El estigma macabro

The film begins with a funeral for a rich old man. However, soon after the man is locked away in his crypt, family and servants are killed off or maimed and it appears as if the man is very much alive...or is he? Okay, folks,...I KNOW that this isn't a great film nor is it a great work of art. The acting by several of the "actors" is extremely poor and too many of the parts seem almost "cartoony" in their simplicity and one-dimensionality (such as the police man and the lady who gets beheaded). But despite the general cheesiness of the film and the very, very familiar plot (sort of like an "old dark house" style film), the overall effort is still fun and entertaining. Some of this is due to the good special effects but most of it is because even some of the dumb characters (such as the oldest son) are so funny and over-the-top that you can't help but watch.

Set in 1892 New England, a rich patriarch leaves his fortune to the surviving members of the Sinclair family, but only if they can follow his strict, post mortem instructions. Otherwise, they will meet a grisly end. Not-too surprisingly, said family members can't seem to live up to the stringent instructions, resulting in the alleged, titular curse.

Schlock supremo director, Del Tenney's THE CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE isn't a bad little chiller, considering its vintage and total lack of budget. While it does get a bit tiresome due to being a few minutes overlong, it never ventures into Tenney's typical, all-out absurdity.

This is indeed Roy Scheider's debut. He is the seemingly more level-headed, less greed-driven Philip Sinclair. The lovely, enigmatic Candace Hilligoss also appears in this, the second horror film in her abbreviated career...

This is an obscure little film that is more atmospheric than anything else. It's certainly not original, in fact it's a loose remake of a much earlier film called "Secret of the Blue Room"...which, in itself, was remade as "Murder in the Blue Room". Confused yet?

Here we have a stereotypical rich megalomaniac whose death brings out the worst in his surviving relatives. He threatens to come back to life and murder each of them if they do not conform to the minute details of his burial. Of course they blatantly disregard the orders, and soon they are all being picked off as promised. Not that any of them have the sense to just leave the old manor.

This is particularly interesting for its photography, which makes excellent use of light and shadow. Faces loom out of darkness, small objects are illuminated by tiny shafts of light, and the confines of the gloomy mansion are utilized to the hilt. This takes place in an indeterminate time period, with a glaring lack of modern technology, which adds to the gothic feel of the film.

Candace Hilligoss from "Carnival Of Souls" is our heroine, which is another intriguing aspect of the movie. Truthfully, I wasn't aware that Roy Scheider was even in this film, which makes me want to go back and watch it again just out of curiosity. I musn't have been watching the credits.

If you can find this one, you may enjoy it for the aforementioned reasons, but don't expect any real chills or thrills. If you can't figure out the conclusion ahead of time, you're just not paying close enough attention.

The setting is New England in the late 19th century. A hated and feared patriarch, Rufus Sinclair, has supposedly died, and his family lays him to rest. However, the corpse rises from the grave, and proceeds to punish the heirs to the estate. This is done by killing each person in the manner that they fear most: mutilation of ones' face, drowning, fire, etc.

"The Curse of the Living Corpse" was written, produced and directed by Del Tenney, something of a cult figure even if he only made a handful of movies. His others include "The Horror of Party Beach", "Violent Midnight", and "Zombie" a.k.a. "I Eat Your Skin". His tribute to the classic "old dark house" genre of black & white horror films is actually reasonably competent, although it must be said that it's mostly pretty lighthearted and fun stuff. It's never really scary, or even that atmospheric. Still, it has its delights, such as a memorable severed-head-on-a-platter gag. Tenney's screenplay won't bear much scrutiny, but in a fairly lightweight lark like this, that might not matter too much to the prospective viewer.

The movie is very much noteworthy for being the screen debut for future star Roy Scheider, who gets the top billed role and who is obviously having fun. He hams his way through his performance as drink-loving, sardonic Philip. Robert Milli is amusing as the pompous Bruce, Linda Donovan is a real cutie as the servant Letty, and Margot Hartman (the real life Mrs. Tenney) is fine as Vivian. This can also boast the only other film appearance for Candace Hilligoss, known to horror buffs as the star of "Carnival of Souls".

The story comes complete with comedy relief cops played by Paul Haney and George Cotton, who supply us with the blatantly goofy ending.

Nothing great but it is entertaining.

Seven out of 10.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed and Produced by Del Tenney; Released by 20th Century-Fox. Screenplay by Del Tenney; Dialogue by Alan Bodian; Photography and Production Design by Richard Hilliard; Edited by Jack Hirschfeld and Gary Youngman; Edited by George Burt and Bill Holcomb. Starring Roy Scheider, Helen Waren, Margot Hartman, Robert Milli, Linda Donovan, Hugh Franklin and Candace Hilligoss.

A 1960s costume horror flick concerning the systematic decimation of the beneficiaries of a millionaire's will by the presumably still-living stiff. Cheaply executed b good, wasted performances by a cast of unknowns (of whom Roy Scheider would achieve stardom a decade later), but the premise remains a dead one, overused many moons ago. Surprisingly interesting photography, and notable for the meticulous use of just over the borderline nudity.