torn my Pierre away from his books

and made him enjoy himself for once.

Oh, don't thank Paul. It was for you I came.

Then I must drink a toast to Camille.

Oh, no, Paul.

You've had four glasses already.

That's nothing.

For last year's carnival night, I had 14.

Dupin, Paul! Look at the Arab dancers.

This way. This way.

See the naughty nautch nymphs.

The adorable Arab angels.

Oh!

Come, we must continue our studies of anatomy.

Yeah, much nicer than... than visiting a morgue.

Oh!

...marvelous performance of dancing.

We have Lady Fatima!

Lady Fatima's snake imitations...

Do they bite?

Oh, yes, but you have to pay extra for that.

Mignette, do you think you could learn

to do that dance for me?

No. No?

Well, then...

I guess I'll have to join the show.

See, Pierre, how brown they are.

Is that their real color, do you suppose,

or have they painted themselves?

Shall I find out for you?

Don't you dare.

Introducing

Col. Ha-ha from America!

Ho... ho... ho!

Bloodthirsty savages from the wilds of America!

Ha... ha... ha!

See the redskins scalp their victim.

First time in Paris.

They are Apaches, my friends, Apaches.

Like our own waterfront rats. Just as wild.

That'd be a good name for our bandits.

Apaches.

Ha, Apaches, why, splendid.

Would you like to try whether they are real?

1?

And leave you unprotected?

Never.

Oh, Pierre.

Let's go in there.

Attention, attention, ladies and gentlemen.

Step closer. Closer.

Behind this curtain is the strangest creature

your eyes will ever behold.

Erik, the ape-man!

The monster who walks upright

and speaks a language even as you and I.

The ruler of the jungle,

whose giant hands can tear a man in half.

Erik, the ape-man.

The beast with a human soul.

More cunning than a man

and stronger than a lion.

Step up, ladies and gentlemen. Step right in.

Shall we go into this one?

All right.

Soldiers and children, half-price!

Step up, ladies and gentlemen.

Don't miss this opportunity.

That's good. Let's go down there.

Oh! Let's sit over there, love.

No, Mademoiselle,l not there.

Take a seat in front

so that you can see everything.

This gorilla killed six men, you see.

What a funny-looking man.

He's a show in himself.

Did you notice his accent?

I wonder where he comes from.

I never heard an accent like it.

Silence.

I'm Dr. Mirakle, Imessieurs, mesdames.I

And I am not the sideshow charlatan.

So if you expect

to witness the usual carnival hocus-pocus,

just go to the box office and get your money back.

I am not exhibiting a freak,

a monstrosity of nature,

but a milestone in the development of life.

The shadow of Erik, the ape

hangs over us all.

The darkness before the dawn of man.

It's all right. Don't be afraid.

It's only a baboon.

I-I'm not afraid.

Neither am I.

Listen to him, brothers and sisters.

He is speaking to you.

Can you understand what he says

or have you forgotten?

I have re-learned his language.

Listen.

I will translate what he says.

My home is in the African jungle,

where I lived with my father and my mother

and my brothers and sisters.

But I was captured

by a band of hairless white apes

and carried away to a strange land.

I'm in the prime of my strength.

And I am lonely.

Here

is the story of man.

In the slime of chaos

there was the seed that rose and grew

into the tree of life.

Life was motion. Fins changed into wings.

Wings into ears.

Crawling reptiles grew legs.

Eons of ages passed.

There came a time

when a four-legged thing walked upright.

Behold, the first man.

Heresy!

Heresy?

Heresy?

Do they still burn men for heresy?

Then burn me, Monsieur.I Light the fire.

Do you think your little candle

will outshine the flame of truth?

Do you think these boards and curtains

are my whole life?

They are only a trap

to catch the pennies of fools.

My life is consecrated

to a great experiment.

I tell you, I will prove your kinship with the ape.

Erik's blood shall be mixed

with the blood of man.

What does he mean?

I wish I knew.

IMesdames et messieursl

if any of you wish to make the acquaintance of Erik,

come forward.

There's no need to be afraid.

He is behind bars

and cannot hurt you.

Let's go up.

Oh, no, Pierre, I'm afraid.

I'm not afraid.

He likes you, Camille.

Look, he wants your bonnet.

Erik is only human, Mademoiselle.I

He has an eye for beauty.

You have made a conquest, Mademoiselle.I

Pierre!

Erik! Erik, get back!

You fool, do you want to be killed?

Oh, but he has ruined your bonnet.

I will replace it, Mademoiselle.l

I will send you a new bonnet with Erik's compliments.

Will you tell me where you live

and what your name is?

Never mind, Monsieur.I It was an accident.

But I insist.

Where do you live, my child?

It is not necessary, Monsieur.I

Come, dear.

Follow her. I must know where she lives.

You liked her, didn't you, Erik?

Sweetheart.

Have I ever told you that I love you?

Camille, I love you.

Let me look at you.

You're like a flower, soft and fragrant.

Pure and beautiful.

Darling.

And you're like a star, too.

A white morning star.

And your hair,

it's full of stardust.

You're like a song the girls of Provence sing on May Day.

And like the dancing in Normandy on May Day.

And like the wine in Burgundy on May Day.

Oh, Camille, I love you.

And I love you, too, Pierre.

No!

No! No!

No!

A lady

in distress?

Who are you?

Come with me.

Where?

My carriage.

No! No!

Why are you trembling at my touch?

Your hand is cold. It chills me.

Come.

I will help you.