Horrors of the Black Museum

'Horrors Of The Black Museum' is a dated but still entertaining Brit chiller that will most appeal to fans of William Castle's gimmick filled movies from the same era ('The House On Haunted Hill', 'The Tingler', '13 Ghosts', 'Homicidal',etc.) The late Michael Gough plays Edmund Bancroft, an eccentric writer and amateur crime expert, who irritates local police baffled at a spate of brutal and sensationalistic crimes, apparently without motive. Bancroft actually knows a lot more than the police suspect, and his meek protege Rick (Graham Curnow) is also involved, but not in the most straightforward way. The movie was originally released in "Hypnovision" but the reason to watch it today is Gough's larger than life performance, and the inventive killing methods, which include the much talked about binoculars-with-needles-in-the-eyepieces. Not a great movie by any means, but an amusing one.

I caught an interesting horror flick on TV the other night called "Horrors of the Black Museum" (1959) and all I could ask was WHERE IS VINCENT PRICE? Why? Starting with first things first, let's examine the opening of the movie. A gimmick called "Hypnovista" is employed. Hynovista? Yes, Hypnovista. Before the film starts, a "psychologist" with a specialty of Hypnotism appears. He leads the audience through numerous hypnotic suggestions. Starting out by demonstrating just how contagious a yawn can be, he goes on to "Hypnotize" the audience with the power of suggestion that they are feeling cold ( blue tinted screen / sound of an icy storm) and feeling hot (orange tinted screen / sound of flames). Guess what? It works! OK, well kinda. Ok It doesn't! Presto chango, he announces you are hypnotized and will experience the movie as though you are actually there! Gee, why does this remind me of a William Castle film gimmick? (William Castle is the same guy who devised those amazing movie house gimmicks for Vincent Price films "House on Haunted Hill" and "The Tingler").

Ok kiddies, hang on, that's not all! Now let's consider "The Phibes Factor" NOTE: The Abominable Doc doesn't make the movie scene till 1971. The plot of this movie has a demented crime writer hypnotizing an assistant and sending him out to kill people with torturous and bizarre methods, just to prove he can. Death by binoculars with spikes NOTE: This particular device was inspired by an actual device that exists in a Scotland Yard Museum, Ice tongs through the neck, guillotine, knife in the heart whilst in the tunnel of love, electrocution ray and last but not least, death via vat of acid. What kind of a hill did you say that house was on?

Finally, let us examine the mad crime writer's hobby. Can you guess what it might be? He just happens to be the curator of a very private museum of wax figures, the figures of famous murderers!

Not to discount Michael Gough as mad writer, Edmond Bancroft. Gough, who has appeared in numerous horror films, such as: "Horror of Dracula (1958), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), Black Zoo (1963), Berserk (1967), Horror Hospital (1972) and in a series of mad-scientist roles, Konga (1961), The Skull (1965), and They Came From Beyond Space (1967) and many more, does a marvelous job in the role. But there is no denying it would have been wonderful fun to see Vincent Price as the mad Edmond Bancroft. Upon viewing this film, it becomes obvious why he was so wonderful in roles with similar themes like "House of Wax", "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" and "House on Haunted Hill". Woulda, coulda, shoulda considered, "Horrors of the Black Museum" is a wonderful film. It should NOT be missed by any fan of this type film.

Michael Gough plays a mystery writer who arranges to bump off several dames to increase his popularity (and sales of his latest book about murder). One blonde (with ample cleavage) gets binoculared to death, while her red-headed roommate (with ampler cleavage) looks on in horror. Then Gough's "ho" tells him where to get off, and she is done in by Gough's assistant, using a hand-held guillotine - you know, the kind you can buy on QVC. By using a pair of ice tongs, Gough offs an old crone who runs an antique store. Well, the list goes on, but you get the idea.

Gough, as usual, is hammy over the top, but not nearly as crazy as he is in "Konga." He is delicious to watch as he needles Scotland Yard, and vents his spleen at his assistant (Graham Curnow). June Cunningham, as Gough's chick, has the smallest waist coupled with the largest hips I've seen in some time. She also treats the audience to about a 50-second dance in a bar. By the time she is done, every guy watching will figure out his sexual orientation.

The opening scene has a young, attractive woman receive a mystery gift in the mail, a pair of binoculars. When she tries them out two metal spikes impale her brain via her eyes, this is a delicious taste of what else is to come. A series of bloody but elaborate killings is gripping London, the police are on the case (one is played by Geoffrey Keen, a familiar face from the James Bond movies), but so too is Edmond Bancroft, a real life crime writer - who just happens to have his own Black Museum in his large home! Bancroft is played by the marvellous Richard Gough, a star of many films and TV, horror being one of his specialities, and his character here is highly intelligent but equally obnoxious, he hams is up wonderfully. I love black and white movies but this was filmed in colour, so not only do we get red blood but the whole film looks fantastic, very colourful. Not only is this a rather grisly but hammy and fun horror movie it also gives a fascinating glimpse of life in London in 1959. The film's finale takes place at a funfair, the Tunnel of Love scene is brilliant, there is a nod to the Jekyll and Hyde story here. It would also be fair to consider this as an early slasher/psycho maniac movie. I have just watched this for the first time, it was screened on TV. I enjoyed, I have just ordered a copy on DVD and look forward to seeing it again.

It's a shame, really: with a delightfully lurid and catchy title such as "Horrors of the Black Museum" and advertising that hyped a special "Hypno-Vista" process, this could and should have been more fun. It's reasonably amusing, but its good moments are spread pretty far apart amidst a lot of talk and a slow pace.

Fiendish murders are plaguing the city of London, and prominent crime expert / journalist Edmond Bancroft (Michael Gough) just loves to write about it. He definitely has a flair for the sensational. This sets him at odds with the weary Scotland Yard detectives investigating the case, including Superintendent Graham (Geoffrey Keen, whom one may recognize from his appearances in several James Bond franchise entries) and Inspector Lodge (John Warwick).

The movie can boast a couple of nifty gadgets: binoculars that shoot needles into unwary eyes, a pair of ice tongs, and a miniature guillotine. The title derives from the collection kept by the Yard of hideous murder implements; Bancroft also maintains an impressive collection of his own.

Helping to make this little horror film palatable are gorgeous CinemaScope photography and an excellent cast also including June Cunningham as Bancrofts' fed-up girlfriend, Graham Curnow as his loyal assistant Rick, the lovely Shirley Anne Field as Ricks' gal pal Angela, Beatrice Varley as shop keeper Aggie, and Austin Trevor as Commissioner Wayne. But Gough, not surprisingly, thoroughly dominates the proceedings with a deliciously hammy performance. One could never accuse Gough of not giving a role 100% percent, and he doesn't disappoint here.

Overall, this is a mild diversion and no more.

Six out of 10.