The Wife of Monte Cristo

Paris is in the grip of a plague. Villefort, the corrupt prefect of police, conspires to take advantage of the people's suffering by providing them with phony vaccination pills. The delivery of these pills is routinely intercepted by a masked and caped figure called "The Avenger." Villefort suspects that the Avenger is really Edmond Dantes, the notorious Count of Monte Cristo. After his left hand is injured in a swordfight, Dantes goes into hiding. He leaves his covert activities as the Avenger to his wife Haydee, who dons the mask and cape. The lascivious Villefort attempts to romance the beautiful woman in her husband's absence, while at the same time trying to bring the Avenger to justice. Little does he realize that both of his intended conquests are one and the same...

After the success of several "Monte Cristo" pictures - most notably, The Son of Monte Cristo (1940) with Louis Hayward and George Sanders - PRC commissioned B-movie auteur Edgar G. Ulmer to produce his own take on the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas. Ulmer imagined a female version of the classic swashbuckler, and planned to capitalize on leading man John Loder's impending nuptials to Hedy Lamarr by having the actress play the Count's wife. MGM refused to loan out Lamarr to PRC, however. She ended up recommending her best friend, Lenore Aubert (best known as the exotic but evil scientist in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) for the role. The suave, imposing Loder is best remembered for The Private Life Of Henry VIII (1933), How Green Was My Valley (1941) and Now Voyager (1942). Ulmer, a German expatriate, populated the large ensemble cast with mostly European actors, including Martin Kosleck, Fritz Kortner, Eva Gabor, Egon Brecher, and Fritz Feld. He also filled the film with his trademark touches such as expressionist production design, carefully-lit close ups, and expert use of classical music, making it a must-see for fans of the innovative director.

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