Villain(s)  Gorilla

Actor(s):  Ellen Drew, Robert Paige, Paul Lukas, Joseph Calleia

Brief Description  The Monster and the Girl (1941) is a unique B-movie thriller produced by Paramount Pictures that blends elements of gangster crime drama, film noir, and mad scientist horror. Directed by Stuart Heisler, it is recognized for its surprisingly dark, moody atmosphere and a bizarre revenge plot involving a human brain transplant into a gorilla.

Plot:
The Deception: A naive small-town girl named Susan Webster is tricked by a suave criminal, Larry Reed, into a fake marriage, only to realize she has been entrapped by a powerful crime syndicate and coerced into a life of prostitution.

The Frame-Up: Susan's protective brother, Scot Webster—a respectable church organist—tracks down the gangsters to rescue his sister. Upon confronting them, he is set up by the syndicate's boss, W.S. Bruhl. A henchman is murdered right in front of Scot, the gun is tossed into his hands, and he is framed for the crime.

The Execution & Science: Despite Susan's desperate testimony during a tense courtroom trial, Scot is wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death. Prior to his execution, he agrees to donate his body to science. A mad scientist, Dr. Perry, swiftly transplants Scot's brain into the skull of a powerful gorilla.

The Retribution: Retaining his human consciousness and protective instincts, Scot wakes up in the body of the ape. Fueled by a thirst for justice, the gorilla escapes and systematically stalks and murders the mobsters responsible for ruining his sister’s life.

Genre Mashup: The film came out during the height of Hollywood's "Mad Scientist" era but stood out by applying horror tropes directly to a gritty, standard gangster setting.

Censorship Controversies: Because of its heavily implied themes regarding human trafficking, the Milwaukee Film Commission actually pulled the movie from theaters upon release on the grounds of portraying "white slavery".