13 Frightened Girls
Directed by William Castle
1963 -- 89min.
Thirteen girls in a Swiss boarding school, particularly one Candace Hull ("Kitten", "Candy"), stir up trouble on their vacation as they mess with the diplomatic affairs of their elders and get into serious trouble when a Russian spy is discovered murdered.
13 Ghosts
Directed by William Castle
1960 -- 88min
(4)
Gimmick-loving producer William Castle strikes again with this fun haunted-house thriller which invited audiences to find the hidden ghosts roaming about a haunted house through a special process called "Illusion-O" by which patrons could employ a special pair of red-and-blue-colored glasses to detect ghosts on the screen during the film's color-tinted sequences. The story is set in the mansion of the deceased occult scientist Dr. Zorba, whose nephew Cyrus and his family occupy the creepy estate and discover that they are not the only tenants. It seems the Doctor has been harboring 12 elusive specters on the premises, the appearance of which can only be detected through his final invention: a special pair of ghost-viewing goggles. To further complicate matters, it is learned that Zorba has stashed a small fortune somewhere in the house, and someone - or something - is determined to stop Cyrus and family from finding it. This film's original release featured an introduction from Castle, describing the "Illusion-O" process and demonstrating the proper use of the tinted glasses; he also appears in an epilogue stating that the glasses can be used to detect ghosts outside the theater!
Bug (produced by William Castle)
1975 -- 99 min
(5)
The last gasp of gimmick-horror auteur William Castle (who produced and co-wrote), Bug is an entertaining throwback to the mutant-monsters-amok theme of the 1950s (themselves throwbacks of another kind) that he found so profitable. The film stars Bradford Dillman as a kinder, gentler mad scientist who discovers the presence of a bizarre strain of mutant cockroach emerging from the earth after a severe earthquake. Although larger than the average beetle, the most disturbing aspect of the critters is their innate ability to ignite fires with their bodies - a talent dramatically revealed after a few of the bugs crawl up a vehicle's tailpipe. When Dillman discovers that the creatures possess a group intelligence, he attempts to train and breed them - which proves to be less than a good idea. This is also remarkably violent for a mainstream PG film (particularly in the scene where Bad Seed Patty McCormack's hair is ignited by the six-legged arsonists) with a downbeat ending typical of many horror movies of the '70s.
The Busy Body
Directed by William Castle
1967 -- 102min
A nosey housewife (Marguerite Viby) takes on extra responsibilities when her husband (Buster Larsen) hurts his back while reading the Sunday paper. When she finds a dead body in the upstairs office, she calls the police. The detective (Ole Monty) is summoned, and he discovers the woman is his old school dancing partner. When she turns around to renew the old acquaintance, the corpse is gone in this offbeat situation comedy.
Crime Doctor's Manhunt
Directed by William Castle
1946 -- 61min.
Scripted by Leigh Brackett of The Big Sleep fame and directed by future horrormeister William Castle, Crime Doctor's Manhunt has been singled out by many film buffs as the best of Columbia's "Crime Doctor" series. This time, criminal-turned-sleuth Dr. Robert Ordway (Warner Baxter) befriends amnesiac war veteran Philip Armstrong (Myron Healey), who is morbidly drawn to a small-town carnival. When Armstrong is murdered, Ordway recalls him saying that his death was preordained by sideshow fortune-teller Alfredi (Ivan Triesault). An interested observer to the events is Armstrong's meek fiancee Irene (Ellen Drew) whose cruel twin sister Natalie would seem to be the instigator of the murder. That's a swell theory-except for the fact that Natalie has been dead for two years! The film's best line is delivered by Inspector Manning (William Frawley), but to repeat it here would be giving away the ending
The Drums of Tahiti
Directed by William Castle
1954 -- 73min
During a 1980 interview, writer-director Douglas Heyes mentioned that he preferred to forget his first big-screen writing assignment, Drums of Tahiti. Though lensed in 3D, the film's action content is minimal: the character spend most of their time talking over their various problems. Set in the South Seas in the late 19th century, the story concerns gun smuggler Mike Macklin (Dennis O'Keefe). To divert the authorities' attentions from his activities, Macklin hides behind the reputation of his trophy wife Wanda (Patricia Medina). Meanwhile, police inspector Pierre Duvois (Francis L. Sullivan) bides his time, waiting for Macklin to tip his hand. One of the film's isolated highlights is an energetic native dance by the curvaceous Sylvia Lewis
The Fat Man
Directed by William Castle
1951 -- 77min
The popular radio detective series The Fat Man was brought to the screen in 1951, with the series' original star J. Scott Smart retained in the title role. Smart plays porcine sleuth Brad Runyon, who tackles the mystery surrounding the murder of a Los Angeles dentist. With the assistance of general factotum Bill Norton (Clinton Sundberg), Runyon follows the trail of clues all the way to a three-ring circus. Famed Barnum & Bailey clown Emmett Kelly makes his screen debut as one of the suspects; others essential to the action are such up-and-comers as Rock Hudson, Julie London and Jayne Meadows. The film's flashback-within-flashback structure helps to enliven its more verbose passages. For the most part, The Fat Man plays more like a radio show than a movie-at least until the exciting climax, inventively staged by director William Castle.
Fort Ti
Directed by William Castle
1953 - 73min
(4)-taped off of TV
Future horror-film entrepreneur William Castle warmed the director's chair for Fort Ti. Set in the 18th century, the film recounts the exploits of Rogers' Rangers, a band of adventurers devoted to seeking out a "northwest passage" through Canada. At this juncture, however, Major Rogers (Howard Petrie) is more concerned with helping the British forces at Fort Ticonderoga during a series of French and Indian raids. Top billing is bestowed upon George Montgomery as Captain Pedediah Horn, Rogers' right-hand man. The film boasts two leading ladies: Joan Vohs, as a suspected French spy, and Phyllis Fowler as a married Indian woman who falls in love with Captain Horn. Fort Ti was filmed in 3D, and in typical William Castle fashion the stereoscopic gimmick is exploited to the hilt
Homicidal
Directed by William Castle
1961 -- 87min
(4)
Homicidal is producer/director William Castle's slant on Hitchcock's Psycho. The movie gets off to a lively start with a beautiful young woman marrying a handsome young man on impulse, then brutally stabbing the justice of the peace! The woman goes into hiding as the nurse of a mute, wheelchair-bound old lady (Eugenie Leontovitch). The young lady's behavior arouses the suspicion of Patricia Breslin, the old woman's niece, and of Pat's sympathetic male confidante. Derivative though it may be, Homicidal is good gory fun, with an unsettling performance by Jean Arliss as the "hero/heroine." (The fact that Arliss never made another picture has in recent years created an androgynous aura of mystery around the performer; in fact, Jean Arliss was really Joan Marshall, a bona fide female who'd previously appeared on several TV programs). This also features a 10-minute "Psychette" after the movie, a short "documentary" on "Homicidal" and the gimmicks involved in promoting it.
House on Haunted Hill
Directed by William Castle
1958 -- 75 min
A perennial favorite of the "Shock Theatre" TV circuit, House on Haunted Hill stars Vincent Price as a sinister gent (you're surprised?) who owns a sinister mansion on a sinister hill. He offers several of his enemies $10,000 each-if they agree to spend the night in the crumbling old mansion. Price festively gives each of his guests a tiny coffin containing a handgun, then proceeds to set in motion any number of gadgets and devices designed to frighten the guests into using their weapons. Strange as it seems, old Vinnie isn't the real villain of the proceedings: that honor goes to his scheming wife Carol Ohmart and her lover Alan Marshall. Also on hand is eternal doom-sayer Elisha Cook Jr., who is given the film's famous final line. When originally released to theatres, House on Haunted Hill was accompanied by one of those gimmicks so beloved of producer/director William Castle: the gimmick was "Emergo," and it involved a prop skeleton that "emerged" from the screen at a crucial moment to frighten the audience. Like most of Castle's best films, House didn't really need the gimmick, but its presence added to the fun-especially when second- and third-time viewers responded to "Emergo" by bombarding the skeleton with popcorn and empty soda bottles.
The Houston Story
Directed by William Castle
1956 -- 79min.
(5)
One of the many "exposes" of corporate corruption filmed in the 1950s, Houston Story was ground out with stingy efficiency by Columbia Pictures. Gene Barry plays a crafty oilman who with the aid of several hand-picked henchmen steals gasoline from his rivals. Edward Arnold, he of the wicked laugh and deadly glare, is a mobster boss who persuades Barry to siphon his hard-earned stealings into the coffers of the Syndicate. The covetous oilman agrees, planning to turn the tables on the criminals and take over the Syndicate himself. Houston Story is of interest for its cast of TV stars-to-be: Future "Bat Masterson" and "Burke's Law" headliner Gene Barry, daytime-drama leading lady Jeanne Cooper, and "Perry Mason" costar Barbara Hale (in a blonde wig).
It's A Small World
Directed by William Castle
1950 -- 74min
Obviously designed as an exploitationer, It's a Small World isn't bad within its own limits. Paul Dale, a real-life radio disc jockey, stars as midget Harry Musk, who is met with cruelty and insensitivity wherever he goes because of his small stature. Unable to adjust to the "big" world, Harry falls in with bad company and becomes a criminal. Redemption comes in the form of midget Dolly Burke (Anne Sholter), who convinces Harry to go straight and pursue an honest living as a performer with the Cole Bros. circus. The "normal-sized" cast is populated with such familiar faces as Will Geer, Steve Brodie, Todd Karns and Margaret Field. Director William Castle also shows up in a cameo role as a police officer
Let's Kill Uncle
Directed by William Castle
1966 -- 92min
The twelve-year old heir to a fortune decides to fight back after he learns that his avaricious uncle is out to kill him in this thriller. He learns of the plot after his uncle, who is next in line for the fortune, generously invites him to visit him on a remote tropical island. To help foil the man's evil scheme, the boy enlists the aide of a young girl. It's a good thing too as the wicked relative has written a book on how to kill people and uses every trick in it to kill him including sharks, poison mushrooms, tarantulas, fire, and hypnotism to do the deed. When the children begin trying to beat him at his own game, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues until the uncle finally calls it quits and leaves the islands.
Macabre
Directed by William Castle
1958 -- 73 min
(2)
This first "gimmick" outing from horror producer William Castle is mainly distinguished by the clever ad campaign promising $1000 insurance for each patron (from Lloyds of London, no less!) against the possibility that they may die of fright during a screening of the film. (A similar gimmick would later be employed by the producers of the less imaginative thriller The Screaming Skull, who promised patrons an all-expense-paid funeral.) The plot involves small-town doctor Rod Barrett (William Prince) racing the clock to locate his missing daughter after she is buried alive in the town cemetery by the same psychopathic killer who murdered his wife and her sister.
Mark of the Whistler
Directed by William Castle
1944 -- 60min.
The Whistler, the unseen mystery-story narrator of radio fame, relates another tale that he's gleaned from "walking by night" in Mark of the Whistler. Richard Dix stars as a drifter who poses as the owner of an unclaimed bank account. Dix's new identity brings him nothing but misery as he falls victim to the actual claimant's startling secrets, lost loves and dangerous enemies-including one bent on killing for revenge. The second of Columbia's Whistler series, Mark of the Whistler was an enormous improvement on the first film, with a healthy number of unexpected plot twists within its 60-minute time frame. Mark of the Whistler was based on a story by Cornell Woolrich and directed by future horror specialist William Castle
Mr. Sardonicus
Directed by William Castle
1961 -- 89min
(4)-picture gets darker and brighter frequently, but is still definitely watchable
In this 1961 William Castle film based on Ray Russell's novel Sardonicus, Guy Rolfe stars as the wicked Sardonicus, a wealthy count who wears a mask because his face is frozen in a horrifying death grimace. Ronald Lewis stars as Sir Richard, a brilliant doctor who is at the top of his field in the early 20th century. A curious letter from his former love, Maude (Audrey Dalton), draws him to Europe where she lives in a remote castle with her brooding husband, his badly scarred, but dedicated man-servant, Krull (Oscar Homolka), and a frightened housekeeper whom Sir Richard finds tied up and covered with leeches. The good doctor soon discovers the truth behind the leeches...and the true nature of his visit when Sardonicus reveals his terrible story: He dug up his father's grave in search of a winning lottery ticket, and upon seeing the corpse, his face muscles froze leaving him looking like a living skull. Dangling Maude as his ransom, Sardonicus forces Sir Richard into attempting a radical treatment to make his face normal again, but even when it is a success, the evil Sardonicus can find no cure from the curse of his father's desecrated corpse. Castle appears in the climax to offer viewers an opportunity to afford additional punishment on Sardonicus which leads to a satisfying conclusion.
Mysterious Intruder
Directed by William Castle
1946 -- 61min
Mysterious Intruder was the fifth entry in Columbia's B-picture series based on the radio anthology "The Whistler". Richard Dix, the leading man in all but one of the "Whistler" films, stars as duplicitous private eye Don Gale. Motivating the storyline are a pair of priceless Jenny Lind wax recordings, which are coveted by a Swedish millionaire. Someone is willing to kill to get his or her hands on the records, prompting Gale and the cops to conduct a citywide search for the killer. The film's resolution is surprising only to those who hadn't seen the previous "Whistler" films, but it still works. Predominant in the supporting cast is Mike Mazurki, offering a virtual reprise of his "Moose Malloy" characterization from Murder My Sweet (1945).
The Night Walker
Directed by William Castle
1964 -- 86min
(3.5)- image darkens and lightens periodically throughout picture
Irene Trent (Barbara Stanwyck) was married to the inventor Howard (Hayden Roarke) before the blind electronics genius blows himself up following an argument between the couple. Irene leaves after the arguments only to learn of her husband's demise later. When Irene has reoccurring dreams of a faceless lover, she confides in her friend and attorney Barry Moreland (Robert Taylor) of her vision. She also tells him that Howard had accused her of marital infidelity and had her trailed by a private detective. William Castle directed the suspenseful thriller written by Psycho author Robert Bloch. Taylor and Stanwyck appear in their first film together in 27 years. The two were married from 1939 to 1951 and appeared in two films before their marriage. Their mutual respect as friends and performers is evident in The Night Walker.
The Old Dark House
Directed by William Castle
1963 -- 86 min
Set in the title manse, this chilling comedy chronicles the spooky exploits of a Yankee car salesman working in London who sets out to deliver a car to a remote and very creepy Welsh estate. Unfortunately he discovers the owner dead. While attempting to leave a fierce storm erupts and he has a wreck. He returns to the mansion to seek shelter from the disparate sisters therein. Once warm and dry, he meets the rest of their strange family, including twins, a looney who is building an ark, and the matriarch of the household. The storm rages on and as the grim night slowly passes, family members are bumped off at appallingly regular intervals leaving the American to solve the crimes.
Project X
Directed by William Castle
1968 -- 97min.
(3.5 - 4)-workprint
Project X boasts better special effects than usual for tight-fisted producer/director William Castle, but it crumbles in the story department. Christopher George is a secret agent living in the year 2118, who through a complex scientific charade is convinced that he's living in 1968. The plan is for George to uncover a secret germ formula that had been hidden away 50 years earlier. Castle's propensity for borrowing gimmicks from earlier films is well known; this time he reaches back as far as a nearly-forgotten 1954 episode of the TV series Flash Gordon! The biological warfare throughline of Project X was more convincing in its source material, a novel by Leslie P. Davies.
Shanks
Directed by William Castle
1974 -- 93 min
(4) from tv
William Castle's last film. Shanks is not so much a movie as an hallucinatory experience. World-renowned mime Marcel Marceau plays a dual role as a mute puppeteer and an eccentric inventor. The inventor dies, passing along his secrets for reviving corpses to the puppeteer. With the help of an enigmatic little girl, Marceau activates several dead bodies and goes on a robbery spree. Costarring with Marceau are fellow mime artists Tsilla Chelton and Phillipe Clay.
The Spirit Is Willing
Directed by William Castle
1967 -- 100min
In this spooky comedy, a couple and their adolescent son move into a quiet New England summer cottage. Soon their arrival, a series of strange and increasingly destructive occurrences begin to happen. Not believing in poltergeists, the puzzled parents immediately suspect their son. The real perpetrators are a trio of angry ghosts who want the cabin all to themselves. When the mortal family refuses to move, the ghostly trio (two women and a man) sink two boats belonging to the couples' wealthy uncle. Once again the poor boy is blamed and this nearly drives him insane for he can see the ghosts. More trouble follows when one of the lady spirits falls in love with the handsome uncle.
Strait-Jacket
Directed by William Castle
1964 -- 90 min
(4)
In this chilling blood-tale in "Psycho" style, Robert Bloch modernizes the Lizzy Borden story. A wife (Joan Crawford) literally axes her cheating husband and his lover, witnessed by her three-year-old daughter. Mom is packed off to the insane asylum for 20 years before reuniting with the daughter (Diane Baker). From this point, the axe murders continue along a contrived plot intended to lead the audience astray until the mystery is solved.
The Tingler
Directed by William Castle
1959 -- 82 min
(5)
As famous for the gimmick with which the film was shown as for its genuinely spine-tingling story, The Tingler follows a pathologist (Vincent Price) as he searches for the cause of a series of deaths and discovers that the victims have a large insectlike creature growing on their spinal chords. The creature attacks when the people are frightened and are only killed when the host emits a blood-curdling primal scream. This is coupled with a subplot to scare the deaf-mute owner of a silent movie house to death. Along the way, a couple of characters are injected with LSD and begin hallucinating like mad. The show stopper came when one of the nasty monsters "escaped" into a movie theater. The gimmick is one of director William Castle's most famous. In order to further frighten audiences, he had certain theater seats rigged with small Army surplus devices that would deliver a mild electric shock to the spine in hopes of inducing terrified screams. If no audience member screamed, then Castle had a back-up plan in which a planted audience member would scream and faint. The house lights would go up, the film would stop and ushers would carry the unconscious person out of the theater.
Voice of the Whistler
Directed by William Castle
1945 -- 60min.
In this drama based on a popular radio series, a millionaire believes he has six months left to live and so marries his nurse. She doesn't love him, but he has promised to make her the sole heir to his fortune. She leaves her real fiancé for the ailing magnate with the promise that she will return a rich woman. After the wedding, they move to a lonely lighthouse where the woman finds herself falling in love with her husband after he miraculously recovers. Things are fine until the jealous, jilted fiancé comes to try and kill the millionaire. He ends up being killed by the husband who is sentenced to die in the electric chair. The woman is left to live alone in the lighthouse.
When Strangers Marry (aka Betrayed)
Directed by William Castle
1944 -- 67min.
(3)
Betrayed is the reissue title for the classic melodrama When Strangers Marry. In her third film, Kim Hunter plays a waitress who comes to New York to meet her husband Dean Jagger. Kim's marriage was a whirlwind affair, and as a result she barely knows her husband. She soon discovers that Jagger may be involved in a murder - and that he very well may be a homicidal maniac. Designated by film-historian Don Miller as the finest "B" picture ever made, Betrayed is chock full of superb cinematic touches, courtesy of director William Castle. Best bits include the shot of Kim Hunter staring out her hotel window, her face illuminated by a flashing neon sign, and a "shock cut" straight out of Hitchcock's The 39 Steps. Third-billed Robert Mitchum was elevated to star status on the reissue prints of When Strangers Marry, which unfortunately tended to give away the film's surprise ending; also in the cast in a tiny role is Mitchum's future Out of the Past co-star Rhonda Fleming. One of the most convincing performances is delivered by character actor Lou Lubin, who plays a shaking-in-his-boots murder witness. Filmed in ten days, Betrayed was another box-office winner for the canny King Brothers producing team.
The Whistler
Directed by William Castle
1944 -- 59min
The Whistler was the first of eight Columbia "B" thrillers based on the popular radio series of the same name. The Whistler, a shadowy (and unbilled) figure, introduced each film as he'd done on radio: "I am the Whistler...and I know many things, for I walk by night." This time the Whistler tells the strange story of despondent Richard Dix, who, believing his wife dead, hires professional killer J. Carroll Naish to put him out of his misery. Then the wife suddenly shows up...and Dix can't locate his would-be assassin. An old story with plenty of fresh new twists (for example, Naish talks of his profession as though it were a fine art like painting and sculpture), The Whistler bode well for the seven films that followed. Richard Dix starred in all but one film in the series, alternating between hero and heavy.
Zotz!
Directed by William Castle
1962 -- 87 min
(4)
TV actor Tom Poston stars as Prof. Jonathan Jones in this early feature-film appearance, a standard comedy-fantasy oriented to the youngsters. The good professor has come into possession of "zotz," a coin that has three magical properties. It can either cause intense pain if its bearer points an accusing finger at an intended victim or it can make things move in slow-motion, with the right command. If the accusatory finger and the command are used simultaneously, the victim dies. Naturally, just about everyone wants this coin. The hapless professor is soon involved in problems at school, at the Pentagon, and worse yet, with a group of commie agents who have their own designs on the coin.