UK

 

(imdb)

DEAD OF NIGHT-1945-An architect Craig (Mervyn Johns) visits a countryside cottage where he gets a big rush of Deja Vu. He says he's met the group of people there in his dreams. Thus begins this anthology.

1. “The Hearse Driver”-Race car driver Hugh Grainer (Anthony Baird) suffers a near fatal accident. Later, a dream saves his life. Just like a future “Twilight Zone” episode, directed by Basil Dearden.

2. “The Christmas Party”-At a party for young people, Sally (Sally Ann Howes) finds a secret room where a young boy Francis is crying and says his stepsister is trying to kill him. Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti. This is adapted from a story by Angus MacPhail, which in turn is based on a true story.

3. “The Haunted Mirror”-A wife (Googie Withers) buys her husband (Ralph Michael) a mirror. When he looks in it, he sees the background of a completely different room. He seems to be taken over by the spirit of the former wife killing owner. Directed by Robert Hamer.

4. “The Golfer's Story”-Two friends George Parratt (Basil Radford) and Larry Potter (Nauton Wayne), both golfers, play a round for the love of a woman named Mary (Peggy Bryan). Parratt wins and Potter commits suicide. After he marries Mary and goes to play some golf, he hears Potter's voice mocking him and calling him a cheat. This is actually a lighthearted ghost comedy directed by Charles Crichton and based on a story by HG Welles.

5. “The Ventriloquist's Dummy”-Frere (Michael Redgrave), a ventriloquist, is accused of trying to kill another ventriloquist named Sylvester (Hartley Power) but he blames his dummy Hugo, who seems to have a life of his own. Standout segment directed by Alberto Cavalcanti.

In the nightmarish wraparound finale, Craig isn't what he seems to be….

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Hugo Your Way

 

 (imdb)

DEVIL DOLL-1964-Strange seemingly evil hypnotist/ventriloquist The Great Vorelli (Bryant Haliday) makes subjects react to imagined bad situations. He also has an act with Hugo, a scary dummy that talks and walks. Investigative reporter Mark English (William Sylvester) has his friend Marianne (Yvonne Romain) volunteer for one of the hypnotism acts. He makes her twist on stage. Marianne is very rich and when her aunt gives a charity benefit Mark convinces Marianne to invite Vorelli so he might examine Hugo. Meanwhile Vorelli puts Mary under his thrall and makes her his lover. Later Hugo goes to Mark's room and drops some hints about his origin. Before Mark can act, Mary's doctor says he should see her as she's acting strange. Vorelli's long suffering assistant Magda (Sandra Dorne) stirs up trouble. Enter Dr. Heller (Karel Stepanak) who says Vorelli is not to blame. Later after Vorelli and Magda have sex, Vorelli orders Hugo to kill Magda. Mark hires idiot Bob Garrett (Alan Gifford) to find out about Vorelli's past which he does. It seems Hugo was once a real person but through hypnotism he learned in Tibet, Vorelli made Hugo into his puppet-slave. It seems Vorelli wants to marry Mary, kill her to inherit her fortune and make her a companion for Hugo. In the finale the tables are turned. 

This is a kooky but creepy little horror film and was the directorial debut of Canadian Lindsey Shonteff, who went on to director another horror movie CURSE OF THE VOODOO (1965), also starring Haliday. American co-star Sylvester had been in GORGO (1961) and would play Heywood Floyd in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968). Romain had been the mute servant girl in Hammer's CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF in 1961.

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The Unholy 3

THE UNHOLY 3-1925-This was the first collaboration between actor Lon Chaney and director Tod Browning for MGM. (Their previous films had been for Universal). It's the story of three circus performers who decide to turn to crime. 

Their leader is Echo (Chaney), a ventriloquist who disguises himself as an old woman. Harry Earles (Hans in 1932's FREAKS, also directed by Browning) is Tweedledee, a sadistic little person who pretends to be a baby! Future Oscar winner Victor McLaglen is Hercules the strongman who's more subservient to Tweedle than Echo. They set up shop in a store that sells birds (where Echo's skills make the parrots talk a lot!). Mae Busch is Rosie, the con woman in on their act. 

It's unusual but cool the way Browning gets across the ventriloquism scam considering this is silent film!

By coincidence every time the store sells a bird, the residence they sell to is robbed. Unfortunately, things don't turn out so good. Tweedledee and Hercules don't like being "bossed" by Echo and Hector, the store manager falls for Rosie, making Echo jealous. When Echo is delayed in going out on a job the duo goes out on their own and a man is killed. They decide to pin the murder/robbery on Hector but Rosie doesn't like it. They tie her up and decide to lam it with a bound Rosie in tow and a mean looking ape that they just have to happen in the store (Echo wants to take it because it's stronger than Hercules). The gang hides out in a cabin while Hector is left to fend for himself against the trumped-up charges. Animosity grows in the hideout. 

Meanwhile Rosie tells Echo if he helps vindicate Hector, she will stay with him forever (in spite of the fact she's in love with Hector). He goes to the courtroom and after some ventriloquism tricks fail, he admits his guilt in front of the judge. While this is going on, back in the cabin Tweedledee overhears Hercules tell Rosie they could split the stolen loot 2 ways. The little guy releases the angry ape. It goes after the strongman who kills Tweedledee right before he's done in by the ape! Echo's confession exonerates both him and Hector and Echo releases Rosie from their bargain so she can be the one she loves. 

THE UNHOLY 3 once again proves Lon Chaney's prominence as the greatest silent screen actor of all time. Without the use of make-up, he conveys the tone of the story with facial expressions alone. It's an incredible sight to witness which once again makes the usual love triangle (a mainstay of so many Chaney films) plausible and heartfelt. The screenplay is by Waldemar Young (who wrote several other Chaney/Browning vehicles like THE BLACKBIRD, LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT and WEST OF ZANZIBAR). It's based on a story by Tod Robbins, who also wrote the story that became the infamous FREAKS.

So popular and successful MGM chose to remake this in 1930 as Chaney's first talkie (and ultimately his last film) although Browning did not direct it. 

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Dummy Up!

DEAD SILENCE-2007-Sometimes some of the most cheerful and aspiring objects can be frightening. Clowns, dolls, religious statues and thanks to the anthology DEAD OF NIGHT and a couple of TWILIGHT ZONE episodes ventriloquist dummies also fit into that category which is where James (SAW) Wan’s DEAD SILENCE fits in.

After his wife seems to have been killed by a dummy they mysteriously acquired the husband (Ryan Kwanten) investigates the murder of a ventriloquist in his hometown to try and find some answers. His estranged father, a murder and tongues being pulled out all figure in the plot. It’s very well directed and uses some cool b/w flashbacks and gore. The only problem for me was the obnoxious idiot cop played by Donnie Wahlberg who dogs the husband’s trail thinking he's the murderer. You keep wishing he’d get killed. Then when he finally realizes the truth and teams up the husband and is killed off!

"If America were tempted to become the dictatress of the world she would no longer be the ruler of her own spirit"-John Quincy Adams

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