Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932 film) from December 10, 1931 to December 19, 1931. It was filmed in a studio at Universal Studios in California. Its budget was approximately $190,000. Before the film's production, the director, Robert Florey, and lead actor Bela Lugosi, were set to adapt a film version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. However, with the arrival of young director James Whale, Florey was involuntarily removed from the project. As compensation, Florey was assigned to Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue instead, along with Bela Lugosi, who was originally cast as the Creature. In production, according to the history provided by the American Film Institute,
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932 film) film was produced as a compensatory package for Lugosi and Florey, after both were dropped from 1931's "Frankenstein". Lugosi had originally been cast as Dr. Frankenstein, and the film was to be directed by Florey, who had been developing the coveted project. Lugosi was subsequently demoted to play the mute monster, however, which he claimed to have turned down. Florey was replaced as director by James Whale, as producer Carl Laemmle was both unsatisfied with Florey's work on the project, and had given Whale first choice of any Universal property at the time. The box office results for "Murders in