Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Karloff is Back!

 

 (imdb)

THE HAUNTED STRANGLER-1958-Dr. James Rankin (Boris Karloff) investigates the case of Edward Styles, hanged as a murderer years before. He seems to feel that Styles' assistant Tenet who was later confined to an asylum might be more involved than first suspected. His wife (Elizabeth Allen) wants him to drop it. He has an assistant Dr. McCall (Tim Turner) who's in love with Rankin's daughter Lily (Diane Aubrey). Rankin and McCall find out a lot about Tenet and Rankin wants to exhume his body but superintendent Burk (Anthony Dawson) won't allow it, so Rankin digs it up himself! He finds a missing surgical knife believed to be the murder weapon which transforms him into a scary one-armed killer seeking vengeance. 

Of course, it turns out Rankin is Tenet protected by his wife who was a nurse at the asylum. After he kills her, he admits he's the murderer but no one believes him and he's committed to an asylum. He turns into Tenet and escapes. He goes on a killing spree but is eventually shot after menacing his daughter. 

Cool old style horror film directed by Robert Day with Karloff using facial expressions instead of make-up. Day and Karloff worked together on CORRIDOR OF BLOOD the same year.

Thanks for reading!

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