The Black Castle

source: The Black Castle

Moviecut—The Black Castle

The Black Castle

My first encounter with Richard Greene was in a terrible Jesse Franco movie ('The Castle Of Fu Manchu'), but this little number revised my first terrible impression of him. He's a solid leading man and is reasonably heroic and dashing. (And likable.) This seemed to be marketed as a Karloff showpiece, but really, Boris has a secondary (if important) role and is on camera maybe 15-25% of the time. Give him credit as a pro's pro and an actor who doesn't put his ego before the good of the film. He's a pleasure to watch, as always. Decent atmosphere, solid acting all around, and the director keeps things moving along at a brisk clip even in the expository scenes. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it, but if it shows up on a late night feature or as part of a collection, you could do a lot worse.

Give a movie character an eye patch, hump, menacing eyes or a thick accent, and you've got the villain du jour, so sinister in his methods and so obviously evil that no human element remains. Stephen McNally is a murderous count, Richard Greene the hero out for justice, and Paula Corday the fragile heroine in the middle. Red herrings played by Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. (Tor Johnson must have been busy doing Shakespeare) add to the silliness. The only thing missing is Abbott and Costello providing comic relief which is something this film desperately lacks. The only interesting horror twist is a plot development involving premature burial that is wrapped up too easily without comeuppance for the villains in a satisfactory manner. The nadir for me came when they identified an obvious panther as a leopard.

In my opinion, this film is an underrated horror classic. Fans of mysteries and thrillers should be able to enjoy this creepy film easily. The movie is deeply Gothic and over all a scary film. As others have mentioned, the film is reminiscent of the 1932 film classic "The Most Dangerous Game". The chase, the hunt, the thrills are are similar yet the two films are completely different from one another. If you like movies with spooky old castles/homes, a Gothic atmosphere, elaborate costuming & sets, a good cast, horror, thrillers, and a good mystery then you should like "The Black Castle" because this film has it all. This is one of those movies that is excellent to watch late at night - in particular on a dark and stormy night! 9/10

This is a prime example of uninhibited filmmaking at its best. Richard Greene (who does good in the role) search for his two missing friends takes him to the Black Forest domain and castle of one-eyed Count Bruno (Stephen McNally), a past enemy of his whom he has never seen face to face. Incredible film has so many awesome elements combined (for once) into a single film--a crocodile pit; a hulking mute (played by Lon Chaney, Jr.); a crafty doctor (played by Boris Karloff); a leopard hunt (VERY well done and VERY atmospheric); a love story; a castle; a swordfight; a sadistic, one-eyed count and his two evil accomplices (played by John Hoyt and Michael Pate!!!); an intriguing background story which makes the film even more interesting; and more!. Jerry Sackheim's script doesn't allow itself to be bound in--making a film that comes extremely recommendable to anyone who is into unlimited filmmaking with a touch of horror and atmosphere to it.

The writer drew on famous sources :Edgar Poe ("buried alive") and Shakespeare ("Romeo and Juliet").The beginning is quite scary and the interest is sustained till the end.The screenplay is certainly smarter than the average horror flick.Boris Karloff is the stand-out ,even if he is not really the scariest thing of the movie.The castle in question is full of traps,dark dungeons and crocodiles pit (which makes sense ,for the story really begins in Africa).The countess and the hero make a good romantic couple inside the gloomy walls of her husband's desirable mansion.The leopard hunting is also a very exciting moment.Very entertaining and a must for Gothic horror buffs.

All Boris Karloff fans will love this classic film, where Karloff is the castle physician and gives his patients excellent attention. Sir Ronald Burton,(Richard Greene), an eighteenth-century English adventurer, believes his two friends have been murdered by Count Von Bruno,(Stephen McNally) on his Black Forest estate. Arriving at Von Bruno's castle to accumulate evidence, Burton learns Von Bruno's unhappy wife Elga (Paula Corday),. and Dr. Meissen(Boris Karloff), the castle physician, are virtual prisoners. Suspecting Burton's motives, Von Bruno and Gargon (Lon Chaney Jr., ) a giant, mute scarred henchman, discover the Englishman was responsible for their being captured and tortured. You will definitely have to view this great Classic Karloff Film to enjoy the ending.