"The Monkey's Paw"is ahorrorshort storyby English authorW. W. Jacobs.It first appeared inHarper's Monthlyin September, 1902,[1]and was reprinted in his third collection of short stories,The Lady of the Barge,later that year.[2]In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey's Paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering withfate.[3]
| "The Monkey's Paw" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short storybyW. W. Jacobs | |||
 Text availableatWikisource | |||
| Country | England | ||
| Language | English | ||
| Genre(s) | Horror,short story | ||
| Publication | |||
| Published in | Harper's Monthly | ||
| Media type | Magazine | ||
| Publication date | September 1902 | ||
| Chronology | |||
| |||
It has been adapted many times in other media, including plays, films, TV series, operas, stories and comics, as early as 1903.[4]It was first adapted to film in 1915 as a British silent film directed bySidney Northcote.The film (now lost) starredJohn Lawson,who also played the main character inLouis N. Parker's 1907 stage play.[5]
Plot
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Mr. and Mrs. White, and their grown son, Herbert, are visited bySergeant-MajorMorris, a friend who served with theBritish ArmyinIndia.During dinner, he introduces them to a mummified monkey's paw. He explains how an oldfakirhas placed a spell on the paw, so that it will grant three wishes but only with hellish consequences as punishment for tampering with fate. Morris, having had a horrible experience using the paw, throws it into the fire, but the sceptical Mr. White retrieves it. Before leaving, Morris warns Mr. White of what might happen should he use the paw.
Mr. White hesitates at first, believing that he already has everything he wants. At Herbert's suggestion, Mr. White flippantly wishes for £200, which will enable him to make the final mortgage payment for his house. When he makes his wish, Mr. White suddenly drops the paw in surprise, claiming that it moved and twisted like a snake. The following day, Herbert leaves for work. That night, an employee arrives at the Whites' home, telling them that Herbert was killed in a terrible machine accident that mutilated his body. The company denies any responsibility for the incident, but declares its intention to make a goodwill payment to the bereaved family. When the despairing couple asks what the sum will be, they are told "£200".
A week after the funeral, Mrs. White, mad with grief, insists that her husband use the paw to wish Herbert back to life. Reluctantly, he does so, despite great unease at the thought of summoning his son's mutilated and decomposing body. Later that night, there is a knock at the door. As Mrs. White fumbles at the locks in a desperate attempt to open the door, Mr. White becomes terrified and fears that the thing outside is not the son he loved. He makes his third and final wish. The knocking stops, and Mrs. White opens the door to find that no one is there.
Adaptations
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The story has been adapted into other media many times, including:
- On 6 October 1903, a one-act play opened at London'sHaymarket Theatre,starringCyril Maudeas Mr. White andLena Ashwellas Mrs. White.[6]
- A 1907 British stage adaptation byLouis N. Parkerstarred John Lawson.[5][7]
- A 1915 British film version was directed bySidney Northcoteand starred John Lawson (who was in the 1907 stage play).[8]
- A 1919 British silent film (director unknown) is known to have been made but is now considered lost.[9]
- The Monkey's Paw(1923 film)was a British film directed byManning Haynesand starredMoore Marriott,Marie Ault,and Charles Ashton.[8]
- A 17 July 1928 British radio adaptation was based on the 1907 play.[7]
- The Monkey's Paw(1933 film),an American film with screenplay by Graham John and directed byWesley Ruggles(his last film withRKO), starredC. Aubrey Smith,Ivan Simpson,and Louise Carter. The film was considered lost[10]until pictures from it were posted online in 2016; the existing copy is dubbed in French.[11]
- A 28 May 1946 episode of theBBC RadioseriesAppointment with Fear.[7]
- The Monkey's Paw(1948 film),a British film with screenplay byNorman LeeandBarbara Toy.[12]
- A 16 December 1958 episode of the British radio seriesThirty-Minute Theatre,starringCarleton HobbsandGladys Young.[7]
- A 1961 Mexican film version calledEspiritismo(released asSpiritismin the US), directed byBenito Alazrakiand starring Nora Veyran, Jose Luis Jiminez, andJorge Mondragón.[8]
- "The Monkey's Paw – A Retelling" aired on American television on 19 April 1965 in season 3, episode 26, ofThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour,starringLeif Erickson,Jane Wyatt,andLee Majors.[13]
- An episode of the 1970's British television seriesOrson Welles Great Mysteries.[14]
- The 1972 horror filmDeathdreamdirected byBob Clarkwas adapted from the story as an allegory to the Vietnam war by screenwriterAlan Ormsby.[15]
- An 11 July 1980 episode of the CanadianCBC RadioseriesNightfall.[7]
- The 1983 novelPet Sematary,by American authorStephen King,was reportedly inspired by the story.[16]
- A 17 January 1988 BBC Radio adaptation byPatrick Galvin,presented as part ofFear on Four;rebroadcast individually as a Halloween special on 31 October 1993.[7]
- A half-hour televised special broadcast on the UK'sChannel 4in 1988, directed by Andrew Barker and starringAlex McAvoyand Patricia Leslie.[17]
- A 1991 episode of the TV seriesThe Simpsons( "Treehouse of Horror II",Season 3 Episode 7) has members of the Simpsons family making wishes using a cursed monkey's paw.[18]
- A 1993 episode namedTaveezof the Indian television seriesThe Zee Horror Show.[7]
- A 2001 episode of the TV seriesBuffy the Vampire Slayer( "Forever",Season 5 Episode 17) involves a plot line revolving around Buffy's younger sister, Dawn, using a magical spell to resurrect their recently deceased mother. The episode's climax shows Buffy hurriedly attempting to open their front door, while another shot seemingly shows their mother's feet walking toward the house. At the last moment, Dawn undoes the spell and Buffy opens the door to no one.
- A 2004 adaptation as a radio play narrated byChristopher Leein 2004 as part of the BBC radio drama seriesChristopher Lee's Fireside Tales.[19]
- A 2008 Nepali film,Kagbeni,is a loose adaptation of the story.[20]
- A 2011 short film adaptation directed by Ricky Lewis Jr faithfully adapts the entire short story and is available to watch onYouTube.
- A2013 American film versionwith screenplay byMacon Blair,and directed by Brett Simmons.[21]
- A 2017 American opera,The Monkey's Paw,by composer Brooke deRosa, and produced by Pacific Opera Project.[22]
See also
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References
edit- ^"The Monkey's Paw",Harper's Monthly,September, 1902. page 634. HathiTrust. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^Gale, Cengage Learning.A Study Guide for W. W. Jacobs's "Monkey's Paw".Gale Research. p. 1.ISBN0787616915.
- ^"David Mitchell on The Monkey's Paw by WW Jacobs – short story podcast".The Guardian.Presented by Claire Armitstead, Story read by Ben Hicks, Produced by Susannah Tresilian. 5 January 2018.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: others (link) - ^"The Eternal Grip of Creepshow's 'Night of the Paw' (S1E5)".25YL.24 October 2019.Retrieved20 November2019.
- ^abWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016).Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era.Midnight Marquee Press. p. 158.ISBN978-1936168-68-2.
- ^Jacobs, W. W.; Parker, Louis N. (1910).The Monkey's Paw: A Story in Three Scenes.London: Samuel French, Ltd. p.5.
- ^abcdefgRichard J. Hand (5 June 2014).Listen in Terror: British Horror Radio from the Advent of Broadcasting to the Digital Age.Oxford University Press. pp. 35–36.ISBN978-0-7190-8148-4.
- ^abcAlan Goble (1 January 1999).The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film.Walter de Gruyter. p. 241.ISBN978-3-11-095194-3.
- ^Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 209.ISBN978-1936168-68-2.
- ^Jewell, Richard B.; Harbin, Vernon (1982).The RKO Story.New York: Arlington House. p. 57.ISBN0-517-546566.
- ^"Not lost!".NitrateVille.com.Retrieved8 February2018.
- ^Soister, John T. (2004).Up from the Vault: Rare thrillers of the 1920s and 1930s.McPharland. p. 133.ISBN9780786481859.
- ^"The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: The Monkey's Paw - A Retelling (1965) - Robert Stevens - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related".AllMovie.
- ^"Orson Welles Great Mysteries: Volume 1".Network.
- ^"Dead of Night - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com".31 December 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 31 December 2009.Retrieved31 July2024.
- ^Winter, Douglas E. (13 November 1983)."Pet Sematary By Stephen King (Doubleday. 373 pp. $15.95.)".The Washington Post.Retrieved8 April2019.
- ^"The Monkey's Paw (1988)".Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2017.
- ^"'The Simpsons' Halloween Specials: 10 Best 'Treehouse of Horror' Episodes ".3 October 2022.
- ^"BBC Radio 4 Extra - Christopher Lee's Fireside Tales, The Monkey's Paw".BBC.
- ^Aiming high with Kagbeni.NepaliTimes (04 January 2008). Retrieved on 2020-12-20
- ^Crimmins, Deirdre (21 June 2014)."THE MONKEY'S PAW plays its cards right".Film Thrills.Retrieved18 November2021.
- ^"Pacific Opera Project 2017-18 - The Monkey's Paw & The Medium: Double Bill Enchants & Sets Perfect Halloween Mood".OperaWire.31 October 2017.Retrieved28 November2022.
External links
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- W. W. Jacobs.“The Monkey's Paw”,The Lady of the BargeatProject Gutenberg
"The Monkey's Paw"public domain audiobook atLibriVox- The Monkey's Paw;full short story text
- The Monkey's Paw- Chilling Tales for Dark Nights;an unabridged narration performed by a full cast
- The Monkey's Paw(2011);a faithful short film adaptation directed by Ricky Lewis Jr