Starring Eric Portman, Edana Romney, Barbara Mullen, Hugh Sinclair, Bruce Belfrage
Directed by Terence Young
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman becomes infatuated with a mysterious man who lives like a lord from centuries ago in a majestic house, but learns that he has definite plans for her.
I concur with a review I read online, that mentioned that although set in the present day, the film uses the past-obsessed character of Paul Mangin and his elaborate mansion to re-create a gothic romance along the lines of past efforts of the type in fiction and film. With splendid art direction and costuming as well as fine photography, it succeeds in this venture. The film's title refers to a corridor within Mangin's house with doors behind each mirror, where a different outfit of the past lies waiting for Romney's Mifanwy, tailored exactly to her measurements, transporting her in a sense back to the time Mangin cherishes. Romney also co-wrote the screenplay, and her performance is the equal of Portman's, as a modern woman who enjoys the experience of a relationship with him, before she discovers the truth behind his obsessions. It's an intriguing film with a haunting tone, although it might not quite have the depth of the classic romances it emulates. The film is also notable for the direction of Young, who would become a director of James Bond films, and for featuring the film debut of horror icon Christopher Lee, who only has one line of dialogue in a brief appearance at the beginning of the picture.
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