THE HORROR OF IT ALL

Erica Rogers and Pat Boone

THE HORROR OF IT ALL (1964). Director: Terence Fisher. 

American Jack Robinson (Pat Boone) comes to the isolated mansion of his British fiancee, Cynthia (Erica Rogers), only to discover that his timing is off. It seems that cousin Creighton has passed away and is laid out in the parlor. Soon Jack learns that one of Cynthia's relatives -- spirited Cornwallis (Dennis Price); spooky Natalia (Andree Melly); somber Reginald (Valentine Dyall); mad inventor Percival (Jack Blight); senile Grandpa (Eric Chitty); and crazy Muldoon (Archie Duncan) -- has begun murdering off the others for an inheritance. 

Dennis Price and Pat Boone

The Horror of It All is a silly black comedy that bears a striking and suspicious resemblance to William Castle's remake of The Old Dark House, which came out the year before. There are so many similarities that I've no doubt many viewers have confused the two pictures over the years. (Adding to the confusion is that a later film, No Place Like Homicide aka What a Carve Up! also has a similar plot.) The Horror of It All was written by Ray Russell, who worked with Castle on Mr. Sardonicus (from Russell's novel). The Old Dark House was written by Robert Dillon, and both Dillon and Russell worked on the screenplay for the Ray Milland film, X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes. 

Boone in a death trap

In any case, The Old Dark House is somewhat better than Horror. Although no one would ever confuse him with Cary Grant, Boone gives a perfectly good comic performance in this. Dennis Price and the other cast members play with enthusiasm as well. This will never go down as one of Hammer horror specialist Terence Fisher's [The Gorgon] more memorable movies, unfortunately. A scene when Boone is nearly crushed in a locked room with a descending ceiling is only mildly exciting for instance. Boone sings the acceptable title tune halfway through the movie. The best scene has Price describing to Boone the various awful ways in which his ancestors died. "A blighted people, a family accursed," says he. Interestingly, The Addams Family TV showed debuted this same year. 

Verdict: Watchable sort-of remake of Old Dark House. **1/4.