Starring Richard Carlson, Veronica Hurst, Katherine Emery, Michael Pate, John Dodsworth
Directed by William Cameron Menzies
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A jilted bride pursues her fiancee to his ancestral castle in Scotland, where he greets her cruelly and tries to get her to leave, but she stays and is intrigued by a mysterious maze on the grounds.
One of the final film credits in a remarkable career for the acclaimed William Cameron Menzies, who had delivered memorable art direction for numerous films going back to the silent era, as well as proving to be a competent film director himself. This film, which he directed and provided the production design for, was based on a story by Maurice Sandoz, which has a climax that may be too incredulous for many to take seriously, but personally, I love it. It's daring, it's different, and on film, it's accomplished with a well-designed creature makeup which was certainly convincing enough for me. The cast is likable and polished enough, and although I wouldn't say there were any standout performances, Carlson is always welcome, Hurst is believable as his earnest spouse-to-be, unwilling to give up, and Pate is solid as the castle's chief servant, delivering emotionless dialogue and trying to protect the castle's secrets. The movie is best appreciated when viewed in it's original 3-D, where the composition depth takes center stage, and you feel like a visitor to the castle, seeing the layout of its rooms before you.
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