This a fine little British horror film, with an engaging story, good to great acting, suspenseful music and wonderfully composed photography; it is only slowed down by a few too long sequences (Marianne on stage doing the Twist; English's frequent repetitive conversations with Doctors Keisling and Heller).
At first you think, "Oh no, not another ventriloquist and his dummy story!" Even if living doll films haven't been ruined for you by 'Chuckie' movies, this one has a unique spin, though the main theme is really how the ventriloquist, the Great Vorelli (played with great sinister tones by Bryant Halliday), uses hypnotism to try to control (and marry) the rich and beautiful Marianne Horn (played by Yvonne Romain), originally in love with American newspaperman Mark English (well played by Dr. Heywood Floyd of '2001' (1968) himself, William Sylvester).
Unlike the classic dummy story in 'Dead of Night' (1945), here Vorelli, after years of study of the arcane in Tibet and the Orient, has succeeded in transferring the soul of one of his stage assistants into the wooden frame of his dummy Hugo. English finally uncovers Vorelli's past in Germany where he had effected the transfer. After Vorellli puts Marianne into a hypnotic coma prior to transferring her to a new female dummy, Hugo leaps into the act when English suddenly bursts in upon Vorelli.
The film is notable more for its well composed close up photography, suspenseful tympani playing that heightens the tension, and great acting by Halliday, who barely did any acting after this; he was one of the founders of Janus films, and then moved to France. Yvonne Romain can be seen in 'Circus of Horrors' (1960) and as the jailer's daughter in 'Curse of the Werewolf' (1961). And then there's William Sylvester, also in 'Gorgo' (1961) who does a fine job.
Go with the film despite the cheap looking opening titles. I'll give it a 5.
At first you think, "Oh no, not another ventriloquist and his dummy story!" Even if living doll films haven't been ruined for you by 'Chuckie' movies, this one has a unique spin, though the main theme is really how the ventriloquist, the Great Vorelli (played with great sinister tones by Bryant Halliday), uses hypnotism to try to control (and marry) the rich and beautiful Marianne Horn (played by Yvonne Romain), originally in love with American newspaperman Mark English (well played by Dr. Heywood Floyd of '2001' (1968) himself, William Sylvester).
Unlike the classic dummy story in 'Dead of Night' (1945), here Vorelli, after years of study of the arcane in Tibet and the Orient, has succeeded in transferring the soul of one of his stage assistants into the wooden frame of his dummy Hugo. English finally uncovers Vorelli's past in Germany where he had effected the transfer. After Vorellli puts Marianne into a hypnotic coma prior to transferring her to a new female dummy, Hugo leaps into the act when English suddenly bursts in upon Vorelli.
The film is notable more for its well composed close up photography, suspenseful tympani playing that heightens the tension, and great acting by Halliday, who barely did any acting after this; he was one of the founders of Janus films, and then moved to France. Yvonne Romain can be seen in 'Circus of Horrors' (1960) and as the jailer's daughter in 'Curse of the Werewolf' (1961). And then there's William Sylvester, also in 'Gorgo' (1961) who does a fine job.
Go with the film despite the cheap looking opening titles. I'll give it a 5.