The Tingler

 

THE TINGLER-1959-After a pre-credit warning from director William Castle, Dr. Warren Chapin (Vincent Price), a doctor who does autopsies for the state, meets Ollie Higgins (Phillip Coolidge), a theater owner who's brother in law has just been executed. Ollie invites Chapin home for some coffee where the doc meets Ollie's mute wife Martha (Judith Evelyn)) who faints at the sight of blood. When Chapin goes home we learn that he's married to a rich floozy named Isabel (Patrica Cutts) who's sister Lucy (Pamela Lincoln) gets a long very well with her brother in law and is also in love the the doc's young assistant David (Darryl Hickman). After frightening Isabel and taking X-rays of her spine he discovers a creature he dubs “the tingler” that lives on fear and resides in every human! 

To try and understand the power of the tingler, Chapin takes a powerful drug (seems like LSD) and becomes terrified but is saved when he screams which is the only way to immobilize the creature. When Martha dies after seeing some horrifying hallucinations (it seems like Chapin might have given her the drug) Ollie brings her corpse to Chapin who removes her tingler (since she couldn't scream it's still active) and puts it in a cage. It looks kind of like a giant centipede. Isabel tries to use it to kill her husband but Lucy spoils her plans. Chapin decides he's broken the laws of nature and the only way to destroy the tingler is to put it back in Martha's body. It turns out Ollie's not the kindhearted timid henpecked husband he pretends to be....

This classic '50's "gimmick" film directed by the one and only William Castle features one scene in bright color and is still as entertaining as it was when first release (despite a few lapses in reason). Price is great as the very analytical scientist who comes to regret his discovery. On it's initial release certain seats in theaters were wired to give unsuspecting moviegoers a slight "tingle" when the monster appears! 

Thanks for reading!

Final Castle

SHANKS-1974-In this bizarre film professional mime Marcel Marceau portrays a deaf mute puppeteer named Malcolm Shanks who lives with his shrewish sister in law and her no good boozing husband. He gets a job with a elderly scientist who with the help of a special machine brings a dead frog back to life. When the scientist croaks (sorry, couldn’t resist writing that..) Malcolm uses the machine to bring him back to life. Later he causes the death of the sis in law and hubby but brings them back to life and they go on a picnic with a young local girl Celia (Cindy Eilbacher). He throws a private birthday party for the girl, served by his dead in laws (who also dance) but some bikers crash the scene and eventually kill her. Malcolm gets revenge by having “the living fight the dead”. However he has to fight the biker leader (Don Calfa) hand to hand in the climax. He then brings Celia back to life. But the final scene makes it seem like it might have all been a dream-fantasy.....

This very strange film was directed by horror “gimmick” director William Castle in Canada. It’s probably Marceau’s only starring movie (he did have a role 1967’s BARBARELLA and later had the only speaking role in Mel Brooks’ SILENT MOVIE) and not made without some difficulty. Castle outlines the making of it in his autobiography. Parts of it are shot in a kind of sepia tone and there’s really not much dialogue for a feature length film. I found it interesting though some parts don’t make sense and sometimes the acting doesn’t seem effective. It was the last film made by Castle (who appears in one scene as a grocer) and having never been released on tape or DVD is his least known film. Fortunately TCM came to the rescue recently and aired it!

Thanks for reading!

Why Are They Scared?

13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS!-1965-This talky, innocuous drama shows the decline of once popular "gimmick" director William Castle. 

13 girls from a Swiss boarding school (all daughters of diplomats) get into trouble while on vacation. The story focuses on one girl Candy (Kathy Dunn) who's diplomatic father is played by Hugh Marlowe (EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS). Khigh Dhiegh (in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE the year before) is the Red Chinese diplomat who's niece Candy befriends. Murray Hamilton and Joyce Taylor are the special agents Candy helps. Despite the violence and espionage this almost seems aimed at teenage girls!

Emil Sitka has an un-billed role as the school's care taker. Castle made the comical remake of THE OLD DARK HOUSE the same year. Screenwriter Robert Dillon also penned Corman's X-THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES the same year.

Thanks for reading!