The Monkey's Paw (1948)

Director: Norman Lee

Writers: W.W. Jacobs, Norman Lee, Barbara Toy

Composer: Stanley Black

Starring: Milton Rosmer, Megs Jenkins, Michael Martin Harvey, Eric Micklewood, Brenda Hogan, Mackenzie Ward, Joan Seton, Norman Shelley, Alfie Bass, Rose Howlett, Hay Petrie, Sydney Tafler, Patrick Ward, Vincent Lawson

More info: IMDb
 
Plot: A magic Monkey's Paw grants its owner three wishes before a disaster befalls them.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

This story's been told a gazillion times but I always seem to enjoy it even though you know it's not going to end happily.  The only thing that kept this one from being better was the really poor quality print I saw that made it difficult to see.  The cast is very earnest in their performances and they all do a fine job. The father owes 200 pounds to a bookie which necessitates his need to see if the monkey's paw works.  This is 1948 and I know that 200 pounds was an insane amount of money.  How the hell do you bet that kind of dough you don't have on horses?  Anyway, we discover early on that the paw is bad news for anyone who uses it to get what they want.  The deal is, though, you get it but at a price much higher than you want and the only way to fix your mistake is to use the other two wishes.  In the end you end up back where you started but somebody you love is usually dead.  It's hilarious.  Just kidding.  I couldn't find so much as a movie poster for this online and with only 32 votes on IMDb it makes me think this is pretty rare.  It's worth a watch if you can find it.