The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942) Plot Summary Explained

Billings was facing mounting mortgage debts and needed to sell the property to settle his financial pressures. However, he negotiated to keep the basement laboratory as a condition of the sale so he could continue his secret experiments on creating superhumans to aid the war effort, unseen by the new owner Winnie Layden.

Foreshadowing: Before the sale, Billings had already been conducting experiments in the basement, suggesting he was deeply invested in his research.

• professor billings
• basement laboratory
• sell inn
• mortgage debts
• experiments
• superhumans

Billings was using electricity to create a race of superhumans to aid the war effort. He initially tested the experiment on himself, but when that proved unsuccessful, he and Dr. Lorentz turned to Maxie as a test subject hoping to harness his potential.

Foreshadowing: The ghostly sounds heard during dinner foreshadowed the darker experiments happening in the basement.

• billings experiments
• electricity
• superhumans
• war effort
• maxie test subject

Mr. Johnson was a traveling salesman who became an experimental subject in Billings's basement laboratory. He died shortly after the sale of the inn to Winnie Layden. When Bill discovered his body in the basement, it triggered the chain of events that exposed the secret experiments.

Foreshadowing: The ghostly sounds heard at dinner were an early hint that something sinister was happening in the house.

• mr johnson
• traveling salesman
• dead body
• basement
• experiment subject

Jo-Jo was a mysterious intruder who attempted to steal Billings's laboratory equipment. Billings and Lorentz planned to use Maxie, after successfully experimenting on him, to stop Jo-Jo from blowing up a nearby munitions plant. Maxie initially scared Jo-Jo away, but the threat of the sabotage motivated the rushed experimentation.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of Johnson's body and the subsequent partnership between Billings and Lorentz set the stage for the dangerous experiments.

• jo-jo
• intruder
• munitions plant
• maxie
• theft
• laboratory equipment

The bodies were placed in a state of suspended animation through Billings's experimental process. When they revived, they appeared to come back to life, shocking the inn's residents and complicating the police investigation. This revelation was part of the film's comedic horror twist.

Foreshadowing: Billings's experiments with electricity to create superhumans suggested he had mastered techniques affecting life and death.

• dead bodies
• suspended animation
• revive
• electricity experiments
• coming back to life

Dr. Arthur Lorentz served as the local sheriff who investigated the murders, but he was secretly working with Billings on the experiments. At the end, he revealed himself as the Chair of Idlewild Sanatorium's Board of Directors, which allowed him to nearly guarantee freedom for all the inn's inhabitants by committing them to his own institution rather than facing criminal charges.

Foreshadowing: Lorentz's quick partnership with Billings after discovering the body suggested he had ulterior motives beyond law enforcement.

• dr lorentz
• sheriff
• idlewild sanatorium
• board of directors
• chairman
• mental institution

The police arrested housekeeper Amelia Jones and handyman Ebenezer for the murders based on the evidence at the scene, not knowing about the secret experiments in the basement. They were the easiest suspects due to their proximity to the crime, but the actual deaths were caused by Billings's experimentation.

Foreshadowing: The house staff remained at the inn after the sale, maintaining their roles while the secret experiments continued.

• amelia jones
• ebenezer
• arrested
• murders
• police
• housekeeper

J. Gilbert Brampton claimed to represent the Historical Society of America, which was interested in purchasing the inn. His interest added another layer of complexity to Winnie's hotel plans and created additional pressure around the property's sale.

Foreshadowing: The inn's 18th-century history made it a candidate for historical preservation.

• brampton
• historical society
• buy inn
• property
• representative

Bill Layden was Winnie Layden's ex-husband who reluctantly remained at the inn for a few days after the sale. His presence added to the chaotic living situation at the inn and he played a role in investigating the mysterious sounds and discovering the body in the basement.

Foreshadowing: Bill's curiosity led him to investigate the ghost sounds, which ultimately uncovered the criminal activities.

• bill layden
• ex-husband
• stay
• divorce
• investigation

After the dead bodies revived and the police arrested Amelia and Ebenezer, the remaining inhabitants were sent to Idlewild Sanatorium for psychiatric observation. This was presented as a way to deal with the chaos, but it was ultimately part of Lorentz's plan since he controlled the institution.

Foreshadowing: The revival of the dead bodies created a situation that could be framed as mass hysteria requiring medical intervention.

• idlewild sanatorium
• psychiatric institution
• residents
• observation
• mental health