Before fully indulging in the science fiction craze of the 1950s Universal-International took one last stab at gothic horror with The Black Castle. The film is a treat for fans of that beloved genre as it recycles familiar musical cues, presents a scenery-chewing villain, and features two terror icons, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, in supporting roles. While not breaking new ground it delivers on the familiar tropes of the genre and should keep a viewer glued to the screen for its 82 minutes.
Set in the eighteenth century Black Forest the film begins ominously on the grounds of a windswept castle where two apparently dead people, Sir Ronald Burton (Richard Greene) and Countess Elga von Bruno (Paula Corday) are about to be nailed inside their coffins. However, they are merely in some sort of catatonic state and prepared to be buried alive. In a flashback we learn Sir Ronald had been invited to the mysterious castle by Count von Bruno (Stephen McNally), a sadistic nobleman whom Sir Ronald believes murdered his two friends. Under the guise of Richard Beckett he hopes to find evidence of this crime while not arousing von Bruno's suspicions as to his true motives. Sir Ronald encounters an assortment of menacing folks including Counts Steiken and von Melcher (John Hoyt and Michael Pate), von Bruno's hulking mute manservant Gargon (Lon Chaney), and the mysterious Dr. Meissen (Boris Karloff). While attempting to steer clear of these guys he falls for von Bruno's charming wife Elga who is a virtual prisoner of the Count. Pretty soon Sir Ronald discovers proof his deceased friends were in the castle but before he can act on this knowledge he is found out by von Bruno and imprisoned. Fortunately he has a surprise ally among von Bruno's inner circle . . .
The Black Castle is a straight-forward tale with an "everything but the kitchen sink" mentality containing elements of horror, romance, action, suspense, and mystery. The hero is the vehicle that transports us through the story; as written Sir Ronald is impossibly charming, witty, noble, and intrepid as he combats some pretty dastardly villains. Count von Bruno is a bloodthirsty and decadent host who runs his province to suit his whims and surrounds himself with morally bankrupt cohorts. With such a strong premise of good vs evil established the film is further stuffed with some entertaining set pieces including a sword fight, a leopard hunt, and a suspenseful race-against-the-clock finale. The title structure is a richly depicted devil's playground with its own crypt, a dungeon complete with torture devices, and an alligator pit.
Director Nathan Juron is given the keys to an unholy kingdom by the studio and manages to juggle all the elements effectively. He encourages full blooded performances from his cast to augment all the familiar trappings of a standard Universal horror film: foreboding location, claps of thunder, howling winds, and a potpourri of stock musical cues. Fans will recognize snippets from The Wolf Man, Ghost of Frankenstein, and especially House of Frankenstein among many others that give the film a 1940s feel.
Topping the cast is Richard Greene who serves as a discount Errol Flynn with a splash of James Bond as he tosses off quips to diffuse dangerous situations and coldly seduces Elga for his own ends until his conscience gets the better of him (which, curiously enough, nearly costs them their lives). Greene is certainly acceptable in the role and transitions satisfactorily from charming rogue to savvy detective. Stephen McNally delivers a ferocious performance as the savage Count von Bruno; he is convincingly cordial when required to be but cracks in that facade are always present until he plunges into complete lunacy by the end. McNally carries the film and when he goes over-the-top the narrative is all the better for it. As his timid wife Paula Corday makes herself both sympathetic and desirable while Michael Pate is despicable as von Bruno's main parasite von Melcher. In fact, when viewing their relationship through a modern lense one could easily interpret homosexual undertones. Other performers of note in smaller roles are Tudor Owen as Sir Ronald's faithful manservant Romley and Henry Corden as Fender.
As far as iconic horror stars Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney go, neither receive adequate screen time and are sadly underused. Chaney in particular is wasted as Gargon, a role that could have been played by anyone and is superfluous to the story. Reduced to portraying a menacing mute character Lon lumbers around (usually accompanied by the Monster theme from Ghost of Frankenstein) and does McNally's bidding including possibly raping Miss Corday in an unsettling scene. Karloff fairs better as Meissen while ultimately being integral to the plot. He does have a particularly effective moment when he is examining the fallen body of Count Steiken: unbeknownst to everyone he is responsible for the man's death which he conveys by a sly smile only the audience is privy to.
The Black Castle is a nice bit of nostalgia for a genre that was receding into memory by 1952 while sci-fi began to take center stage. The film is immensely entertaining with much to recommend; particularly the performance of Stephen McNally and the appearances of both Karloff and Chaney who are always welcome additions to any cast. The 1940s horror milieu is effectively recreated by Nathan Juron and one can imagine this film coming out in 1939 with either Karloff or Bela Lugosi dominating the cast as the wicked Count von Bruno. In sum this movie deserves attention from Universal fans.
Set in the eighteenth century Black Forest the film begins ominously on the grounds of a windswept castle where two apparently dead people, Sir Ronald Burton (Richard Greene) and Countess Elga von Bruno (Paula Corday) are about to be nailed inside their coffins. However, they are merely in some sort of catatonic state and prepared to be buried alive. In a flashback we learn Sir Ronald had been invited to the mysterious castle by Count von Bruno (Stephen McNally), a sadistic nobleman whom Sir Ronald believes murdered his two friends. Under the guise of Richard Beckett he hopes to find evidence of this crime while not arousing von Bruno's suspicions as to his true motives. Sir Ronald encounters an assortment of menacing folks including Counts Steiken and von Melcher (John Hoyt and Michael Pate), von Bruno's hulking mute manservant Gargon (Lon Chaney), and the mysterious Dr. Meissen (Boris Karloff). While attempting to steer clear of these guys he falls for von Bruno's charming wife Elga who is a virtual prisoner of the Count. Pretty soon Sir Ronald discovers proof his deceased friends were in the castle but before he can act on this knowledge he is found out by von Bruno and imprisoned. Fortunately he has a surprise ally among von Bruno's inner circle . . .
The Black Castle is a straight-forward tale with an "everything but the kitchen sink" mentality containing elements of horror, romance, action, suspense, and mystery. The hero is the vehicle that transports us through the story; as written Sir Ronald is impossibly charming, witty, noble, and intrepid as he combats some pretty dastardly villains. Count von Bruno is a bloodthirsty and decadent host who runs his province to suit his whims and surrounds himself with morally bankrupt cohorts. With such a strong premise of good vs evil established the film is further stuffed with some entertaining set pieces including a sword fight, a leopard hunt, and a suspenseful race-against-the-clock finale. The title structure is a richly depicted devil's playground with its own crypt, a dungeon complete with torture devices, and an alligator pit.
Director Nathan Juron is given the keys to an unholy kingdom by the studio and manages to juggle all the elements effectively. He encourages full blooded performances from his cast to augment all the familiar trappings of a standard Universal horror film: foreboding location, claps of thunder, howling winds, and a potpourri of stock musical cues. Fans will recognize snippets from The Wolf Man, Ghost of Frankenstein, and especially House of Frankenstein among many others that give the film a 1940s feel.
Topping the cast is Richard Greene who serves as a discount Errol Flynn with a splash of James Bond as he tosses off quips to diffuse dangerous situations and coldly seduces Elga for his own ends until his conscience gets the better of him (which, curiously enough, nearly costs them their lives). Greene is certainly acceptable in the role and transitions satisfactorily from charming rogue to savvy detective. Stephen McNally delivers a ferocious performance as the savage Count von Bruno; he is convincingly cordial when required to be but cracks in that facade are always present until he plunges into complete lunacy by the end. McNally carries the film and when he goes over-the-top the narrative is all the better for it. As his timid wife Paula Corday makes herself both sympathetic and desirable while Michael Pate is despicable as von Bruno's main parasite von Melcher. In fact, when viewing their relationship through a modern lense one could easily interpret homosexual undertones. Other performers of note in smaller roles are Tudor Owen as Sir Ronald's faithful manservant Romley and Henry Corden as Fender.
As far as iconic horror stars Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney go, neither receive adequate screen time and are sadly underused. Chaney in particular is wasted as Gargon, a role that could have been played by anyone and is superfluous to the story. Reduced to portraying a menacing mute character Lon lumbers around (usually accompanied by the Monster theme from Ghost of Frankenstein) and does McNally's bidding including possibly raping Miss Corday in an unsettling scene. Karloff fairs better as Meissen while ultimately being integral to the plot. He does have a particularly effective moment when he is examining the fallen body of Count Steiken: unbeknownst to everyone he is responsible for the man's death which he conveys by a sly smile only the audience is privy to.
The Black Castle is a nice bit of nostalgia for a genre that was receding into memory by 1952 while sci-fi began to take center stage. The film is immensely entertaining with much to recommend; particularly the performance of Stephen McNally and the appearances of both Karloff and Chaney who are always welcome additions to any cast. The 1940s horror milieu is effectively recreated by Nathan Juron and one can imagine this film coming out in 1939 with either Karloff or Bela Lugosi dominating the cast as the wicked Count von Bruno. In sum this movie deserves attention from Universal fans.