The Haunted Strangler
Directed by Robert Day
Written by John Croyden and Jan Read from a story by Read
1958/UK
Amalgamated Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] James Rankin: You mean he killed while in some sort of trance?[/box]
This is a low-budget horror flick that is actually worthy of Boris Karloff’s talents.
James Rankin (Karloff) is a novelist who is researching a book about the Haymarket Strangler, who was executed twenty years previously. He is convinced that the wrong man was convicted and sets out to prove it.
No one will believe him so he must resort to undercover operations. These include robbing the condemned man’s grave to uncover the murder weapon. But in Rankin’s hands, this knife is even sharper …
The Jekyll-Hyde story itself is nothing special but the 70-year-old Karloff is very good. He transforms himself convincingly without make-up.
Actually, the commentary on the DVD was more interesting than the film. Richard Gordon, the producer, reminisces about the film and his brother Alan, who made pictures in America, talks about their long relationship with the actor. This was a project brought to the producer by Karloff. The distributor insisted on a double-feature and The Haunted Strangler was released with Fiend Without a Face, made simultaneously. The latter film proved to be more in tune with the times.
Trailer
