Mike Raven

CRUCIBLE OF TERROR-1971-John (James Bolam), an in debt art dealer, his girlfriend Millie (Mary Maude) and mutual friend Jane (Beth Morris) accompany her husband Mike (Ronald Lacey) to visit his eccentric sculptor father Victor (Michael Raven) who before the credits appears to put a woman in plaster and molten metal to make a sculpture. Also at the remote former mine are manservant Bill (John Arnatt),who has a roomful of medieval weapons and Victor's feeble-minded wife Dorothy (Betty Alberge) who carries around a stuffed dog. Besides being a mad killer Victor is a pompous conceited pervert who insults his defenseless wife. Though Vic has a model (Judy Matheson) for a mistress, he seems to take a shine to Millie (who has Deja’ Vu about the place).  At night Millie has a dream a masked figure throws blood on her. While Mike drunkenly rants Jane agrees to pose for Victor but she spurns his advances and is later stabbed to death. The next day while Millie and the model frolic on the beach it’s revealed that Mike stole some of his father's paintings and they have an argument about Dorothy. Mike is then bludgeoned to death after a very stupid scene where the model throws rocks at him. John goes back to London to get cash to buy Victor’s paintings. Out for a walk, Millie sees Victor watching her and runs into a cave where she finds Dorothy hanging out with some dolls. After someone throws acid in the model's face, Millie agrees to model for Vic. She spurns his advances and runs into another cave where she finds Mike's decomposing body and Dorothy who’s committed suicide. When she encounters Vic again she faints. He plans to make her his next statue. 

Though it's talky in stretches and Raven comes across as a poor man’s Christopher Lee, the story does have a bizarre if improbable twist ending involving a Japanese woman and a cult that worship the dead. Me Me.Lay (JUNGLE HOLCAUST) has a small role.

 CRUCIBLE OF TERROR is the only movie directed by Ted Hooker and some stories say lead actor Michael Raven, a former DJ put up half the budget. The same year as this Raven was also in Hammer's LUST FOR A VAMPIRE and Amicus' I, MONSTER. He later wrote and starred in DISCIPLE OF DEATH.

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