Dr. Hichcock

THE TERROR OF DR. HICHCOCK- (THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK)-1962-Dr. Hichcock (Robert Flemyng) is a brilliant if detached surgeon who has an unusual relationship with his wife (Maria Teresa Vianello). He drugs her so she appears dead then has sex with her (not shown). She seems to have no objections. One night he gives her too much of a dose and she dies. He leaves their home. 12 years later he returns with his new bride Cynthia (Barbara Steele). After they hear a bloodcurdling scream, his sour puss housekeeper Martha (Harriet Medin) informs him that her sister is living with her but the next day she's going away because “she's quite mad”. On her first night in the old house Cynthia sees a ghostly apparition and hears footsteps. After a night at the opera doc is called away for an emergency at his clinic. His young assistant Kurt (Silvano Tranquilli) sees Mrs. H home. She wanders around in the fog and hears a voice say she will die in her bed. Martha rescues her but she finds a skull in her bed and faints. Meanwhile the doc loses his female patient and feels those old necrophilia come ons. When Cynthia wakes up the skull is gone. Peering through the keyhole into the hall she sees someone wearing white boots just like the dead Mrs. Hichcock. Hubby doesn't believe her because at one time she'd suffered a breakdown after her father died. At night the stupid doctor leaves his wife home alone so he can do the nasty with his dead patient but he’s caught not quite in the act by Kurt. When Cynthia sees Martha emerge from a secret door behind a mirror she investigates and discovers Martha’s mad sister is still around. Later Hichcock sees a ghostly apparition of his first wife playing the piano and moving around the house. The pervert decides to drug Cynthia and play screw the corpse but they don't seem to be alone. The next day when Kurt notices some suspicious scratches on his boss’ neck, Hichcock tells Kurt he believes his wife is paranoid and delusional. Kurt’s not fully convinced. The doc decides to do away with his wife by giving her a poisoned glass of milk. But she tricks him and takes the contents to Kurt. He has it analyzed and finds it full of poison. He hurries over to rescue Cynthia who's hung upside down by her hubby because now apparently his first wife is still alive and he wants to rejuvenate her using Cynthia’s blood.  “Kill her. Kill her. Then there will be only me”. Kurt arrives and while fighting with his boss sets the place on fire. Hichcock falls out a window and Margaret burns up. Kurt carries Cynthia to safety. 

This has the usual gothic feel of the Italian horror films being made around this time. Director Riccardo Freda's (CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER) name was changed to Robert Hampton for the English versions. Many stories abound concerning the production including who was responsible for the necrophilia story line and how long it took to shoot (14 days seems to be the consensus though!). There is also a story that lead actor Flemyng (from England) had read a script without the necro-angle and when he found out about it he tried to get out of making it. 

Barbara Steele was filming Fellini's 8 ½ at the time and took 10 days off from that production to make this.

Thanks for reading!