The Brute Man

The Brute Man is a 1946 American horror thriller film starring Rondo Hatton as the Creeper, a murderer seeking revenge against the people he holds responsible for the disfigurement of his face. Directed by Jean Yarbrough, the film features Tom Neal and Jan Wiley as a married pair of friends the Creeper blames for his deformities. Jane Adams also starred as a blind pianist for whom the Creeper tries to raise money for an operation to restore her vision.

The film was produced by Universal Pictures near the end of their horror film period. The screenplay was written by George Bricker and M. Coates Webster, based on a story by Dwight V. Babcock. The Brute Man is a quasi-sequel to House of Horrors (1946) and explains the origin of the Creeper, who is handsome and popular until his face is disfigured in an accident. The back story is based partially on the real-life story of Hatton, whose facial features were the result of acromegaly.

As the result of a merger, Universal Pictures adopted a policy against developing any more B movies. Additionally, following the death of Hatton from acromegaly, the studio feared accusations of exploiting the star's illness. For these reasons, Universal sold The Brute Man for $125,000 to Producers Releasing Corporation, which distributed the film.

Considered a lost film for decades after its release, it was eventually rediscovered and first released to home video in 1982. The Brute Man received generally negative reviews, drawing particular criticism for Hatton's poor performance. The film was featured in a 1996 episode of the movie-mocking comedy television series, Mystery Science Theater 3000.