The Black Castle (1952)

I just saw "The Strange Door" starring Charles Laughton. Once again, an unsuspecting man ends up doing the will of a monster. Once again, there is a woman who has been forced into a marriage. The actors, Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, and others do a bang up job in the period piece. The Count is after revenge, having lost his eye to the protagonist. He is a hunter and plays a cat and mouse game with his adversary. Karloff is the conflicted servant who tries hard to be moral, but he fears for his own life when the chips are down. The final ten minutes are pretty good, but much is preachy and sluggish. It's always a joy to watch Karloff. Lon Chaney, Jr. is sort of wasted. Quite past his prime, unfortunately.

The Black Castle does end too abruptly, and while haunting at times the music does sound too stock and occasionally too lively, seven composers were on board and it sounds like it. However, the sets and photography are beautiful to look at and fit the Gothic atmosphere wonderfully. The scripting is smart and sharp, as well as intelligent, very little if anything came across as awkward or too padded out. The story is never dull and keeps the attention throughout, complete with a truly exciting leopard hunting scene. The atmosphere conveyed is not scary as such(some viewers today may find it tame), creepy is a more appropriate word and it does work in bringing some chills and ghoulish thrills up the spine. Nathan Juran's direction is solid, nothing mind-blowing but he doesn't undermine anything in any way. The cast are fine as well, their roles are on the clichéd side but even that doesn't take away from the fun. Richard Greene is a very likable hero, and Rita Corday is eerily beautiful and passionate. Stephen McNally is genuinely sinister and seems to be having a whale of a time, while Boris Karloff brings great command, menace and sympathy to an intriguingly ambiguous role and Lon Chaney Jnr is appropriately creepy if like Karloff deserving of much more screen-time. Overall, creepy, atmospheric and entertaining, not masterpiece-status but very enjoyable stuff and not one to be avoided. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Brave and dashing adventurer Sir Ronald Burton (a solid and likable performance by Richard Greene) goes to the castle of the sinister Count Karl von Bruno (splendidly essayed with divinely wicked glee by Stephen McNally) to investigate the disappearance of two friends who were guests of the Count. Complications ensue when Burton falls for the Count's fetching wife Countess Elga von Bruno (an appealing portrayal by the lovely Rita Corday). Director Nathan Juran, working from an engrossing script by Jerry Sackheim, relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, does an expert job of creating and sustaining a supremely spooky ooga-booga gloom-doom mood, and stages the stirring outbursts of action with real aplomb. McNally's deliciously slimy and sadistic villainy keeps the picture humming throughout. Moreover, it's nice to see the always terrific Boris Karloff in a sizable change-of-pace good guy role as Dr. Meissen, a kindly physician who helps Ronald out, Popping up in sturdy supporting parts are Lon Chaney Jr. as the hulking, brutish Gorgon, Michael Pate as the haughty Count Ernst von Melcher, John Hoyt as the equally snooty Count Steiken, Tudor Owen as Ronald's loyal servant Romley, and Henry Corden as browbeaten coachman Fender. Irving Glasberg's crisp black and white cinematography and the robust shuddery score are both up to par. An enjoyable movie.

The Black Castle is one of those film's that has found its way into a Boris Karloff collection and is mistakenly expected to be an outright horror movie. Whilst some horror elements exist within Nathan Juran's movie, this really is a multi genre piece that's tightly produced and effectively portrayed. Joining Karloff, in what is a small but critical role, are Richard Greene, Stephen McNally, Lon Chaney Jr, Rita Corday, John Hoyt & Michael Pate. It's produced, unsurprisingly, out of Universal International Pictures. The plot sees Greene's English gentleman travel to the castle home of the sinister Count von Bruno {McNally}. He's following an investigation into the disappearance of two friends, an investigation that is fraught with danger and surprise at every turn.This has everything that fans of the old dark house/castle sub-genre could wish for. Genuine good and bad guys, a fair maiden, dark corners for doing dark deeds, devilish traps, ticking clock finale and we even get a good old fashioned bit of swashbuckling into the bargain. The cast are all turning in effective performances, particularly Greene and the wonderfully sneering McNally. Whilst Jerry Sackheim's writing is lean and devoid of the pointless filler that has so often bogged down similar film's of this ilk. A very recommended film on proviso that Karloff fans understand it's not really a Karloff movie, and perhaps more importantly, that horror fans don't expect blood letting to be the order of the day. A fine atmospheric story with a sense of dread throughout, The Black Castle is a fine viewing experience. 7/10