Sh! The Octopus

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Sh! The Octopus
Sh! The Octopus.jpg
Promotional release poster
Directed by William McGann
Screenplay by George Bricker
Based on The Gorilla (1925 play) by Ralph Spence
and
Sh! The Octopus (1928 play) by Ralph Spence
Ralph Murphy
Donald Gallaher
Produced by Jack L. Warner
Starring
Cinematography Arthur Todd
Edited by Clarence Kolster
Music by Heinz Roemheld (uncredited)
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • December 11, 1937 (1937-12-11)
Running time
54 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sh! The Octopus is a 1937 American comedy mystery film produced by Warner Bros., directed by William McGann, and starring Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins and Marcia Ralston. While contract players Herbert and Jenkins frequently appeared in the same picture, this is the only film to present them as an actual team.

Contents

Sh! The Octopus features two detectives in pursuit of the animal-themed villain Octopus. The case leads them into a haunted lighthouse, where they realize that the villain is an actual octopus.

In 2023, the film garnered attention on social media for the scene in which the villain's identity is revealed; the character undergoes a transformation that was accomplished using practical effects—specifically, a combination of makeup and graduated filters. [1] [2]

Plot

Two bumbling detectives are in pursuit of a master criminal, The Octopus. They find themselves inside a haunted lighthouse full of suspicious characters, including the titular character, who appears to be an actual octopus.

Cast

Other media

In 2010, the film was released by Warner Archive as part of the six-film DVD-R collection Warner Bros. Horror/Mystery Double Features. [3]

It also airs occasionally on Turner Classic Movies.

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References

  1. "How the 1937 'Witch' Movie Visual Effect Shot Was Achieved". Snopes. 18 February 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  2. "How They Shot That Transformation Scene in 'Sh! The Octopus'". Film School Rejects. 13 June 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  3. "Warner Horror Mystery Double Features". DVD Beaver. Retrieved August 15, 2019.