Starring Donald Wolfit, Vincent Ball, Barbara Shelley, Victor Maddern, William Devlin
Directed by Henry Cass
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A doctor convicted for trying to save a man's life through a blood transfusion is brought to a prison for the criminally insane by its administrator, a cold-hearted scientist eager to use him in his work.
My friend Dan Day Jr. calls this one of the first Hammer imitations, an attempt by producers Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman to emulate the British studio's style, along with a script from Hammer veteran Jimmy Sangster. Those expecting an actual vampire tale will be disappointed, as although the film begins with a bloody staking, the victim isn't a vampire, nor does another one ever turn up. That being said, it's not badly written, and future Hammer leading lady Barbara Shelley's presence is appreciated. However, Wolfit as the principal villain, while decent, is not magnetic enough a personality to carry the film, and Ball as the doctor is capable but not much better. Maddern's portrayal of a half-scarred assistant loyal to Wolfit is okay, but he's too similar to other characters in horror films decades before. I have to say I was never bored viewing the picture, and it delivers its share of shocks within its period setting, but they're fairly mild compared to a Hammer film of the same era.
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