Catacombs

An early suspense thriller, this debut from Gordon Hessler, who is perhaps best known to horror movie fans as the director of three Vincent Price films, Catacombs feels more like a made-for TV production than a movie bit isn’t altogether uninteresting.

This Network offering from 1965 is a Hitchcockian psychological drama, initially released as a B-feature. As was usual, an American actor was brought over to play the lead in order to boost sales – in this case, the dull and overtly hirsute Gary Merrill (aka ‘Mr. Bette Davis’). Raymond Garth (G. Merrill) is married to the rich and slightly disabled Ellen Garth (Georgina Cookson), who is worth 1 million dead – which is just as well, as he is broke. Nonetheless, she wants him for entertainment and looks. What? She should have gone to Specsavers!

Enter her young and attractive niece Alice Taylor (a sensual Jane Merrow). Naturally, randy Raymond gets the hots for her, and she ‘apparently’ for him – leave it! Pretty soon they are virtually caught at it by Ellen, who coolly reminds him that she pulls the purse-strings. Not one to be blackmailed, Raymond drowns her in the washbasin while she’s washing her hair, and buries her in the garden shed.

However, his American business partner Dick Corbett (played with an unconvincing accent by Scottish actor Neil McCallum) just happens to have an actress friend who is simply identical to the murdered Ellen. Dick and Raymond make up an insidious plan the Ellen’s double will be conveniently bumped off in a car accident in Italy, so Raymond can claim his wife’s insurance money (with a nice little pay out for Dick thrown in). All’s well that ends well!

But it isn’t, is it? Raymond and young Alice being left the lot on condition that he permanently stays at the country cottage… where Ellen is buried in the garden shed – damn! Pretty soon Raymond starts to be haunted by the spectre of his dead wife, but not all is as it seems – a supernatural twist perhaps? Or is someone up to something in order to…

Despite Merrill’s performance he tries hard but is sadly lacking in charisma. The film itself, however, works well with its unexpected twists and turns – the biggest one being reserved for the surprise end. All in all, director Hessler doesn’t make a bad job of it.

SPECIAL FEATURES of this brandnew transfer DVD release include:

* Image Gallery
* Promotional Material PDF